Making Tax Digital · Accountants
Reducing repeated client queries during quarterly reconciliation
ONLY£15A MONTHClient queries become easier to answer when they are specific, grouped sensibly and connected to the transaction in question.
Client queries become easier to answer when they are specific, grouped sensibly and connected to the transaction in question. The aim is not to eliminate every conversation. It is to reserve conversation for matters that need explanation rather than repeatedly asking for the same missing detail.
Build one controlled exception list
Give each query a reference, date, amount and concise question. Instead of asking “What is this?”, explain what needs establishing: business purpose, missing invoice, ownership, repayment or private use.
Keep the current answer beside the query and record whether it resolves the issue. Avoid parallel email chains, chat messages and spreadsheet copies that give different answers. Use an agreed secure channel and make the next action visible.
Group questions without obscuring them
Combine similar questions about a recurring supplier or payment provider where one explanation can resolve several items. Keep genuinely different transactions separate. A rule that works for one invoice may be wrong for another purchase from the same merchant.
Set a realistic client response date and identify what can continue while waiting. If a technical tax question needs adviser review, do not keep returning it to the client as though it were merely a missing receipt.
Worked example: a recurring transfer
Six monthly transfers appear under the same reference. The client confirms that they move funds between two accounts owned by the business and provides the second statement.
The practice can reconcile both sides and apply the explanation consistently. Asking the same question six times wastes time; assuming the answer without the second account risks missing genuine income or expenses there.
Make responsibility visible at each stage
An effective practice process identifies who supplies the records, who resolves queries, who reviews the figures and who submits. Record those responsibilities in the engagement and workflow. Do not rely on the assumption that somebody else has completed the final step.
Agent authorisation is also separate from client consent to a commercial service. Use HMRC's correct MTD authorisation process and the agent's own access. A client should not hand over their Government Gateway password simply to make the process more convenient. HMRC explains how to authorise an agent.
Track each relevant business and period. A green client-level indicator can hide an outstanding property update if the sole-trade update has been completed. Store the approved figures and acknowledgement against the correct record.
For recurring work, use a short exception list rather than sending the client every transaction again. Give each question a reference, amount and clear request. Access controls and a secure reply route matter, especially where the same practice handles several family members or businesses. Good workflow design reduces repeated questions without replacing professional judgement.
A review that checks more than the total
Start with coverage: the correct person, business and period, plus all relevant accounts and cash records. Then look at completeness. A feed can be connected today while still missing an earlier week. Confirm the earliest and latest transactions against the source.
Next, inspect unusual items. Large transfers, loan receipts, refunds, net settlements and private purchases often need more context than a bank description provides. Check for duplicate imports where a statement overlaps a live feed. An automatic warning is useful evidence to investigate, not proof that the entry must be removed.
Finally, review category totals. A category unexpectedly showing zero, a large increase or a negative amount deserves an explanation. You do not have to make every annual tax adjustment at this stage, but you should understand the records behind the summary you approve.
HMRC explains what quarterly updates contain. Keep the approved version and the resulting acknowledgement together. If something later changes, correct the source record and use the software's supported update process so you can explain which figures are current.
Share the information needed for the task
Tax records need to be useful without containing unnecessary personal detail. Keep payment references sufficient to reconcile the accounts, and hold sensitive client notes in the appropriate restricted system. Financial software should not become a second, informal store for clinical notes or identity documents.
Use individual accounts and the access controls available for the service. Remove access when a working relationship ends. A secure product can still be misused through shared sign-ins, forwarded access links or files sent to the wrong person.
For Open Banking, distinguish account-information access from payment initiation. Read the consent screen and check the authorised provider. Account-information permission does not itself authorise moving money, but Open Banking as a whole also includes separately authorised payment services. The FCA explains these different services.
If you need an assurance about encryption, hosting, retention or security testing, ask for the current documented answer. Terms such as “bank-grade” do not tell you which controls apply to a particular service. Choose a workflow whose permissions and responsibilities you understand, and protect the email or phone account used to recover access.
Close the loop visibly
Mark resolved queries, retain supporting evidence and update the source records. Before submission, check that no material question remains hidden in an old message. Measure the causes of repeat queries so onboarding and record requests improve next quarter.
Take the next step
Avona.app offers a self-service route from £15/month. Bring your records together, review the figures and choose a workflow that fits your business. For professional help, discuss the scope and total price of Avona Concierge, managed by chartered accountants, before choosing a service.