Client intake questionnaire for bookkeepers: what to ask before you start

An intake questionnaire turns a vague first call into a written record of how the client's business actually works. It saves the back-and-forth in month one and surfaces problems, such as unfiled returns or mixed personal spending, before you take on the work. Keep it to one or two pages, send it before the kickoff call, and adapt the questions to your services and local rules.

Download the intake form (.xlsx)CSV Printable page

About the business

Legal name, trading name and entity type (sole proprietor, LLC, partnership, corporation)
What the business sells, and how it earns money: products, services, subscriptions, commissions
Start date and fiscal year end
Owners and their roles; anyone else who can approve spending
Which state or country the business operates and sells in

Money in

Where do payments arrive: bank deposits, Stripe, Square, PayPal, Shopify, marketplaces, cash?
Does any payment processor pay out net of fees or hold back reserves?
Do you invoice customers, and which tool do you use?
Are there deposits, prepayments or refunds that need special treatment?
Do you collect sales tax or VAT, and in which places?

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Money out

List every bank account and credit card used for the business, including any personal cards that sometimes pay business costs
Do you have payroll or contractors? Which provider runs payroll?
Loans, leases or financing agreements, with lender names
Large or irregular purchases expected in the next twelve months
How are receipts kept today, and who captures them?

Tax and compliance

Who prepares your tax return, and when was the last return filed?
Are all returns and payroll or sales tax filings up to date? If not, which are outstanding?
Any notices from a tax authority in the past two years?
Any 1099 or similar year-end forms the business issues or receives?

Software and access

Which accounting software do you use now, if any, and who set it up?
Are bank feeds connected, and do they work reliably?
Which other tools hold financial data: inventory, point of sale, time tracking, expense apps?
Who should have access, and at what level? (Ask for an invited user, not a shared password.)

Working together

Who is the day-to-day contact, and who is the backup?
Preferred way to receive requests and questions: email, text, a shared link?
How quickly can you usually send documents once asked?
Who should receive the monthly reports besides you?
What would make this engagement a success in six months?

What to do with the answers

Read the answers before the kickoff call and mark anything vague, missing or worrying. Turn the money-in and money-out lists into the client's recurring document checklist, so you know exactly which statements and reports to request each month. Note unfiled returns, mixed personal spending and missing history, and settle how to handle them in the engagement letter before you start. Keep the completed form with the client file, and review it once a year because businesses change.

Where DocNag fits

The questionnaire tells you which documents you need each month. DocNag then collects them: one private link, a checklist with exact items, and automatic reminders for whatever is missing. The checklist below is prefilled with common month-end items; replace them with the ones from this client's answers.

Looking for the full close process? See the month-end close checklist with a free Excel template.

Need the full letter? Use the free engagement letter generator to build one with a document deadline and late-document clause.

Want a checklist your client can tick off? Build one with the free client checklist builder: share a link or embed it on your own site.

Frequently asked questions

What should a bookkeeper ask a new client?

Ask about the business and how it earns money, every place money comes in and goes out, tax and compliance status, the software in use, and how you will work together. Keep it to one or two pages.

When should the intake questionnaire be sent?

Before the kickoff call, so you can read the answers and mark anything vague, missing or worrying in advance.

How do I use the answers?

Turn the money-in and money-out lists into the client's recurring document checklist, and settle unfiled returns or mixed personal spending in the engagement letter before you start.

How should a client give me access to their accounting software?

Ask for an invited user at the right access level, not a shared password.

Skip the copy-paste

Turn this into a request in two minutes. DocNag sends your client one private upload link, tracks what's missing and sends the reminders for you.

Use the "Month-end close" checklist in DocNag

Free plan, no card needed. Or see a live demo first.

Comparing tools? See the Financial Cents alternative and Content Snare alternative comparisons, or all comparisons.