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Get started with TaxCaddy for staff and admin

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. What fields are required on the import template?
    Taxpayer First Name
    ,
    Taxpayer Last Name
    ,
    Owner
    ,
    Office Location
    , and
    Custom field
     (if applicable).
    Taxpayer Email Address
     is not required to import your clients, but it is strongly recommended because it is required in order to invite your clients to create a TaxCaddy account and connect with you.
  2. What will happen if non-required fields are not filled out on the import template?
    Some fields are not required to import a client but are required to
    Create Custom DRLs
     (creating missing items list using proforma data) for your clients. When these are not included in the import template, you will not be able to create a Custom DRL for these clients until this information is added to their records. These fields are:
    • Tax Software
    • Tax Software Account Number
    • Tax Client ID
    • Tax Software Password
    • Tax Version
    If spouse-related information is left blank, mail merge data for the spouse will not be available when sending the
    Invite
     and
    Reminder
     templates to your clients.
  3. What makes Office Location a required field?
    Office location can be a required field when office location has been enabled from Account Admin. Alternatively, office location can also be a required field when binder access restrictions are enabled based on office location.
  4. Will the import template insert tax professional users into FileRoom?
    No, you will need to create those users in FileRoom before adding them as Owners in the template you provide to SurePrep.
  5. When testing TaxCaddy, can I use the same email address as both a tax professional account and a taxpayer account?
    No, if your email address already exists in our system as a tax professional account, adding the same email address as a taxpayer account will result in you being locked out of your tax professional account. We recommend using a personal email address to set up your personal/taxpayer TaxCaddy account.If you would like to test multiple taxpayer accounts, we suggest using a gmail.com email account and appending +[AnythingHere] between the username and "@gmail.com". For example, someone with the email address myname@gmail.com could register multiple, separate TaxCaddy accounts using that email address by entering the email address as myname
    +test1
    @gmail.com, myname
    +test2
    @gmail.com, myname
    +test3
    @gmail.com, and so on. TaxCaddy will allow each of these to be registered as unique email addresses while all email correspondence will be sent to the inbox of the same address.
  6. Some client information was unavailable to me when creating a client's account. Is there any way for the client to add their own information beyond what I provided in Client Management?
    When a client is sent your firm's questionnaire from
    Client Management
    , they will automatically be sent a Personal Information task for them to provide information like SSN, mailing address, dependent information, etc. This information can then be reviewed within their profile under
    MORE ACTIONS
     >
    View Personal Information
    .
  7. When entering new client information into the Client Management tab, does it matter who is listed as Taxpayer and who is listed as Spouse?  Will this impact any pushes to SurePrep? 
    Yes, the client's TaxCaddy experience will be impacted because the person listed as the taxpayer will be the primary account holder, not the spouse. Tasks and requests requiring the taxpayer's attention (i.e. signing/reviewing documents, the questionnaire, personal information requests) will be assigned to solely the main account holder, not the spouse as well. However, it will not impact SurePrep or GoSystem.
  8. Are the taxpayer and spouse required to have separate accounts?
    No, the taxpayer and spouse can digitally sign documents from the taxpayer's TaxCaddy account.Alternatively, the spouse can sign documents from their own account.The taxpayer will need to send their spouse an invitation to create an
    Additional User Account
     granting access to the taxpayer’s account. This is required so that both the taxpayer and spouse can digitally sign required documents.
  9. After my client has established a TaxCaddy account, can I grant other individuals access to the TaxCaddy account? 
    No. The TaxCaddy account is owned and maintained by the client. The firm has no role in creating or granting access to an account other than sending the initial invitation. The client can easily grant access to anyone they wish (family office, broker, children, etc.) by creating an
    Additional User Account
     under their account
    Settings
    .
  10. Can one email be used by a family office for multiple individuals?
    No, each TaxCaddy account must be established with a unique email address.
  11. Who will have access to the client’s TaxCaddy account?
    All your firm's tax professionals with the permission necessary to access TaxCaddy have access to all client profiles. You can restrict access to client profiles using the optional Assigned Members Only feature. For more information see articles on Enable Assigned Members Only, configure related permissions and add members to Member Engagement Teams.
