What's useful
- Tax returns and computations for individuals, partnerships and companies.
- Workpapers: the schedules, reconciliations and notes behind each set of accounts.
- Bookkeeping records: ledgers and transaction coding across different kinds of business.
- Queries and correspondence showing how judgement calls were made.
What qualifies
The listing is for accounting and tax firms of roughly 5 to 200 employees with several years of client files.
What to check first
- Professional confidentiality. Professional bodies' codes of ethics, such as ICAEW's and ACCA's, require you to keep client information confidential unless you have authority or a legal or professional right to disclose it. In practice, licensing client files will usually need clients' permission or very thorough anonymisation. Check with your professional body if in doubt.
- Personal data. Individuals' tax returns are dense with personal and financial information. Everything identifying needs removing or protecting.
- Engagement letters. Check what your terms of engagement say about how you use client information.
- Software terms. Practice and bookkeeping software may restrict bulk exports.
What it's worth
Mercor lists potential company earnings of $25kâ$865k for accounting and tax firms, depending on what's in scope. That is Mercor's own figure, not a promise or guarantee from us.
Do we need every client's consent?
Possibly, depending on your professional obligations and how well the data can be anonymised. Take advice before including client files.
Are internal templates and checklists useful?
They can be, and they're yours to license without client issues.