15+ Sample Statement of Acknowledgement

What Is a Statement of Acknowledgement?

Merriam Webster Dictionary defines acknowledgment as a statement or affirmation of one’s acts or of truth in order to give it legal validity, or a thing done or given in recognition of something received.

For a number of reasons, many organizations and companies employ the idea of a letter of acknowledgment. Employees are routinely given benefit manuals, and they are required to sign a statement indicating that they have received a copy that the company provided. Many healthcare providers and lenders are also obligated by law to give clients or patients with specific warnings and legal information and have adopted the practice of asking the client or patient to sign a statement of acknowledgement.

What Is the Purpose of a Statement of Acknowledgement?

The aim of a statement of acknowledgement is to provide assurance to the sender of a letter or package that it was received by the intended recipient. Although the word comes from the postal service, today, it is used to recognize the receipt of legal papers, informational handbooks, and a variety of other materials that must be documented. Another main purpose of a statement of acknowledgement is to certify the recipient receiving the necessary papers or documents that they are being sent to as well as to validate someone acting in their place to collect important files.

How to Write a Statement of Acknowledgement

You may think there is no clear format for an acknowledgement statement, as long as you get your word out, it’s good, right? Technically, that sense holds some truth to it, the same with an Acknowledgement Receipt acting a similar role. But in order to create a more formal and well-thought-out statement, you can utilize this article for the steps. Mentioned in the following is the guide of what should be included in a certain part. Check out our available templates and examples of acknowledgement statements. Otherwise, continue reading for the steps in writing a statement of acknowledgement.

Step 1: Add an Identification Letterhead

No formal document will leave out any recognition of which company you are associated with. Even if you are unaffiliated with anyone or working freelance, your statement must still have a letterhead that is unlike others out there. Use a letterhead that is either electronic or printed. If your company does not have letterhead or stationary, simply writing your company name at the top of the page would suffice. Below it, write your company’s address, Phone and Email Contact, and website. You should establish your company at the forefront in order to identify your association and have it easily be identified to whoever is on the other end.

Step 2: Write Acknowledgement Statement

Declare that you or the assigned receiver has received the document by referring to it by name and, if appropriate, by file number that is associated with it. Some HR departments will include remarks in their acknowledgements stating that the receiver understands the document’s contents especially if it requires care or if the item is confidential or fragile. The statement should be simple and straightforward, this is not a Narrative Report and you don’t need to include figures of speech of any kind that will deter away from simply stating what the document is intended for.

Step 3: Elaborate on Further Steps

Include instructions if more action is required, such as a third-party signature, legal review, or any other items you think essential. If there is additional information that needs to be known by the receiver in place, then you as the non-receiver should include it. Such as if you are on Sick Leave and won’t be returning to work for a couple of days but would want to receive the item as soon as possible, then you may add in the acknowledgement statement additional instructions to where the document will be sent to your home address or placed upon your return.

Step 4: Provide the Signature and Date

The acknowledgment statement cannot be complete without the credible information of the recipient. For the next step, the document must have the recipient’s signature, printed name, and date of signing. All to recognize that the receiver did get the document or item on the state date and acknowledge that they are in possession of the said document. Just as any legal documents such as Sworn Statements, without the proper signature, name, and date, it may not count as an actual document that can testify the word of the receiver for having the document or item.

Step 5: Provide Contact Information

Contact Lists are essential in providing information as a method to be reached out to in case there are additional inquiries or questions that the other party such as a delivery company or mailing company have related concerns regarding the document or items that have been received. At the bottom of the statement of acknowledgment, it is more than common to include a number or email address along with the recipient’s name and signature. Even the substitute receiver should include their own contact information in order for other questions to be directed to them or so that they could answer directly to it.

Important Guidelines on Writing Statement of Acknowledgements

A Lost or missing item and document is a hassle to retrieve and file for a search of it, in the same manner, that it is time-consuming to go to authorities to file for another set of them.  And since documents are very important to have especially identification cards and the like, then you would need to know who was the last person who received your item and document if you otherwise did not know beforehand. Feel free to check our available statement of acknowledgement samples which you can choose whichever you prefer or which suits your preference more.

