Client Onboarding Template (United States)

End-to-end checklist to onboard a new US client — from proposal and engagement through document collection, system setup, kickoff, and a 30-day check-in. Suitable for bookkeeping, tax, payroll, and advisory clients.

Bringing on a new client in a US firm is part relationship-building and part compliance gatekeeping. Before a single bank feed gets connected, you need a signed engagement letter that pins down scope and fees, verified tax identification (legal name, entity type, and EIN or SSN), and the right IRS authorization on file, whether that’s Form 8821 for information access or Form 2848 for representation. Skip any of these and you can end up doing real work on an unsigned engagement, filing against the wrong entity, or hitting a wall when you try to pull a transcript because no authorization was ever submitted.

The other half is logistics that quietly decide how the first 90 days feel. Prior-year returns and carryforward items need to be reviewed, software access (QuickBooks, Xero, payroll, sales tax accounts, bank feeds) has to be granted and tested, and records from the outgoing accountant should be requested early before that relationship goes cold. When onboarding lives in one person’s head, these threads slip: identity gets verified late, authorization sits unsigned, and the kickoff call surfaces problems that should have been caught in week one. A consistent client onboarding process turns that scramble into a checklist anyone on the team can run the same way every time.

When to run it

Run this once per new client, immediately after they say yes. The firm owner or whoever signs off on new engagements should kick it off, since the early steps (conflict check, scope, pricing, and the engagement letter) carry the most risk and set the terms for everything that follows.

How to run it in Tidyflow

Save this as a reusable job template so every new client starts from the same baseline. Each step becomes a subtask your team checks off, and ownership stays clear as the job moves from intake through the 30-day check-in. Build the engagement letter as part of your proposals and engagement letters flow and collect the signature with electronic signatures so nothing starts until terms are agreed. The document-collection items become requests your client completes in the client portal, where they upload prior returns, statements, and ID into a structured folder you control rather than chasing files over email.

Common pitfalls

Starting work before the engagement letter is signed and returned. No matter how eager the client is, the signed letter is the line that protects both sides.
Verifying tax identity too late. Filing under the wrong entity type or a mistyped EIN is painful to unwind, so confirm legal name, entity type, and EIN or SSN up front.
Forgetting IRS authorization until you actually need a transcript. Decide whether 8821 or 2848 applies during onboarding, not the week of a deadline.
Granting software access without testing it. A bank feed that connects but doesn’t sync, or read-only payroll access, stalls the first month.
Letting the prior accountant go cold. Request handover of records and note open items early, while goodwill still exists.

What's included in this checklist

18 steps and 8 client requests.

1

Run conflict-of-interest check

Confirm the new client doesn't conflict with existing clients — related parties, competitors, or other adverse interests.
2

Confirm services and pricing

Confirm the services to be provided (monthly bookkeeping, payroll, tax prep, sales tax, advisory) with clear pricing, and send a proposal or service agreement.
3

Define what's out of scope

Document exclusions such as audit, legal advice, investment advice, or services not included in the engagement.
4

Send engagement letter

Define scope, fees, payment terms, and client/firm responsibilities; send for electronic signature.
5

Send welcome email

Introduce the team, outline next steps, explain how communication and document collection work, and set expectations for response times.
6

Set up client in Tidyflow

Create the client record, add contacts, assign the responsible team member, and apply the relevant tags or client type.
7

Create client folder and portal structure

Set up folders for tax returns, financial statements, bank records, correspondence, engagement letters, and other service-specific documents.
8

Verify client identity and tax details

Confirm legal name, entity type, EIN or SSN, mailing address, and responsible party — everything needed for accurate filings and authorization.
9

Request access to client systems

Request access to accounting software, payroll software, bank feeds, sales tax accounts, and IRS or state accounts as needed for the engagement.
10

Request records from prior accountant

Where applicable, contact the prior accountant to request handover of records and note any open items or known issues.
11

Request IRS authorization if needed

Prepare Form 8821 for tax information access or Form 2848 for representation before the IRS, plus any state equivalents where applicable.
12

Review prior year returns and records

Review prior returns, financial statements, carryforward items, elections, notices, and other relevant records.
13

Review accounting software setup

Check chart of accounts, bank feeds, reconciliation status, opening balances, payroll mappings, sales tax setup, and overall data quality.
14

Identify immediate issues

Flag unfiled returns, overdue payments, missing records, cleanup work, payroll issues, or sales tax issues.
15

Set up recurring jobs and deadlines

Create recurring jobs for regular work (monthly bookkeeping, payroll, quarterly filings, annual tax returns) and add known federal and state deadlines.
16

Schedule kickoff meeting

Book a 30–45 minute call to confirm scope, expectations, communication preferences, portal use, and immediate priorities.
17

Hold kickoff meeting

Walk through the onboarding plan, confirm responsibilities, answer questions, and document key notes, risks, and next steps.
18

Complete 30-day check-in and finalize

Confirm the first month is running smoothly, address any concerns, update the CRM and workflows, and mark onboarding complete.

What to request from the client

Built-in client requests so you collect everything in one go.

Sign and return engagement letter

Review and sign the engagement letter — no work begins until it's returned.
Complete client intake form

Provide business details, contacts, ownership or responsible-party information, and financial background.
Provide tax identification details

Legal name, entity type, EIN or SSN, mailing address, and a copy of ID if needed to support authorization or filing.
Provide prior year tax returns

Upload the most recent 1–3 years of returns, depending on the services being provided.
Grant access to accounting and payroll systems

Provide access to QuickBooks, Xero, payroll software, sales tax accounts, bank feeds, or other systems needed for the engagement.
Provide bank statements and key records

Upload recent bank and credit card statements, loan statements, payroll reports, sales tax filings, or other relevant records.
Provide prior accountant's contact

Share the prior accountant's contact details if records need to be transferred.
Provide billing details

Credit card or ACH details for recurring payments.

Frequently asked questions

Yes. The engagement letter defines scope, fees, and responsibilities for both sides, and it is the protection that keeps an unsigned client from becoming an unpaid liability. No work should begin until it is signed and returned.

Form 8821 authorizes you to access a client's tax information, such as transcripts, while Form 2848 authorizes you to represent the client before the IRS. Decide which one (or both) the engagement requires during onboarding rather than when a deadline is looming.

Send the document requests through the Tidyflow client portal. Clients upload prior returns, statements, and ID into a structured folder, and you can see at a glance what is still outstanding.

The firm owner or whoever approves new engagements should kick it off, because the early steps (conflict check, scope, pricing, and engagement letter) carry the most risk. Day-to-day subtasks can then be assigned to the responsible team member.

Yes. The template covers the common spine of US onboarding (engagement, identity, authorization, system access, and review), and you can adjust the subtasks and requests to match the specific services in each engagement.

Other regions

Generic