Working with Lotus
Getting started.
With clarity.
A useful first conversation starts with your circumstances. Here is what to prepare, what to discuss and what to clarify before appointing an adviser.
From first enquiry
to working together.
1. Get in touch
Describe your activity, the help you need and any reporting period or notice involved. Email or telephone is enough to begin; do not send identity documents, bank statements or tax passwords with an initial enquiry.
2. Understand the work
Explain whether you are an individual, self-employed, starting a business or managing a company. Identify the immediate questions: records, tax, VAT, payroll, company filings, funding or a financial decision. Mention existing advisers and any urgent dates.
3. Clarify scope and fees
Before appointing an adviser, ask what the proposed work includes, what you must provide, who is responsible for submissions, the expected timetable and how fees will be agreed. Separate recurring work from a one-off assignment; see the fee discussion below.
4. Arrange onboarding and handover
The engagement may require formal acceptance, identity or other compliance checks and agreed terms. Discuss an appropriate document-sharing channel first. If changing accountants, agree the required authorisations, outstanding work and professional handover; do not assume records transfer automatically.
5. Agree ongoing communication
Confirm who to contact, how records and changes will be supplied, which tasks recur and when decisions or approvals are needed. The support and communication arrangements depend on the agreed engagement.
Fees and engagements
The useful starting point for a quotation is the work itself: services required, reporting periods, transaction volume, the condition of the records and the frequency of support.
- Recurring work. Discuss bookkeeping, accounting, VAT or payroll support, including the periods covered and the information you will provide.
- One-off assignments. Identify the specific incorporation, return, financial statement or corporate administration task and any relevant dates.
- Scope and responsibilities. Ask which deliverables, submissions and liaison are included, what needs a separate appointment and how additional work would be agreed.
- Fees and terms. Request the proposed charges and engagement terms before proceeding. The appropriate arrangement depends on the assignment.
Before sharing documents
This website has no authenticated client portal or document-upload facility. Begin with a short summary, then agree an appropriate sharing method with Lotus. Keep identification files, employee data, bank statements and tax credentials out of your initial enquiry.