The short answer
Start with responsibilities and a repeatable request list. Then set a document cut-off, record exceptions and preserve decisions for the next person. Sending more reminders cannot repair an unclear scope.
Begin with the agreement
When a new client joins, agree who supplies each document, who prepares the work and who checks it. Confirm the first reporting period, outstanding access and previous-accountant information before treating onboarding as complete. A named owner and a visible unresolved item are more useful than a folder called ‘onboarding’.
Make requests specific enough to answer
Separate the reusable document list from the message sent this month. The list defines coverage; the message identifies the period, missing items and the next action. Ask for evidence of a transaction rather than ‘everything for accounting’. Mark each item received, needing clarification or accepted so a reply does not automatically mean the request is complete.
Manage late inputs as a decision
An internal cut-off creates time for review; it does not change a statutory deadline. After it passes, record what remains missing, what work can safely continue and who must decide about the unresolved part. Escalation should explain the consequence and offer a concrete next action. Use the late-document guide when reminders no longer resolve the blockage.
Finish with a usable handover
The next accountant needs the period’s status, outstanding questions, filing evidence and decisions that explain unusual treatment. Transfer access through the firm’s secure process, not through a public checklist. Read the guides below in order for a new client; for an existing client, start with the specific blockage and follow the related articles at the end.
Use this in practice
Monthly VAT workflow checklist
Track invoice collection, i.SAF review, VAT preparation, submission evidence and payment coordination in separate steps. Assign owners and dates before using this checklist.
View the checklistFR0600 VAT return deadlines in Lithuania
FR0600 monthly VAT filing dates in Lithuania, reporting-period checks, official VMI source and a downloadable calendar. Separate filing from payment.
View the filing guideDocument collection software for accountants
Collect client documents with itemized requests, accounting periods and review in Claister. Keep missing, returned and accepted files distinct.
Explore the featureClient portal for accounting firms
Give clients a company-scoped portal for document requests, shared files and payment information in Claister. Manage invitations from the client record.
Explore the featureReading path
Client onboarding checklist for accounting firms
A step-by-step onboarding checklist for new accounting clients: what to collect, what to agree, and how to set up recurring work in the first 30 days.
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Three document lists you can copy for accounting clients: monthly bookkeeping, VAT and year-end, plus how to adapt them.
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A request and follow-up routine for accounting firms: what to ask for, when to chase, and three messages you can copy.
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Handle client documents arriving after cut-off with a receipt record, impact review, clear client wording and a controlled correction or carry-forward process.
3 min readAccounting client handover checklist
An accounting client handover checklist covering open periods, deadlines, reconciliations, access, client communication and acceptance by the next accountant.
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