← Al Davies, 250 High Street

Client onboarding checklist for an accounting firm

Short answer: build one SharePoint list where each new client is one row, and each onboarding step is a Yes/No column. A flow can then email the owner of any client whose steps are not all Yes. This page shows the columns, the view, and the flow. Whether your engagement letter is valid or complete is a question for your firm's counsel, not for this list.

What the list holds

The list tracks the state of each step. It does not store the signed letter itself. Keep the signed files in a document library and put a link in the row.

Create the list in Microsoft 365. Microsoft's page says: "You can create a new list directly from the Lists app in Microsoft 365 by selecting +New list." Then choose to start a list from scratch, add a name, and select Create. To add columns, Microsoft says: "To add different types of information to the list, select + Add column." Exact names may differ on your screen.

Columns to build

Use the Title column for the client name. Add these columns:

Count the open steps

A calculated column can only look at its own row. Microsoft's page says: "Calculated fields can only operate on their own row, so you can't reference a value in another row." That is enough here, because every step sits in the same row.

Make a calculated column named Steps open that returns a number. Our advice, not a Microsoft rule: this formula pattern counts each No as 1. Check it on your list:
=IF([Engagement letter sent],0,1)+IF([Engagement letter signed],0,1)+IF([Prior-year returns received],0,1)+IF([Bank and portal access set up],0,1)+IF([Document request sent],0,1)

Microsoft shows the IF function in its formula examples page, and adding with the plus operator: "To add numbers in two or more columns in a row, use the addition (+) operator or the SUM function." Test the formula on three rows before you trust it.

Views to make

Filtering is done in the view. Microsoft says to click a column heading and choose Filter by, then "When you are finished, select the Apply button." To keep it, "select the name of the current view, and then choose Save view as from the menu options."

  1. A view named Open clients: filter Status to 1 New and 2 In progress.
  2. A view sorted by Start date. Microsoft says: "When you create or edit a view, you can specify sorting on one or two columns." Sort Owner first, then Start date.
  3. A personal view of only your clients. This needs the [Me] keyword. Microsoft says: "You must use the classic view editor to filter columns using these keywords." See.

A flow that chases the owner

Power Automate has SharePoint triggers. Microsoft describes one: "Triggers the flow when you create an item, and each time you modify it in a SharePoint list." That fits, but it brings a risk: if the flow edits the same row, it can start itself again. Two guards prevent that.

  1. Trigger: When an item is created or modified, pointed at your list.
  2. Condition: Status is not 3 Complete, and Reminder sent is No.
  3. Action: Send an email to the Owner. Subject: the client name plus the number in Steps open.
  4. Action: Update item, set Reminder sent to Yes.

The Reminder sent column is the Sent flag guard. You set its default value to No. The flow checks that it is No, sends the email, then sets it to Yes. That stops repeat emails when the Update item action fires the trigger again. See "Power Automate flow keeps running itself over and over" and "Power Automate sends the same email two or three times".

Our advice, not a Microsoft rule: set Reminder sent back to No in a separate step when a new step is added, or use a second Yes/No column for each reminder you want to send.

A date-based nudge

For a nudge before a date, Microsoft's reminder page says: "With reminder flows, you receive a personal email alert a predetermined number of days in advance of a date on any document or item in SharePoint." You select Automate, then Set a reminder, then pick the DateTime column. Microsoft notes: "This feature isn't available for GCC, GCC High, DOD, or other sovereign clouds." See.

Reading the list in a flow

If a daily flow checks the whole list, use the Get items action. Microsoft says: "The default item limit is 100." You can raise it: "If you are working with large lists, you can increase this limit up to the list view threshold limit of 5,000." Set this in Advanced options, in Top Count. Turn Pagination on in the action settings. See.

What to leave out

When to get help

You can build all of this yourself in Microsoft 365. If you would rather have it built and tested for your team, I do that. A tracker like this is a fixed price: $5,000 for one, built in 2 weeks. See "What a SharePoint tracker costs to build". Bring one example of the problem to a free call.

Tell me what's still manual

I am Al Davies. I run 250 High Street LLC and build SharePoint trackers and Power Automate flows for operations teams. I work remotely. The first call is free, and I will not try to sell you anything.

See trackers I built: Tools I built

FAQ

Is there a free client onboarding checklist template for an accounting firm?

This page describes the columns in text, so you can build the list in a few minutes in Microsoft 365 without a download.

Should a firm use Excel or a SharePoint list for onboarding?

A list gives each client one row with an owner and a flow that emails. See.

What goes on an accounting firm client onboarding checklist?

Track engagement letter sent and signed, prior-year returns, access set up, and document request. Ask your firm's counsel what your letter must contain.

Can a SharePoint list email the person in charge?

Yes. Microsoft's trigger "When an item is created or modified" starts a flow, and a Send an email action can notify the Owner.

Why does my onboarding flow send the same email twice?

A flow that updates its own row can start again. Use a Reminder sent Yes/No column, set its default value to No, check it, then set it to Yes.

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