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First lesson · Start here · Free
Why good firms still don't get paid
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Most tax professionals are good at the work and uncomfortable talking about money. So the work gets done on time, and the fee arrives late, arrives short, or never arrives. It is rarely because clients are bad people. It is usually because the money side was never set up clearly at the start. This free lesson shows where fees leak, what a bad-fit client really costs, and gives you a ten-question check of your own practice.
Where fees leak
These are the common patterns. Names are made up; the stories are typical of small practices.
1. "We'll discuss the fee later"
A new client needs an ITR filed urgently. Nobody mentions the fee. After filing, the partner quotes Rs. 3,000 and the client says, "Last year's CA charged Rs. 1,000." Now it is an argument about work already done.
2. The job that kept growing
The agreed work was the GST returns. Over the year the client also asks for a loan project report, two notice replies and "a small" partnership deed. None of it was written down, so none of it was billed.
3. The bill that was never sent
The return was filed on 31 July. The bill went out on 20 September, after the season. By then the client has forgotten the late-night calls, and the bill feels expensive.
4. The client nobody wanted to chase
A long-time client owes fees for two years. Everyone is too polite to ask. The office keeps doing new work, and the dues keep growing.
What these have in common
| Leak | Root cause | What fixes it | Lesson |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fee argument after the work | No fee agreed before starting | Engagement letter with fee and scope | 2 |
| Unbilled extra work | Scope not written down | "Not included" list + a quote for extras | 2, 8 |
| Fee too low for the work | Pricing by guess or by "what others charge" | Cost-per-hour thinking and a minimum fee | 3 |
| Same fee for 5 years | Fear of losing the client | An annual fee-revision routine | 4 |
| Late bills | Billing after the season | Bill on completion, advance for big jobs | 5 |
| Old dues | No reminder system | A polite reminder ladder | 6, 7 |
The real cost of a bad-fit client
A client who sends documents on the last day, disputes every bill and pays after six reminders does not just cost the fee. Count the hidden cost:
- Time: extra calls, reminders and rework that could have gone to a client who pays.
- Stress: late nights in the season for work that may not be paid.
- Staff morale: your team sees that deadlines and bills don't matter.
- Risk: rushed work for a last-minute client is where mistakes happen.
The fix is not to drop every difficult client. It is to set clear terms at the start, so the right clients stay and the wrong ones self-select out. Lesson 1 shows how to spot a bad fit in the first meeting.
Within the rules
Everything in this course stays inside the professional rules for chartered accountants: no soliciting clients, no fees based on a percentage of profits or on results except where the Act and regulations permit it (lesson 3 explains), no pressure tactics. Collecting your fee politely and firmly is fully within the rules. Where a lesson touches a rule, it names the source so you can check it yourself.
Ten-question fee check
Answer yes or no for your own practice. Every "no" points to a lesson.
- Do new clients get the fee in writing before work starts? (Lesson 2)
- Does every engagement say what is not included? (Lesson 2)
- Do you know roughly what one hour of your office's time costs? (Lesson 3)
- Do you have a minimum fee you won't go below? (Lesson 3)
- Have you revised fees for most clients in the last two years? (Lesson 4)
- Do bills go out within a week of finishing the work? (Lesson 5)
- Do you take an advance for large or one-time jobs? (Lesson 5)
- Is there a fixed reminder routine for unpaid bills? (Lesson 6)
- Does your team know what to say when a client disputes a bill? (Lesson 8)
- Is your client and fee policy written down for the whole office? (Lesson 12)
Seven or more "yes" answers: you are ahead of most small practices. Four or fewer: this course will pay for itself with the first client you bill properly.
Do this today (10 minutes)
- Answer the ten questions above and note your score.
- List your five largest unpaid bills, with how old each one is.
- Pick one new client this week and agree the fee in writing before you start.
Get paid on time: unlock the other 12 lessons
Engagement letters, pricing, fee revision, a polite reminder ladder, scripts for difficult calls and a one-page client and fee policy, all within the ICAI rules. Rs. 999 + GST, one time · or the Office Subscription Plan at Rs. 1,499 / year for every course, for you and your staff.