Every file, one structure
A standardised workpaper index for every engagement, so nothing gets lost between team members or across shared drives.
Review points that actually close
Queries raised, assigned and tracked inside the file rather than in email, and all cleared before sign-off.
Sign-off without the bottleneck
Manager and partner sign-off recorded against the file, with the status of every engagement visible at a glance.
An audit trail by default
Every figure, override and sign-off retained. The file locks on sign-off, for as long as you choose.
BrightWorkpapers replaces scattered files and email review chains with one structured environment, from planning through to a locked, archived file.
One structure for every engagement
A standardised workpaper index with built-in document management and a Client Portal for gathering information directly from clients — so every engagement looks the same regardless of who runs it, and nothing gets lost between team members or inboxes.
Review built into the workflow
Review points are raised and resolved within the file, not by email. Every point has a type, an owner, and a status, and all open points must be cleared before sign-off can begin. The file enforces it — there is no workaround.
Sign-off with a full audit trail
Manager and partner sign-off is recorded against the file, with a configurable lockdown period after the report date. Once archived, the file is read-only and fully traceable — every figure, override, and sign-off retained.
The methodology your firm already trusts, from Mercia and HAT Group, ready to use in BrightWorkpapers. 20,000 accountants across 1,000 firms already do.
70 min.
Gain back an average of 70 minutes on every audit engagement. The trial balance lands in the file and the lead schedules build themselves.
30 min.
Save an average of 30 minutes on every year-end file. Last year's file rolls forward instead of being rebuilt.
Automated workflows and the BrightWorkpapers Agent take on the groundwork inside the engagement file your team already has open, and leave the professional conclusions to them.
The Agent drafts, your team reviews
The Agent reads the client's accounts and completes the response and written comment for every procedure, saved into the file in real time.
Risk and queries, raised for you
Risk scored by likelihood and magnitude, review points raised against the file, and client queries drafted straight into the portal ready to send. Filter by response type so managers spend their time on what needs a closer look.
Judgement stays with you
Professional conclusions are never drafted by the Agent, a deliberate design decision that keeps the file suitable for institute monitoring visits.
Workpapers that build themselves
Lead schedules populate from the trial balance, whatever bookkeeping system you use. No exporting, no pasting, no rebuilding the same schedules every year end. With Xero it runs two ways, so adjustments flow back.
Data moves in both directions and throughout the engagement, not just at the end.
Nothing gets typed twice. The trial balance comes in from BrightAP, BrightBooks or your client's existing bookkeeping software, and lead schedules populate automatically, so the file is ready to work on rather than ready to build.
Adjustments are posted once. Accruals, prepayments and depreciation go into BrightWorkpapers and back into BrightAP in one click, tagged so year-end entries stay distinct from the original balances.
The CT600 starts from the accounts. BrightAP produces the final accounts against the correct compliance framework with automatic iXBRL tagging, then passes the iXBRL file straight to BrightTax, pre-populating the CT600 with turnover and profit or loss.
Everything you file agrees. The tax position flows back from BrightTax into BrightAP, so the accounts filed at Companies House and the CT600 filed at HMRC are built from the same figures.
BrightBooks
BrightWorkpapers
Prepare, review, adjust
BrightAP
Final accounts, iXBRL
BrightTax
CT600, tax adjustments
BrightAP
Updated accounts, Companies House filing
HMRC submission
Everything BrightWorkpapers does, from the workpaper index through to the 60-day archive.
The engagement file, built the way your team already thinks
Structured folder index: organise workpapers into numbered and named folders — Administration, Planning, Lead Schedules, and any custom sections your firm uses — with drag-and-drop reordering to match your preferred file layout.
Roll-forward: carry forward last year's completed file as the starting point for this year's engagement. Prior-year workpapers, trial balance mappings, and file structure all come across, so your team builds on previous work rather than starting from scratch.
Completion tracking: each folder shows a workpaper sign-off percentage, rolled up to the Workflow Manager so managers can see progress across the firm without opening individual files.
Tickmarks, references, and cross-referencing: add review tickmarks and cross-references between any workpapers, searchable by name or reference number — replicating the referencing system your team already knows from paper files.
Supporting documents on any line: drag and drop evidence files directly onto lead-schedule lines or trial-balance account codes — invoices, bank statements, confirmations — so supporting evidence sits where it belongs.
PDF annotation: annotate and mark up PDF documents directly within the working papers — highlight, comment, and flag items without leaving the file or using external tools.
