The short answer
Compare a new request with the agreed engagement before starting discretionary extra work. Propose a defined deliverable, fee, timing and approver, and retain acceptance against the exact proposal version. Triage urgent legal obligations separately; a vague reply or task assignment is not a clear agreement to revised scope.
Distinguish clarification from a changed service
Read the current engagement and package limits before quoting extra work. A clarification of the agreed output may already be included. A new deliverable, historic cleanup or materially larger recurring volume may require a change. Do not use a scope process to charge again for correcting the firm's own error.
Examples to assess
| Request | Question to ask | Possible route |
|---|---|---|
| Explain an existing report | Is normal explanation included? | Answer within the engagement |
| Prepare a lender-specific forecast | Is this a new deliverable? | Propose a separate project |
| Add a second entity | Does the package cover it? | Agree new recurring scope |
| Repair historic records | Which periods and cause? | Define a bounded cleanup project |
Write a small change record
Record the request, reason, included deliverable, exclusions, price basis, expected effort, dependencies, delivery date and client approver. Link it to the existing engagement. 'Additional help: €200' does not tell either party what completion means.
For a fictional lender report, specify the reporting period, required format, assumptions the client must supply and whether revisions are included. If the bank changes the requested format later, there is a visible basis for reassessing scope rather than silently extending the task.
Triage urgency before waiting for approval
A client-requested rush date and an actual legal deadline are different. If the request reveals an immediate compliance issue, alert the responsible professional and confirm existing obligations. The commercial approval process must not be treated as permission to ignore a duty already owed.
For discretionary extra work, assess capacity before promising delivery. A two-hour report may also need scarce reviewer time. Check the capacity plan, identify what would be displaced and offer a realistic date.
A clear client approval message
Additional-work proposal
Additional-work proposal
Subject{client}: approval for {additional work}
Hello {name}, your request for {deliverable} is outside the current engagement because {specific scope boundary}. We propose {included work}, excluding {exclusions}, for {fee and VAT basis}. We need {inputs} by {input date} to deliver by {delivery date}. The proposal includes {revision allowance}. Please confirm acceptance through {agreed approval route}. We will begin after the required approval; if an urgent existing obligation is involved, we will discuss that separately.
Use an approval route that fits the engagement and applicable requirements. Keep the client's response with the exact proposal version. A thumbs-up against an old message can be ambiguous if scope and fee have changed in the conversation.
Carry the agreement into execution
Change approval and delivery
Change approval and delivery
- Current scope checked; the changed deliverable identified.
- Urgency and existing duties reviewed.
- Price, tax basis, exclusions and revision limits stated.
- Inputs and realistic preparation/review dates agreed.
- Required client approval saved against the proposal version.
- Task and billing instructions use the same scope.
- Actual effort and completion evidence retained.
For recurring changes, update the package and future work together. For one-off work, give the project an end rather than permanently raising the baseline checklist. Afterwards compare estimate and actual effort; a repeated request may justify a new service package.
Use the fee calculation for the commercial basis and the fee-change letter for recurring changes. Claister can keep the task, time and client context together. The firm still decides scope and obtains the required agreement.
Questions
No. Check what the engagement already includes and whether the work is a genuine change, normal clarification or correction of your own error.
For discretionary extra work, agree the necessary terms first. Handle urgent existing obligations with the responsible professional rather than relying on a generic template.
About this article
Author: Claister
Published by Claister, the company building the accounting practice management software discussed on this website.
Design partner: Natalija Miadzelic
Editorial review: Natalija Miadzelic · Accountant · Approved
Editorial policyAccounting firm capacity, fees and profitability
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