CPA franchise client CAM review checklist

CPA franchise client CAM review checklist

Franchise clients often have the right shape for CAM review.

They lease sites.

They receive year-end statements.

They care about location profit.

That does not make every file a fit.

Use this checklist first.

Franchise review checklist

Call script

We are not looking for a quick complaint about rent.

We are checking whether each location's pass-through charges match the lease.

If the documents support review, we can scope it as an advisory project.

Poor-fit signs

• The client has no lease files.
• The client wants free lease advice.
• The issue is only base rent.
• The charge is too small for paid review.
• The client wants the firm to negotiate with the landlord.

CAMAudit role

CAMAudit can help process each site package.

The partner decides which sites go forward, reviews findings, and presents the report under the firm relationship.

Links for franchise files

Use the fit scorecard for each client.

Use the multi-location pricing guide before quoting.

Use the document SOP for lease collection.

Use the year two SOP for annual review.

Use the client readout script after partner review.

Practice use

CPA franchise client CAM review checklist should live inside the firm's advisory workflow, not in a loose folder of templates. Use it to keep the client conversation clear and inside scope. The best moment to use it is when one owner has several leased sites. The partner should name the client goal first. Some files need a quick screen. Some need a deeper workpaper. Some should stop because the lease set is thin, the client wants legal advice, or the fee will not cover the review time. Write that call down before staff begin.

What the team should build

Turn this page into a workpaper with these fields:

Keep the artifact short enough for a manager to review in one sitting. If the file needs a long story to explain the issue, the preparer should tighten the source trail before partner review.

Staff instructions

Give staff a narrow job. They should collect the source files, mark missing items, cite the lease language, and tie each issue to a statement line or ledger account. They should not promise recovery, argue with the landlord, or tell the client the answer is final. Use plain status labels: ready for partner review, waiting on client, waiting on landlord backup, outside scope, or closed. Those labels help the firm see where time is going. They also keep the next person from rereading the whole file.

Partner review notes

The reviewer should ask four questions before the client sees anything:

1. Does the scope match what the client approved?
2. Does every finding cite a lease clause or billing source?
3. Does the math tie to the workpaper?
4. Does the wording avoid legal conclusions?

If one answer is no, hold the packet. The fee comes from judgment and signoff, not from sending more pages.

Where CAMAudit helps

Use CAMAudit once staff have the lease set, statement, and backup in order. For franchise client review, it can turn those files into a cited issue list that a manager can review. The firm still owns the work. CAMAudit sits behind the branded report, while the partner controls judgment and client advice.

Related articles for this workflow

Pair this article with the service line checklist, fit scorecard, plan guide, scope checklist, QC rubric, and client readout script. Together they form a small launch kit for a CPA or CAS firm that wants to test CAM review with a few trusted clients before adding it to the broader advisory menu.

Partner review depth notes

Use CPA franchise client CAM review checklist before the file becomes paid client work. The partner should name the client group, the charge type, the source documents, and the review owner. That keeps the work out of commodity bookkeeping and inside an advisory package with a clear fee, scope, and review path.

Margin guardrails

Set a stop rule before staff begin. If the lease file is incomplete, the audit-rights window has closed, or the client wants legal conclusions, pause and re-scope. If the likely fee cannot cover document intake, source citation, partner review, and client readout, do not bury the time in monthly close work. CAM review is valuable because the firm applies judgment to a messy file. Price it that way.

Evidence standard

Every finding should tie to a lease clause, statement line, backup document, ledger account, or written client fact. Staff can prepare the trail, but the partner should decide whether the item is strong enough to send. If the support is thin, ask for backup or mark the item as closed. A short, well-supported packet beats a long report that forces the client to trust the software.

Client handoff

Keep the readout simple. Explain what was reviewed, what was excluded, what needs landlord backup, and what the firm recommends next. Avoid recovery promises. The client should leave with a clear record and a named owner for the next step. CAMAudit can help structure the packet, but the partner signs off before anything is delivered.

File stewardship

Before delivery, add a short manager note. State the approved scope, the source set reviewed, the items held back, and the owner for the next client step. For CPA franchise client CAM review checklist, that note should be plain enough for another partner to understand without rereading the full file.

Save the final packet with the lease year, client site, reviewer, and open questions. If the client returns next year, the firm should see which clauses mattered, which backup was requested, and which issues were closed because support was weak.

If the review expands, write the reason before doing the work. More locations, missing amendments, legal questions, or a second client meeting can all change the fee. CAMAudit can help keep the source trail organized, but the partner decides whether the extra work belongs in the current engagement or a new one.