Engagement Letter Generator

Pick the service, type your firm and client, tick the clauses that apply, and the full engagement letter is written below as you go. Copy it or save it as a PDF; the editable Word file asks for your email.

Free · No account needed · Works in your browser. Export before leaving; entries are not saved.

One letter on the order of the AICPA illustrative letters. Choose the service and the framework under Scope, then keep the assurance clause that matches it under Optional clauses.

Details
Scope

Optional clauses

Keep the ones that apply.

Fill in the other blanks (11)

Your engagement letter

28 blanks left, highlighted below.

[Firm name]

[Firm address]

[Date]

[Client legal name]

[Client address]

Re: [Service name] for [period or tax year]

Dear [Client contact name],

The service

This letter sets out our understanding of the [audit / review / compilation / preparation of financial statements / tax return preparation / tax consulting] services that [Firm name] will provide to [Client legal name] for [period or tax year], and the responsibilities each of us accepts.

Objective and framework

The financial statements will be prepared in accordance with [accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America / the income tax basis / the cash basis]. Our objective is [to express an opinion on them / to obtain limited assurance on them / to apply accounting expertise to help you present them, without providing assurance].

What management is responsible for

You are responsible for: (a) preparing and fairly presenting the financial statements in accordance with [framework], including all informative disclosures; (b) selecting the framework; (c) internal control over the records; (d) preventing and detecting fraud; (e) complying with laws and regulations; and (f) giving us complete and accurate records, documents and explanations, and unrestricted access to the people from whom we need information.

Records and due dates

You will send the documents on the attached list by [date], including [bank and credit card statements, loan statements, invoices, signed contracts, prior-year returns]. Work starts when the list is complete. Late or partial records move our delivery date to [number] days after the last item arrives.

Our report or deliverable

We expect to deliver [an auditor’s report / a review report / a compilation report / the prepared statements / the returns]. Its form may differ if circumstances require, and we may withdraw if we cannot complete the work.

Fees, records and disputes

Our fee is [amount or basis], invoiced [schedule] and due within [number] days. Our working papers are our property and are kept for [period]. Disputes will first go to mediation in [city, state].

Signatures

Please sign and return this letter to confirm these terms. They apply until either of us gives written notice of a change.

Sincerely,

[Firm name]

[Partner name], CPA

Signature: ____________________ Date: __________

Accepted for [Client legal name]: [Name, title]

Signature: ____________________ Date: __________

Collect the signed letter and the documents

DokuTrak turns the documents this letter asks for into one upload request. Your client uploads the signed letter and the records on the same link, with no account, and reminders go out until everything is in.

Collect the signed letter and the documents

14-day free trial, no card. Add one only to keep going.

How to use it

  1. Pick the service. For a tax return, bookkeeping or a compilation, keep the first option: one letter on the AICPA structure, where you choose the service.
  2. Fill in the details: your firm, your client, the date and who signs. The letter updates as you type.
  3. Set the scope: the choices, the boxes to tick and the optional clauses. Leave out what does not apply.
  4. Fill in the other blanks, such as the fee and the due dates, or leave them highlighted and finish them in Word.
  5. Copy the letter or save the PDF, then have it reviewed before you send it.

What the letter is, and is not

A starting point written for one service, with the clauses that service needs. It is not legal advice: read it against your professional standards and your state rules, and have your lawyer review the version you use. The generator runs in your browser; what you type is not sent or stored.

The templates behind the generator

Each service uses the clauses of its engagement letter template, where every clause cites the standard or rule behind it. For one general letter with a client documents and deadlines clause, see the engagement letter template.

Questions about this tool

What should an engagement letter include?

The scope of the work, what the client must send and by when, each side’s responsibilities, the fee and how it is billed, the limits of the service, and how the engagement ends. Each service adds its own clauses: an audit letter states the auditor’s responsibilities, a tax letter covers who signs the return.

Is an engagement letter required?

Some standards require the terms in writing, for example AU-C 210 for an audit of a nonissuer and AR-C 90 for a review. For other services it is good practice rather than a rule. The template page for each service says which applies.

Can I use it for tax return preparation or bookkeeping?

Yes. Keep the first service, the letter on the AICPA structure, and choose tax return preparation or bookkeeping in the scope. It includes optional clauses for tax matters and for the use of tax return information.

Is the generator free?

Yes. Copying the letter and saving it as a PDF need nothing. The Word file asks for your email address, and we email you its link.

How does the client sign it?

Print or send the letter as you usually do and have the client sign it. DokuTrak does not sign documents; it collects the signed copy, with the records the letter asks for, through one upload link.