Proposal Software for Accountants: Stop Rewriting Engagement Letters
You're a CPA, not a copywriter. But every new client needs a proposal or engagement letter that spells out services, fees, and terms.
Generate your first proposal →Templates help. But you still spend 20-30 minutes customizing scope, updating fees, and adjusting timelines for bookkeeping vs. tax vs. advisory work.
ProposalKit generates accounting-specific proposals in 30 seconds. Input client details, select service type, generate a professional proposal. Done.
Built for accounting services:
- Monthly bookkeeping retainers
- Tax preparation packages
- Fractional CFO engagements
- Audit and compliance work
- Advisory and consulting services
What you get:
- Proposals that match accounting industry standards
- Clean scope language clients understand
- Payment terms that fit accounting billing cycles
- Professional formatting for firm credibility
Why Accountants Need Better Proposals
The problem:
Most CPAs use one of these approaches:
1. Word template - Copy/paste last engagement letter, manually update client name, services, fees. Takes 20-30 minutes. Prone to copy/paste errors.
2. Email summary - Send a quick email with services and fees. Unprofessional. Hard for client to share with partners or board.
3. Nothing formal - Start work based on verbal agreement. Creates scope confusion and billing disputes later.
The result:
- Clients confused about what's included vs. not included
- Scope creep when work exceeds what you quoted
- Billing disputes because terms weren't clear upfront
- Lost time formatting when you should be billing hours
What clients expect:
Accounting clients—especially small businesses and startups—are used to professional proposals from lawyers, consultants, and vendors. They expect the same from their CPA.
A good proposal:
- Shows you're organized and professional
- Reduces questions and back-and-forth
- Makes it easy for them to say yes
- Protects both parties with clear scope
Accounting Proposal Templates
ProposalPro includes templates for six common accounting services. Each template uses language and structure specific to that service.
1. Monthly Bookkeeping Retainer
Best for: Ongoing bookkeeping services for small businesses
What's included in template:
- Monthly service scope (transaction recording, reconciliation, reporting)
- Deliverables and reporting schedule (monthly P&L, balance sheet, cash flow)
- Client responsibilities (providing receipts, bank access, timely responses)
- Retainer fee and payment terms (monthly in advance)
- Out-of-scope items (tax prep, payroll, audits)
Typical engagement:
- $800-$3,000/month
- Monthly billing cycle
- 3-6 month minimum commitment
Example scope language:
Monthly Bookkeeping Services
- Record all business transactions in QuickBooks Online
- Reconcile bank and credit card accounts monthly
- Generate monthly financial statements (P&L, Balance Sheet, Cash Flow)
- Provide monthly financial summary via email by the 15th
- Respond to client questions via email within 24 business hours
Not Included:
- Tax preparation and filing
- Payroll processing
- Annual audits
- Financial planning and advisory
2. Tax Preparation Package
Best for: Annual tax preparation for individuals or small businesses
What's included:
- Tax services scope (federal and state returns)
- Required documents and submission deadline
- Review process and amendment terms
- Flat fee or tiered pricing by complexity
- Payment terms (50% upfront, 50% before filing)
Typical engagement:
- $500-$5,000 per return
- Annual service
- Due 3-6 weeks before filing deadline
3. Fractional CFO Services
Best for: Part-time CFO services for growing businesses or startups
What's included:
- Strategic financial advisory scope
- Deliverables (board deck, quarterly forecast)
- Availability and meeting cadence
- Monthly retainer fee
- Out-of-scope items (day-to-day bookkeeping)
Typical engagement:
- $5,000-$15,000/month
- 6-12 month commitment
- 10-20 hours per month included
Key Proposal Sections for Accountants
Accounting proposals need specific sections that other proposals don't. ProposalPro includes these automatically.
1. Scope of Services
Why it matters: Prevents scope creep. Clients often assume bookkeeping includes tax prep or payroll.
What to include:
- Exactly what services are provided
- Deliverables and reporting schedule
- Communication expectations (response time, meeting cadence)
- Explicitly list what's NOT included
2. Client Responsibilities
Why it matters: You can't do your job if clients don't provide info on time.
What to include:
- Documents client must provide (bank statements, receipts, invoices)
- Deadlines for providing information
- Access requirements (bank accounts, accounting software, tax records)
- Response time expectations
3. Payment Terms Specific to Accounting
Why it matters: Accounting billing cycles differ from project-based work.
