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.
The final component of a formal letter is your signature. Include your full name and job title if relevant, followed by your wet signature and printed name.
In summary, both the auditing firm and the organization being audited must sign the SOC report, with the organization signing the Management Assertion and Representation and the auditor signing the independent Auditors opinion within the SOC report.
You need a form of engagement document, but you don't necessarily need customised letters. An engagement brochure meets the requirements of APES 220 Taxation Services and APES 305 Terms of Engagement. You should make sure the client acknowledges receipt.
Certified Mail requires a signature upon delivery, which can be requested by the sender in order to check that the letter has been delivered to the right person.
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.
Whilst professional bodies typically advocate for an initial engagement letter, best practices suggest that these documents should undergo an annual review. This isn't just a bureaucratic recommendation but a strategy to ensure the relationship remains fresh and relevant.
Engagement letters set the terms of the agreement between two parties and include details such as the scope, fees, and responsibilities, among others. Some of the benefits of engagement letters are that they are legally binding documents, they reduce misunderstandings, and they set clear expectations.