Requesting Client Records

What this is

From the Practice workspace, you can ask a client for the XLSX records needed for one income source and one quarterly obligation. The client receives a private link to a single upload page. They do not need an aligned.tax account or password.

When a spreadsheet arrives, it is shown against that client and quarter in the workspace. You can open the exact received version directly in Smart Map.

Request records

Open the Practice workspace at /app/workspace.
Select the quarter you are working on.
Find the client and open Request records in the Records column.
Choose the income source that needs records.
Review the recipient, subject and message. You can edit the email before it is sent.
Add a Bcc address if the practice wants a copy.
Select Send request.

The suggested records deadline is set before the HMRC filing deadline so there is time to review and correct the spreadsheet. Check the proposed date and message before sending.

What the client receives

The email uses the client’s first name and includes the practice name, income source, quarter, records period and requested deadline. The practice sign-off appears after the fixed request details and private-link safety notice.

Its private link opens a simple upload page. If the practice has saved a logo in Settings, the page shows that logo. Otherwise, it shows the practice name. The page displays only:

Practice name
Client name
Income source name
Quarter and records period
Requested records deadline
HMRC filing deadline

The page does not show the client’s NINO, email address, other clients, earlier filenames or financial values.

The client can drag and drop an XLSX workbook, add an optional note and select Send to accountant. A confirmation screen appears when the upload has been received. aligned.tax also attempts to send the client a confirmation email.

Chase an outstanding request

For a request marked Awaiting client, open Review requests and select Chase. You can edit the reminder before it is sent.

A chase sends the same private link. It does not extend the original 30-day expiry. If the link has expired, use Request again. This creates a new link and invalidates the old one.

Request and chase emails are recorded in the client’s activity log, including when each message was sent.

Work with received versions

Each upload is retained as a separate, timestamped version. New versions appear first and never silently overwrite an earlier file.

For Self Employment and UK Property records:

Open Review requests for the client and quarter.
Find the required version.
Select Open in Smart Map.
Confirm which worksheets belong to the selected income source.
Review Smart Map’s suggested mappings before continuing to the submission review.

The received workbook and quarterly obligation are selected for you. You do not need to upload the file again.

Foreign Property uses the structured Foreign Property template. The records panel keeps each received version, but does not open it in Smart Map.

Understand the records states

State	Meaning	What to do
Not requested	No request has been sent for this income source and quarter	Send a request when you are ready
Awaiting client	The current link was sent and no spreadsheet has arrived	Wait or send a manual chase
Received	At least one spreadsheet version has arrived	Open the latest or another retained version in Smart Map
Submitted	HMRC shows the quarterly obligation as fulfilled	No records action is required for that obligation

Link expiry affects which action is available. It is not a separate records state.

Security and file rules

Each link is limited to one client, one income source and one quarterly obligation.
Links expire 30 days after the original request.
The client can use a valid link again to send a corrected version.
Financial records must be an XLSX workbook no larger than 20 MB.
aligned.tax checks the workbook before storing it.
Repeating the same upload attempt does not create duplicate versions.

If something goes wrong

Problem	What it means	What to do
Request records is unavailable	The client has no email address or you do not have permission to send requests	Add the client email or ask a preparer or main agent to send it
The client sees “This link is not available”	The link is invalid, expired or has been replaced	Use Request again and send the new email
The spreadsheet is rejected	It is not a valid XLSX workbook, is empty, is damaged or exceeds 20 MB	Ask the client to save a clean XLSX copy and try again
The upload confirmation email was not sent	The file arrived, but the confirmation email could not be delivered	Check the Received state in the workspace and confirm receipt with the client if needed
Open in Smart Map is not shown	The records are for Foreign Property	Use the structured Foreign Property template

Managing Your Clients - finding clients and working from the Practice workspace
Uploading a Spreadsheet - XLSX upload rules and the quarterly filing journey
Smart Map - AI Column Mapping - checking and adjusting spreadsheet mappings

FAQ

Does the client need an account?

No. The request link opens one upload page and does not create a portal or login.

Can I edit the email?

Yes. Review and edit the subject, message and optional Bcc address before confirming the request or chase. The request details, private link, safety notice and practice sign-off are added automatically.

How do I add our logo to the upload page?

Open Settings, find Practice logo, and save a PNG, JPEG or WebP image no larger than 2 MB. The next records link a client opens will show the saved logo.

Can the client replace a file?

They can send another version while the link remains valid. Every version is retained, timestamped and shown latest first.

Does Chase create a new link?

No. It resends the current link and keeps its original expiry date.

Does opening a received file submit anything to HMRC?

No. It opens the file in Smart Map for review. Nothing is sent to HMRC until you complete the normal review and submission steps.