Paper Vs Electronic Client Copy

[Roberts]

Per their website and PCWorld:

PrimoPDF also allows you to secure your document. Unlike in older versions, you don't select the level of encryption; everything is 128-bit.

[MAJ]

Some Free-Bee's... Not BeeNees ---

Okay -- I am virtually paperless. On my end.
All documents that touch my desk get scanned. Works Great - ScanSnap!.
Although the new Epson is similar priced and TWAIN compliant. Missed by that much! 8-(

Paper copes - most - but I am trying to go electronic. Kills me when clients expect me to print things for them because they can't find what I gave them yesterday or last month! I have to start charging. Paper is $40 a case at Staples. I wait for the Uber-Sale though.

GOOGLE DOCS boys and girls. FREE! Client Portal for the budget conscious (poor ok cheap - but I prefer - Smart!! ) They give you 2 gigs but you can buy 20 gigs a year for $5.

I do NOT keep client docs out there. But, when a client wants a copy of THEIR tax return I send them a shared request from Google Docs - Has worked great this summer alone!!. It is HTTPS so it is 230 compliant. Sending in email -Nope! Not even sure how acceptable an encrypted Doc is. Call PrimoPDF (very familiar with them) - Tell them you lost the password and see what they say -- If they can crack it for you - NO WAY ACCEPTABLE!

GOOGLE Voice... You can sign up for a Free phone number. This is the phone number you can give out to those certain clients but don't want to give your real cell number out to. You know - the good clients - not the PIA's!! they can call the /dev/null phone number! (That's computer geek speak for - direct to the garbage).

My pitch to my client this year will be - On CD means you get the tax return and ALL supporting documents (I do NOT hard print every supporting document). In addition, all scanned documents that support your tax position. In addition, a copy of the last two years returns as well. That's 3 years in one place -

All of your returns in One Place (they will misplace that too). but at least I saved on paper and ink!! A 100 pack of CD's can be had for dirt these days on sale. Drag and drop the client folder and your done. Takes what - a minute to burn. Less than the print out!!

[Gary2]

GOOGLE DOCS boys and girls. FREE! Client Portal for the budget conscious (poor ok cheap - but I prefer - Smart!! ) They give you 2 gigs but you can buy 20 gigs a year for $5.

I do NOT keep client docs out there. But, when a client wants a copy of THEIR tax return I send them a shared request from Google Docs - Has worked great this summer alone!!. It is HTTPS so it is 230 compliant. Sending in email -Nope! Not even sure how acceptable an encrypted Doc is.

The https protocol encrypts the network connection, but says nothing about the storage. I didn't see anything in the Google Docs help about the files being encrypted while on their servers, or otherwise inaccessible to their employees.

I don't see a huge difference between https or a standalone utility both using the same encryption algorithms, other than the difficulty of determining whether the standalone utility is really doing what it's advertised as doing.