Brightwork demonstration · 06 / 11 · Customer replies / Three emails, three drafts

IN THE INBOX

Three customer emails, answered. IN THE INBOX is an original Brightwork demonstration. Three fictional customer emails to a bookkeeping practice, answered from its own fee schedule, office manual and two past replies. Each draft starts with a note listing what the director must check or decide.

6 documentsOutputs by Qwen3.8-27B, generated locallyShown uneditedChecked by Brightwork: 1 correction across 3 outputs

IB0 · Three emailsFictional source

IB1 — new enquiry

From: Jess Kowal

Subject: Tax return price?

Hi there,

I run a mobile dog grooming business as a sole trader. Turnover was about $80,000 last year. I also have one rental property, a unit I rent out long term.

How much would you charge to do my tax return? And what would you need from me? My last accountant retired, so I'm looking for someone new.

Thanks,

Jess

IB2 — fee dispute

From: Daniel Okoro, Okoro Electrical Pty Ltd

Subject: Invoice for the company return

Hi Priya,

I've just got your invoice for $1,980 for the company tax return. Last year it was $1,650. Nobody told me it was going up and I'm not happy about it.

I'd like a refund of the $330 difference, please.

Daniel

IB3 — request for documents

From: Helen Marsh

Subject: Copy of my tax return

Hello,

Could you please email me a copy of my 2025–26 tax return? I'd also like you to send a copy straight to my new financial planner, Robert Lindqvist, at his office email address.

Many thanks,

Helen Marsh

IBF · The fee scheduleFictional source

Fernleigh Bookkeeping — fee schedule 2026–27

All prices are in Australian dollars and include GST. The engagement letter confirms the fee before any work starts. Invoices are due within 14 days.

Tax returns

Individual tax return, salary and wages only: $220
Sole trader tax return, including the business schedule: $495
Rental property schedule, for each property: $165
Company tax return and financial statements: from $1,650. The fee depends on the number of transactions and how complete the records are. If the records need extra work, we tell you before we start it.

Business services

Quarterly BAS preparation and lodgement: $330 a quarter
Payroll setup, including Single Touch Payroll: $440, one-off
Bookkeeping: $121 an hour

What is not included

Tax planning advice, ATO audits and amendments to earlier years are quoted separately.

IBP · Two past replies, for toneFictional source

Two past replies, for tone

Reply 1 — to a client asking when their BAS will be lodged

Hi Sandra,

Thanks for checking in. Your July to September BAS is ready to go. I'm waiting on one bank statement for the business account, for 30 September. As soon as it arrives, I'll lodge the BAS and send you a copy through the client portal.

If it's easier, you can download the statement from your online banking and upload it to the portal.

Kind regards,

Priya Raman

Director, Fernleigh Bookkeeping

Liability limited by a scheme approved under professional standards legislation.

Reply 2 — to a client unhappy with a late reply

Hi Marcus,

You're right, and I'm sorry. You asked on Tuesday and you should have had an answer by Wednesday. That's on us.

Here's where things stand: your payroll is set up, and the first pay run will go through on Friday as planned. Mia will call you tomorrow morning to walk through the first payslips.

Thank you for telling me. It helps us fix it.

Kind regards,

Priya Raman

Director, Fernleigh Bookkeeping

Liability limited by a scheme approved under professional standards legislation.

IB1 · Reply to a new enquiryQwen3.8-27B

Checked by Brightwork · 1 correction

Jess asked what we would need from her. Beyond identity and the engagement letter the reply cannot say, because the fee schedule and manual do not list the records a sole trader and landlord should bring. Priya would add them.

Note to Priya

Check for conflicts with existing clients before accepting the engagement (Policy 08).
Confirm the engagement letter will show the sole trader tax return fee of $495 and the rental property schedule fee of $165 for one property (fee schedule; Policy 08).
Decide how to handle contact with the previous accountant, because Jess says the accountant has retired. We can only write to the previous accountant with Jess’s written permission (Policy 08).
Check the recipient address before sending (Policy 09).
Ensure any client documents are uploaded through the client portal, not emailed as attachments (Policy 09).

Draft reply

Hi Jess,

Thanks for your email, and thanks for the details.

Our fee schedule lists a sole trader tax return, including the business schedule, at $495. For one rental property, the rental property schedule fee is $165. The prices include GST. The engagement letter will confirm the fee before any work starts.

Before we start, we will need the signed engagement letter. We will also verify your identity from original documents or through the approved online verification service. If you want us to ask for prior-year working papers or any outstanding lodgements, you can give written permission for us to contact your previous accountant.

I will check for conflicts first. If there is no conflict, I will send you the engagement letter with the scope of work, fees and our terms. No work starts until the signed letter is back. Within a week of that, we will send the welcome pack and book a 30-minute setup call. If we need documents, you can upload them through the client portal.

Kind regards,

Priya Raman

Director, Fernleigh Bookkeeping

Liability limited by a scheme approved under professional standards legislation.

