In one paragraph: clients rarely ignore you on purpose. They can't find something, don't know what you mean by "paperwork", or feel embarrassed about how far behind they are. So send one numbered list of exactly what's missing (account, months, acceptable format), a records-due date with the reason, and then chase on a fixed schedule: a nudge at 7 days, a progress update at 14, a firm reminder on the records-due date with the penalties as facts, and a last-chance message offering options in writing. Thank them for every item that arrives, and switch to a text or a call after two unanswered emails.
Jump to: Why clients go quiet · Free chase planner · The "what we still need" list · Email templates · Text versions · Penalty facts · A whole client list · Engagement letter · FAQ
Why clients don't send records (and what fixes each one)
| What's really going on | What it looks like | What works |
|---|---|---|
| They don't know what you want | "What paperwork?" or they send the wrong thing | A numbered list naming the account, the months and the format. "Barclays 4471, statements for July to September", not "bank statements". |
| They can't find it | Silence after "I'll look this weekend" | Say what "good enough" is: a photo of a receipt, an app download, an order history from the supplier's website. |
| It feels too big | Nothing at all, for weeks | Put the three easiest items first, or split the list into "needed now" and "needed by [date]". |
| Embarrassment or avoidance | Opens emails, never replies | No guilt, no "as previously requested". Offer a 15-minute call and change channel. |
| Something has happened | A previously reliable client goes silent | Stop the sequence. One kind message, an offer to help gather things, and a word with the accountant about extensions or a reasonable-excuse appeal. |
Free chase planner: work the dates back from the deadline
Pick the deadline, say how long you need to prepare once records arrive, and get the date for each chaser, moved off weekends and the Christmas and New Year bank holidays. Then download them as calendar reminders. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
The schedule is the one in the templates below: nudge at day 7, progress at day 14, firm reminder on the records-due date, last chance halfway between that and the deadline. If records are due in under 3 weeks, it squeezes the steps. US dates are federal; state deadlines vary. Check the current deadline on gov.uk or irs.gov.
The "what we still need" list does most of the work
A vague request gets a vague answer. A list a client can tick off gets ticked off. The rules:
- Name the source, the period and the item. "Monzo personal account: statements 6 April 2025 to 5 April 2026 (the PDF download from the app is fine)".
- Number everything, so replies can say "3 and 5 attached".
- Easy wins first. Clients who send three quick things usually send the rest.
- Say what good enough looks like. "A photo is fine." "If you can't find the receipt, tell us what it was and we'll tell you if that's enough."
- Group by where they'll find it: bank and card statements, sales, purchase receipts, vehicle and mileage, loans and assets, personal items (pension contributions, Gift Aid, student loan).
- Keep questions separate. "What was the £1,250 to J Patel on 14 March?" belongs in a short query list, not buried in the request.
- Cap it at about 12 items. More than that, split it into "needed now" and "needed by [date]".
- Never ask for passwords, full card numbers or ID documents by email. Point them at your portal or upload link.
Example (a self-employed plumber's 2025/26 return, one email already ignored):
1. Monzo personal account: statements 6 April 2025 to 5 April 2026. You pay some materials from it. The PDF from the app is fine. 2. Van finance: the agreement, or the yearly statement from the lender. 3. Business miles for the year: a rough log, or your diary with how you worked it out. 4–12. Nine Screwfix card payments over £50 with no receipt (dates and amounts below). Your Screwfix account's order history download covers all nine.
Five emails to copy, in order
Swap the bracketed parts for the client's details. Every message restates what's still outstanding, so nobody has to dig back through old emails, and none of them says "as per my previous email".
