Legal
Refunds and cancellations
How deposits, cancellations, and fee adjustments work for Tideway Audit & Assurance engagements.
Scope
This policy applies to fees and deposits for statutory financial statement audits, internal control reviews, financial due diligence, and agreed-upon procedures engaged with Tideway Audit & Assurance. It does not cover third-party bank charges or travel booked directly by the client.
Refund eligibility
Refunds are considered when an engagement is cancelled before substantial fieldwork begins, or when Tideway withdraws for independence or access reasons before issuing a report. Fees for work already performed are generally non-refundable.
Timeframe
Cancellation requests should be sent in writing to hello@platform-connectivity.digital at least ten business days before the scheduled start of fieldwork whenever possible. Requests received later are reviewed against costs already incurred.
Full and partial refunds
- Full refund of unused deposit — if we decline or withdraw before any planning work begins, or if independence impairment arises solely on our side before acceptance is completed.
- Partial refund — if planning has started but year-end fieldwork has not, we may refund the unused portion after deducting time already spent at agreed rates and any non-recoverable third-party costs.
- No refund — for fees corresponding to fieldwork days completed, inventory observation attendance, draft reporting already delivered, or engagement-letter fixed fees once the auditor’s report process has begun.
Non-refundable items
Non-refundable items include time already charged for planning and testing, travel and accommodation incurred with prior client approval, confirmation postage or specialist valuation costs billed at cost, and administrative fees stated in the engagement letter.
Deposits
Statutory audits typically require a 40% deposit on acceptance. The deposit is applied to the final fee. Unused deposit amounts follow the partial-refund rules above if the engagement is cancelled early.
Cancellation and rescheduling
Clients may request to reschedule fieldwork once without penalty if notice is given at least ten business days before the agreed start and the new dates remain workable for inventory observation and reporting deadlines. Further reschedules may incur a replanning fee. Tideway may cancel or postpone if management does not provide access to books, inventory sites, or personnel required for the audit.
No-shows and delayed client preparation
If agreed fieldwork cannot proceed because schedules, inventory counts, or requested documents are not available on the agreed date, time reserved may be charged and deposits retained to the extent of costs incurred.
Work already started
Once planning memoranda, risk assessments, or substantive testing have begun, fees for that work remain payable. We will provide a summary of time incurred on request when calculating any partial refund.
Refund process and method
Approved refunds are processed to the original payer by bank transfer within twenty business days of written approval. Processing time may extend when international transfers or additional verification is required.
Exceptions
Engagement letters may set different commercial terms for a specific client; those signed terms prevail. Nothing in this policy limits mandatory rights under Japanese law that cannot be waived.
Contact for refund requests
Email hello@platform-connectivity.digital with your engagement reference, or call +81-4-150-3526. Postal address: 647 Cedar Avenue, 西マサ区, 千葉県, Japan.