Before a transfer pricing documentation project moves into drafting, make the information you hand over easy to identify, review and question. A folder of files is a starting point; a clear record of what each file covers, where it came from and who can confirm it is more useful. This practical checklist is for tax and finance teams preparing information for an external provider or a shared documentation project.
1. Agree what the handover is meant to support
Start with the deliverables and reporting period agreed for the project. List the entities, countries and transactions you expect the work to cover, and mark anything that still needs confirmation. Treat this as a working scope to discuss with the provider, rather than assuming that every document or jurisdiction is included in an engagement.
For example, Coperitas managed services covers outputs such as local files, master files, benchmarks and intercompany agreements. Its published process starts with scope and engagement, then an information request, analysis and kick-off. Use that sequence to agree what is needed before assembling more data than the project calls for.
2. Give each document enough context to be understood
Create a simple register alongside the files. For each item, record the document name, entity, reporting period, language, version or date, and the person who can answer questions about it. Add its status: for example, approved, draft, superseded or awaiting confirmation. These are suggested working fields, not a list of statutory requirements.
This turns an ambiguous filename into a usable reference. A local file labelled only “final” is hard to assess when several versions exist. A register that identifies its year, entity and status helps the recipient ask the right follow-up question.
3. Explain the financial data rather than only sending it
For each financial extract, record the source system, export date, period and currency. Explain any entity or account codes the recipient may not recognise. Ask your finance contact to identify whether the figures are final or still subject to changes, and note any known differences between extracts.
If two files disagree, flag the difference and name the person who will resolve it. Do not silently replace one set with another or present an unresolved figure as confirmed. Agree which version the drafting team should use and how later updates will be communicated.
4. Make changes and missing information visible
Include a short change log for facts that may affect the documentation: an entity added to the scope, a changed business description, a revised agreement or a transaction that needs discussion. Link each point to the relevant source and owner. Describe the change without deciding its tax treatment in the handover note.
Keep a separate list of missing items with an owner and an agreed follow-up date. “Not yet provided” and “not applicable” mean different things. Recording that distinction makes the open work visible instead of letting a gap look like a completed review.
5. Agree who provides, checks and accepts the information
For each major information category, name the person providing it and the person who can confirm its accuracy. Separately agree who reviews the draft documentation, who consolidates comments and who accepts the final deliverables. This is a suggested responsibility map to adapt to the engagement, not a claim that one party automatically takes over every task.
Set an internal review date and a route for unresolved questions. Confirm separately who handles any required filing or submission. Receiving a finished document and agreeing who will use or submit it are separate steps.
6. Match the handover method to the service you chose
Coperitas describes a shared Teams directory for uploading available documentation within its managed-services process. Its software offering is a separate route: the TP Document Manager can store document type, language, validity period and related entity, alongside document statuses and deadlines. Confirm which service and access arrangements apply to your project; do not assume that software access is included in a document engagement.
Keep one agreed reference set and a clear way to report updates. The aim is not to promise an error-free project: it is to make assumptions, questions and responsibilities visible before drafting begins.
Take a usable handover into your next discussion
Bring three things: the agreed scope, an indexed set of available information, and an open-items list with named owners. Use them to discuss what is ready and what needs clarification. Explore Coperitas managed services for commissioned documentation, or the TP Document Manager when your team needs software to organise its own document process.
Read the overview of transfer pricing documentation support.