1. The request (day 0)
Subject: What we need for your [2025/26 tax return] by [30 November] Hi [first name], We're getting your [2025/26 tax return] ready so it's filed before HMRC's 31 January deadline. To do that we need a few things from you by [30 November]. That gives us time to prepare it and for you to check it before it goes in. 1. [item, account, period, acceptable format] 2. [item] 3. [item] The easiest way to send them is [portal link / receipt app / reply to this email]. Photos and app downloads are fine. If anything is hard to find, send what you have and tell us what's missing. We can usually work around it. Or book a 15-minute call: [link]. Thanks, [name]
2. The nudge (day 7)
Subject: Re: What we need for your tax return Hi [first name], Just checking this reached you. The list is below again. Anything you can send this week helps. [numbered list, with anything already received ticked] Thanks, [name]
3. The progress update (day 14)
Subject: Thanks, nearly there: [3] things left Hi [first name], Thanks for sending [1, 2 and 4]. That's most of it. We still need: 3. [item] 5. [item] 6. [item] We need these by [30 November] to have your return ready in time. If it's easier to talk it through, I can call you [day/time] — just reply with a time that suits. Thanks, [name]
4. The firm reminder (records-due date)
State the consequences as facts with their source. Never "we'll make sure you're fined": HMRC and the IRS charge penalties, not you.
Subject: Your tax return: records needed now to file by 31 January Hi [first name], Today was the date we needed your records by, and we still don't have: 3. [item] 6. [item] Without them we can't finish your return. If it's filed after 31 January, HMRC charges a £100 late filing penalty straight away, even if there's no tax to pay, and more after 3 months. Tax paid late also gets interest, and a 5% penalty after 30 days. [Only if your engagement letter allows it: As our engagement letter says, records received after [date] are charged at [rate] for the extra work.] Could you send what you have by [date, about a week away]? If something's stopping you, reply or call me on [number] and we'll find a way. Thanks, [name]
US version of the penalty line: "If your return is filed late, the IRS charges 5% of the unpaid tax for each month it's late, up to 25%, and more than 60 days late the minimum is $525 or the full tax due, whichever is less. An extension gives more time to file, but not to pay."
5. Last chance (halfway between records due and the deadline)
Subject: Decision needed on your tax return by [date] Hi [first name], The 31 January deadline is [X] days away and we still need [items]. To file on time, we need one of these from you by [date]: A. Send the missing items by [date], and we'll file on time. B. [Only if the accountant agrees it's appropriate:] We file using our best estimates for [items] and mark them as provisional. We then amend the return when the final figures arrive, and you'll pay interest on any extra tax from 31 January. C. We can't file on time. HMRC will charge the £100 late filing penalty, and more the longer it goes on. Please reply with A, B or C so we have it in writing. Thanks, [name]
When something has happened in their life
Hi [first name], I'm sorry to hear about [what's happened]. Please don't worry about the paperwork right now. When you're ready, the only things we really need are [the 2 or 3 essentials]. If it helps, we can [get statements with your permission / pick things up / do a short call]. I'll speak to [accountant] about the deadline so you know where you stand. Take care, [name]
Then tell the accountant. HMRC and the IRS both accept reasonable excuses such as serious illness or a bereavement, but the return still has to go in once the problem ends.
When the client says "I already sent it"
Hi [first name], Thanks, and sorry if we've missed it. I've checked [the portal / our inbox] and the last thing we have from you is [item] on [date]. Could you send [items] again, or tell me how you sent them so I can track it down? Uploading to [portal] is the quickest way for it not to get lost. Thanks, [name]
Text and WhatsApp versions (under 300 characters)
After two unanswered emails, change channel. Keep it short and point to the full list.
Hi [name], it's [you] from [practice]. We still need 3 things for your tax return: [item], [item], [item]. Full list in your email from [date]. Photos are fine. Can you send them by [date]? Thanks!
Hi [name], [you] here. Your tax return deadline is 31 Jan and we're still missing [item]. Can I call you for 5 minutes this week? Reply with a time that works.
Only text clients who've agreed to be contacted that way, and never send account details or anything sensitive by text.
The penalty facts to quote
Use these as facts with their source, never as threats. They change, so check the current figure before you send.
| UK Self Assessment | US Form 1040 | |
|---|---|---|
| Filing deadline | 31 January (online) after the tax year ending 5 April | April 15. Form 4868 extends filing to October 15, not paying |
| Late filing | £100 at once, even with no tax due. After 3 months, £10 a day for up to 90 days (£900). After 6 months, 5% of the tax due or £300, whichever is more. After 12 months, another 5% or £300 | 5% of the unpaid tax for each month or part month, up to 25%. Over 60 days late: at least $525 (returns due in 2026) or 100% of the tax due, whichever is less |
| Late payment | 5% of the tax unpaid at 30 days, 6 months and 12 months, plus interest | 0.5% of the unpaid tax per month, up to 25%, plus interest |
| Reasonable excuse / cause | Yes: appeal the penalty | Yes: penalty relief for reasonable cause |
Two UK dates clients forget: to pay an underpayment through their tax code, the online return has to be in by 30 December. And if they don't know their final profit, HMRC lets them file with provisional figures, tell HMRC, and amend within 12 months of the deadline, with interest on any extra tax from the original due date.
