Looking for comments on use of Dropbox to send/receive docs and tax returns with clients. I regularly use Dropbox to back up files and I share a few files with clients. As tax season dragged on this year to mid July, I found myself using Dropbox with with a few more clients to avoid in-person contact. I have a home office practice and I pick up and deliver to my clients. The younger ones are more receptive to using DB. All comments are appreciated evev if you are using a different app. Thanks.
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I suppose that could be a niche market. I only pickup/deliver to 3 or 4 very long time older clients who can't drive.I have a home office practice and I pick up and deliver to my clients.
Does your tax software provide a portal to subscribe for secure upload/download? If yes you may want to try it. My software is integrated with SecureFile Pro.- Get files from your client – Your client can upload W-2s and other tax documents to your Drake Portals site.
- Send files to your client – You can upload your client’s finished tax return and other documents. Your client can sign in and download whenever it’s convenient, from any computer with Internet access.
- Works with Drake Documents – Create a client folder and upload documents all at once, with one click.
- Custom-branded with your company logo and subdomain – <yourbusinessname>.SecureFilePro.com.
- Security is built in – Your site and files are always protected by tough, industry-standard security measures. All transmissions are secure, and files are encrypted at rest on the server. At all times, clients can view and access only their own documents.
- Safeguard sensitive documents – Don’t risk sending confidential documents openly by fax or email. Share and transfer them the smart, responsible way, with Drake Portals.
- Easy to use – Drake Portals is web-based, and works with just about any browser and computer. Uses folders and files, just like your computer. Uploading, downloading, renaming, and deleting files is simple, obvious and quick.
- Drake Tax cloud backup – You can now also use Drake Portals to back up your Drake Tax files. In Drake Tax, the option is available in the Backup and Restore dialog box.
- Flexible storage – Drake Portals comes with 5 Gb of file transfer space for all plans. Additional space is available at $9.95 per month or $99.95 per year, per 25 Gb.
A mobile-friendly interface lets clients take photos of tax documents and upload them to your Drake Portals site.- Instant messaging allows communicating back and forth with clients within Drake Portals.
- A prior-year summary helps clients gather what they need to send you for the new tax year.
- Online organizers let your clients provide tax information by filling out online forms.
- An online electronic signature option lets you get signatures from clients on their mobile device or PC.*
- Online payments make it easy to collect payment electronically.**
Taxes after all are the dues that we pay for the privileges of membership in an organized society. - FDR -
If you are going to go paperless, try to go all the way. Engagement letters, Consent to use/disclose letters, tax returns and source documents, Form 8879 signatures, and invoice & payment should all be done online and paperless. Don't go half-way, you get the worst of both worlds. A few clients may resist, you can still use paper but charge accordingly.
Three of the most important features of a file sharing portal for a tax professional are:
1) administrative audit logs, showing timestamped records of logins, uploads, and downloads, along with network IP address of the user who made the transaction.
2) automatic email notifications of file uploads to both you and the taxpayer
3) MFA (multi factor authentication) for logins
Another habit I have found very helpful - whenever the client uploads a document for me, it sits there until I download it. When I download it, I also delete it from their folder. This helps ensure I download every document exactly once, which is quite important. In the product I use, these deleted documents actually go into a recycle bin folder, which I empty once a year, in early January as I prepare for the new season."You said it, they'll never know the difference. Come on, we'll paint our way out!" - Moe HowardComment
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I researched these file portals when the virus crap hit. I even tried Smartvault which integrates with our prep software. But it would be way, way to complicated for most of our clients. We went with Encyro Simple to use and most important its simple for clients to use !! Works via smartphone too. We had quite a few clients utilize it too. Doesn't hurt to check them out. Plus the price is fantastic.Comment
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You don't want the run of the mill commercial software/portal that is easy to hack. You want a tax prep grade portal. Definitely check out what your tax prep software offers. Also, see what your website and internet carrier offer. I use the very simple FileShare that's included with my CCH SiteBuilder website. (CCH has a more robust Portal, but my clients don't need that, more for biz clients with multiple users.) A LOT of my clients migrated to it this year. I also moved a lot of clients to using CCH's eSign which collects signatures and delivers tax returns. (I still mailed a lot of tax folders, but clients had an electronic copy to review &/or to use for FAFSA, mortgages, etc.) With NY accepting electronic signatures for most of this tax season, I was able to use eSign for many more of my clients. Now I need to set it up for engagement letters and other signatures that don't have to be verified.Comment
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Good advice all around and I appreciate it very much. Five months away we start 2020 tax season and hope we are out of this pandemic but I'm just thinking how to deal with clients the best way if we aren't. Also, I want to prepare them for what to expect when I send out my organizer letter in late November - only three months away.Comment
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I used to send them in December and realized that folks just don't look at it so early, and many misplace them. So now I send them after New Years holiday (end of week or early following week) and found that to be more effective.I want to prepare them for what to expect when I send out my organizer letter in late November - only three months away.
