8 Critical Elements of an Effective Engagement Letter CLIENT NAME. The first critical element may seem obvious—the identities of the parties involved in the engagement. SCOPE OF SERVICES. CPA FIRM RESPONSIBILITIES. CLIENT RESPONSIBILITIES. DELIVERABLES. ENGAGEMENT TIMING. TERMINATION AND WITHDRAWAL. BILLING AND FEES.
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.
The engagement letter is a legally binding document and the purpose of the engagement letter is to: Specify the parties of the audit engagement. Define the scope of the audit, including the in-scope services and systems. Specify the timeline of the audit and related deliverables.
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.
Engagement letters set expectations for both the client and the party providing the service, it specifies the exact service or task to be performed by the firm and the information to be provided by the client. All engagement letters also generally contain various deadlines for each sub-task.
The content of an engagement letter often includes important details such as the scope of services to be provided, fees or billing arrangements, confidentiality clauses, dispute resolution mechanisms, and any other relevant terms agreed upon by both parties.
An engagement letter serves as a formal written agreement outlining the business relationship between a client and a company. This document specifies the scope of the agreement, its terms, and associated costs.
From the Drake home screen, select Tools > Client Communications > Letters. (For Drake21 and earlier: go to Tools > Letters > Letters.) Select Engagement, then click Next. Add client ID(s) to generate for specific clients.
The service provider typically prepares the Letter of Engagement, be it a law firm, accounting agency, consultancy, or any professional offering services.