A clear record of every client file, close and audit

The shape of accounting work

Accounting work is recurring and deadline-driven. Every month there is a close for each client; every quarter there are tax returns; every year there are statutory filings and, for audit firms, a round of engagements with planning, fieldwork, review and sign-off. The work is repetitive, but each client has its own quirks, its own missing documents and its own questions.

Most firms run this through email with clients, a folder per client on a shared drive, a deadline spreadsheet and a practice tool for hours. The weak point is the space between them: the client's reply with the bank statement is in one partner's inbox, the review note is in a comment in a spreadsheet, and nobody can say quickly which clients are still waiting on receipts.

One space per client file or engagement

In Emitii each client, or each engagement for audit work, gets a space. Examples from Emitii's own landing page: "Client Books, FY 2082/83" for a bookkeeping client, "Statutory Audit, Sagarmatha Ltd." for an audit. The Project type turns on the Board and the Timesheet; the Internal type suits the firm's own admin. Switch on Docs & Files for the client's documents.

Recurring work as repeating to-dos

Tasks handles the close well. A list called "Monthly close" can hold to-dos that repeat monthly: "Reconcile bank accounts", "Post payroll journal", "Review receivables ageing", "Send management accounts". Quarterly and annual items repeat on a custom schedule, with "Repeat until" for the end of the engagement. Each to-do has an owner, a due date and comments, and due dates show on the space Schedule and on each person's My calendar.

Filing deadlines

Statutory and tax deadlines go on the space Schedule as all-day events, with recurrence set to annual or a custom repeat. Anyone assigned sees them in My calendar, next to their other clients' deadlines.

The Board for review stages

Audit and review work moves through stages. A Board with columns like "Planning", "Fieldwork", "Prepared", "Reviewed", "Manager sign-off" and "Closed" shows every working paper's status. Mark as blocked with a reason ("Waiting for fixed asset register") flags items stuck on the client, and the board filter for blocked cards lists them in one view. Review points can be checklist items on a card, ticked off as they are cleared.

Working papers and the audit trail

Docs & Files holds the client's documents and the firm's working papers in folders, with file versions so a revised schedule does not overwrite the first. Docs have comments for reviewer notes. Each card and to-do keeps its own history, and the space Activity feed can be filtered by cards, comments, posts, schedule or tasks. That gives a practical record of who prepared, reviewed and changed what. Deleted items go to Trash and can be restored for 30 days.

Emitii is where the team organises the engagement and discusses it on the record. For a broader look at running a firm's operations, see business operations.

Clients as guests

Client finance contacts join as guests. They see only their own space and only what you share, for example a to-do list of requests and an "Uploads" folder, so they can upload documents and answer questions on the relevant to-do. Working papers stay internal unless you share them, and the Timesheet can stay hidden or show the client only their own hours. Requests and replies stay in the client's file, in comments and Guest Pulse. See guest access.

Hours by client

Staff log time in quarter hours against the client's cards and to-dos, billable or non-billable, and submit weekly for approval. The By work view shows hours per task, useful when a fixed-fee client is taking more time than quoted. CSV export feeds your billing process. The timesheets page has details.

Emit for review points

With AI enabled for the space, Emit can read the board and tasks and list open review points, flag to-dos past due, or summarise what the client still owes. It asks for approval before creating or changing anything, and it only knows that client's space.

Live demos for finance and audit

There are two relevant live demo workspaces, a finance and accounting firm and an audit firm, and both open without signing in. Open the industry demos to see a client close and an audit engagement set up in Emitii. Your changes stay in your browser.