There’s something exciting about getting a new client. It opens up so many opportunities to help them run a better business, improve cash flow, and scale their operations. And then there are times you uncover something that needs to be brought to their attention behind the scenes.
What you’ll learn
What you’ll learn
Key takeaways
- An engagement letter defines your work, but scope shouldn’t be a reason to stay silent about a costly issue.
- Diagnosis without a recommendation prioritizes your comfort over a client’s financial interests.
- Present what you see, explain the costs, and empower the client to choose rather than deciding for them.
- Protecting your clients requires complete transparency—even when discoveries fall outside your original scope.
Here’s what was happening. I was poking around the books of a brand-new one, learning how everything worked, when something stopped me in my tracks. Their rent wasn’t even in even dollars. I love even dollars. That looks weird. Why is this tickling my brain? Turns out they were still paying the old sales tax rates on their commercial rent. And we’re not talking about a rate that was only a few months old.
Rates kept under wraps
Florida had been reducing that tax since 2018 and eliminated it altogether in October 2025. But my new client had continued paying as though nothing had changed.
Nobody told them.
I started asking questions. Could I have a copy of the lease? What was the actual monthly rent supposed to be? How long had they been paying it this way?
Unfortunately, they couldn’t recover everything they had overpaid because Florida generally limits refund claims to three years. I calculated what they could still potentially get back: $21,641.92.
Then I had a different problem.
They had just agreed to my fee, and now I was about to go back with something else that would cost them money. Would I look greedy? This wasn’t in my original scope. They never asked me to look at it. I could let it go, and they would never know.
But I knew. If I stayed quiet because I was worried about how I would look, whose interests was I protecting? Theirs or mine?
Diagnosis without a recommendation is incomplete
Imagine your doctor notices something concerning and thinks you should have a test.
- It’s expensive and invasive.
- The specialist is two hours away.
- And after all that, the test may show there’s absolutely nothing wrong.
So what happens next? She decides you won’t want to go through all that. She doesn’t mention it.
Now, would you be okay with that? Of course not! You expect her to tell you what she sees and what she recommends. Then you decide the next steps.
Why should it be different with our clients?
You don’t have a duty to sell clients everything you can. But you do have a responsibility to tell them what you see that matters.
Scope can become an excuse
Accountants love staying in our lane. We do the work. We reconcile the accounts. We make sure everything ties. We live and die by one word: scope.
“That’s not in our engagement letter.”
Fair enough. Scope should define the work you agreed to perform. But somewhere along the way, we started using it as a reason not to talk about anything outside that work.
We don’t want to give work away or look greedy by bringing up additional tasks that requires a change to our agreement. But there is a big difference between doing additional work for free and telling a client what you see.
Let’s look at an example:
Suppose you see a process that could work much better with new technology. Nobody hired you to evaluate their technology. That said, you:
- See their work every month.
- Know their process.
- And you spotted a problem.
Fixing it will cost money. They may need another app. The team might need training or better equipment. Before you’ve even mentioned it, you think, “They’re not going to want to spend money on that.”
Wait a minute. Who made you in charge of their business?
Tell them what you see. Explain what could be better and what it will cost. Don’t leave out the headaches. If it means training, new equipment, or a painful few weeks getting everyone used to something new, tell them that too.
Then let them decide.
Scope defines the work you’ve agreed to do. It shouldn’t define what you’re willing to notice or say.
The table below offers another way to think about this shift — moving away from getting too bogged down with scope and focusing on what really matters: diagnosing and solving your client’s pain points.
Scope-shielded mindset vs. client-first advisor mindset
| Scenario | Scope-Shielded Mindset | Client-First Advisor Mindset |
| Out-of-scope discoveries | Ignores findings because “it’s not in the engagement letter.” | Brings up findings, explains the financial impact, and offers next steps. |
| Addressing friction and costs | Assumes the client won’t spend money or deal with training headaches. | Transparently lays out costs, training requirements, and expected benefits. |
| Motivation | Protecting oneself from looking greedy or taking on extra work. | Protecting the client’s financial health and business assets. |
| Decision-making | Decides for the client by keeping the options under wraps | Empowers the client with information to make their own decision. |
But this isn’t the end of the story.
Don’t make the decision for them
To be clear, I’m not suggesting every client conversation should end with,
“Good news! I found something else you can pay me for.”
Please don’t do that.
Tell the client what you see, why it matters, and what you recommend. They may say yes. They may decide it’s not worth the money or hassle. Either answer is fine. It’s their decision.
Taxes taken care of
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— Corissa Dixon, Springside Bookkeeping LLC
The problem is when you make it for them. “They won’t pay for that.” “They don’t want another app.” “They’ll never change their process.” We make assumptions, say nothing, and call it respecting the client. I don’t think that’s helping anyone build a better relationship.
What is your duty?
My client didn’t ask whether they were overpaying sales tax on their rent. They didn’t know they needed to ask. I happened to see it. Once I did, I couldn’t pretend I hadn’t. Sometimes you’ll see something outside the work the client hired you to do. And yes, the solution may cost them money. You may even make money helping to fix it.
Tell them anyway.
Debra (Debbie) Kilsheimer owns Behind the Scenes Financial Inc. alongside her husband, Harold Hickey. They provide tax, accounting, and consulting services. Debbie believes accounting should be forward-thinking using technology, apps, and the art of personal relationships. She also co-hosts the podcasts “Bookkeepers on Fire” and “Debbie and Donna Do Digits” with Donna Reade.