Accounting firm · Tax
Tax notice response
Answer every letter from the tax authority before its deadline, with the facts checked and the client on board. The client shares the notice and approves the reply through one shared link, and nothing goes to the tax authority before the tax manager approves it.
- Duration: 1 to 3 weeks, plus the authority's reply time
- How often: For every notice a client receives
- Steps: 8 steps
- AI agents: 1 AI agent
- Approvals: 1 approval
Free plan, no credit card needed.
What changes with this template
Without it
Notices sit in an inbox until someone spots the deadline.
The client sends one page of the letter and forgets the rest.
Replies go to the tax authority without a second look.
The client hears about the reply after it was sent.
With it
Each notice is a run, with its deadline recorded on day 1.
The client shares every page and the earlier letters through one shared link.
Every reply waits at the tax manager's approval gate.
The client approves the reply on the shared link before it goes out.
The template, step by step
Each step says who does it: someone on your team, an AI agent, or the client through a shared link. An approval keeps every later step locked until it is given.
- Done by your team
- Done by an AI agent
- Done by the client, through a shared link
Starts when
A client tells the firm about a letter from the tax authority. The administrative assistant starts a run with the client, the type of notice and the response deadline.
- 1
Log the notice and share the client link
Day 1Administrative assistant · Team
Record the notice and its deadline, and send the client the shared run link so they can share the full letter and the background.
Checklist
- Deadline taken from the notice
- Shared link sent to the client contact
- Tax preparer assigned
Fields to fill in
- Client name (required)
- Type of notice (required)
- Response deadline (required)
- Amount in question
- 2
Share the notice and the background
Days 1 to 3Client contact · Shared link
Through the shared link, the client shares a link to every page of the notice and any earlier letters, and says what they know about the matter.
Checklist
- Every page of the notice shared
- Earlier letters shared
- Payments already made listed
Fields to fill in
- Link to the notice (required)
- What the client knows about it (required)
- 3
Analyse the notice and propose the approach
Hidden from the shared linkDays 3 to 5Tax preparer · Team
Compare the notice with the return and the workpapers, work out what the authority is asking, and propose whether to agree, explain, dispute or ask for more time.
Checklist
- Notice compared with the filed return
- Figures recalculated
- Deadline still achievable
Fields to fill in
- Proposed approach (required)
- Facts and figures (required)
- Link to the supporting workpapers
- 4
Draft the reply and the client explanation
Day 5Reply writer · AI agent
The reply writer drafts the reply to the tax authority and a short explanation for the client from the approach, facts and figures recorded in step 3.
Fields to fill in
- Draft reply to the authority (required)
- Draft explanation for the client (required)
Checked by: The tax manager corrects both drafts and approves the reply in step 5.
- 5
Review and approve the reply
Hidden from the shared linkDay 6Tax manager · Team
Check the approach against the return and the workpapers, correct both drafts and approve the reply.
Checklist
- Approach supported by the return and workpapers
- Figures checked
- Both drafts corrected
Fields to fill in
- Review notes
Approval: Nothing goes to the tax authority or the client until the tax manager approves the approach and the reply.
- 6
Approve the reply
Days 6 to 8Client contact · Shared link
The tax preparer emails the client the approved reply and explanation. Through the shared link, the client confirms the facts, records their decision and notes any corrections.
Fields to fill in
- Decision (required)
- Corrections to the facts
- 7
Send the reply and set the follow-up
Day 8Tax preparer · Team
Once step 6 shows the client's approval, send the reply through the authority's channel, record the date and the reference, and note when to expect an answer.
Checklist
- Client approval in step 6 checked
- Reply sent before the deadline
- Copy saved to the client file
Fields to fill in
- Date sent (required)
- Reference (required)
- Follow-up date (required)
- 8
Record the outcome and close the matter
When the authority answersTax manager · Team
Record the authority's decision, arrange any payment or correction with the client, and note what should change in next year's return. While you wait for the answer, mark the run blocked with the reason.
Checklist
- Client told the outcome
- Payment or correction arranged
Fields to fill in
- Outcome (required)
- Amount payable after the outcome
- Lesson for next year's return
Done when
The reply is sent before the deadline, the authority's decision is recorded, and any payment or correction is done.
Make it yours. Rename steps, change owners and add checklist items, fields or approvals. The template is a starting point for the way your team works.
The AI agents in this template
An agent only works on its own steps, and a person on your team checks what it did. Anything an agent writes to a connected app waits for approval unless you allow it.
Reply writer
Drafts the reply to the tax authority and a plain-language explanation for the client.
What it does
- Reads the type of notice, the approach, the facts and the figures on the run
- Follows the letter formats in its step instructions
- Writes both drafts into its step
Checked by: The tax manager corrects both drafts and approves the reply in step 5.
Questions this template answers
Give every notice its own run, with the deadline from the letter recorded on day 1. Step 1 records the type of notice and the response deadline, and step 8 keeps the run open, marked blocked, until the authority answers.
Ask for every page and the history in one place, on the day you hear about the letter. In step 2 the client shares a link to the full notice and earlier letters through the shared link, and says what they know.
Put the tax manager's review between the draft and the authority. Step 5 is an approval gate: nothing goes to the authority or the client until the tax manager approves the approach and the reply.
Let AI write the first draft from the facts your team recorded, and keep the position with the tax manager. In step 4 the reply writer drafts the reply and the client explanation, and in step 5 the tax manager corrects and approves both.
Send the client the approved reply and ask for a recorded decision before anything is sent. In step 6 the client confirms the facts and records their decision through the shared link, and step 7 has the tax preparer check it before sending.
Record what caused each notice and what should change. Step 8 records the authority's decision and the lesson for next year's return, so the preparer sees it next season.
Run this workflow in OKiDO
Set up the steps, owners and approvals once, then start a run for every new case.