Engagement Letter – Trusts and Estates

An engagement letter for trustees and personal representatives: trust and estate accounts, SA900 returns, R185s, the Trust Registration Service, inheritance tax returns and estate income tax.

Editable Word document
11
10pages
Guidance notes included
aml consultancy solutions

Accountancy practice – client documents

Engagement Letter – Trusts and Estates

About this document

What it’s for

A covering letter, Schedule 1 (trust and estate services, trustees’ and personal representatives’ responsibilities), Schedule 2 (fees and timetable) and a confirmation of acceptance for the trustees of a trust or the personal representatives of an estate. Choose the trust or estate options and delete the rest.

When to use it

  • Acting for trustees of a discretionary, interest in possession, bare or other express trust
  • Acting for executors or administrators dealing with an estate’s tax
  • Taking over trust compliance from another adviser

What’s inside

The document is laid out in the sections below. Each one comes with a plain-English guidance note explaining what it does and what to change.

  1. Details and scope
  2. Accounts and tax returns
  3. Trust Registration Service
  4. Inheritance tax
  5. Your responsibilities
  6. Services not included
  7. Authority to act
  8. Professional rules and standards
  9. Identity checks and money laundering
  10. Confidentiality and data protection
  11. Fees and payment
  12. Our liability to you
  13. Changes in the law and to this engagement
  14. Ending the engagement
  15. How our agreement fits together

How to complete it

  • Identify every trustee or personal representative – all are clients and should sign
  • Tick the services agreed and delete the trust or estate sections that do not apply
  • Make sure CDD covers the settlor, trustees, beneficiaries and anyone with control

Key points to check

  • Trust Registration Service deadlines and the trust rates and de minimis limit for the current year
  • Inheritance tax thresholds and any change affecting pensions from April 2027

Our templates are professionally structured starting points for UK businesses, not legal advice. For anything complex, unusual or high-value, have your final version checked by a solicitor.

Included in the pack

Accountancy practice – client documents

£20

for every document in this category

Editable Microsoft Word files

Guidance notes in every document

Written for UK businesses

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