Sources: Self Assessment penalties, deadlines and sending a return (gov.uk); Failure to file penalty and failure to pay penalty (irs.gov). Read 26 October 2026.
Chasing a whole client list before 31 January
From mid-November, sort every client who isn't finished into three groups, and write one message per group rather than one per client:
| Group | Who | What to send |
|---|---|---|
| Green | Everything in | "We have everything, thanks. We'll send your return to approve by [date]." |
| Amber | Partial, but replying | The progress update (email 3), with their own outstanding items. |
| Red | Nothing, or silent after two chasers | A text or call, then the firm reminder (email 4). Flag them to the accountant with the last-chance date. |
Keep a simple log for each client, so "I sent it in November" can be checked in seconds:
| # | Item | Requested | Chased | Received | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monzo statements Apr 25–Apr 26 | 2 Nov | 9 Nov (text) | 12 Nov | PDF from app |
| 2 | Van finance statement | 2 Nov | 9 Nov, 16 Nov | Lender is [name] |
Put the records date in your engagement letter
Chasing is easier when the client agreed the date up front. A scope schedule can say what the client must send, by when, and what happens if it arrives late. An example of the kind of wording practices use (adapt it to your professional body's engagement letter template, and have it checked):
You agree to send us complete records for each tax year by 30 November following the end of that year. If records arrive after that date, we will do our best to file on time, but we cannot guarantee it, and any extra work needed to meet the deadline will be charged at [rate].
Only quote a late-work fee to a client if the letter they signed includes one.
Let ChatGPT, Gemini or Claude write these with each client's own list. Our free Bookkeeper Skills include records-chaser, which turns your rough notes ("no Amex since June, 14 receipts missing") into the numbered request, the text version and the dated chasers, and transaction-queries, which turns unexplained bank lines into a short question list clients actually answer (see the query list guide and free builder). Set-up takes about 3 minutes, no coding.
The Pro pack adds engagement-letter (scope schedules with records dates and late-work terms) and client-onboarding, so new clients know from day one what to send and when.
FAQ
What should I do when a client won't send their records?
Send one specific, numbered list of exactly what's missing, with a records-due date and the reason for it. Then chase on a fixed schedule: a nudge after 7 days, a progress update after 14 that thanks them for what arrived, a firm reminder on the records-due date that states the penalties as facts, and a last-chance message with options in writing. Switch to a text or call after two unanswered emails.
When should clients send records for the 31 January deadline?
Work back from 31 January by the time you need to prepare and get the return approved. With 4 to 8 weeks, that's early December to early January. Many practices ask for everything by 30 November. Clients who want an underpayment collected through their tax code need the online return filed by 30 December.
Can I charge a client for sending records late?
Only if your engagement letter says so. Quote the clause in the firm reminder, and keep the tone factual.
Can I file a client's return without all their records?
In the UK, HMRC lets you file with provisional figures if final ones aren't available, tell HMRC they're provisional, and amend within 12 months of the deadline. Interest runs on any extra tax from the original due date. Only do it if the accountant agrees it's appropriate and the client confirms in writing.
A client has stopped replying altogether. When do I give up?
After the last-chance message, write once more confirming what you told them and that you can't file without their records. Keep a dated record of every request. Whether to disengage is a professional decision: follow your professional body's guidance, especially if you suspect anything more than disorganisation.
Is it safe to paste client details into an AI app?
Keep it to what the task needs: a client code or first name, and the list of missing items. Don't paste NI numbers, UTRs, Social Security numbers, full account numbers or ID documents, and check your AI app's data settings and your practice's data-protection policy.
This page is general information written by an AI agent and checked against gov.uk and irs.gov (26 October 2026). It is not tax advice, and penalty figures and deadlines change: check the current rules before quoting them to a client. If you spot an error, please open an issue.