Working with IRIS Outsourcing: the onboarding, handover and turnaround journey for accountancy practices

Outsourcing works best when the handover is clear and the process feels like an extension of your own team – but what that process looks like depends on your provider and the model you choose. Ex Practice Manager and Product Expert Jon Cooper explains how onboarding, communication and turnaround work in practice with IRIS Outsourcing, from first handover through to the day-to-day cycle of a live job.

Outsourcing should free an accountancy firm’s capacity for higher-value jobs, but it only pays off if the onboarding is done well. To achieve this, you need to have a clear handover and a defined level of service that makes the provider feel as if they are an extension of your team.

This blog explains how onboarding with IRIS Outsourcing works, including your level of involvement, how data is handled, and the ongoing responsibilities you need to be aware of.

Overview – what does this blog on onboarding a new outsourcing firm discuss?

• Why do accountancy practices outsource – and why will more soon? Accountancy practices outsource to:
  • Add qualified capacity you can’t recruit for fast enough.
  • Avoid hiring permanent staff for a particular service line.
  • Cover short-term absences and take on work you’d otherwise turn away.
  • Meet new demands like Making Tax Digital for Income Tax (MTD for IT), which turns one annual return into quarterly filings from April 2026.
• What’s the difference between IRIS Outsourcing’s fully managed and ‘lite’ options? With fully managed (white-label), IRIS Outsourcing handles end-client contact under your branding and – where relevant – files after you give the work your sign-off; on ‘lite’, all client communication and filing stay with your practice.
• Who moves your data during onboarding? IRIS never directly handles pre-existing data; it stays fully under your control. You give IRIS Outsourcing access to your software and end-client list, and it sets up the records inside your own platform. In other words, your data stays in your systems and moves through a secure portal; it never goes through more vulnerable routes such as email.
• After onboarding, what is the IRIS Outsourcing day-to-day workflow? In the example of MTD, each job goes through a regular cycle: IRIS sets up records, gathers data, and files the quarterly submission (the latter taking 7 days). At the end of the tax year, it prepares the annual filing (10 days) for your approval. Your relationship is led by one person on our side – IRIS is a large organisation, but you’ll have a familiar face dedicated to your success.
• After onboarding, what are your ongoing responsibilities? Outsourcing removes the burden of compliance work, but you are still responsible. That means designating a point of contact IRIS Outsourcing can speak to, answering queries, and reviewing and approving everything before it’s filed with HMRC.
• What happens if your practice grows? Capacity scales with job volume rather than hires – per-job pricing falls as you send more, and a dedicated full-time-equivalent option is available at £2,000 per FTE per month without re-onboarding.

Why do accountancy practices outsource – and why will more soon?

Most accountancy practices need outsourcing because growth happens fast, and in ways they do not expect. Sometimes, that includes adding service lines that you don’t want to hire permanent staff for – or can’t.

Outsourcing provides qualified accounting staff who not only fill these capacity gaps but also provide cover when your employees need to step away. For example, people get sick, are entitled to holidays and have the right to maternity and paternity leave.

Today, accountancy practices need outsourced compliance work more than ever because of MTD for IT. Under HMRC’s rollout, sole traders and landlords with qualifying income over £50,000 must keep digital records and file quarterly updates – as well as final declarations – from April 2026, with the threshold dropping to £30,000 from April 2027 and £20,000 from April 2028. Each threshold pulls a new wave of clients into quarterly filing and multiplies your workload.

Which areas of work does IRIS Outsourcing handle?

IRIS Outsourcing covers core accounting, bookkeeping and payroll work. The service lines are:

• MTD Services – a complete solution covering software and service, or a ‘lite’ option if you prefer to manage the client relationship yourself.
• Statutory accounts – year-end accounts prepared for a cost-efficient, hassle-free submission.
• Bookkeeping – sales and purchase ledger processing, bank and credit card reconciliations, and VAT return prep.
• Payroll – outsourcing complex, time-consuming payroll work removes a point-of-failure risk from your practice.
• Tax returns – the bulk of your personal tax returns, taking the strain off your team around tax year-end.
• iXBRL tagging – a qualified team tags annual accounts using HMRC’s prescribed taxonomies and gets them ready for submission.
• Audit support – a cost-effective, scalable way to expand your audit service offering.

What’s the difference between IRIS Outsourcing’s fully managed and ‘lite’ options?

IRIS Outsourcing offers a range of service models depending on the job and the needs of your firm. Let’s use MTD for IT as a working example, one we’ll return to throughout this blog. On fully managed (white-label), the provider handles end-client contact under your practice’s branding. Under the ‘lite’ plan, all client communication stays with your practice. Which model you choose sets your level of involvement, so decide before onboarding.

With the fully managed model, IRIS works directly with your clients, but you must still review and approve the final declaration before filing. On ‘lite’, you handle every client relationship and take on job creation, document upload, and filing.

Who moves your data during onboarding?

You provide access to your chosen software platform and supply the client list; the provider sets up the client records within it. Onboarding does not mean handing over your systems – your data stays in your platform, and the outsourcing team works inside the tools you already use. Everything moves through a secure portal.

IRIS Outsourcing is not just set up to work with IRIS software. It works with IRIS Elements Cash Book, Dext Solo, Xero, Sage, QuickBooks, FreeAgent and spreadsheets, among others, so you can usually stay with your favourite tech vendor.

After onboarding, what is the IRIS Outsourcing day-to-day workflow?

