Going Paperless: A Guide for Accountancy Practices
Why Paperless Is No Longer Optional
There was a time when going paperless was a nice-to-have. That time has passed. With Making Tax Digital requiring digital record keeping, clients expecting instant access to their documents, and staff increasingly working remotely, paper-based processes are now a genuine liability.
Going paperless isn't just about saving trees. It's about speed, security, accessibility, and being able to run your practice from anywhere. It's about finding a document in seconds rather than minutes.
This guide covers the practical steps to take your accountancy practice paperless, from document scanning to client portals.
Start With a Document Audit
Before you buy a scanner or sign up for any software, take stock of what paper you currently handle. Walk through your office and note every type of physical document: client source documents, engagement letters, signed accounts, HMRC correspondence, internal working papers, payroll documents, and company formation paperwork.
For each type, ask: does this need to exist on paper? In almost every case, the answer is no. HMRC accepts digital records. Companies House accepts digital filings. Clients can sign documents electronically.
Document Scanning and Capture
Existing Paper Archives
If you have years of paper files, you have three options. Scan everything using a good document scanner with an automatic document feeder and OCR software. Scan on demand, digitising files as they're needed for active work. Or outsource it to a scanning bureau — often more affordable than you'd expect.
Incoming Documents
The bigger win is stopping paper at the door. Ask clients to send digital copies wherever possible. Use a mobile scanning app like Microsoft Lens or Adobe Scan for anything that arrives on paper. Set up an upload portal where clients can send documents directly into your system.
Accounted includes built-in document management that lets clients photograph receipts and upload documents directly. For practices using Accounted with their clients, this eliminates the shoebox of receipts problem entirely. Documents arrive digitally, are processed by Penny, and are stored against the right transactions automatically.
Cloud Storage and File Organisation
Your scanned documents need to live somewhere secure, accessible, and well-organised. Practice management software, cloud storage platforms like OneDrive or Google Drive, or dedicated document management tools like Dext all work.
Whatever you choose, consistency is everything. Create a standard folder structure that every team member follows — organised by client, then by document type and period. Adopt a consistent naming convention like ClientName_DocumentType_Period_Date.pdf so documents are easy to find, sort, and identify at a glance.
Digital Signatures
Printed, signed, scanned, and emailed — that workflow for getting client approval is clunky, slow, and unnecessary. Electronic signature tools like DocuSign or HelloSign let clients sign documents from their phone in seconds.
Electronic signatures are legally valid in the UK under the Electronic Communications Act 2000. They create a detailed audit trail that's often more robust than a wet signature. And clients appreciate not having to print, sign, scan, and email back.
Client Portals for Document Exchange
Email is not a good way to exchange sensitive financial documents. It's insecure, documents get lost in inboxes, and there's no clear audit trail.
A client portal gives each client a secure online space to upload documents, download completed accounts and tax returns, view work status, and access their financial data.
Accounted takes this further by giving clients a full view of their financial position alongside document storage. Clients can upload receipts, view their transactions, and see their tax position in real time. For the practice, everything is in one place — no chasing documents, no lost emails, no filing.
MTD-Compatible Digital Record Keeping
Making Tax Digital requires that records are kept digitally with digital links between the original data and the final HMRC submission. No more printing a report, re-keying the numbers into a spreadsheet, and typing the totals into the HMRC portal.
Going paperless isn't just about convenience — for many of your clients, it's now a legal requirement. If your clients are using cloud accounting software that connects directly to HMRC, the digital link requirement is handled automatically.
Making the Transition
Don't Try to Do Everything at Once
Going paperless is a project, not an event. A sensible order: stop printing new documents, set up your cloud storage and folder structure, implement e-signatures, move client document exchange to a portal, scan existing paper files as needed, then archive or destroy old files according to your retention policy.
Get Your Team on Board
Any change in process requires buy-in. Explain why you're going paperless, involve the team in choosing tools, and give them time to learn. The short-term friction of changing habits will be repaid many times over in efficiency.
Set a Deadline
Without a target date, the transition will drift. Set a date by which all new work will be fully digital, and communicate it to both your team and your clients.
The Payoff
A fully paperless practice is faster, more secure, and more flexible. Documents are found in seconds, not minutes. Staff can work from anywhere. Clients get a modern, professional experience.
If you're ready to move your practice towards paperless working, Accounted can be part of the solution. With built-in document management, receipt capture, and MTD-compliant digital record keeping, it's designed for practices that want to leave paper behind. Start a free trial and see how it fits into your paperless workflow.
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