Microsoft Office Online: open and edit Word and Excel workpapers in the browser, with no downloads and no version conflicts.
Excel Connect: work in your own Excel spreadsheets with a live connection to the engagement file — data flows between Excel and BrightWorkpapers so you can use familiar tools without duplicating effort.
Client Portal: send information requests and queries directly to clients for completion through a secure portal. Responses come back into the engagement file — no chasing by email, no attachments to track down.
Import the TB once. Work from a single source of truth.
Automated import from bookkeeping sources: connect directly to Xero, QuickBooks Online and Sage Accounting, or import via CSV.
Export directly to your accounts production software: export your final trial balance to your accounts production software using our integrations with BrightAccounts
Drill into individual transactions: import the full general ledger from Xero or CSV and search, filter and drill down into individual transactions across any account. With Flow Analysis, transaction flows are visualised as an interactive diagram showing how money moves between accounts — spot unusual patterns, identify where to focus testing, and click through to the underlying entries.
Post adjustments without leaving your working papers: raise journal entries directly within the engagement file — accruals, prepayments, reclassifications, corrections — with each entry tagged, traceable, and ready to export in one click.
Accounting structures: map trial balance codes to lead schedules that build your profit-and-loss and balance-sheet view automatically. Use our built-in structures to get started, or create your own custom mappings to match how your firm works — either way, the structure applies consistently across every engagement file.
Purpose-built for ISA compliance. Professional judgement built in
ISA 315 risk assessment: identify and assess risks of material misstatement using structured inherent-and-control risk workpapers, aligned to ISA 315 requirements. Risks link directly to the audit plan so your response to assessed risk is documented and traceable. The Risk Matrix gives you a visual overview of the engagement's risk profile — a 5×5 likelihood-and-magnitude grid that lets you score, prioritise, and filter risks at a glance, with manual overrides for rebuttable presumptions such as revenue recognition.
ISA-compliant materiality: four-stage structured calculation — benchmark selection from the trial balance, overall financial-statement materiality, performance materiality, trivial threshold, and specific area materiality — automated with manual override at every step.
Audit analytics: Flow Analysis for visualising how transactions move between accounts using an interactive Sankey diagram — spot unusual patterns and click through to the underlying entries.
Group audits, without the duplication: share planning and completion workpapers across every file in the group, so a change is made once rather than repeated in each subsidiary file.
Consolidation inside the engagement: pull the subsidiary figures together to set group materiality early, then finalise the consolidated position with adjustments drawn from the individual files.
Planning lockdown: enforce planning discipline across the firm so fieldwork cannot begin on an incomplete plan.
Archive: once archived, the file is locked against amendment; workpapers, journals and review points remain visible and printable.
Every query raised, tracked, and resolved — inside the file, not in your inbox
Raise from anywhere in the file: add a review point from any workpaper, the summary tab, or the Dashboard — whether it's a question for the preparer, a query for the client, a note for reviewer attention, or an internal control deficiency to document.
Clear accountability: every point is assigned to a named team member and appears on their Dashboard until it's dealt with. Nothing sits unowned.
Two-step resolution: the preparer marks a point as resolved; the reviewer then clears it to confirm the response is adequate. No point is closed without a second pair of eyes.
Client queries via the Client Portal: raise client action points and send them directly to the client for response through the Client Portal — no separate emails, and responses come back into the file.
One view of every file in the firm. No spreadsheet required.
Custom status workflows: build the workflow that matches how your firm works (Planning, Fieldwork, Manager Review, Partner Review, Completion), with as many stages as you need.
Email notifications: notifications when a file moves status.
Sign-off progress at a glance: see the percentage of workpapers signed off in every file, with the ability to drill straight into any engagement from the dashboard.
Saved filters and custom reports: save filter combinations (by partner, status or period-end month) as custom views, and export the list to CSV.
What is BrightWorkpapers?
What methodology content is included?
Does BrightWorkpapers integrate with bookkeeping systems?
Does BrightWorkpapers integrate with accounts production software?
What types of engagements does BrightWorkpapers support?
Can multiple team members work on the same engagement file?
What is the difference between BrightWorkpapers Essential and Professional?
BrightWorkpapers pricing is scoped to your firm; request a quote based on your team and file volume.
Tailored packages
Pricing is scoped to your firm’s size and number of engagements.
BrightWorkpapers Essential
A lower-tier starting point for smaller practices.
Try BrightWorkpapers free, or book a 30-minute demo and we’ll walk through how the software can best support your practice.
