The Accountant's Script for Telling a Client to Stop Sending Paper Receipts
Tanvir Alam•Sep 14, 2026•8 min read•Receipt Management
The exact words UK accountants can use to move resistant clients off paper: an opening email, a live conversation script, and a reply for each of the three objections you will hear.
Most accountants already know that getting clients to submit receipts digitally would save everyone time. The obstacle is not knowledge. It is the conversation itself.
Telling a long-standing client to change how they send you paperwork feels awkward. You do not want to come across as demanding. You do not want to start a conversation that spirals into a complaint. So the envelope keeps arriving, the thermal receipts keep fading, and the chase emails keep going out.
This post gives you the exact words to use: an opening email, a script for the live conversation, and a response for each of the three objections you will almost certainly hear. Adapt them to your voice, but the structure is ready to use.
Why this conversation is worth having
Before you pick up the phone or draft the email, it helps to be clear on what you are asking for and why the framing matters.
You are not asking a client to do something for your benefit. You are asking them to do something that makes their own records safer, more reliable, and MTD-ready. Under Making Tax Digital, HMRC expects digital records to be kept and maintained throughout the tax period, not assembled at year-end from a bag of paper. Paper receipts do not meet that standard over time, and the responsibility for that gap sits with the client, not with you.
When you frame the conversation around the client's interests, their records, their compliance, and their peace of mind, it lands differently from "we need you to change how you send things."
The opening email
Send this before any phone or face-to-face conversation. It sets context, reduces surprise, and gives the client something to read at their own pace.
Subject: A quicker way to send us your receipts
Hi [Name],
I wanted to flag a small change that will make things easier for both of us.
At the moment we receive your receipts by post, which means there is always a chance something gets delayed, damaged, or lost in transit. Thermal till receipts in particular have a habit of fading before we get to process them.
We are now set up to receive receipts by email instead. All you need to do is photograph a receipt on your phone and forward it, or forward any email receipt you have already received from a supplier. No app to download, no account to set up. Just send it to your unique submission address and it lands straight in your records.
I will follow up with your submission address and a one-page guide. If you would prefer to talk it through, let me know and we can find five minutes.
Best,
[Your name]
A few things this email does deliberately: it explains the why (receipts get damaged and lost), it leads with simplicity (no app, no account), and it offers a follow-up call for anyone who wants one. Keep the tone relaxed. You are not issuing an instruction. You are making life easier.
The conversation script
For clients who want to talk it through, or who have not responded to the email, here is a structure that works whether you are on the phone or face to face.
Opening:
"I wanted to have a quick chat about how you send us receipts. We are moving clients across to a simpler system instead of posting things. You just forward an email or a photo straight to us. I think it will actually save you time once you are set up. Have you got two minutes?"
If they say yes, continue:
"The way it works is straightforward. You get a unique email address from us. Whenever you have a receipt, you photograph it and forward it to that address, or if it is already an email receipt, you just forward that. It goes straight into your records. Nothing to install, nothing to log into."
"For anyone who gets receipts from Amazon, Trainline, or hotel booking sites, most of those already come as emails, so it is literally one forward."
"I will send you the address and a simple one-pager that shows you how it works. Most clients find they are up and running within a day."
Closing:
"Is there anything that would make it tricky for you to give it a go?"
That last question matters. It opens the door to objections, which is exactly what you want. Better to hear them now than to send the guide and get silence.
> Receiptflow gives every client a unique submission email address. No app, no account, no friction. Your team sees every receipt the moment it is forwarded. Try Receiptflow free.
Handling the three most common objections
These come up consistently. Having a calm, factual response ready makes the difference between a client who switches and one who goes quiet.
Objection 1: "I don't trust apps. I don't want my data going somewhere I can't see."
What they mean: they are wary of unfamiliar software and do not want to feel like they are handing control of their paperwork to a system they do not understand.
What to say:
"That is a fair concern, and the good news is you do not need to use an app at all. The way this works, you are just sending an email, the same way you would forward anything else. Your data is stored securely on UK-based servers under GDPR, and only you and our practice can see it. If you are comfortable sending documents by email, this is no different."
If they push further, offer to send a one-page summary of the data handling. Most clients will not ask for it, but having it available signals that you have thought about it.