Don’t be vague: The identities of the issuing party and the person receiving the document should be on your acceptance receipt. A detailed description should be provided, including the name of each document being issued, the date of issuance, and the document’s purpose. Be as specific as possible especially with the names of who will be receiving the document in your place. This also pertains to the date of the statement being written for it to certify the recent and updated contents of the acknowledgement. The issue with being vague is that authorities or other departments who will be reviewing the statement will have difficulty in assessing the people involved, especially if a situation goes wrong and their involvement is more than necessary to look for the missing item or document. Receiver Gratitude: The statement should end with a thank-you note from the statement writer or the receiver themselves. “Regards” or “Best regards,” for example, are appropriate. This would help to acknowledge the assistance and the presence of the receiver. This also ties into using a formal tone to remain professional even if you are not directly speaking to anyone else. Making use of a kind tone and showing appreciation as a receiver is important in order to convey a humble and appreciative attitude. No one wants to interact with a snotty and rude individual, after all, let alone interact numerous times for business.Maintain a Good Relation with the Recipient: Encourage the receiver to contact you with any queries she may have regarding the document or the current procedure. As an added courtesy, let us know the best times to reach you. In a good way, acknowledge your relationship with the receiver. You may add something along the lines of “looking forward” to maintaining your “mutually beneficial” partnership in the future. As a company, you will be doing business with a lot of people and the recipient or even the sender may be a constant face that your company will be interacting with. So other than remaining professional with them, keeping a good relationship is also good.Make a second copy: Give the recipient a physical copy and retain the original for your records. This most applies if you are involved in a company and the item or document being received is an important document that needs the involvement of the company department assigned to go over the validation of the statement of acknowledgement. Otherwise, it can also be used for proof in certain circumstances or just a safety measure in case something goes wrong with the original copy. Like humans, an error is a common occurrence and losing the original version of the statement or the passing of time can tear it, making the words not readable or comprehensible if exposed to other elements. It’s better to be safe than sorry and having another copy would not hurt.Be on time: Ensure that employees sign acknowledgement forms as soon as they get them. Going the same route in a specific example of being involved in a company, if you are merely the one writing the statement of acknowledgement but not involved in directly receiving the item or document, then you would need to inform your employees or assigned individuals to sign the document. As mentioned above, signatures are important in certifying the involvement in the document and so that if there are inquiries, their presence can be notified immediately.Maintain a formal tone: In the acknowledgement, use professional language. As any other documents, you would need to use a formal tone in conveying the message you are going for. Avoid jargon, figurative language, or any other non-professional tone that can misinform the other party of the purpose of the statement. As expected of a company, people would want the statement of acknowledgement to be easily understood and have an air of professionalism to it. This also includes avoiding spelling errors, grammar, and typographical errors.Include all relevant information: Ensure that the penalties for non-compliance with rules are clearly stated so that the employee agrees to both receive the document and abide by its contents. As part of the profession, employees should be expected to act out accordingly and this includes carrying out the task required of them, even if it is just handling and receiving an item or document that they are not personally involved with.Proofread: Read over your acknowledgement statement, double-checking spelling, and punctuation, and making sure it’s complete. It is considered as the final stage in the writing process. However, just because it comes last does not imply it is insignificant. Proofreading makes sure that the document is free of any error and reviewed and undergoes necessary editing in order to reach that professional standard. Proofreading is crucial because it may give our writing more strength; without it, our work is more likely to include errors. Poor sentence construction, typographical errors, misspellings, tense confusion, and grammatical problems can seriously jeopardize the authenticity and credibility of any document may it be legal or not. 

FAQs

Is an acknowledgement and witness signature the same thing?

A witness signature, like an acknowledgement, requires the signer to appear in front of a Notary and be recognized as needed by state law. In most states, however, an acknowledgement does not need the Notary to witness the signing. So most cases, upon writing a statement of acknowledgment, you won’t be needing the presence of a lawyer or higher authority to legalize the Statement. As long as the statement has the signature and names, it’s enough to certify their involvement.

Is an acknowledgment legally binding?

Any Agreement between two parties, whether written or oral, can be legally enforced. The following occurs when both parties recognize and agree to the contract terms: Their signature serves as a confirmation of their agreement to the terms of the contract. Upon the completion of signatures, both parties are bound by the agreements they both had agreed upon. And if there are changes they wish to make, then they would need another discussion to update the contents.

What is an acknowledgement and why is it required?

A person who acknowledges something recognizes or permits that the certain item is connected to them in some manner. The purpose of an acknowledgement Statement is to certify that the receiver did receive the item or document that they were to receive and the requirement of it is to keep track of the people who collected certain items.

Can an acknowledgement letter be sent through email?

In the digital age now, a lot of documents are sent and forwarded through the use of email or instant messaging systems. If the other party agrees to the correspondence, then make sure the important information and the signatures, names, and dates are still attached to the electronic document. Though as safekeeping, your company can print out the emailed documents and make a printed copy. This will act as additional records and proof for your company and the other party as well.

Documents are important to file and store in any company department, it acts as a tool to safeguard information not just for the company but also for the employees as well. In order to maintain that professionalism and appropriate tasking for each, statements are necessary for those given the task to receive certain items and documents that are important not just for personal gain but for the company as well. Through this article, you are able to formulate your own statement of acknowledgement that you can use for your company or even for your personal use, either way, the importance has been stated and you are enlightened of its purpose.