The Disengagement Process

Introduction

• When the engagement process comes to an end, either on the completion of a specific or a complete assignment, there is a need to go through a formal process of disengagement.
• The process is recommended and prescribed by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales (ICAEW).
• This article explains the stages and legal requirements of this process along with the certain terms and conditions.

Professional Clearance

• We will give professional clearance to your new advisors as soon as we have been given clear instructions to do so and the assignments have been confirmed as being completed satisfactorily.
• There will be two types of professional clearance:
  • Individuals
  • Company’s

No Information Given Directly

• For legal and professional reasons, we cannot and will not give any information directly to your new advisors.

Dialogue Free of Charge

• From the date of the first communication from your new advisors, we will enter into a dialogue with them, free of charge, for seven working days.
• Thereafter, any time spent with the client or the advisors will become chargeable at our standard rates.

Your Information and Records

• As all information relating to your books, accounts, tax, statutory matters etc. is handed to you at the time the activity is carried out and all filing at Companies House (CH) and HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is done with your approval (following the forwarding of all documents to you) no information will be provided to you or the new advisors again. All documentation required must be requested within seven working days from the date of commencement of disengagement.
• Where you require the above information once again we may be able to provide this you, subject to an additional charge, agreed at the event.

Avar’s Responsibilities

• The following matters will be dealt with by us at no additional cost, relating to companies
  • Change of Registered Address
  • Change of Service Address
  • Immediate Resignation of Avar Secretaries Ltd
  • Release of Companies House Authentication Code
• Unless you advise us otherwise, at the point of disengagement, we will use your last known home address as your new address.
• Avar do not maintain neither personal or your Company’s credentials with the HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) as all affairs are handled via our agent’s Gateway account.
• Using our Agent’s gateway, we will remove ourselves from all communication being sent to us by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC).
• As a result, we will not be party to nor be responsible for any action required to be taken within any time limits.

Finalising Disengagement

• A member of the Avar Team will then telephone to bring our engagement to closure and ensure that all your issues are addressed.
• The disengagement process will then be complete.
• All information is archived to our external servers and will be retained for six years. Thereafter this data is deleted automatically without further notification.
• Retrieval of any information after the disengagement date is subject to additional charges at the standard rates.