⚠️ Multi-entity proposals are part of the Pro Features add-on, along with Options and Extras, bulk price changes, approval workflows, Minor Adjustments, and roles and permissions.
If you can't see Add a secondary client when building a proposal, check your subscription under Practice Settings > Subscription, or see our pricing page for what each add-on includes.
Why create a multi-entity proposal?
Multi-entity proposals are used when a client has multiple companies or individuals that need to be included under one agreement, for example:
A group structure with a holding company and one or more trading entities.
A situation where you’re acting for directors, their spouses, or personal tax clients alongside the main trading company.
When one entity pays for all services, but you still need transparency over which work is done for each business or person.
In short, multi-entity proposals keep everything in one place with clear separation between entities within a single proposal, including a single point of sign-off, and one letter of engagement.
⚠️ Everything is invoiced to the primary entity. A multi-entity proposal produces one set of invoices, raised against the primary client, however the services are split between entities. This applies to recurring billing as well as one-off work.
If each entity needs its own invoices, create a separate proposal for each one instead.
Start a new proposal
Create your proposal, and then select your main client/primary entity from your existing contacts, or create a new contact. This will be the primary contact and signatory for this proposal.
Add additional entities as you go
Once you've added your primary entity, you can add the other entities directly with no need to pre-create them.
Click Add a secondary client and either enter the details manually or use the company name or company number to search Companies House.
These could be a holding company, additional trading companies, directors, or spouses.
Each will appear below the main 'Primary' flagged company
Secondary entities are added inside the proposal itself, not from your Clients list. Adding a client to Socket separately won't make it available to select on the Services page.
Letter of engagement setup
When creating a multi-entity proposal, you’ll only select one letter of engagement.
This is typically catered towards the primary entity, which acts as the lead client for the engagement.
Secondary entities are covered within the same letter, so there’s no need to create separate ones. You can always edit your Letter to include additional information from the Customise step of the proposal builder.
This approach keeps things simple while ensuring transparency across the group.
Giving each client its own pricing template
Under Quickstart Templates on the first step, Edit Templates opens Choose Templates, and on a multi-entity proposal each client gets its own pricing template picker. A company can start from Bronze while its director starts from Self assessment, and each client's services on the next step come from the template you gave them.
Changing one client's template leaves the other clients' services alone, including anything you've edited by hand.
Setting a client to No template removes that client's services, hand-added ones included, and Socket asks you to confirm first.
A client added after you've chosen templates shows No template until you go back into Edit Templates for them.
Reset clears every client's services, and removing a client takes its services with it.
Multiple options pricing templates can't be used on a multi-client proposal, and the picker says so.
Assign services to each entity
On the Services page, you’ll choose which services belong to which entity.
Assign core services (like bookkeeping or accounts) to the primary trading entity.
Assign lighter services (like personal tax returns or director accounts) to the secondary entities.
This structure keeps the main business front and centre, while showing clearly what’s included for each additional entity.
Final checks and sending
Before sending, preview your proposal to ensure:
each entity’s name and services are correct,
the engagement letter references the full group,
the total fee and payment terms are accurate.
Once you're happy, click Send. Your client will receive one proposal to review and sign, covering all entities in one streamlined document.
Best Practice Tips
✅ Make the primary entity the main trading company wherever possible.
✅ Keep secondary entities limited to the essentials, e.g. personal returns or small accounts.
✅ Options cannot be used with multi-entity proposals but Extras can.
✅ Be clear in your content which entity each service applies to.
✅ If one entity pays for all, state this clearly in the proposal or engagement letter.
✅ Use consistent naming, e.g. “Smith Group – 2025/26 Accounts & Tax (Ltd, Holdings & Directors)”.