Leave management software for accounting firms

Busy season covered, holidays still taken

Tax deadlines and year ends don't wait. Leavepad gives accounting firms one leave calendar for the whole practice, so partners can keep busy season staffed and make sure everyone actually uses their leave in the quieter months.

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Sound familiar?

Deadline week with half the team away

Holidays approved months ago land right on the filing deadline, and nobody connected the two until it was too late.

Leave hoarded until year end

People save their days through busy season, then everyone wants the same weeks off when it's over.

Balances kept in a partner's spreadsheet

Accountants of all people shouldn't be reconciling holiday balances by hand, yet the leave sheet is always out of date.

Carry-over

Carry-over limits applied at year end, automatically

Set how many unused days can roll into the new leave year. Leavepad applies the limit to everyone at year end, so nobody reconciles balances in January and leave isn't hoarded for years.

One carry-over limit per leave type
Unused days roll over up to the limit
New balances ready on the first day of the year

Study and exam leave

Study and exam leave for trainee accountants

Track study days and exam leave as their own leave types, separate from holiday. Trainees see what they have left, and managers plan cover around exam sittings.

Separate allowances for study and exam leave
Auto-approve exam days, or require approval
Each type in its own colour on the calendar

Client leave tracking

Run leave for your firm and your clients from one login

Bookkeepers and outsourced HR teams can run leave tracking for clients alongside their own practice. Each client is its own organisation with its own people, holidays and rules.

Switch between organisations in one click
Separate people, leave types and holidays
Each client's data kept apart

More ways Leavepad helps accounting firms

See deadline weeks at a glance

The team calendar shows everyone's leave against the year, so thin weeks stand out before you approve more.

Approvals with context

Managers approve their own team, and partners can approve anyone in the firm.

Balances that reconcile

Every approval updates the balance, counting only working days and skipping public holidays.

Part-time allowances

Adjust balances for part-time staff and agreed extras, with the reason saved.

Public holidays imported

Your country's public holidays on the calendar and never counted against anyone's allowance.

Book on behalf

Practice managers can log leave for anyone, approved straight away.

What Leavepad replaces

One leave management system for accounting firms, instead of the spreadsheets, messages and wall charts you use today.

With LeavepadInstead of

Busy season coverHoping not everyone books the same week
Leave balancesA partner's private spreadsheet
Study and exam leaveEmails before every sitting
Year-end carry-overReconciling balances by hand in January
Client leave trackingA separate spreadsheet per client

Guide

How to write a busy season leave policy for an accounting firm

A good busy season policy protects deadlines without making people feel they can never take a break. Most firms build theirs on five rules.

1
Name your busy season dates
Write down the exact weeks: the run-up to 31 January for UK self assessment, mid-April for US tax season, or your clients' year ends. Put them on the leave calendar.
2
Set clear rules for leave during them
For example, no more than two days at a time without partner approval. Clear rules feel fairer than case-by-case refusals.
3
Plan study and exam leave first
Exam dates are fixed, so book study and exam leave for trainees early and plan cover around them.
4
Encourage leave in the quiet months
Remind people to book holiday after busy season and in the summer, so nobody reaches year end with weeks unused.
5
Use a carry-over limit
A small carry-over limit, such as five days, stops leave being hoarded while still giving people some flexibility.

Free leave calculators for accounting firms

Leave management software for accounting firms: FAQ

How should an accounting firm handle leave during busy season?

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Most firms publish their busy-season dates early, ask people to book leave outside them and approve exceptions case by case. A shared leave calendar makes that easy: managers see who's away before approving, and staff can see the quieter weeks to plan around.

Can accountants take holiday during busy season?

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Usually, yes, but with limits. Many firms allow short breaks with partner approval and ask for longer holidays to be taken outside the busiest weeks. Writing the rule down and applying it the same way to everyone avoids arguments.

Can trainees track study and exam leave?

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Yes. Create study leave and exam leave as their own leave types with an allowance per year, or no limit, and decide whether each needs approval. They show on the calendar in their own colour.

Can we run leave for a client's business too?

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Yes. One login can belong to several organisations, each with its own people, leave types and public holidays, so bookkeepers can run leave tracking for clients alongside their own firm.

How does carry-over work at year end?

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Set a carry-over limit per leave type. When the new leave year starts, each person's unused days roll over up to that limit, and their new balance is ready straight away.

How are part-time staff handled?

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Admins can adjust any person's balance, so a part-time accountant can have a pro rata allowance. Use the free pro rata holiday calculator to work out the right number.

Built for every kind of team

Retire the holiday spreadsheet

Set up Leavepad for your team in a few minutes. Invite your people and they can book time off today.