For retainers (bookkeeping, fractional CFO):
- Monthly billing in advance (1st of month)
- Auto-pay via ACH or credit card
- 3-6 month minimum commitment
- Cancellation requires 30 days notice
For tax prep:
- 50% due upon engagement
- 50% due before filing
- Payment via check, ACH, or credit card
- Late payment = delayed filing
For projects (audits, catch-up):
- Milestone-based (25% kickoff, 50% midpoint, 25% completion)
- Or 50% upfront, 50% upon delivery
- Payment due within 15 days of invoice
4. Assumptions & Limitations
Why it matters: Protects you when client situation differs from discovery.
What to include:
- Assumed transaction volume per month
- Complexity assumptions (clean books vs. messy records)
- Timeline depends on client providing info on time
- Adjustments if scope exceeds assumptions
How to Generate an Accounting Proposal in 5 Minutes
- Step 1: Go to the generator → Start here
- Step 2: Fill in client details (2-3 minutes)
- Step 3: Generate proposal (30 seconds)
- Step 4: Preview and edit (1-2 minutes)
- Step 5: Export and send (1 minute)
Total time: 5-7 minutes from start to sent proposal.
Accounting Proposal Best Practices
1. Be Specific About What's Included vs. Not
❌ Bad:
"We provide full-service accounting and bookkeeping support."
✅ Good:
"We provide monthly transaction recording, bank reconciliation, and financial statement generation. This does NOT include tax preparation, payroll processing, or audit services."
2. Tie Fees to Value, Not Just Hours
❌ Bad:
"Our bookkeeping fee is $1,200/month."
✅ Good:
"Our bookkeeping retainer is $1,200/month. You'll receive clean books, monthly financial statements, and confidence that your tax preparer has accurate records. This saves your tax CPA 5-8 hours of cleanup work (saving you $1,500-$2,400 at tax time)."
3. Set Clear Communication Expectations
❌ Bad:
"We'll be available for questions."
✅ Good:
"We respond to email inquiries within 24 business hours. Monthly check-in calls are scheduled the third week of each month. Urgent issues can be addressed via phone with same-day response."
Pricing Your Accounting Services
Not sure how to price bookkeeping, tax prep, or advisory work? Use these benchmarks.
Bookkeeping Retainers
Market rates:
- Simple businesses (<100 transactions/month): $500-$1,000/month
- Medium businesses (100-300 transactions/month): $1,000-$2,500/month
- Complex businesses (300+ transactions/month): $2,500-$5,000/month
Tax Preparation
Market rates:
- Basic individual 1040: $300-$800
- Individual with investments/rental: $800-$2,000
- Small business (S-Corp, LLC): $1,500-$5,000
- Complex returns: $5,000+
Fractional CFO Services
Market rates:
- Startups (pre-revenue to $5M): $3,000-$7,000/month
- Growth stage ($5M-$20M): $7,000-$12,000/month
- Established ($20M+): $12,000-$20,000+/month
FAQ for Accountants
Is this a replacement for engagement letters?
No. This generates the proposal that comes before the engagement letter. Once client approves the proposal, you send the formal engagement letter with legal terms, indemnification, etc.
Some CPAs use the proposal AS the engagement letter by adding standard terms and conditions at the end. You can do this by exporting the DOCX and adding your firm's legal language.
Can I add my firm's logo and branding?
Yes. Export the DOCX and add your logo, adjust colors, or modify formatting in Word before sending to client.
Does it include compliance disclosures?
No. The proposal focuses on scope, timeline, and fees. You must add any required disclosures (circular 230, state board requirements, etc.) before sending to clients.
Can I reuse proposals for multiple clients?
You can export once and use the DOCX as a template for future clients. However, generating fresh for each client ensures scope and language match that specific client's situation.
What if I need to add case studies or firm history?
Export the DOCX and add additional sections (About Our Firm, Client Results, Team Bios) before sending.
Next Steps: Generate Your First Accounting Proposal
Try it free:
- Go to generator: Create proposal →
- Select "Accounting" as industry
- Fill in your client details
- Preview the proposal (no charge)
- Export for $19 when ready
Total time: 5-10 minutes from start to finish.
Generate your first proposal →Not ready to generate yet?
Read our complete guide on writing proposals:
How to Write a Winning Proposal →