Imogen – welcome to the site! :)

Yes, that particular company with the RFI request was…interesting. :) I completely understand how companies need to do due diligence. That’s OK. At the same time, it seems like someone on the “inside” would say, “Hey, a lot of companies don’t want to give up their tax returns. Good companies. Perhaps we should rethink this….”

It would be funny to turn it around and ask for freelancer references. Wish I would have thought of that.

Thanks for your comment! :)

I agree that RFIs are little more than thinly disguised job interviews. The mentality of employer/employee seems to persist in the US (and to some extent in the UK & Australia), as opposed to the business partnership this really is.

It is tempting to ask these intrusive potential clients for their tax returns and examples of their previous dealings with freelancers – both positive and negative – to help illustrate that an RFI is intrusive at best and a request for free work at worst.

A successful business arrangement needs to be a collaboration built on mutual trust and respect, not a way for clients to suck as much information and resources as possible out of a service provider (or, conversely, for the service provider to dupe the client).

I can only think of 2 reasons to ask such close to the vest information – 1) they want to see how much information you’ll divulge (hey, maybe you’re desperate) and/or 2) they’re CRAZY.

I’d never provide that information unless I knew who the client was, the scope of the project, the gig was mine AND I’d actually had a personal conversation with said client in which I felt comfortable.

As I client, I’d never ask for that info upfront — I’d be afraid I’d miss out on great potential partners who’d take themselves out of the running (just like you).

I always learn something new. I didn’t even know what RFI’s were until I read this blog. Is that usually in the B2B market?