The service provider typically prepares the Letter of Engagement, be it a law firm, accounting agency, consultancy, or any professional offering services.
Many companies will require their engagement letter to be updated and signed on an annual basis. A new one should always be issued if the scope of services changes. However, even if the agreement remains the same, it can still be wise to redraft an engagement letter to increase the legal standing of the document.
The engagement letter sets out the details of your contract so it should not need to be replaced unless the contractual arrangement changes or our regulators indicate a chnage is needed.
How often should the letter be reviewed? Once agreed, the letter will remain in force until it is replaced but should be reviewed annually to ensure that it is appropriate to the client's circumstances. If a change has taken place, then a new letter may need to be sent.
How Often Should Engagement Letters Be Updated? Many companies will require their engagement letter to be updated and signed on an annual basis. A new one should always be issued if the scope of services changes.
It is in the interests of both the entity and the auditor that the auditor sends an audit engagement letter before the commencement of the audit to help avoid misunderstandings with respect to the audit.
When should the engagement letter be sent and signed? The audit engagement letter should be sent after verbal confirmation of the appointment of you as the auditor and ideally signed before the start of any audit work.
Your designated audit firm will prepare the specific terms of engagement using the appropriate AICPA-issued engagement letter template. It should be noted that there are many terms for audit engagements that are deemed required by the AICPA and therefore unable to be negotiated.
Who Prepares a Letter of Engagement? An engagement letter is drafted by the company rendering the service, often with the help of a lawyer. It is than presented to the client, and both parties must sign in order for it to be legally binding.