Bookkeeping Client Onboarding Checklist
Onboarding a bookkeeping client means collecting everything you need to take over the books from an agreed start date: who the business is, every account that moves money, the last period someone else closed, and access to the software. The steps — contract, welcome email, kickoff call — are covered everywhere online; this is the list of documents those steps leave out.
For Bookkeepers and CAS firms taking on a new client, from the agreed start date to the first close. Last updated September 2026.
18 items selected
Frequently asked questions
- What documents do you need from a new bookkeeping client?
- You need the entity paperwork (engagement letter, EIN confirmation, formation documents), statements for every account from the agreed start date, the last reconciled month or trial balance with opening balances, any handover from a previous bookkeeper, payroll reports, W-9s for contractors, and access to the bookkeeping software as an accountant or adviser user rather than a shared password.
- How far back should a bookkeeper ask for statements?
- From the agreed start date, plus the last period someone else closed, so the opening balances tie out. There is no fixed number of months — it depends on when the client last had clean, reconciled books.
- Should a client share their QuickBooks or Xero password?
- No. Invite the bookkeeper as a user with an accountant or adviser role instead of sharing a login. Xero supports adding an accountant user with its own access (see the Xero source below); check the equivalent setting in whichever software the client uses. A dedicated login can be revoked on its own, without changing the client’s password.
- What is the difference between onboarding and the monthly checklist?
- Onboarding happens once, to take over the books from a start date — entity papers, historical statements, handover, and access. The monthly checklist is what you ask for every period after that: the current month’s statements, payroll, invoices, and receipts. See the monthly bookkeeping checklist for the recurring list.
- How do I get the documents without chasing the client?
- Send one request with every item on this list, let reminders go out until everything is in, and review what comes back yourself: you accept every file before it enters the books.
Sources
- IRS — Recordkeeping for businesses
- IRS — About Form W-9
- IRS — Employer ID Numbers
- Xero — User roles in Xero
This is a general checklist. Confirm the exact documents for your client's specific situation.
Other checklists
- Tax prep (individual)Everything a 1040 client needs to send you: income forms, deductions, and ID.
- Tax intake formThe questions to ask a new tax client, and the documents to collect with them.
- Monthly bookkeepingThe monthly-close packet a bookkeeper needs from each client to reconcile the books.
- New client onboardingThe agreement, contact details, billing info, and access a service business collects to start work with any new client.
- Mortgage / loan applicationThe income, asset, and ID documents a borrower needs for a mortgage application.
- Law firm client intakeThe intake packet a law firm collects from a new client: ID, signed engagement, conflict-check info, and the documents that establish the case.
- Business insurance applicationThe underwriting packet an insurance agent collects from a new commercial client: application, loss runs, and the business profile.