An Engagement Letter is a legal document that defines the relationship between a professional (such as a lawyer, accountant, or consultant) and their client. It outlines the services to be provided, the terms of the agreement, and any other obligations or expectations.
The service provider typically prepares the Letter of Engagement, be it a law firm, accounting agency, consultancy, or any professional offering services.
An engagement letter is a short agreement that outlines the scope of work, fees, and other important details, while a contract is a more comprehensive document that outlines the legal obligations of both parties and provides more detailed information about the project or service.
What Is an Engagement Letter? An engagement letter is a written agreement that describes the business relationship to be entered into by a client and a company. The letter details the scope of the agreement, its terms, and costs. The purpose of an engagement letter is to set expectations on both sides of the agreement.
We are pleased to accept the instruction to act as your bookkeeper/accountant and we are writing to confirm the terms of our appointment. The purpose of this letter is to set out our terms for carrying out the work and to clarify our respective responsibilities.
Engagement letters are important because they outline the expectations and responsibilities of both the bookkeeper and the client. They also help protect both parties in case of any disputes or misunderstandings, especially involving the scope of work to be completed.
Who Prepares a Letter of Engagement? An engagement letter is drafted by the company rendering the service, often with the help of a lawyer. It is than presented to the client, and both parties must sign in order for it to be legally binding.
It is in the interests of both the entity and the auditor that the auditor sends an audit engagement letter before the commencement of the audit to help avoid misunderstandings with respect to the audit.
A letter of engagement is a legally binding document signed by both the business and the client. Much like a contract, it sets out the terms of an agreement to carry out a specific job, project, or service package between an organisation and its client.
Accounting engagement letters should include terms which limit the firm's liability as much as possible. Statements such as “we will rely on the information provided by the client” or “we will not audit or verify the information” are often included to show the scope of the project does not include auditing services.