Get paid before you send the draft: the four rungs of collection
An Australian firm prepares a tax return, holds the lodgement until paid, and the client lodges it themselves with the firm’s figures. Why holding lodgement is not leverage, the four rungs of collection, what to change in the engagement letter and onboarding sequence, and how to screen out the client who was always going to do this.
Trent McLaren · 17 Sept 2026 · 9 min read