Objection 2: "I don't have a smartphone. I can't photograph receipts."
What they mean: they are worried this is a solution built for people who are more tech-confident than they are.
What to say:
"You do not need a smartphone for this. If you already receive receipts by email from suppliers, such as Amazon orders, hotel bookings, train tickets, and software subscriptions, you can forward those directly. For physical receipts, you could ask someone in your office to forward them, or photograph them on a tablet or basic camera and attach them to an email. A scan works perfectly well too. Most clients find that the majority of their receipts already arrive digitally and they just had not thought about it that way."
For clients who genuinely have very few digital receipts and no easy way to photograph physical ones, this is a good moment to assess whether a hybrid approach works. They continue to post the rare paper receipt, but start forwarding email receipts immediately. Getting 70% of receipts in digitally is far better than none.
Objection 3: "I've always done it this way. It works fine."
What they mean: they do not see a pressing reason to change and do not want the hassle of learning something new.
What to say:
"I understand, and if it is working for you, that is good. The reason I am raising it now is Making Tax Digital. HMRC's direction of travel is towards digital record-keeping throughout the year, not just at year-end. Getting your receipts into a digital format now means you are ahead of that rather than catching up when the rules tighten. It also means nothing gets lost in the post, and we can process things faster for you."
If they are still hesitant, do not push. Agree to revisit it at the next account review. Planting the seed matters more than winning the conversation today. Most clients come around once they see how simple the process actually is.
After the conversation: the follow-up
Whatever the outcome of the initial conversation, follow up in writing the same day. Keep it brief.
Subject: Your receipt submission details
Hi [Name],
Good to speak earlier. As promised, here is your unique submission address:
[client@receiptflow address]
To send a receipt, photograph it and forward it to that address, or forward any email receipt directly. That is all there is to it.
I have attached a one-page guide in case it is useful. Any questions at all, just reply to this email.
Best,
[Your name]
Short, clear, and actionable. The one-page guide does the technical explaining so you do not have to repeat yourself on a follow-up call.
The clients who won't budge
Some clients will not change. They have been posting receipts for fifteen years and they will post them for fifteen more. That is a business decision you will need to make on a case-by-case basis.
What is worth doing is making the cost of that choice visible. If a client's paper-only approach is creating consistent processing delays, chase time, or data quality issues, document it. That information is useful when you next review the relationship, reprice the work, or decide whether the account still makes sense at its current fee level.
Changing client behaviour is never instant. But the right conversation, with the right framing and the right scripts, closes the gap between the accountants who move their clients forward and the ones who keep chasing envelopes.
> Receiptflow makes it easier to onboard even your most resistant clients. One email address per client, no app required, receipts processed the moment they arrive. Start your free trial.
FAQs
Common Questions with Clear Answers
How do I get clients to submit receipts digitally without upsetting them?
Frame the change around the client's interests: their records staying safe, receipts not getting lost, and MTD compliance, rather than your own workflow. Lead with an email that explains the benefit simply, offer to talk it through, and have a ready response for their most likely concern about apps or data privacy.
What if a client says they don't have a smartphone?
Most clients have more digital receipts than they realise: Amazon orders, hotel bookings, train tickets, and software subscriptions all arrive by email already. Suggest they start by forwarding those and handle the rare physical receipt separately. A hybrid approach gets most of the benefit without requiring anything new from the client.
Can clients submit receipts without downloading an app?
Yes. Receiptflow gives each client a unique email address. They photograph a receipt and forward it, or forward an email receipt directly. No app to download, no account to create. It works on any device that can send an email.
How should I handle a client who refuses to change?
Do not push in the first conversation. Agree to revisit it at the next account review, and make sure the cost of the paper-only approach is visible internally: chase time, processing delays, data gaps. That information is useful when reviewing pricing or the client relationship itself.
What should I say about Making Tax Digital when talking to resistant clients?
Explain that HMRC's direction of travel is towards digital record-keeping throughout the year rather than year-end assembly from paper. Switching to digital receipt submission now puts them ahead of that requirement rather than catching up when it tightens. Frame it as a practical step they are taking for their own compliance, not a change your practice is imposing.
Script: Tell Clients to Go Digital on Receipts | Receiptflow
