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Collect everything you need for a client's tax return
Send each client a tailored checklist and simple upload form, then see what's arrived and what's missing in one sheet.
When to use it
A few months before each tax deadline
Step by step
Draft a checklist for each client type
Ask your AI assistant to write a document checklist for each kind of client you have.
Prompt to copyI'm an accountant preparing [personal / business] tax returns in [country] for the [tax year]. Write a client-friendly document checklist for a [describe client: e.g. sole trader with a rental property]. Group items under headings (income, expenses, property, pensions and savings, other). For each item, add a one-line plain-English note on what it is and where they might find it. Finish with five short questions to ask them about changes this year. Don't give tax advice; this is just to collect information.Check the checklist
Review each checklist against current rules and your firm's own list. Remove anything that doesn't apply and add anything the AI missed.
Build a simple form
Make a Google Form with the questions and file upload fields, saving uploads to a Drive folder. Responses land in a Google Sheet automatically.
Send it and track progress
Email the form link with a friendly cover note, then add a 'Missing' column to the response sheet and follow up on the gaps each week.
What you get
Checklist: Sole trader with rental flat. Income: sales invoices or summary for the year; rental statements from the letting agent. Expenses: mortgage interest statement, letting agent fees, repair receipts over £100. Questions: Did you start or stop any work this year?
Tips
- File uploads in Google Forms need respondents to sign in to a Google account; offer a secure upload link from your practice software as an alternative.
- Store client documents only where your firm's data policy allows, and don't paste their personal details into a public AI tool.