Migration FAQs
Migrating your data from Keytime to IRIS Elements may seem like a daunting process and you may have lots of questions. We have tried to answer the most common questions on this page.
There is also lots of information on our website.
If you are experiencing problems, check our Troubleshooting page or Get help and support.
The following pages detail the step by step process of migration:
Account questions

There will be no change to yor terms and conditions, as both products - IRIS Elements and Keytime - are covered by IRIS general Ts&Cs.
Data questions

No, Keytime Practice Manager is currently out of scope for migration.

No. For security reasons HMRC and Companies House filing credentials cannot be migrated. You will need to have these details to hand as they will need to be entered into IRIS Elements prior to filing any returns or accounts.

No. IRIS Elements handles users and associated sign-on security differently to desktop products, therefore it is not possible to migrate existing user details. Users will need to be setup by the system administrator and appropriate access rights assigned. For more information go to Manage users and subscriptions.

Static client details such as name, address, company registration details, UTR, client type and contact details plus details of any relationships you have created between client records are migrated. As well as client information, you can migrate tax returns, VAT obligations and trial balance data from Accounts Production.

Tax returns (all types) for years 2020/21, 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2023/24 are migrated.

Current and 4 prior years' trial balance data is migrated.

Details of curent and previously submitted VAT obligations are migrated.
Migration process questions

To ensure the best results from your data migration, please ensure you read and follow the steps and advice here: Migrate Keytime data to IRIS Elements

The Data Migration Agent (DMA) is an application that forms an essential part of the IRIS Elements data migration solution for IRIS products. It allows you to create a connection between and move data from the databases of PTP to your IRIS Elements account. For more information on the DMA and how to install it, go to The Data Migration Agent (DMA).

You will need to ask all other users to log out of Keytime and IRIS Elements whilst the data migration is running.

You can migrate as much or as little data as you wish. You can migrate individual clients, batches of clients or all clients. You can continue to migrate data after your Keytime licence expires. This allows you full flexibility to plan and execute your migration your way.

Your Keytime products will reach end of life end and will be unsupported after March 2026. We recommend migrating as soon as you can ahead of next busy season.

We will always try to accommodate requests to postpone the migration where there are extenuating circumstances, but ultimately Keytime will come to end of life in March 2026. Please contact us to discuss options.
Product questions

Tax products will come to end of life 31st March 2026, which means the last compliance year will be 2024/25 for the filing deadline 31 January 2026.
Accounts Production (non-Charity formats) products come to an end 31st March 2026. Last accounting data supported for Corporate Tax is April 2026 (ap May 2024/April 2025).

IRIS Elements is a cloud based product. We've created an introductory video to IRIS Elements:

IRIS Elements is a fully cloud based solution; you access it through your internet browser, there is nothing installed on your PC or servers, no updates or backups to manage. If you currently pay hosting charges, you should consider whether these will be necessary after a move to IRIS Elements.

Of course! We have several short video presentations if you just want a quick overview, found here IRIS Elements video library or you can request a demonstration if you need something a bit more in-depth.

Keytime products will be supported until March 2026. The last tax period that can be filed will be the period ending 30 April 2025. The support team will continue to be on hand after that date to assist with migration queries.

You can book training with our team, or review our Get started with IRIS Elements help pages and video library.
Support questions

We have information on contacting support here: Help and support for IRIS Elements.

Yes if you have issues during your migration you can contact the support team.