eSignature for accountants: engagement letters and onboarding without the scanner

Why signatures matter more in accounting

An accountant who files a return, runs payroll or prepares accounts needs written authority and clear terms first, and professional bodies in many countries expect an engagement letter for every client. The letter sets the scope, fees and responsibilities on both sides, and it is the first document anyone looks at when something goes wrong. Clients, meanwhile, are small business owners who will sign happily but not quickly if it involves a printer.

Engagement letters

A good engagement letter says exactly which services the practice provides, which it does not, what the client must provide and by when, how fees are charged, and how the engagement ends. The service agreement template covers those terms with measurable service levels and a liability cap tied to fees. Fill in your standard scope once, save it as your own template, and each new client becomes a matter of typing a name and a fee.

Onboarding a new client

Every filing needs the same details: legal name, registration number, contacts, the systems you will be given access to. The client onboarding form collects them in one signed document, including the client's agreement to your terms and privacy notice. Because the client confirms the details are correct, the information you file with is information they signed off.

Clients who fall behind

Some clients need time to settle a large bill. The payment plan agreement records the amount, the instalment dates and what happens if a payment is missed, and the client acknowledges the debt. On the Business plan, the first instalment can be collected as they sign, by card or by mobile money through Paystack where it is supported.

Staff and confidentiality

Practices handle sensitive financial data, and every new employee should sign an employee confidentiality agreement before receiving access. Remote and hybrid arrangements belong in a remote work agreement, with its data-security section on devices and screens.

A record you can show

Every completed document comes back as a PDF with an audit trail: who signed, when, and from which device. On the Business plan the PDF is sealed with a certificate page. When a client disputes what was agreed, or a reviewer asks how an engagement was accepted, the answer is one click away, and every document and audit trail can be exported at any time, on any plan.

Year-end without the scramble

Year-end is when signatures pile up: letters of representation, approval of draft accounts, authority to file. Each one can be prepared from the practice's own template, sent the day the accounts are ready, and signed by the director from wherever they are. The documents list shows which clients have approved and which are still reading, so the partner knows whom to call before the filing deadline rather than after it.

What to set up first

Three saved templates cover most practices: the engagement letter with your standard scope, the onboarding form with your privacy notice referenced, and the payment plan. Reminders chase unsigned documents automatically, and corrected email addresses get a fresh link without losing anything already signed.