Once records are set up, the IRIS Outsourcing journey is a manageable, repeating cycle. As an example, here is one fully managed MTD job with IRIS Outsourcing, carried out end to end on a fully-managed, white-label basis:

1. You supply access and the client list. IRIS Outsourcing sets up client records in your bookkeeping software.
2. IRIS Outsourcing gathers data and contacts the end-client (voice and email) under your practice’s branding to collect what’s missing.
3. IRIS Outsourcing prepares and files the quarterly submission to HMRC – turnaround is 7 days.
4. IRIS Outsourcing prepares a draft final declaration for your review – turnaround is 10 days.
5. You review and approve; IRIS Outsourcing files the final declaration with HMRC after your sign-off.
6. IRIS Outsourcing shares a complete final pack with you and your end-client.

On the ‘lite’ model the journey is similar, except for steps 2 and 5: you handle all client contact, and you file with HMRC yourself after reviewing the provider’s draft submissions and final declaration.

Who is your main point of contact?

Your main point of contact is always a named person: IRIS Outsourcing assigns each accountancy practice a dedicated Client Relationship Officer. That continuity is what keeps quality steady as jobs repeat quarter after quarter, and it means there is someone who gets to know your processes.

How does communication work during a live job?

Day-to-day communication runs through two channels: your dedicated Client Relationship Officer for anything relating to the engagement, and a secure portal where you can track every job’s status and see outputs as they’re produced. You don’t wait for a scheduled report to know where a job stands. On the fully managed model, the provider also communicates directly with your end-clients under your branding to gather missing records, so routine chasing doesn’t land on your team. On lite, all client contact routes back through your practice. Either way, queries on a specific job go to a named person rather than an anonymous inbox.

Can IRIS Outsourcing scale for busy season?

Yes. IRIS Outsourcing is a dedicated delivery operation based in Chennai, India, with more than 600 qualified accounting and payroll professionals and over 20 years’ experience working to UK standards. That scale means it can gear up for busy season in a way in-house hiring can’t match at short notice, which is why it pays to onboard before you’re under pressure. Onboarding in a quiet period means the provider already knows your processes when the January crunch arrives.

What are your ongoing responsibilities?

Outsourcing redirects the work, but not your accountability. Across both IRIS models, your standing responsibilities are:

• Designate a point of contact to oversee the outsourced workstream.
• Handle reviews and queries – respond to the provider’s questions and check their output against your standards.
• Approve. This varies by service line. For example, with MTD as a fully managed service, we saw earlier how you sign off the final declaration; on ‘lite’, you review quarterly submissions and the draft final declaration before you file directly.
• On the lite model, manage all end-client communication directly, and create jobs and upload source documents to the portal.

Remember, you have final accountability for the outputs. You are the firm of record and the client’s point of professional responsibility.

What happens if your practice grows?

With IRIS Outsourcing, per-job pricing falls as volume rises – so a practice sending 76–100 jobs to us pays a lower per-job rate than one sending 1–25. For practices that want dedicated resource, a full-time-equivalent model is available from £2,000 per FTE per month, supporting roughly 100 sole traders at up to 120 transactions each.

It’s worth remembering this practical point if you expect to grow: you can move from ad-hoc per-job outsourcing to dedicated capacity without re-onboarding from scratch, because the provider already holds your processes and client records.

Ready to expand your team – including for MTD for IT? Speak to your IRIS account manager or visit

Outsourcing, onboarding, and turnaround

Frequently asked questions

Everything you want to ask, answered.

How long does an outsourced quarterly submission take?

Quarterly MTD submissions are turned around in 7 days and annual filings in 10 days, both within UK business hours (9am–5pm).

Is my data safe when outsourcing?

Data is transferred through a secure cloud portal rather than email. IRIS Outsourcing holds ISO 9001, ISO 27001 and ISO 27701 certification and operates a GDPR policy to UK standards.

Do I still control the client relationship?

On the lite model, yes – all communication stays with your practice. On the fully managed model, the provider contacts clients under your practice’s branding, so the relationship still presents as yours. You can speak to us about a client whenever you need to and can oversee all work using the dedicated portal.

Which software does outsourcing work with?

IRIS Outsourcing is compatible with IRIS Elements Cash Book, Dext Solo, Xero, Sage, QuickBooks, FreeAgent and spreadsheets, among others, so onboarding rarely requires a software change.

How long does onboarding typically take?

Onboarding follows a four-step implementation process that begins with a scoping call to map your requirements, software and client list. The exact timeline depends on the number of jobs and the model you choose, so agree it with your Client Relationship Officer at the scoping stage.

How does communication work on the lite model?

On the lite model, all communication with your end-clients stays with your practice – IRIS Outsourcing never contacts them directly. You create jobs and upload source documents through the secure portal, and your dedicated Client Relationship Officer is your point of contact for any queries on the work itself. In short, IRIS communicates with you, and you communicate with your clients.

Can I switch between fully managed and lite?

The two models suit different needs, and the right fit can change as your practice does. Because IRIS Outsourcing already holds your processes and client records once you’re onboarded, adjusting the level of service you take – including moving toward dedicated resource as you grow – doesn’t mean starting over. Speak to your Client Relationship Officer about changing your service model.

What certifications does IRIS Outsourcing hold?

IRIS Outsourcing holds ISO 9001 (Quality Management), ISO 27001 (Information Security) and ISO 27701 (Privacy Information Management) certification, and operates a GDPR policy to UK standards. Data is transferred through a secure cloud portal rather than email. These are the benchmarks worth checking in any outsourcing provider, since they evidence a formal commitment to data security and quality.