Bookkeeping Client Onboarding Checklist: What to Collect and How

Why use a checklist

Without one, onboarding turns into weeks of follow-up emails: one more bank account, last year's figures, a supplier list in a different spreadsheet. A single checklist sent at the start sets expectations, shows the client everything at once, and gives you something to tick off. Adapt it to your services and your country's requirements; the items below cover a typical small business.

1. Engagement and identity

Get the paperwork done before any numbers change hands.

Signed engagement letter covering scope, fees and responsibilities

ID and anti-money-laundering checks, where your country or professional body requires them

Main contact, who can approve what, and how they prefer to be contacted

Previous accountant's details and a professional clearance request, if applicable

2. Business details

The facts every return and every system setup depends on.

Legal name, trading name and business structure (sole trader, partnership, company)

Registration numbers: company number, tax reference, sales tax / VAT / GST registration

Financial year end and sales tax reporting periods

Registered and trading addresses

3. Bank accounts and cards

Every account that business money passes through, including the ones clients forget.

A list of all business bank accounts, credit cards, loans and payment platforms (PayPal, Stripe, Square)

Statements from the start of the period you're taking on

Transactions for any account without a bank feed, in a format your software can import (QuickBooks bank template template)

The same for Xero clients (Xero bank statement template template)

4. Software and access

Never collect passwords: ask the client to invite you instead.

Which accounting software they use now (or used before), and an export of their data if you're moving them

An accountant or adviser invitation to their accounting software, payroll and payment platforms

Which apps feed into the books (point of sale, e-commerce, expense apps)

5. Customers, suppliers and products

Lists that are slow to type and easy to get wrong, so collect them in import-ready form.

Customer list with contact and billing details (QuickBooks Customers template)

Customers and suppliers for Xero (Xero Contacts template)

Supplier list with payment details (AP Vendor Directory template)

Products and services they sell, with prices and the income account for each

6. Opening position

Where the books start: get these agreed before the first reconciliation.

Chart of accounts, or the one you'll set up for them (Chart of Accounts template)

Last year's accounts or trial balance, for opening balances

Unpaid customer invoices at the start date (AR Aging Report template)

Unpaid supplier bills at the start date

Fixed assets, loans and finance agreements

Employees and payroll details, if you'll run payroll

How to collect it without the chaos

Ask once, with a deadline

Send the whole list in one message with a date, rather than asking for things as you discover you need them. Mark what's essential to start and what can follow.

Collect lists in import-ready form

Customer, supplier and transaction lists are where most time goes: renamed columns, merged cells, dates in three formats. Send a form with the exact columns your software imports, so the file is right the first time. See collecting data when every client has their own spreadsheet.

Keep financial data off email where you can

Ask for software access by invitation instead of passwords, use your client portal or a secure upload for statements and ID, and avoid long email threads with attachments. Import Builder forms check data in the client's browser and we never see or store it.

Turn your checklist's lists into forms

Ready-made templates cover the lists above for QuickBooks and Xero. Send one link per list; clients fill it in, fix what's highlighted, and you get a CSV that imports first time.

Browse accounting templates