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Template · Client
Email Template for Requesting Documents From Clients
The first request, worded so you do not need a fourth one.
Built by a practising Chartered Accountant · Unlimited users · 60-day free trial · Last updated 27 September 2026
Quick answer
A document request email should group items the way the client stores them, give one deadline, and offer a single secure way to send everything. Sent promptly after a period end and paired with scheduled follow-ups, it is the difference between a year end finished early and one finished in panic.
Who is this sent to, and when?
- Sent to
- Clients at the start of any piece of work needing their records.
- When to send it
- Within a few days of the period end or as soon as the job is created.
How should the list be worded?
In the client's language, grouped by where they keep things, with examples rather than technical terms.
"Bank statements for every business account, 1 April to 31 March, including any savings account" works. "Full banking records for the period" does not, because the client does not know whether the savings account counts.
How should clients send the documents?
Through a secure portal, in one place, so both sides can see what has arrived and what is outstanding.
Email attachments scatter records across inboxes and are a poor place for identification documents and bank statements. A portal keeps everything on the client record and makes the chaser specific.
Preview the template
Email Template for Requesting Documents From Clients
Subject: [Client name] — records needed for [period / service]
Hello [Client first name],
We are ready to start your [service, e.g. accounts for the year ended 31 March 2026]. Please send the following by [records deadline]:
Banking
Statements for all business accounts covering [period]
Credit card and payment platform statements
Sales and purchases
Sales invoices and credit notes for
Preview shows the opening and key sections. The full editable file is free to download below.
See it working with your own clients
A 30-minute walkthrough using your services, deadlines and templates.
Send this from Remindoo
Save it once in Remindoo and send it from there. Store the wording as an email template, then use tokens so client names, company numbers and dates fill in automatically. Send it to one client or to a filtered group with bulk client emails. For requests that repeat, pair it with automated reminders and a recurring task so it goes out every period without anyone remembering.
Email templates
Standard client messages ready to send.
See featureTokens for emails and tasks
Merge client data into repeatable messages.
See featureAutomated reminders
Timely prompts before work becomes urgent.
See featureBulk client emails and newsletters
Update your whole client base at once.
See featureClient portal and document sharing
Share requests and documents securely, not by email.
See featureWhat are the common mistakes?
- Sending the request weeks after the period end
- Grouping items by nominal code
- No deadline for the client
- Asking for identification documents by email
- No easy way to say "not applicable"
“Automation saves time and no follow-up is missed.”
Frequently asked questions
When should the first request go out?
As soon after the period end as possible. Firms that trigger it automatically from the year-end date finish jobs noticeably earlier.
Should the list be the same for every client?
Start from a standard list and remove what does not apply, so nothing relevant is dropped by accident.
Is a portal really necessary?
It is safer for sensitive documents and it keeps the outstanding list visible to both sides, which makes chasing far easier.
How do I handle the client who sends one huge unsorted folder?
Accept it, then reply with the specific groups still missing rather than repeating the whole list.
Can the email be sent to a whole client group?
Yes. Bulk personalised emails let you send the same request to every client in a service group at once.
What if the client's bookkeeper holds the records?
Copy them in and agree in writing who is responsible for sending what each period.
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Sources
Last updated 27 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.
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