What has been your experience sending Organizers in Nov?Taxes after all are the dues that we pay for the privileges of membership in an organized society. - FDRComment
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You could test your soon-to-be new portal by sending organizers to your clients via your portal. The time you spend in November or whenever helping your clients use your portal will be offset by the time/expense saved by not printing/mailing organizers. Then your clients will be able to return their organizers and tax documents via your new portal to get you up and running for tax season.
Does your tax prep software have an electronic version of its organizer to deliver via your portal?Comment
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Good suggestions all around. About 3/4 oif my clients are retired and many of them only use computers to email their grandkids, a few are on Facebook and that's it. I'll work on the other 1/4 of them. I use ProSeries and their product is SmartVault. I'll check it out. Thanks for the comments.Comment
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I had demoed this previously. Its functionality is similar to Securifile pro, but the monthly price is higher. But if it seamlessly integrates with Proseries it may be worth your time to demo it to see if it is a good fit for your business model. From my own experience I can tell you that some of your clients will resist change. Be prepared for walking them through the process. I had a client who refused to use the online organizer.I use ProSeries and their product is SmartVault. I'll check it out. Thanks for the comments.Taxes after all are the dues that we pay for the privileges of membership in an organized society. - FDRComment
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I was very surprised when I started using eSign that my older clients and those that use nothing but a smart phone had no problem at all with eSign. I was expecting resistance but got none! (Of course, I have one client without a printer who doesn't like using her computer or smart phone and won't let me mail any tax items to her. Luckily she's only a couple towns over so drops off in the mail slot in my front door and lets hubby deliver to her. I do insist on e-filing, and she does like direct deposit/debit.) I think my first year using CCH's FileShare portal I had no more than six users. Now it's very popular. Try a portal now to get a few of your extension clients/tax-planning clients used to using it and get you used to explaining it to them. Next tax season urge more to use it. You could deliver your organizers via your portal. Then only mail out to those who had problems or objected. (I tell my clients that it's hosted by my same software company that transmits their returns to the IRS and states, so is as safe as you can get.)Comment
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If you use Pro Series, they offer as part of the software cost something called “Link” that might offer what you are looking for at no additional cost.Originally posted by Greenbriar View Post
Are you aware of that offering?Always cite your source for support to defend your opinionComment
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Thanks TAXNJ for the suggestion. I had not looked into it until now and it may work. I'm going to test iut out with a client who. Thanks for the tip.Originally posted by TAXNJ View PostComment
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We use Proseries too and tried Smartvault. Would be too complicated on our client end of things. If you have tech savvy clients then its a viable option. If not as in our case, Encyro is a viable choice. Simple to use and set up. With Smartvault, clients have to create an account and we could forecast many. many phone calls on how to set it up. Dont have time for holding hands to do that. With Encyro, clients have a choice to set up one or not. And its pretty darn easy. I was surprised at how many used it and nobody had issues. Had both older and younger clients use it.Comment
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Thanks for the tip on Encyro. Wondering if you looked at the Intuit Link feature that comes with the ProSeries.Comment
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