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Checklist · Internal
Client Deadline Audit Checklist for Accountants
The ultimate sanity check for your practice’s filing compliance.
Built by a practising Chartered Accountant · Unlimited users · 60-day free trial · Last updated 23 September 2026
Quick answer
A regular deadline audit is your safety net. Review all upcoming Companies House and HMRC filings, verify that you have all required information from clients, and ensure your team knows who is responsible for what. Identify any 'at-risk' clients early.
How do you perform a deadline audit?
Start with a centralised report of all upcoming deadlines for the next 90 days. Cross-reference this against your 'in-progress' work list to spot gaps.
Categorise deadlines by urgency (e.g., 'within 30 days') and risk (e.g., 'records not received'). Focus on the highest-risk, highest-impact items first.
How do you manage 'at-risk' clients?
Communicate early and clearly. Use automated reminders for everyone, but pick up the phone for your highest-risk clients to understand the blockage.
Document all communication attempts. If you must, send a formal 'at risk of missing deadline' letter.
Checklist preview
0/4 done · showing 4 of 8 itemsThe full 8-item checklist is in the download below. Enter your name and email to get it as a Word or PDF file.
This is a standard checklist. Each firm's requirements may vary, so please cross-check everything against current GOV.UK, Companies House and professional body guidance before relying on it.
See it working with your own clients
A 30-minute walkthrough using your services, deadlines and templates.
Turn this into a task and subtask template in Remindoo
Save each group as a task with subtasks, attach it to the right service and let recurring tasks create it for every client, every period. Each item gets an owner and a deadline, and nothing depends on someone remembering to print the list. See task and subtask templates.
What are the common mistakes?
- Trusting memory instead of a report
- Assuming a client will send info 'tomorrow'
- Failing to document chase attempts
- Only checking deadlines the week they are due
- Not having a central view of all filings
“Automation saves time and no follow-up is missed.”
Frequently asked questions
How often should I audit?
Weekly is ideal. It keeps the pressure off and makes the workload manageable.
What if I miss a deadline?
Be transparent with the client, apologise, and take immediate steps to fix it. If applicable, appeal the penalty based on the facts.
Should I warn clients about the deadline?
Yes, proactively. Tell them *why* you need the information by a certain date (i.e., to file on time).
How do I manage this for multiple services?
A single, centralised dashboard of all client deadlines is essential.
Is this the same as a month-end review?
No, this is specifically about regulatory deadlines; the month-end review is about practice performance.
What if a client is consistently late?
Review your engagement terms. Perhaps they aren't the right client for your service level, or they need a clearer understanding of the process.
Ready to run a calmer practice?
See Remindoo with your own clients, or start free for 60 days with unlimited users.
Sources
Last updated 23 September 2026. General guidance, not regulatory advice.
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 Waqas Sagar ACA FCCA FMAAT, Chartered Accountant with 18+ years in practice. Founder and MD of Accotax, an ICAEW, ACCA and AAT regulated London practice that has served over 5,000 clients, and founder of 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.”