IB1

Reply to a new enquiry

IB1 · Generated locally · Qwen3.8-27B · 385 tokens, after 8,709 of reasoning · Checked by Brightwork: 1 correction

The prompt

Draft a reply to this email for Priya Raman to check before it is sent. Use only our fee schedule, our office manual and the facts in the email. Match the tone of our past replies: warm, plain and short, signed by Priya with our standard signature. Quote prices only from the fee schedule. Never promise anything a policy says someone else must decide; say what happens next instead. Before the draft, add a short note to Priya listing anything she must check or decide, with the policy number.

The email:
## IB1 — new enquiry

From: Jess Kowal
Subject: Tax return price?

Hi there,

I run a mobile dog grooming business as a sole trader. Turnover was about $80,000 last year. I also have one rental property, a unit I rent out long term.

How much would you charge to do my tax return? And what would you need from me? My last accountant retired, so I'm looking for someone new.

Thanks,
Jess

Then the source document, after a standing instruction to use only the material provided and never invent names, figures, dates or rules.

IB2 · Reply to a fee disputeQwen3.8-27B

Checked by BrightworkNo corrections. Checked against the source.

Note to Priya

Please check the job’s time records for this invoice before sending (Policy 04).
Please check the signed engagement letter to confirm the fee before work started, and check whether any extra work was explained before it started (Fee schedule).
Please decide whether to approve a refund or credit for the amount Daniel asked for. Record any refund or credit in the practice manager against the job with the reason and approver (Policy 04).
If the refund or credit is over $500, your written approval is needed before the client is told (Policy 04).
Please log the matter in the complaints register if we treat it as a complaint (Policy 12).

Draft reply

Subject: Re: Invoice for the company return

Hi Daniel,

Thanks for your email. I’m sorry you’re not happy with the fee.

Our fee schedule says a company tax return and financial statements are from $1,650. The fee depends on the number of transactions and how complete the records are.

I’ll check the job’s time records and come back to you within two business days.

Kind regards,

Priya Raman

Director, Fernleigh Bookkeeping

Liability limited by a scheme approved under professional standards legislation.

IB2

Reply to a fee dispute

IB2 · Generated locally · Qwen3.8-27B · 268 tokens, after 7,667 of reasoning · Checked by Brightwork

The prompt

Draft a reply to this email for Priya Raman to check before it is sent. Use only our fee schedule, our office manual and the facts in the email. Match the tone of our past replies: warm, plain and short, signed by Priya with our standard signature. Quote prices only from the fee schedule. Never promise anything a policy says someone else must decide; say what happens next instead. Before the draft, add a short note to Priya listing anything she must check or decide, with the policy number.

The email:
## IB2 — fee dispute

From: Daniel Okoro, Okoro Electrical Pty Ltd
Subject: Invoice for the company return

Hi Priya,

I've just got your invoice for $1,980 for the company tax return. Last year it was $1,650. Nobody told me it was going up and I'm not happy about it.

I'd like a refund of the $330 difference, please.

Daniel

Then the source document, after a standing instruction to use only the material provided and never invent names, figures, dates or rules.

IB3 · Reply to a request for documentsQwen3.8-27B

Checked by BrightworkNo corrections. Checked against the source.

Note to Priya before sending

Check Helen’s file to see whether the 2025–26 tax return is in the practice document system (Policy 02).
Log Helen’s request for a copy (Policy 02).
Check whether Helen can use the client portal. If she cannot, send a password-protected PDF and send the password separately by SMS (Policy 09).
Check Robert Lindqvist’s full office email address before anything is sent to him (Policy 09).
Decide whether Helen’s email request is enough permission to send a copy to Robert (Policy 02).

Draft reply

Hi Helen,

Thanks for your email. I’ll log your request and check whether your 2025–26 tax return is ready.

I can’t send the return as an email attachment. I can make it available through the client portal. If you can’t use the portal, I can send a password-protected PDF and send the password to you separately by SMS.

Please send Robert’s full office email address. I’ll check the address before sending anything to him and confirm with you how we can send a copy to your financial planner.

Kind regards,

Priya Raman

Director, Fernleigh Bookkeeping

Liability limited by a scheme approved under professional standards legislation.

IB3

Reply to a request for documents

IB3 · Generated locally · Qwen3.8-27B · 281 tokens, after 6,625 of reasoning · Checked by Brightwork

The prompt

Draft a reply to this email for Priya Raman to check before it is sent. Use only our fee schedule, our office manual and the facts in the email. Match the tone of our past replies: warm, plain and short, signed by Priya with our standard signature. Quote prices only from the fee schedule. Never promise anything a policy says someone else must decide; say what happens next instead. Before the draft, add a short note to Priya listing anything she must check or decide, with the policy number.

The email:
## IB3 — request for documents

From: Helen Marsh
Subject: Copy of my tax return

Hello,

Could you please email me a copy of my 2025–26 tax return? I'd also like you to send a copy straight to my new financial planner, Robert Lindqvist, at his office email address.

Many thanks,
Helen Marsh

Then the source document, after a standing instruction to use only the material provided and never invent names, figures, dates or rules.

Fictional demonstration, not client documents. Our workstation: one RTX 3090 with 24 GB, every model layer on the GPU. These are not performance figures for a Brightwork installation.

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