Letter of authority template
A letter of authority lets a client's accountant or agent ask banks, pension providers, a previous accountant and HMRC for information on the client's behalf. It lists each organisation with the client's reference and what the agent may ask for, says how long the authority lasts, and makes clear the agent cannot move money. An accountancy practice sends one for every new client, with the client, the organisations and the references changing each time.
Made by DocuWeave. Use at your own discretion.
What changes each time
10 values. Everything else is your wording, kept exactly.
The client
- Client or company name
- Address
- Company number
- Signatories
The agent
- Firm name and address
- Email and phone
- HMRC agent reference
The authority
- Organisations, references and what is authorised
- Open-ended or time-limited
- Any specific action allowed
The rules it usually needs
Written in plain English when the template is set up.
- Once for each item
“One row for each organisation the agent may contact.”
The onboarding sheet listed a bank, a pension provider, the previous accountant and HMRC, so the table has four rows.
- One of several wordings
“Make the authority open-ended, or time-limited to an expiry date.”
The client asked for it to last until 31 March 2027, so the time-limited wording was used.
- The AI decides from the paperwork
“Include the company number, the HMRC agent reference, the director's position and a second signatory only where they apply.”
The client is a company with an HMRC-registered agent and a bank account needing two signatures, so all four were included.
One worked example, start to finish
The letter of authority in DocuWeave, from upload to approval.
1The document uploaded
The letter of authority, a Word file, uploaded as it is.
- 2
The template it became
It found 15 sections and 17 values, and asked 11 questions before publishing. The duration is a choice: open-ended or time-limited.
3The paperwork dropped in
The client's email and the onboarding sheet of providers and references.
4What was found, with sources
14 of 14 values filled from the paperwork, each with the passage it came from.
5What it asked
3 things for a person, starting with the client's name: the director or the company.
6The approved output
Approved, with Word and PDF downloads.
A free letter of authority to download
- Letter of authority, filled with fictional details (Word)
- Letter of authority, filled with fictional details (PDF)
Use it as it is, or upload it to DocuWeave and make it a template.
DocuWeave is not a law firm. A general template for common situations in England and Wales. It is not tailored to you and we do not update it when the law changes, so check it suits your situation before you use it. Terms.
Made by DocuWeave. Use at your own discretion.
Questions people ask
What is a letter of authority?
A signed letter from a client that allows their accountant or agent to ask organisations for information about the client's affairs and to correspond with them on the client's behalf.
Does a letter of authority replace HMRC agent authorisation?
No. It supports it. An agent still needs authorisation with HMRC, online through HMRC's agent services or on form 64-8.
Can the agent move money under a letter of authority?
Not under this letter. It allows information requests and correspondence only, unless the client names a specific action.
How long does a letter of authority last?
Until the client withdraws it in writing, or, if it is time-limited, until the expiry date it states.
Who signs for a company?
A director signs for and on behalf of the company. Where an account needs two signatures, a second signatory signs as well.
Use this template
It opens in DocuWeave as a template you can check, change and publish. Nothing is used until you do.