200 clients verified in the first month: how Patel Associates completed a re-verification programme in 60 days
"We verified 200 clients in the first month. The client-facing portal is so simple that we got 80% completion rates — far better than chasing documents by email. When HMRC came back for a follow-up, every record was in order."
200 clients
Verified in month one
80%
Client portal completion rate
60 days
Full re-verification programme
Zero
Outstanding cases at HMRC follow-up
Patel Associates
Firm details
- Location
- Nottingham, UK
- Structure
- 3-partner practice
- Clients
- 400
- Client types
- Owner-managed businesses, property investors
- AML supervision
- HMRC-supervised
- Compliance lead
- David Patel, Compliance Officer
Patel Associates is a three-partner accountancy practice in Nottingham serving 400 clients, primarily owner-managed businesses and property investors. Following a routine HMRC AML supervision visit, the firm received formal findings flagging inconsistencies in their customer due diligence records.
The partners were given 60 days to re-verify a large portion of their client base. With 200 clients needing updated identity and CDD records, and two of the three partners still billing client work full-time, the workload fell heavily on David Patel in his compliance officer role.
"We knew our records weren't as clean as they should be. HMRC's visit made it impossible to ignore. We had 60 days and 200 clients to get through — that's not a problem you can solve with email and a spreadsheet."
The re-verification problem
- 1
HMRC had flagged gaps in CDD records — missing identity evidence, inconsistent risk scoring, and no documented PEP screening results for several clients
- 2
Previous verification had been done through email, meaning documents were scattered across inboxes, with no centralised evidence trail or consistent audit format
- 3
A 60-day deadline to remediate 200 client records, while the compliance officer was also responsible for day-to-day client work alongside the re-verification programme
A systematic approach to re-verification
Patel Associates adopted Certivus to manage the entire re-verification programme. Within the first month, 200 client records were completed.
Bulk client invitations
David sent secure verification requests to 200 clients in batches. Each client received a branded link, completed identity and address verification from their phone, and the records were centralised automatically.
Documented PEP and sanctions screening
Every client was screened against 1,100+ global PEP and sanctions lists. Each screen created a timestamped record — exactly what HMRC had flagged as missing from the previous review.
Audit-ready export for HMRC
When HMRC returned for the follow-up review, David exported a complete CDD record for every client. Zero outstanding cases, zero inconsistencies. The inspection was closed without further findings.
The outcomes
200 clients
Verified in the first month
80%
Portal completion rate
60 days
Full programme completed on time
Zero
Outstanding cases at HMRC follow-up
"We verified 200 clients in the first month. The client-facing portal is so simple that we got 80% completion rates — far better than chasing documents by email. When HMRC came back for a follow-up, every record was in order."
About Patel Associates
Patel Associates is a three-partner accountancy practice based in Nottingham. The firm serves 400 clients across owner-managed businesses and property investors, providing accounts preparation, bookkeeping, self-assessment, tax advisory, and corporate tax services. The practice is HMRC-supervised for Anti-Money Laundering purposes.
Note: This case study describes one customer's experience with Certivus. Individual results vary. Certivus supports AML workflows — final compliance decisions remain with the authorised person or firm.
Related reading
AML software for MLROs
How Certivus supports the nominated Money Laundering Reporting Officer at your practice.
CDD software for accountants
Structured customer due diligence workflows with evidence built in.
HMRC audit checklist
Step-by-step preparation for an HMRC AML supervision visit.
Clarke Accountancy case study
How a sole practitioner reduced AML admin from 3 days to 10 minutes per client.
See if Certivus is right for your practice
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