Please find below “wording” that may be incorporated into your existing “Letter of Engagement” sent to clients. It can be headed up as “New Legislation” You can adapt this as you wish to suit your own situation and we hope that it makes life a little easier when obtaining ID from your clients.
“My professional body, the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers, was given Supervisory Status by HM Treasury to regulate its members and ensure their compliance with the law under the Money Laundering Regulations 2007 and the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.
Previously, these regulations covered qualified accountants and several other professions but not bookkeepers. As a result of this change, there are a number of things which I will have to do when dealing with your books, accounts, tax returns etc. which previously were not necessary.
Initially, the main thing that I must do is confirm the identity and address of all my clients (even if they have been known to me for many years), and keep documentary evidence of this in a file.
So can I ask you to let me have either your passport or driving licence to confirm your identity and one recent utility bill to confirm your address. I shall take copies of these documents and return the originals to you. Ideally this should be done when you next visit me rather than using the post.”