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Checklist · Staff
Offshore Leaver Access Checklist for Accountants
Close down access promptly when an offshore or outsourced individual stops working on your accounts.
Built by a practising Chartered Accountant · Unlimited users · 60-day free trial · Last updated 24 September 2026
Quick answer
When an offshore or outsourced team member leaves the provider, or is moved off your account, access to your systems and client data needs to be removed promptly. This checklist helps ensure nothing is left open after someone stops working on your firm's files.
Why is this often missed with outsourced staff?
Because offshore or outsourced individuals are employed by the provider, not your firm, firms don't always hear promptly when someone leaves or changes role. Building a leaver-notification step into your provider agreement, and a regular access review, helps close this gap.
This checklist should be triggered both when the provider notifies you of a leaver, and periodically as a general access review, in case notification is missed.
What should be reviewed when someone leaves?
Check every system, folder and portal they had access to, remove or reset credentials, and confirm with the provider that any local copies of data have been dealt with in line with your agreement.
Access points to check
- Practice management and file systems
- Client portal access
- Email or shared inbox access
+ 1 more in the full download
Checklist preview
0/3 done · showing 3 of 10 itemsThe full 10-item checklist is in the download below. Enter your name and email to get it as a Word or PDF file.
This is a standard checklist. Each firm's requirements may vary, so please cross-check everything against current GOV.UK, Companies House and professional body guidance before relying on it.
See it working with your own clients
A 30-minute walkthrough using your services, deadlines and templates.
Turn this into a task and subtask template in Remindoo
Save each group as a task with subtasks, attach it to the right service and let recurring tasks create it for every client, every period. Each item gets an owner and a deadline, and nothing depends on someone remembering to print the list. See task and subtask templates.
What are the common mistakes?
- Relying solely on the provider to remember to tell you about leavers
- Leaving shared credentials unchanged after someone leaves
- Not reviewing access periodically as a backstop
- Failing to get written confirmation that local data copies were removed
“Automation saves time and no follow-up is missed.”
Frequently asked questions
How quickly should access be removed?
As soon as practicable after you're notified, ideally the same day.
Should the provider agreement require leaver notification?
Yes, it's good practice to include a clause requiring the provider to notify you promptly of any leaver or change of personnel. [VERIFY] wording with a solicitor.
What if we're not told someone has left?
This is why a periodic access review is useful, so unused accounts are caught even without notification.
Do we need written confirmation of data deletion?
It's good practice, particularly for sensitive client data, though the exact requirement should be set out in your data processing agreement.
Does Remindoo automatically detect offshore staff leavers?
No, Remindoo does not receive information from third-party providers about staff changes; you manage roles and permissions manually within your account.
How does this differ from onboarding?
Onboarding grants and documents access when someone starts; this checklist ensures access is properly closed down when they stop working on your account.
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Sources
Last updated 24 September 2026. General guidance, not regulatory advice.
Why recording every task matters in an accountancy practice
Accounting firms run on deadlines: VAT returns, payroll, confirmation statements, accounts and Self Assessment. Recording every job as a task, with an owner and a date, is the simplest way to make sure nothing is missed.
Avoid penalties
HMRC and Companies House charge penalties for late filing. A task for every deadline, with an internal date before it, gives the team a buffer.
Nothing depends on memory
Recorded tasks mean work continues when someone is off sick, on leave or has left the firm.
Consistent quality
Subtask checklists make every job follow the same steps and reviews, whoever does the work.
Visibility for managers
Filters by owner, status and deadline show at a glance what is late, what is due and who needs help.
Practical tips from UK practice
- Set an internal deadline two to four weeks before every statutory deadline.
- Use recurring tasks for repeat work such as VAT, payroll and bookkeeping.
- Break larger jobs into subtasks, including a review step.
- Comment on the task instead of by email, so the history stays with the work.
Related Remindoo features
Written and reviewed by Waqas Sagar ACA FCCA FMAAT, Chartered Accountant with 18+ years in practice. Founder and MD of Accotax, an ICAEW, ACCA and AAT regulated London practice that has served over 5,000 clients, and founder of Remindoo. Guidance is general; check current GOV.UK and professional body guidance for your firm.
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