Most accounting proposals are not lost on price. They are lost to delay: the client meant to sign, had a question about what was included, and the proposal slid down their inbox. A good proposal template is less about persuasion and more about removing every reason to put the decision off.
This guide sets out a structure that works for accounting and bookkeeping firms in New Zealand and Australia, section by section, with the wording choices that matter most.
Proposal or engagement letter: which comes first?
A proposal says what you will do and what it costs. An engagement letter sets the terms both sides are bound by. Traditionally they are separate documents sent in sequence, and that sequence is where many engagements stall: the client agrees to the proposal, then never returns the letter.
The cleaner approach is to send them together, so accepting the scope and price is the same action as accepting the terms. Whatever tool you use, aim for one document and one signature rather than two.
The seven sections of an accounting proposal
| Section | What it does | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| 1. The client's situation | Shows you understood why they came to you, in their words | Opening with a page about your firm instead |
| 2. Scope of work | Lists what the client receives, service by service | Describing tasks you perform rather than outcomes they get |
| 3. Exclusions | States what is not included and how it is charged if needed | Leaving it out entirely |
| 4. Fees | Price per service, frequency, and what triggers extra charges | One lump sum with no breakdown |
| 5. Timing and dependencies | When work happens and what you need from the client first | Deadlines with no mention of client inputs |
| 6. Terms | Engagement terms, payment terms, confidentiality, ending the engagement | Sending terms later as a separate document |
| 7. Next step | One clear action to accept | Asking the client to print, sign and scan |
1. Start with the client's situation
Two or three sentences that restate what the client told you: they have just incorporated, their previous accountant retired, they are registering for GST, they want monthly numbers instead of an annual surprise. This is the part that shows you listened, and it frames everything that follows as the answer to their problem.
2. Write the scope as outcomes
Scope is where clarity pays for itself. Describe each service in terms of what the client receives, not the work you do to produce it.
- Annual financial statements and income tax return for the company, filed by the due date.
- GST returns prepared and filed every two months, with the amount payable confirmed to you a week before it is due.
- Bank reconciliations completed by the 10th of each month, so your numbers are current when you need them.
Tip
Build each recurring service once as a reusable template with its own wording and price. Two partners quoting the same job should produce the same proposal, and a template is the only reliable way to make that happen.
3. Spell out the exclusions
Exclusions are the most valuable section in the document, and the one most often skipped. Most fee disputes are not about the price of agreed work. They are about whether something was in scope at all. Typical exclusions for an accounting engagement include catch-up work on prior years, responding to tax authority reviews or audits, advisory projects, and extra entities not named in the proposal.
Pair each exclusion with how it will be handled if it comes up, for example quoted separately before work begins. That turns a future awkward conversation into one the client already agreed to.
4. Present fees so they can be compared
- Price each service separately, so the client can see where the money goes and you can adjust one line without renegotiating everything.
- State the frequency: monthly, per return, or annual.
- Say whether amounts include GST. Clients in New Zealand and Australia both expect this to be explicit.
- Name the triggers for additional fees, such as extra entities or work outside the scope above.
5. Timing and what you need from the client
Deadlines without dependencies set you up to miss them. If the annual accounts depend on receiving bank statements and access to the accounting file by a certain date, say so in the proposal. It is a fair expectation, written down before anyone is under pressure.
6. Attach the terms, do not send them later
Your engagement terms, payment terms and confidentiality wording belong in the same document the client is accepting. If they arrive in a second email after the client has already said yes, a meaningful share of them will never come back signed. Our guide to engagement letters covers what those terms should include.
7. Make accepting a single step
The last section should ask for one action. Signing online is legally recognised for ordinary commercial engagements in both New Zealand and Australia, so there is no reason to ask a client to print, sign and scan. Every extra step between agreement and signature reduces the number of proposals that end up signed.
Why good proposals still go unsigned
- 1The client has a small question about scope and does not want to email to ask, so they wait.
- 2Signing needs an account, a printer or a download.
- 3Nobody follows up, because there is no clear view of which proposals are still outstanding.
- 4The terms arrive separately and get treated as optional paperwork.
The fix for the third point is simple and frequently missed: keep a list of every proposal by status, and follow up on the ones still marked as sent. A short, specific reminder a few days later recovers more engagements than a better-written proposal.
After the signature: onboarding
A signed proposal is the start, not the finish. You still need entity details, access to systems and, for many firms, identity verification before work can begin. Our client onboarding checklist covers what to collect and in what order.
How Proffa handles this
In Proffa, you build each service once as a template with its own wording and price, then assemble proposals from those templates. Engagement and payment terms travel with the proposal, so the client accepts the scope, price and terms in a single online signature with no account to create. Every proposal shows as Draft, Sent or Signed, and you can send a reminder on anything still waiting. There is a 14-day free trial with no credit card required.
Note
This guide is general information about structuring proposals. Your professional body may set specific requirements for engagement terms, and those take precedence.
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