How do your clients sign your engagement letters? How much are you paying for e-signature software? And is it actually compliant?
If any of those questions made you wince, you already know you have a problem. And honestly? So do we.
The good news is there’s a fix — and it’s called FigsFlow. But we’re not going to just tell you it’s the best e-signature software for accountants. We’re going to show you. Keep reading.
What Does E-Signature Software for Accountants Actually Do?
At its most basic, e-signature software lets you send a document digitally, have your client sign it without printing anything, and receive a confirmed copy automatically. Faster than post, cleaner than email attachments, and no ink required.
For accounting firms specifically, that typically means sending proposals and engagement letters to new clients, collecting signatures before work begins, and keeping a record of what was agreed.
The problem is that most e-signature tools stop exactly there. The signed document arrives in your inbox, sits in a folder, and has no connection to anything else. There is no link back to the proposal it came with. There is no record in the client profile. There is no compliance trail. And there is certainly no GDPR consent capture built into the process.
For a general business sending a one-off contract, that is fine. For an accounting firm with AML obligations, ongoing client relationships, and HMRC looking over your shoulder, it is not enough.
The Problem with Generic E-Signature Tools
Most e-signature platforms on the market are built for generic business use. They handle the mechanics of capturing a signature well enough. But they have no understanding of engagement letters, the compliance requirements that sit behind them, or the audit trail an accounting firm needs when questions arise later.
Three problems come up consistently for accounting firms using these tools.
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The first is isolation.
The signed document has no connection to the client record, the proposal reference, or the onboarding workflow. It exists on its own, and finding it six months later when a question arises means digging through email folders rather than pulling it from a client profile.
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The second is consent.
GDPR communication preferences need to be captured somewhere. With generic tools, that means a separate form, a separate process, and another thing to remember before work can begin. It almost always gets missed or delayed.
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The third is the audit trail.
When HMRC asks for documentation, you need everything connected. The proposal, the engagement letter, the signed copy, the date, and the compliance record that followed. Generic tools give you the signature. They do not give you the trail.
What Makes FigsFlow Different
FigsFlow was not built as an e-signature tool that was later adapted for accountants. It was built by accountants who knew exactly where the gaps in existing tools were. The e-signature process is not a standalone feature. It is built directly into the proposal and engagement letter workflow from the start.
Here’s what it looks like in practice.
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A seamless client experience
Once a proposal is sent, the client receives a clean, professional email from your firm containing their name, their proposal ID, and a single button that takes them directly to their documents. No separate login, no app to download, no friction.
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Full visibility before signing
Clients can see every LOE linked to their proposal reference, preview the full engagement letter, and review the proposal before committing to anything. The fee breakdown is visible inside the document. Every service is named. Every figure is clear.
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Flexible signature options
Clients can draw their signature directly in the portal, type it as text, or upload an existing digital signature. All three are equally valid and equally straightforward.
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Real-time visibility for your team
The signed document sits permanently in the client profile. You can see who has viewed the document, who has signed, and who has not yet opened it, all in real time.
The result is a process that feels effortless for the client and leaves nothing unresolved for the firm. Every signature, every consent record, and every proposal reference sits exactly where it should be, connected, compliant, and ready when you need it.
Where the E-Signature Fits in the Bigger Picture
The signature in FigsFlow is not the end of a process. It is the beginning of one.
Once the engagement letter is signed, the compliance workflow begins. The client moves into KYC, AML checks, PEP and sanctions screening, risk assessment, and customer risk rating, all within the same platform. The audit trail that starts with the signed proposal runs continuously through to the final compliance decision. Everything is connected, everything is documented, and everything is retrievable the moment it is needed.
For firms dealing with increasing HMRC scrutiny and AML obligations, this matters more than most realise. A signed engagement letter is not just an agreement. It is the documented starting point of a client relationship that regulators may ask you to evidence at any time.
FigsFlow also integrates with QuickBooks, Xero, GoCardless, and Adafin, so once the engagement is signed and the onboarding is complete, invoicing and payment collection follow automatically. The signature sets everything in motion. You do not have to.
How Much Does E-Signature via FigsFlow Cost?
This is where FigsFlow separates itself from standalone e-signature tools in a way that is worth paying attention to.
Most standalone e-signature tools charge per envelope, per user, or per document sent. You pay for the signature function alone, and everything else, the proposals, the engagement letters, the compliance workflow, sits in separate tools with separate costs.
With FigsFlow, the e-signature functionality is included as part of the proposal and engagement letter workflow across every plan. There is no separate charge for signatures.
- The Starter plan is £8 per month for one user and up to ten proposals.
- The Essentials plan is £24 per month for three users and up to thirty proposals.
- The Standard plan is £60 per month for five users and up to seventy-five proposals.
- The Professional plan is £120 per month for ten users with unlimited proposals.
To put that in perspective, creating a proposal manually takes around thirty minutes at £100 per hour. Across ten proposals a month, that is roughly £500 in staff time. The same output through FigsFlow costs £16.33 in total. The e-signature is not an add-on you pay extra for. It is part of a workflow that is already saving your firm considerably more than it costs.
Conclusion
Most accounting firms treat e-signatures as a faster version of posting a letter. Get the document signed, file it away, move on.
That approach works if your only goal is eliminating the printer. It does not work if your goal is a clean compliance trail, a documented client relationship, and a workflow that does not require you to chase, copy, paste, or remember things manually.
FigsFlow connects the signature to the proposal, the engagement letter, the consent capture, and the full compliance workflow that follows. The signature is where it starts. Everything else builds from there.
See FigsFlow in Action
Frequently Asked Questions
E-signature software for accountants allows firms to send proposals and engagement letters digitally and collect legally binding client signatures without printing or posting anything. Purpose-built tools also connect the signature to the compliance workflow, client profile, and onboarding process rather than treating it as a standalone task.
Yes. Under the Electronic Communications Act 2000 and eIDAS regulations, electronic signatures are legally recognised in the UK. A digital signature carries the same legal weight as a handwritten one, provided the signing process can be evidenced, which is exactly what a proper audit trail provides.
At minimum, it should include document preview before signing, multiple signature options, automatic copy to the client, a permanent record in the client profile, and an audit trail connected to the proposal and engagement letter. GDPR consent capture at the point of signing is also essential for firms with ongoing client communication.
FigsFlow builds e-signatures directly into the proposal and engagement letter workflow. Clients receive a branded email, preview their documents, sign digitally, confirm terms, and select contact preferences in one sitting. The signed document sits permanently in the client profile, and signatory status is visible to the firm in real time.
It can, but only if consent capture is built into the signing process. Generic tools typically handle the signature only. FigsFlow captures GDPR communication preferences at the point of signing, so consent is recorded alongside the engagement letter rather than in a separate process that is easy to miss.
