Drafts the first email asking a client for the documents you need to start work. Use it at the start of each monthly close, tax engagement, or cleanup project.
[YOUR ROLE] ·[ENGAGEMENT TYPE] ·[CLIENT FIRST NAME] ·[BUSINESS TYPE] ·[TONE] ·[DUE DATE] ·[DOCUMENT LIST] ·[DELIVERY METHOD]
## Context
You are an assistant to a [YOUR ROLE — e.g., solo bookkeeper, CPA] who needs documents from a client before starting [ENGAGEMENT TYPE — e.g., the March close, the 2025 tax return]. The client is [CLIENT FIRST NAME], who runs [BUSINESS TYPE]. Relationship tone: [TONE — e.g., friendly long-term client, newer and more formal].
## Task
Write the first document request email. Include:
- One opening sentence stating what the request is for and the date the documents are needed: [DUE DATE].
- A numbered list of the documents: [DOCUMENT LIST]. One document per line, each specific enough that the client knows exactly what to pull.
- How to send them: [DELIVERY METHOD — e.g., portal link, secure upload].
- One closing line on what happens once everything arrives (for example, "I'll start the close the day these are in").
## Standards
- Under 150 words. Include a subject line that names the engagement and the due date.
- Plain language the client uses. Say "bank statements," not "source documents."
- State the period on every item ("March 2026 bank statements," never "recent statements").
- No apology for asking. Requesting records is normal workflow, not an imposition.
- Close with the next step, not "let me know if you have questions."
If any input above is missing or unclear, ask me before drafting — do not guess at documents, dates, or delivery method.
BEFORE YOU RUN IT
- The exact document list, with the period each item covers
- A real due date tied to your work schedule, not a guess
- Delivery method and the correct portal or upload link
- Client first name and a one-word read on the relationship tone
- Confidentiality: use first names and generic business detail only, or confirm your AI tool is approved under your firm's confidentiality policy
VERIFY BEFORE IT LEAVES YOUR HANDS
- Every document on your list made it into the email — nothing dropped, nothing invented
- Each item names its period ("March 2026 bank statements"), not a vague range
- The due date matches your actual schedule and appears once, clearly
- Delivery method and link are correct — the AI cannot know your portal URL
- Nothing on the list is something the client already sent; check your portal before sending
- Tone fits this client; firm up or soften before it goes out
Sample output
Sample output — AI-generated from sample inputs:
Subject: March close — 4 documents needed by April 8
Hi Dana,
I'm ready to start your March books. I need four things by Tuesday, April 8:
1. March bank statements — both the operating and payroll accounts
2. March credit card statement (Chase Ink ending 4471)
3. Receipts or invoices for any equipment purchases over $500
4. March payroll reports from Gusto, if you ran any off-cycle payrolls
Upload everything here: [portal link]. The portal is secure — please don't email statements as attachments.
Once these arrive, your March financials go out within five business days.
Thanks,
Sam
CUSTOMIZATION Swap the document list by engagement type — tax prep, sales tax filings, and cleanup projects each need different items. For clients who send partial sets, add a line stating the clock starts when the last item arrives. Pair this with the reminder and final notice prompts in this section to run the full chase sequence.
Drafts a fee increase letter that states the new fee as a fact and keeps the relationship warm. Use it at renewal time or whenever your rates move.
[CLIENT NAME] ·[CLIENT BUSINESS TYPE] ·[YEARS AS CLIENT] ·[CURRENT FEE] ·[NEW FEE] ·[EFFECTIVE DATE] ·[SERVICES PROVIDED] ·[REASON FOR INCREASE] ·[RECENT WORK HIGHLIGHTS]
## Context
You are a writing assistant for a solo accounting practice. I am raising fees for an existing client and need a letter that keeps the relationship intact. The client is [CLIENT NAME], a [CLIENT BUSINESS TYPE] client of [YEARS AS CLIENT] years. Current monthly fee: [CURRENT FEE]. New fee: [NEW FEE], effective [EFFECTIVE DATE]. Services covered: [SERVICES PROVIDED]. Reason for the increase: [REASON FOR INCREASE]. Specific work I did for them this year: [RECENT WORK HIGHLIGHTS].
## Task
Draft a fee increase letter I can send by email. Open with appreciation tied to the specific work I listed. State the new fee and effective date within the first half of the letter. Give the reason in one or two sentences. Close with an invitation to discuss. Offer no discounts and no apology.
## Standards
- Under 250 words.
- Professional, warm, direct. No 'due to rising costs' boilerplate unless that is the reason I gave.
- State the new fee as a decision made, not a request for permission.
- Do not invent services, results, or history beyond what I provided.
- No legalese. No 'unfortunately.'
If any input above is missing or unclear, ask me before writing.
BEFORE YOU RUN IT
- Client name, years with you, and the services on their signed engagement letter
- Current fee, new fee, and effective date — give the notice period your engagement letter requires, 30 to 60 days at minimum
- Your honest reason for the increase, in one sentence you could defend on a phone call
- One or two specific things you did for this client this year
- Confidentiality check: keep figures limited to your own fees — no client financial data belongs in this prompt
VERIFY BEFORE IT LEAVES YOUR HANDS
- New fee, current fee, and effective date match your records exactly — AI swaps and transposes numbers
- Effective date satisfies the notice period in your engagement letter
- No apologetic framing ('I hate to do this') that invites negotiation
- Services listed match the signed engagement letter, not a generic bookkeeping list
- Letter does not promise new services or faster turnaround you never offered
- The stated reason is the one you gave, not a softer one the AI substituted
- Read it aloud — it should sound like you, not a collections department or a greeting card
Sample output
Sample output — AI-generated from sample inputs:
Dear Carla,
Thank you for four years with Hartwell Books. This year we cleaned up the equipment loan schedule and got your monthly close delivered by the 10th, every month. I value the trust you put in us.
Starting September 1, the monthly fee for your bookkeeping engagement will be $625, up from $525. The fee covers everything in your current engagement: monthly reconciliations, financial statements, payroll filings, and quarterly check-in calls.
The increase reflects the growth in your transaction volume and the payroll filings added when you hired your second crew. I held the original rate through that growth. This adjustment brings the fee in line with the work.
No action is needed on your end — the new rate takes effect with the September invoice. If you would like to talk it through, call me. I am glad to.
Best,
Dana Hartwell
Hartwell Books
CUSTOMIZATION For value-priced advisory engagements, swap the volume rationale for outcomes delivered this year. If you raise fees across your whole book at once, generate one letter per service tier instead of one per client, then personalize the work highlights. For clients on annual engagement letters, set the effective date to the renewal date and send 60 days out.