Clients
How to Onboard a Self-Employed Client
New Client opens a six-step onboarding: Introduction, Basic Information, Contacts, Services, Risk Assessment & AML and Internal Information. Progress is saved as you go.
Built for UK accountants, bookkeepers and growing accountancy practices.
How it works
Onboarding a sole trader or Self Assessment client properly means capturing the details HMRC and your AML file will need later. Remindoo's onboarding starts with the client name and type, such as Self-Employed, Landlord, Non-Resident Landlord, Partnership or Private Limited Company. Basic Information then records the trading name, nature of business, commenced date, SA register date and turnover, along with as many mobile numbers and email addresses as you need. Toggles for Personal UTR and National Insurance Number let you capture both identifiers, and Remindoo warns you if the UTR is already used by another client, which prevents duplicate records. Turnover matters: from April 2026, Making Tax Digital for Income Tax applies to sole traders and landlords with qualifying income over £50,000, so capturing it at onboarding helps you plan MTD work. In Contacts, you confirm the proprietor's name, address, nationality and country, then complete the internal information: Form 64-8 status, personal UTR, NI number, marital status, and which email addresses are included in or excluded from promotional correspondence. Finally, Manage Your Contacts shows each contact card, lets you add more and marks the primary contact with a star.
Step 1: name and client type
Enter the client name and choose a type such as Private Limited Company, Self-Employed, Landlord, Non-Resident Landlord or Partnership.
What you can see
View this screenshot’s checklistStep 2: basic information
Trading name, nature of business, commenced date, SA register date, turnover, multiple mobile numbers and emails, plus personal UTR and National Insurance number toggles.
What you can see
- Trading As (Hartley Electrical Services) and Nature of Business (Domestic electrician).
- Commenced Date, SA Register Date and Turnover (62000).
- Area Code (United Kingdom +44) with Mobile no., and Email with green + buttons to add more. Each saved entry can be edited or deleted.
- Personal UTR toggle on with the UTR entered, and a National Insurance Number toggle.
- Back and Next buttons, with a hint that the NI number should be 9 characters.
Why it matters: UTR, NI number and turnover are captured at the start, ready for Self Assessment and MTD work.
Duplicate UTR check
Remindoo warns you if the UTR is already used by another client.
What you can see
- Personal UTR field highlighted in red.
- Message below says the UTR already exists.
- National Insurance Number toggle switched on with its field showing.
Why it matters: Catching a duplicate UTR at entry stops the same taxpayer being set up twice.
Step 3: contact details
Confirm the contact's name, type (e.g. Proprietor), address, nationality and country.
What you can see
- Imported Info and Internal Info sub-steps, with Imported Info active.
- Contact's Imported Information: First Name, Last Name and Type (Proprietor (Owner)).
- Address (22 Elm Grove), City/Town (Reading), Postal Code (RG1 4AB).
- Nationality (British), Country (United Kingdom) and a Date of Birth toggle.
- Next button.
Why it matters: Accurate contact and address details support both client communication and identity checks.
64-8 status, UTR and marital status
Record Form 64-8 status, personal UTR, NI number, marital status, mobile numbers, and which emails are included in or excluded from promotional correspondence.
What you can see
- Contact Self-Fill Section under the Internal Info sub-step.
- Form 64-8 Status (Yes), Personal UTR No and National Insurance No.
- Marital Status (Married) and Mobile Number with area code.
- Included Email, labelled "Included In Promotional Correspondence", and Excluded Email, labelled "Excluded From Promotional Correspondence".
- Save button.
Why it matters: Agent authorisation status and marketing preferences are recorded against the person, not lost in an inbox.
Manage contacts
Review contacts, add more and mark the primary contact.
What you can see
- Manage Your Contacts for Daniel Hartley.
- Contact card with a star marking the primary contact and a Proprietor (Owner) badge.
- Card details: Email, Date of Birth, Country, Address, with edit and delete icons.
- Go To Companies House link, New Contact and Finish buttons.
Why it matters: Every client has a clear primary contact, so correspondence goes to the right person.
Frequently asked questions
Does Remindoo stop duplicate UTRs?
Yes. If you enter a UTR that already belongs to another client, the field is flagged and a warning tells you it already exists.
Where do I record Form 64-8 status?
In the contact's internal information during onboarding, alongside personal UTR, NI number and marital status. It also appears on the contact in the client profile.
Continue the Clients guide
See client management in Remindoo
Book a Demo to explore your firm's client onboarding and management process.
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Why a single client record matters
When client details, deadlines, documents and conversations are spread across inboxes and spreadsheets, time goes on searching instead of on client work.
One version of the truth
Everyone sees the same services, contacts, deadlines and notes for each client.
Accurate deadlines
Companies House sync brings in company details and filing dates, reducing manual errors.
Better client service
A full timeline means anyone can answer a client question with the history in front of them.
Secure document sharing
A client portal is safer than sending financial documents as email attachments.
Practical tips from UK practice
- Import companies from Companies House rather than typing details by hand.
- Record every service a client takes, so recurring work is created automatically.
- Add a short note after every important client call.
- Ask clients to upload documents through the portal rather than by email.
Related Remindoo features
Written and reviewed by Annie, Product Lead at Remindoo. Guidance is general; check current GOV.UK and professional body guidance for your firm.
What UK practices say about Remindoo
Read all reviews on Trustpilot“With Remindoo, everything from the first enquiry to onboarding and ongoing client management is tracked in one place… It saves us hours and gives me, as a practice owner, complete visibility of where the firm stands.”
“The biggest benefit is having clients, tasks, deadlines, workflows, proposals and communication all organised in one place.”
“During my trial, the team were absolutely amazing. They helped onboard my clients, set up my settings and made sure everything was ready for me to use… they made the whole process completely stress-free.”
“It brings client information, tasks, recurring deadlines, workflows and reminders together in one place, giving us much better visibility across the team.”
