There are 3 ways to remove or suspend a client in Dext: disconnect them from your Practice account, deactivate their services, or permanently delete the account.
Each option works differently — make sure you pick the right one before you start.
Which option do you need?
Use this table to choose the right action before you start.
Action | What it does | Can it be reversed? |
Disconnect | Removes the client from your Practice account. The client keeps their Dext account and can buy a plan or connect to a new accountant. | Yes — but only the client can reconnect you by sending a new invitation from their account. |
Deactivate | Suspends the client's Dext services. You keep access to their account. The client can still access their account and buy a plan or connect to a new accountant. | Yes — but not for 4 months. The Reactivate button is disabled for 4 months after deactivation. |
Delete | Permanently removes the client and all associated data. Only available when no users exist on the client account. | No — this cannot be undone. |
Moving a client to a new accountant
You can't transfer or move a client to a new accountant directly. The client controls who has access to their Dext account. There are 2 ways this can be handled:
You disconnect the client from your account. An Admin user in the client's Dext account can then invite the new accountant.
An Admin user in the client's Dext account reallocates your access and invites the new accountant in one step - without you needing to disconnect first. See How to remove or change your accountant's access in Dext.
Before you start
Check who the current account owner is before you begin — this is who receives the subscription invite, or who you'll assign as account owner during an immediate disconnect.
To find this, go to Users in the client account; the account owner is labelled "(Owner)" next to their name. If you need to change the account owner, contact the Dext support team first.
Disconnect a client from your Practice account
Disconnecting removes the client from your Practice account. Before disconnecting, you have 2 options: invite the client to set up their own subscription first, or disconnect immediately.
Invite the client to pay for their own subscription (recommended)
To transfer billing to a client or invite them to pay for their own subscription, use the invite option. Nothing changes until they buy their own plan — their access stays the same, and you keep full bookkeeping access to their account.
Important: The invite goes to the current account owner only and can't be cancelled or resent. If you need a different user in the client account to receive the invite, contact the Dext support team to change the account owner first.
Open the client account.
Go to Business settings and select Disconnect client.
In the Invite a client to pay for their subscription section, select Send invite.
The current account owner is shown in the panel. Select Send invite to confirm.
The account owner receives an email with a link to buy their own plan. If they haven't taken action after 5 days, Dext sends them a reminder email automatically.
Once the client buys a plan, they become a self-paying client and remain connected to your practice. Either party can disconnect afterwards if you no longer work together. This doesn't reduce your practice plan's bundle size or cost automatically — the freed-up slot stays part of your plan until you downgrade it. Go to How to manage your practice subscription in Dext to do this.
Disconnect the client immediately
To remove the client from your practice account straight away, use the disconnect option. The client keeps their Dext account and can connect to a new accountant or bookkeeper.
Important: Disconnection is permanent from your side. Only an Admin user in the client account can reconnect you — by sending a new invitation from within their Dext account.
Open the client account you want to disconnect.
Go to Business settings and select Disconnect client.
In the Or continue with disconnecting the client section, select Disconnect client.
Complete or skip the optional survey.
Select an account owner, then select Disconnect client.
A confirmation banner appears. Both you and the client receive a confirmation email.
For self-paying clients, the process is the same. The only difference is that you can't deactivate or manage their subscription — you can only disconnect them from your account.
Deactivate a client
Deactivating a client suspends their Dext services while you keep access to their account. Use this option when you need to pause services temporarily rather than remove the client entirely.
Important: You cannot reactivate a client for 4 months after deactivation. The Reactivate button is disabled for the full 4-month period.
Open the client account you want to deactivate.
Go to Business settings > Subscription.
Select Deactivate next to the relevant Dext Bookkeeping.
Acknowledge the 4-month wait to reactivate, then select Yes, proceed with deactivation.
Complete or skip the optional survey.
Review the summary and select Continue.
Choose whether to notify the account owner by email, then select Deactivate.
A confirmation banner appears. You receive a confirmation email.
While deactivated, an Admin user in the client's Dext account can start a free trial of Dext for businesses, disconnect from your account and invite a new accountant, or reallocate access to a new accountant directly.
Additionally, a banner indicating the account's deactivation will appear when the client logs into the Dext web app, providing clarity on the account status.
Delete a client
Deleting a client permanently removes the client and all associated data from Dext. This action cannot be undone.
Important: The Delete client option only appears when no users exist on the client account. If you can see Disconnect client, use that instead.
Select Delete client.
Confirm that you want to delete the client permanently.
Enter the client's name to confirm deletion.
Reactivate a client
Reactivating a client restores their Dext services after a deactivation period. You can only reactivate a client once 4 months have passed since deactivation.
Tip: To find deactivated clients quickly, go to your Clients list and select the filter icon in the top right. Under Status, select Deactivated and select Apply.
Open the client account you want to reactivate.
Go to Business settings > Subscription.
Select Reactivate.
The client receives an email confirming reactivation.
Note: If the Reactivate button is greyed out, the 4-month deactivation period hasn't ended yet. Wait until the period ends before trying again.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between disconnecting, deactivating, and deleting a client?
Disconnecting removes the client from your Practice account - the client keeps their Dext account and can connect to a new accountant. Deactivating suspends the client's Dext services for a minimum of 4 months while you keep access to their account. Deleting permanently removes the client and all data, and is only available when no users exist on the account.
Why can I only see Delete, not Disconnect?
The Delete client option appears instead of Disconnect client when no users are assigned to or invited into the client account. Deleting permanently removes the client and all associated data and cannot be undone.
Can I reconnect with a client after disconnecting them?
Not directly. Only an Admin user in the client account can reconnect you — by sending a new invitation from within their Dext account.
Can I invite a client to take over their own subscription before disconnecting?
Yes. The Disconnect client page in Business settings includes an option to invite the client to pay for their own subscription. The invite goes to the current account owner and can't be cancelled or resent — if you need a different user to receive it, contact the Dext support team to change the account owner first. If the client hasn't acted after 5 days, Dext sends them a reminder email automatically.
How long is the deactivation cool-off period?
You can't reactivate a client for 4 months after deactivation. The Reactivate button is disabled for the full 4-month period.
Who should I assign as the account owner during disconnect or deactivation?
Choose the main business owner or the person responsible for the client's Dext account. You'll be prompted to select this person during the process.
Will the client be notified when I disconnect or deactivate them?
Yes. After disconnecting, both parties receive a confirmation email. During deactivation, you can choose whether to notify the client by email. If you opt not to notify, the client will see a banner indicating the account's deactivation when they log into the Web App.
Can the client still use Dext after being disconnected or deactivated?
Yes. After disconnection or deactivation, the client can start a free trial of Dext for businesses or connect to a new accountant or bookkeeper by navigating to Business settings, selecting the Accountant section, and entering the new accountant’s email.