Engagement Kickoff Checklist for CPA Firms — Free

What it is

An engagement goes better when the decisions that matter are made before the work starts: whether to accept the client, who is independent, what the engagement letter says, who is on the team and when each phase will happen. This checklist puts those decisions in one place.

It is written for an audit and notes where review, compilation and tax engagements differ. Firm policy under SQMS No. 1 may require more than the standards do, and the checklist can be extended to match it.

When to use it

At the start of every new engagement and every recurring engagement.
When a team member is new or the engagement scope changes.
As evidence of acceptance and continuance procedures in a peer review.

What’s inside

Acceptance and continuance, including predecessor communication
Independence, nonattest services and confidentiality
Engagement letter terms and reports to issue
Team, budget and calendar
Planning meeting, PBC list and file setup

Standard cited

This template follows SQMS No. 1 / AU-C 210 / AU-C 220. It is written in our own words, except for phrases the standard requires the document to contain, with [bracketed placeholders] for client details, amounts in USD and dates as MM/DD/YYYY. Check it against the current standard and your firm’s methodology before use. See AU-C 210 explained, AU-C 220 explained.

Download free Word template (.docx)

Questions

Is the checklist needed for recurring clients?

Yes, in a shorter form. Continuance decisions should be revisited every year, since the client, its management or the risk level may have changed.

Who signs off on acceptance?

The engagement partner, under firm policy. Higher-risk engagements usually go to a risk or second partner as well.

Does this replace the engagement letter template?

No. It makes sure the letter is prepared and signed. Use the engagement letter template for the terms themselves.

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Last updated 11/05/2026. All free templates.