client management software

[schirallicpa]

I have a new person working for me, and she can't stand how archaic I am.  She's been working in a doctors office with patient software that has all of there info in one place onscreen.  So we are looking into finding something similar.  Where the tax return is stored, the misc letters are stored, the billing is stored, the drivers license is stored, the documents they bring in are emailed to us or scanned into here. ETC.  What programs to my fellow tax preppers use?  

 

[Margaret CPA in OH]

I manage my own by folders: CPA/Individual Clients (or Business Clients or Former Clients or Everything Else)/Client Name/Tax Year and within the tax years Client NameTYXXDocs or Return or whatever else for that year.  In the main Client Name folder is Drivers License, POA, whatever else would cover multiple years.  ATX also has a folder within the program I think called Permanent File.  My system didn't cost anything and has worked for me for about 20 years. I have a paper folder only to use during the season to hold any documents provided and to be returned and maybe the original signed 2848 or 8332.

Maybe ask the new person for suggestions as to a good structure to make both your lives easier.

[Lion EA]

CCH's Scan & Flow.

[Abby Normal]

18 hours ago, Margaret CPA in OH said:

I manage my own by folders

Likewise. I've looked at document management software for decades and could never see how it was better than self management.

[Margaret CPA in OH]

I have a ScanSnap that is very quick and scans both sides for documents client provide, and my fax machine is actually another computer on a separate line that receives faxes which I save to the appropriate client file on the main computer.  And any documents now received in my Verifyle portal go to the client file as appropriate.  I can actually find just about anything pretty quickly.

[Catherine]

I use the Drake DDM (Drake Document Management) but it's really just a filing system integrated with Drake, so returns are automatically stored in the right place.  Client folders by letter, inside that by name, inside that by Tax and then by year.  For many clients we have another "Tax" level folder, to save pdfs of signed POAs etc.  Driver's licenses are in the client top level folder, named "Sara DL exp 2022" so just by looking at the folder we can confirm that we have the DL on file, and what year we'll need to ask for a new one.  We save Preparer and Client copies of returns, the bill, and the EF acks all to the same folder.

Any pertinent client email (basis info... whatever) gets printed to pdf in the folder for the tax year in question.  Ditto for all client original documents (and we use Gruntworx to get a lovely indexed and bookmarked pdf for our records).  

Unless you want to add in quarterly review reminders, birthday cards, and that stuff (I've never had time for any of that), I don't think you need a "client management software" package that you'll then have to make worth with your other electronic records.

For our 8879s, we collect them by date received, separately for feds and state, on paper (including printing out those we get electronically).  At the end of the filing season, that folder is put in the filing cabinet.  After three years, we scan the whole kit and caboodle and then shred the paper.