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.
In fact, in the event of a dispute, one of the first documents requested is the engagement letter. Engagement letters can help prevent a disagreement from growing to a claim. If a claim should arise, the existence of an engagement letter generally leads to lower claim severity.
For an engagement letter to be binding, there must be agreement to the terms on both sides. The engagement letter is drafted and, in most cases, signed by the firm, therefore there is clear evidence of the agreement of the contents of the letter on the firm's side.
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.
How to write an engagement letter Write the name of the business leader. Specify the purpose of the partnership. List the duties of the client. Identify the timeline for completing the project. Include resources the client delivers. Attach a disclaimer. Validate the terms of the agreement.
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.
It should be included within the SOW. Engagement Letter: This is the actual contract, and once signed by both parties, will be the legal document governing the project moving forward. Both the SOW and Scope of Work need to be spelled out in the Engagement Letter.
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.