Switching Accounting Firms in Thailand? Here’s the Ultimate Handover Checklist (So Nothing Gets Lost)
Changing your accounting firm doesn’t have to risk compliance or disrupt your operations. The key is a clean, documented handover of all records, access rights, and filings. In Thailand, the Revenue Department generally expects businesses to retain accounting and tax records for at least five years, and in some VAT cases the Director-General may require up to seven years—so losing documents can be very costly.
Table of Contents
Core Company & Statutory Records
Company Affidavit (DBD current extract), Articles of Association, shareholder list, director list and specimen signatures
Tax ID details and latest VAT Registration Certificate (P.P. 20)
Any DBD/e-filing credentials used for your company (if your accountant set them up on your behalf)
Board resolutions relevant to accounting, banking and taxation; company seal custody log (if applicable)
Accounting Data (Full & Portable)
Accounting software data file & backup (e.g., Xero/QuickBooks/PEAK/FlowAccount/Express)
Chart of accounts, opening balances, prior-year trial balances
General Ledger, Journal entries, Trial Balance for current and prior years
Financial statements (audited, if any) for the last 5 years with management letters and audit adjustments
Fixed asset register with depreciation schedule; inventory count sheets and valuation method notes
Customer & supplier master files (names, tax IDs, addresses, payment terms)
Banking & Cash
Bank statements (all accounts) with bank reconciliations for at least the last 12–24 months
Cheque stubs, petty cash logs, cash counts
Internet banking view-only access or exported transaction history (CSV), plus the list of users/approvals in place
Sales, Purchases & Supporting Documents
Sales:
Tax invoices/receipts, credit notes/debit notes
Contracts/quotations/POs/DOs supporting revenue recognition
Purchases/Expenses:
Supplier tax invoices/receipts, expense claims, corporate card statements
Lease agreements, utilities, insurance, professional service contracts
AR/AP: Aging reports and sub-ledgers that tie to the GL
Tax Filings & Evidence (Keep Together)
VAT (P.P. 30; P.P. 36 if any): monthly filings, input/output reports, e-filing receipts, payment slips
Withholding tax (P.N.D. 1, 3, 53, 54): monthly filings, e-filing receipts, payment slips
Annual CIT (P.N.D. 50) and half-year CIT (P.N.D. 51): returns, computations, schedules
WHT Certificates issued/received (Section 50 bis / “50 Tawi/50 Bis”) for payroll and vendor payments—these prove tax was withheld and remitted.
Social Security (SSO) filings and payment confirmations
Any tax rulings, correspondence, or notices from the Revenue Department (RD)
Why this matters: RD expects you to retain accounting/tax records for at least 5 years, and in some VAT scenarios up to 7 years. Keep e-filing receipts and payment confirmations with each return.
Payroll & HR Pack
Employee master list (names, ID/passport, tax IDs), contracts, salary structures
Monthly payroll runs, payslips, bonus/OT details, leave records
P.N.D. 1 filings and annual withholding 50 bis certificates issued to employees; SSO filings and receipts
Digital Access & Credentials (Transfer Admin Rights)
Make sure ownership (not just user access) is handed to you or your new firm:
Accounting system admin rights + 2FA devices/email
RD e-Filing account(s), E-Withholding Tax portal (if used), e-Tax Invoice/e-Receipt system
DBD e-filing, SSO e-service, and (if applicable) Customs/e-Customs, BOI e-Monitoring
Secure export of all settings, templates (invoice, tax invoice), and approval workflows
Contracts & Compliance Extras (As Applicable)
Customer/supplier framework agreements, distribution/agency agreements
Loan agreements, shareholder loans, bank facilities and covenants
BOI certificates/conditions and BOI e-Monitoring submissions (if BOI-promoted)
Licenses and permits relevant to your sector (FDA, factory, import/export, etc.)
Smooth Handover: A 6-Step Timeline
Set the cut-off date. Confirm in writing the last period your current accountant will handle (e.g., “through July 2025 VAT & WHT”).
Request a “handover pack.” Include this checklist and ask for a document inventory (file list) signed off by both sides.
Close & reconcile. Ask the outgoing firm to complete reconciliations (bank, AR/AP, VAT, WHT) up to the cut-off and provide tie-out schedules.
Verify completeness. Cross-check that GL balances agree to sub-ledgers; sample a few invoices to ensure supporting documents exist.
Transfer admin access. Move ownership of all portals/apps; rotate passwords and update authorized persons.
Archive & back up. Store PDFs and native data files; keep an index so you can retrieve anything within minutes. (Plan to retain at least 5 years, and up to 7 years for certain VAT records.)
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