Most business owners stay with a firm they've outgrown for one reason: the switch sounds like a hassle. Records to chase, awkward conversations, something falling through the cracks at the worst possible time.
In practice, almost none of that lands on you.
Confirming you'd like to move, and answering a few questions about the business. That's most of it.
You do not need to explain your decision to your current firm, retrieve documents yourself, or manage the handoff between two accountants.
Any time works, but two windows are cleanest. After your return is filed, when the year's work is closed out. Or right after your fiscal year-end, so a new firm starts a fresh cycle.
Waiting until March is the one thing worth avoiding.
Part of taking on a new client is reading the last few years of returns. That review regularly surfaces elections that no longer fit, depreciation treated conservatively, or owner compensation that stopped making sense two years ago.
That review is a reason to switch, not a cost of switching.
At a larger firm, the person who signs your return and the person who answers your questions are frequently not the same person, and both may change next year.
At Valor you work directly with the CPA who prepares your return. Same person in January and in July.
A short conversation about the business, what's creating pressure, and whether the fit is right. If it isn't, you'll get a straight answer.