Filing deliverables

A filing deliverable describes a contractual milestone within an engagement. It has an owner, due date, amount and delivery summary. Engagement Manager uses that record to follow the obligation from Pending through submission and approval to billing. Staff Accountant prepares the evidence the manager needs to decide whether the agreed work is ready.

A tax practice may use a deliverable for an annual return package or an accounts completion milestone. Set the description around the work promised to the client. Electronic filing and authority acknowledgments come from the firm’s chosen tax system through a connection to set up. Keep that evidence available when the contractual decision depends on it.

• Set the obligation. Attach the deliverable to its engagement and assign an owner. Record the due date and agreed amount while the work is Pending. Use a delivery summary that lets a reviewer distinguish this milestone from other work for the same client.
• Approve the evidence. Move the deliverable to Submitted when it is ready for review. Engagement Manager decides whether the contractual work supports billing and records approval before moving it to Approved. A missed commitment needs follow-up under Missed with the responsible owner.
• Run the invoice step. Billing Specialist runs the invoice action after approval. The workflow checks for an amount and engagement, then moves the deliverable to Invoiced and records the operation. A failed check leaves it Approved with a Failed receipt so the input can be corrected.

Agree who maintains due dates, who submits delivery evidence and who can approve billing eligibility. Decide what the review decision must say when the client expects a particular output or confirmation. Retain the correct document reference so approval can be explained later without relying on a message outside the engagement.

Confirm the source of the invoice number and how the associated payment record will be maintained. The invoice action and the collection record have different responsibilities. Billing Specialist should reconcile the contractual amount, invoice reference and payment due date before following up with the client.

Choose an annual return package with a fixed filing deliverable fee. Staff Accountant prepares the delivery evidence and asks Engagement Manager to review it. The manager checks the agreed output and records approval. Billing Specialist then runs the invoice step and checks both the deliverable’s Invoiced status and the successful operation receipt.

Repeat with an approved deliverable that has no amount. The invoice step should leave it Approved and record Failed. Ask Billing Specialist to find that result, correct the agreed amount with the responsible manager and inspect the subsequent operation. A submitted or missed item should not be treated as ready just because its due date has arrived.

Complete the rehearsal by locating the payment record tied to the invoiced deliverable. Confirm that the team can explain the difference between an approved obligation, an issued charge and collected money. This is especially useful when the client pays after the tax work has already finished.

• Filing Deliverable Billing Exceptions — Investigate submitted or missed deliverables with their owners and due dates.
• Filing Deliverables Ready To Invoice — Find approved commitments ready for the invoice step.

Rehearse filing deliverable to invoice, then invoice to collected fee. Agree supporting documents during implementation.