Free Client Onboarding Checklist Template
A client onboarding checklist covers the intake steps, documents, and handoffs needed to start work and keep records complete and defensible.
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The client says they’ve got a pile of bank statements, receipts, logins, and tax notices, and the worry is that one missing document turns into penalties or a filing that won’t hold up later. The client onboarding checklist gives that intake a fixed order, so the work moves from Client setup through cleanup, close, review, and ongoing care without guessing what comes next.
Each column holds the actual asks: access and entity details, prior returns and notices, statements, payroll records, receipts, and mileage logs, then the steps for feeds, reconciliation, discrepancies, and payroll and sales tax profiles. The board stays concrete all the way through Review and filing, where estimated tax gets checked, a return draft goes out for review, and sign-off and e-file are the finish line. Slate blue accents and Space Grotesk headings keep the page reading like a checklist instead of a pitch, with Roboto carrying the detail work.
- Client setup Starts the intake with the engagement letter and first invoice, then collects identity and entity details, access or exports, and a kick-off call.
- Data collection Lists the documents that usually get missed, including prior returns and notices, statements, payroll records and 1099s, plus receipts and mileage logs.
- Account setup and cleanup Covers bank feeds, reconciliation, resolving prior-period issues, and setting up payroll and sales tax profiles before the close starts.
- Monthly close Moves into categorization, adjustments, reconciliation, and a monthly summary, with payroll processing and filings alongside.
- Review and filing Tracks estimated tax and cash flow, updates payments when needed, sends a draft return for review, and closes on sign-off and e-file.
The template runs as a project board with 22 cards, so you add your own dates and assign the cards to whoever’s doing the work. From there the columns act as the handoffs, and the checklist becomes the shared reference for what’s been requested, what’s been received, and what still needs a follow-up.
We went from spending hours on every proposal to creating fully customized ones in under 5 minutes. That's not an exaggeration - we timed it.
What is on this board
6 columns carrying 22 cards. Adding it builds the whole thing as a project in your workspace, with every column and card in place.
| Column | What is in it |
|---|---|
Client setup | First-step intake cards for the engagement letter and first invoice, identification and entity details, system access or exports, and the kick-off call.
|
Data collection | Document-request cards for prior returns and notices, bank and credit card statements, payroll records and 1099s, plus receipts and mileage logs.
|
Account setup and cleanup | Setup and cleanup cards for bank feeds, reconciliation, prior-period discrepancies, and payroll and sales tax profiles.
|
Monthly close | Close-cycle cards for categorization and adjustments, reconciliations with a monthly summary, and payroll processing and filings.
|
Review and filing | Review cards for estimated tax and cash flow, updating estimated payments, drafting the return for review, and sign-off through e-file.
|
Ongoing client care | Ongoing cards for monitoring notices, answering questions and explaining bookkeeping changes, and archiving records while maintaining access.
|
What happens when you install it
- A project is created with its board, 6 columns and 22 cards already there.
- Nothing carries a due date, because a board holds the order the work runs in rather than a calendar. The dates go on once you know when the job starts.
- Every card opens as a task with its own description, assignee, dates, subtasks and files, and columns are renamed, reordered or deleted like any other.
Who it is for
Accounting & tax teams, tax preparation firms, and CFO services providers who need a consistent intake before cleanup, close, and filing work starts.
Questions about this project template
What goes in a client onboarding checklist for bookkeeping or taxes?
A client onboarding checklist usually covers identity and entity details, system access or file exports, the documents needed to work, and the order the work moves through. The board here runs from client setup and data collection through cleanup, monthly close, review and filing, and ongoing client care.
What do you need from me and in what format?
The checklist calls out common intake items like prior tax returns and IRS notices, bank and credit card statements, payroll records and 1099s, plus receipts and mileage logs. The cards also include requests for accounting system access or file exports, so the same information can be collected either way.
Are you filing as my CPA or just preparing the return?
The board includes steps like preparing a tax return draft, obtaining sign-off, and e-filing returns. The checklist itself doesn’t state who is legally signing as preparer, so that part still needs to match your engagement terms.
What happens if a 1099 shows up after we file?
The board doesn’t add a special late-document policy, but it does keep intake and follow-ups visible under data collection and ongoing client care. When new documents arrive, the cards make it clear what needs review and what needs an update.
Can you work with what’s in QuickBooks, or do you need your own system?
The checklist includes a card to request accounting system access or file exports, so the intake can work with either direct access or exported data. The rest of the board covers feeds, reconciliation, and cleanup steps once the data is available.
How do I run a client onboarding checklist as a project board?
The checklist runs as a project with columns that match the stages of the work, and each card is a specific request or step. The setup needed is adding your own dates and assigning cards to the people doing the work.
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