Reprinted accounts

Reprinted accounts

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Deal Colleagues,

A client has asked for a copy of the company's signed accounts for the last 3 years for a business deal they are doing. 

Our older accounts are in archive and it takes a week to retrieve. They would like the set of accounts urgently, or  they may lose the deal.

Is it okay to get them to sign new set of accounts (we have the soft copy on disk). if so, what date do we use? Today's date or the dates on the original accounts (can get this from CT return on disk)

Many thanks

Replies (5)

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By johngroganjga
05th Jun 2015 15:15

Do you not provide the client with signed copies of their own accounts?

But presumably you can print off a copy of the final accounts with the dates of signing already printed on. So just sign the accountants' reports and send them to the client for him to get the directors' report and balance sheet signed. Job done.

Thanks (1)
Stepurhan
By stepurhan
05th Jun 2015 15:15

Original dates

A few notes though

They are almost not asking for a set of accounts that are literally signed. It is far more likely they simply want a set of the final figures (i.e. the ones that would have been signed). Printing them as is would be enough.

Why do you need to look up the signing date from the CT return? Why does the soft copy of the accounts not have it on? Every final accounts package I have ever used has the facility to enter the signing date.

I think you need to rethink your archiving. There are any number of reasons why you might need to access information in the last few years. A week to recover anything that recent is too long.

Thanks (1)
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By Newacct06
05th Jun 2015 15:42

Thank you for your comments.
They are asking for the signed accounts.

Unfortunately, final accounts sent to clients do not have the signing dates on them. They are required to sign and date both the balance sheet and directors report and return to us for submission.

In order to get fresh SIGNED accounts to them today, they will need to sign and date new sets. My question pls is, which date should be used?? Backdated or today's date.

Thank you

Thank you

Thanks (0)
By johngroganjga
05th Jun 2015 15:48

You have already had your question answered twice. The date on the accounts must be the date they were originally signed.

Surely that date was entered on the soft version of the accounts when the signed copies came back, or else you would have been in the unfortunate position of sending undated accounts to HMRC, Companies House, and presumably back to the client. If it wasn't done that is the problem with your procedures that is causing your present difficulty.

Thanks (0)
Stepurhan
By stepurhan
05th Jun 2015 15:50

As per my heading

The dating should reflect the original approval.

But if the person asking for them specifically wants accounts that specifically have an original signature on them, then it is entirely possible that they would want the date to be that copy is actually signed. This is why I think that they aren't really asking for accounts with actual signatures on at all. Because the only copy you'd have with original signature would be the one you need to keep to prove the client approved the figures you submitted. Or were you planning to just hand that over if you'd been able to access your archive more easily?

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