Can I keep my current accountant if I use Doughy?
By Doughy licensed tax advisors · Last updated 2026-10-01
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No. A review does not require firing anyone. Plenty of clients start with just the review to see what they have been missing, and keep whoever files their taxes today. If you later want Doughy to handle everything, that is your call, never a requirement.
Does a Tax Savings Review require switching accountants?
A Tax Savings Review is a one-time savings study, not a mandate to change firms. Doughy asks the same question on pricing: some clients keep their existing accountant for day-to-day filing and use Doughy just for the savings review. Others move everything over. Either way works.
That matches the FAQ answer word for word on intent: you are buying clarity on missed strategies, not a breakup letter to your preparer.
If your relationship is healthy but you suspect the scope is filing only, a review still makes sense. You can share results with the same person who signs your return.
High earners and business owners often worry that a second set of eyes insults a long-standing preparer. In practice, many accountants welcome a written plan because it makes scope conversations explicit.
What does the review deliver if I keep my current accountant?
Every review ends with a written plan from a licensed advisor. On pricing, Doughy is explicit about three ways to use it. The review fee buys clarity, not an automatic subscription.
The personal review covers a full personal tax review and the written plan. The business review adds how your business is set up and what to change, still with one written plan. Those are the same product names you see at checkout on the pricing page.
Doughy reports that 97% of reviews have found savings. Documented examples from real reviews:
Take the written plan to whoever files your return today and work through scope together.
Hire Doughy to put selected strategies in place after a custom quote from your plan.
Run the plan on your own timeline at no charge from Doughy for the guidance document.
Documented savings identified in one personal review. Individual results vary based on your specific tax situation.
Documented savings identified in one business review. Individual results vary based on your specific tax situation.
How should I use the plan with my existing preparer?
Treat the written plan like a second opinion with numbers attached. Schedule a working session, not a vague email forward. Ask which strategies they agree with, which need legal or payroll setup, and who will execute each item before deadlines.
Your preparer may already handle some moves. The plan helps you see gaps between preparation and planning, which is the difference this site describes in plain language: filing records what happened; planning changes what happens next.
If they decline to implement items outside their scope, you still have two paths Doughy lists on pricing: hire Doughy to put the plan in place with a custom quote after the review, or run the steps yourself at no charge from Doughy.
Locking in savings within 30 days of your review can credit the review fee toward implementation on pricing. That credit is separate from the guarantee, but it rewards fast action when the plan is solid.
Tax planning vs tax preparation · Tax advisor vs tax preparer
What changes if I later choose a Doughy ongoing plan?
Nothing about the review forces an ongoing plan. The review stands alone at $397 personal or $597 business on pricing, with your review pays for itself, or it is free under the guarantee.
If you later want Doughy to keep planning, bookkeeping, and filing, those services live in monthly plans quoted after your review. Doughy does not sell standalone bookkeeping or filing without a review first.
Clients who move everything to Doughy usually do so after they see the plan, not because checkout required it. Clients who keep a local preparer often use Doughy for reviews and planning while the local firm still files.
Either model works as long as someone executes the plan before year-end deadlines. The risk is not picking Doughy or your accountant; it is nobody owning the proactive items on the list.
When is switching accountants not required?
Switching is not required when you only want a savings checklist, when your preparer welcomes outside plans, or when you intend to implement yourself.
Switching is also not required if you like your preparer but want a Doughy strategist for year-round hunting while filing stays local. That split is common for business owners who already have a bookkeeper relationship.
You might still switch later for convenience, but the FAQ is clear: keeping whoever files your taxes today is allowed from day one.
When might you switch to Doughy instead of sharing the plan?
Consider moving work to Doughy when your preparer only has bandwidth for April filing, when planning items never get scheduled, or when you want one team to implement and file without translating between vendors.
Consider switching when you need books cleaned before anyone can trust the plan, and your current firm does not offer that service. Doughy can handle ongoing books and tax work after onboarding, scoped on pricing after the review.
Retiring preparers are a different trigger. If your accountant is winding down, read how Doughy handles handoffs so you separate file transfer from the savings review decision.
Who should not buy a review while keeping a preparer?
Skip the review if you need emergency filing tomorrow or IRS notice work today. Those are different engagements.
Skip if you will not share accurate returns and intake answers. The guarantee depends on material accuracy between what you represent and what records show.
Skip if you want a guaranteed savings number before anyone sees your data. No ethical licensed team can promise that without your facts.
If you are unsure you will act on a plan, start with the free calculator. It takes about 60 seconds and shows which savings areas likely apply before you pay for a review.
If your accountant already runs quarterly planning and documents strategies in writing, compare their checklist to the review scope before you buy a second opinion.
Keeping a preparer works best when you agree on who owns planning items from the plan. If your firm will not implement outside filing, budget for Doughy implementation or your own follow-through.
The IRS expects you to keep records that support what you file regardless of which firms you use. Your current accountant can still help with recordkeeping even when Doughy runs the review.
Common questions
Will Doughy contact my accountant without my permission?
No. You choose what to share and when. The review delivers a plan to you first.
Can my accountant and Doughy both file the same return?
You should have one firm sign and file a given return. Many clients keep a local preparer for filing while using Doughy for reviews and planning, or move filing to Doughy after they see the plan.
Does keeping my accountant change the review price?
No. Personal reviews are $397 and business reviews are $597 one time on the pricing page, whether or not you keep another preparer.
Is the written plan included if I keep my accountant?
Yes. The written plan from a licensed advisor is included in the one-time review price. You do not pay extra for the document because someone else files.
Where do I buy the review?
Start a Personal Tax Savings Review or Business Tax Savings Review from the Doughy pricing page. No sales call is required to see the fee.
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Next step
Start with the free calculator. When you are ready, see review pricing on one page.