Tax Preparation Engagement Letter Checklist

What it should state. What's commonly not stated. What to ask before you sign.

You're about to sign an engagement letter with a tax preparer. This page lists what a complete one states, the lines that are commonly not stated, and the questions worth asking before your name goes on it.

This is a reading checklist, not advice. Spend Defense doesn't tell you whether to sign — we make sure you've actually seen what's on the page, and what isn't.

What a complete engagement letter states

Scope — which returns, years, and forms are included in the quoted fee.
Fee — the quoted fee, and whether it is flat, per form, or hourly.
Out-of-scope pricing — how added forms or extra work are priced.
Your responsibilities — that you supply accurate information and records, stated plainly.
Deadlines — when your documents are due for the return to be filed on time.
Notice and audit support — whether help with tax notices or audits is included, extra, or excluded.
E-file and refund delivery — e-file authorization and how any refund reaches you.
Records and privacy — how long records are kept and how your information is protected.

What's commonly not stated

Refund-product fees — if a refund transfer or advance is offered, its fees may come out of your refund without a separate line.
Extra-form pricing — a low starting fee can rise with each form added; the per-form price is often missing.
Notice support cost — what it costs to get help with a letter from a tax agency later is rarely stated.
Who signs as preparer — the person who prepares the return may not be the person you met.

None of these gaps decide anything by themselves. They're the lines to ask about before you sign, not after.

Questions to ask before you sign

“Which returns and forms are included in this fee?”
“How are additional forms or extra work priced?”
“Is help with tax notices or audits included?”
“Are there any fees taken out of my refund?”
“Who will sign the return as the paid preparer?”

Want a second set of eyes on the actual document?

Send us the paperwork before you sign. A Quick Check reads your document and shows you what it says, what's not stated, and what to ask — for $4.99 (up to 10 pages). Longer documents: Document Review $19, Premium Review $49.

Check my document →

We don't decide for you. We make sure nothing on the page — or missing from it — surprises you later.

FAQ

How much does tax preparation usually cost?

We don't price other people's work — cost depends on the complexity of your return, the forms involved, and the preparer's pricing method. What you can check is whether your engagement letter states the scope, the fee basis, and how extra work is priced. If it doesn't, ask before signing.

What if something on this checklist is missing from my engagement letter?

Ask for it in writing before you sign. A missing scope line or refund-fee disclosure isn't a verdict on the preparer; it's an unknown in an agreement about your tax filing. Getting it stated costs nothing and settles it before your documents are handed over.

Can Spend Defense read my actual engagement letter?

Yes — that's the Quick Check. Send the document and you'll get back what it says, what's not stated, and what to ask, for $4.99 (up to 10 pages). Most engagement letters are a few pages, well within that limit.

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Spend Defense — we read the paperwork before you sign. We don't decide for you.