document-chasinglisted

# Document Chasing ## When to use this Use this skill whenever work is stalled because a client has not sent something the firm asked for: - Tax season: unreturned organizer or checklist, missing W-2s, 1099s, K-1s, prior-year returns, unsigned e-file authorizations (Form 8879 in the US). - Bookkeeping and month-end close: missing bank or credit card statements, unanswered transaction queries, loan statements, receipts. - Payroll setup items, audit PBC lists, BAS/GST workpapers, unsigned engagement letters. Do not use it for the first request to a brand-new client (that belongs in onboarding) or for chasing unpaid invoices. ## What to gather first Ask the user for anything not provided. Never invent client facts. You need: 1. Client name and the contact who actually sends documents (often a bookkeeper or office manager, not the owner). 2. The complete list of missing items, described in the client's language ("your March business checking statement", not "PBC item 14"). 3. When the items were first requested, and how many follow-ups have already gone out. This decides which step of the ladder you are on. 4. The real deadline this is blocking: filing date, extension date, close date, lender deadline, payroll cutoff. If there is none, say so; the drafts change. 5. Jurisdiction (US, AU, NZ, UK, CA) when tax terminology or deadlines matter. Use "organizer" and IRS dates for US clients, "checklist" and ATO/BAS language for AU, IRD for NZ, HMRC and self assessment for UK, CRA