Big Red Book Accounts Update

Support for Big Red Book Accounts will continue until 31st January 2027. Until that date, you can continue using the software as you do today, with customer support available in line with your existing agreement and the supported environments.

This long notice period is designed to give customers clarity and time to plan. There is no requirement to upgrade immediately, and no planned change to how Big Red Book operates before the end-of-support date.

No. There is no planned product change before 31st January 2027. Big Red Book will continue to function as it does today, and customer support will remain available through to the published end-of-support date.

As with any desktop product, continued operation depends on your local environment. However, there is no intention to disable or restrict the product before support ends, and customers can continue using it while planning their upgrade.

No. Most customers choose to upgrade at the start of their next financial year, as this is typically the least disruptive time and avoids mid-period changes to reporting or workflows.

That said, the timing is flexible. You can upgrade earlier if you prefer, and our team will work with you to plan the upgrade in a way that suits your business or your clients.

We refer to this as an upgrade, not a self-managed migration. Our team provides a structured, scheduled service and brings your data across so you are not left to design or manage the process yourself.

This approach reduces risk and avoids unexpected issues. We confirm scope and timing in advance, guide each step, and support you through go-live to ensure continuity.

The time required depends on your setup, including the number of entities involved and any bespoke elements in your data. There is no one-size-fits-all duration.

Once you request a quote, we’ll confirm the scope and outline the expected timeline before anything is scheduled. This ensures you know what to expect and can plan accordingly.

Yes. Guidance is provided during the upgrade itself, and customers also have access to webinars, recordings, and supporting resources to help them get comfortable with Big Red Cloud.

The aim is to ensure you can continue working confidently after the upgrade, with support available as you transition to the new platform.

Big Red Cloud is billed per entity because this reflects how modern cloud accounting software is structured. Each sole trader, partnership, or limited company is treated as a single entity, with all prior years included.

This differs from the historical desktop model, which was billed per customer and often required additional slots for previous financial years. The per-entity model is simpler and more transparent.

We offer discounted upgrade pricing tiers for existing Big Red Book customers, based on the number of entities managed. These tiers are designed to ensure loyal customers and practices are not penalised by the move to cloud accounting.

Before upgrading, you can request a quote and confirm your pricing tier in advance. There are no surprise changes once the upgrade is agreed.

After upgrading, historic Big Red Book transaction data will be available in Big Red Cloud for reference. At a minimum, your historic transactions and balances will be accessible in a read-only format.

We publish a minimum guarantee and confirm the detailed scope before your upgrade slot, based on your setup. This ensures expectations are clear before any work begins.

If you are in contract beyond 31st January 2027 and prefer not to upgrade, you may cancel and request a pro-rata credit or refund for the unused portion of your term after that date.

Refunds or credits are not conditional on purchasing another product. Details can be confirmed by contacting our renewals team with your licence information.

Yes, if you wish. Big Red Cloud allows you to collaborate online with your accountant or bookkeeper, making it easier to work together without exchanging files or backups.

Additional users and linked accounting practices are included at no extra charge, allowing flexibility in how you work together after upgrading.

We are currently consulting with practices on the final commission programme mechanics. This includes how referrals are tracked, how Partner of Record is set, and how commission is paid.

Full programme terms will be published once finalised. Until then, practices can contact us to discuss how the upgrade process works for their clients.