  12. Why can't I access a client profile?
    You may not be able to access a client's profile due to access restrictions based on not being the Owner or an assigned member. You may also be prevented access due to not having 7216 Consent or not being in the same office as the client.
  13. I have access to a client's profile, but why can't I see their account activities after they've accepted their TaxCaddy invitation from my firm?
    Your client may need to have their identity confirmed before you can view their activities in their account, and vice versa. If a client had trouble verifying their mobile number/SSN during account creation, they will need to be confirmed. In order to protect both parties' sensitive information in the meantime, neither you nor your client can see each other's activities in the profile.
  14. Can I purge a client's account?
    No, the account is owned by the client. While you can download the documents you'd like to keep before disconnecting from a client, the account belongs to the client.
  15. Do spouses get the same notification emails as taxpayers?
    No, spouses do not get notification emails. Only taxpayers get notification emails.
  16. If I send a message to the client within the TaxCaddy application, are they notified via email?
    Yes. The client is notified via email that they have received a message
    .
  17. How does my client access their questionnaire again after they have already clicked the initial questionnaire notification? What about after they've completed the questionnaire?  
    Before you file a client's questionnaire to tax documents, they can always access their questionnaire from the task list on their
    Overview
     screen. For more detailed instructions, review the TaxCaddy help center article for the taxpayer experience.After you file the questionnaire to tax documents, clients can still access and review their questionnaire answers from the
    Overview
     screen. Because their questionnaire has been filed to tax documents, they can also view a PDF of their answers by toggling to the
    Uploaded Documents
     files in the
    Documents
     tab of their account. If your client would like to update the information they've provided in the questionnaire, they can delete the archived questionnaire document to revert their questionnaire to an editable state.
  18. Will Create Custom DRL work for firms who want to use TaxCaddy but don’t use other SurePrep services? 
    Yes, Create Custom DRL will work for standalone users as long as it is for one of the SurePrep supported software packages (GoSystem Tax RS, ProSystem fx Tax, CCH Axcess Tax, Lacerte, and UltraTax).
  19. When creating a Custom DRL, do I need to enter a password on the Client Management screen for password-protected tax files in ProSystem fx prior to creating the DRL?
    No, passwords are not required for ProSystem fx.
  20. What is the benefit to the client of uploading documents to TaxCaddy versus providing the information to their tax professional via email?
    There are 2 main benefits:
    1. Increased security of their sensitive information since they are uploading via a secure portal (no need to password-protect documents prior to email).
    2. The documents are digitally stored in an organized format. You can track which requested documents have been uploaded by the taxpayer and which ones are still pending. You can also send documents for e-sign, taxpayers can sign the document from TaxCaddy mobile and web.
  21. Can my clients add documents like PDF, Word, and Excel or are they required to take a picture?
    Yes, your clients can upload these formats into TaxCaddy. The ability to upload a picture on the mobile app is merely a convenience, not a requirement.
  22. Can a client still provide hard copies of their documents even though they have a TaxCaddy account?
    Yes. If you receive hard copies (or emails) of documents from your client, you can upload those documents directly to your client's TaxCaddy account.
  23. Can we upload multiple SOWs for client signature to their TaxCaddy account?
    Yes, so long as the client is the authorized signer. For instance, you may upload the SOW for the client’s minor child to TaxCaddy for digital signature since the taxpayer would be the legal authorized signer.
  24. A client mistakenly indicated that they were Done Uploading tax documents for the current tax year. Is there any way to revert their status?
    After a client has used the
    I'M DONE UPLOADING
     feature, they’ll still be able to upload documents to their selected return and tax year. However, as their tax professional, you have the ability to revert their status to before they used the feature. When this happens, your client can continue to upload their tax documents and you will be alerted of the next time they use the
    I'M DONE UPLOADING
     feature.
  25. When using eSignature for 8879s, will my tax software be updated automatically, or will I still need to enter the e-signature info manually?
    The e-signature from TaxCaddy won’t be updated in any tax software automatically. You will need to update it manually.
  26. Do you have to create the SurePrep binder from within TaxCaddy?
    Yes. The SurePrep binder must be created from within TaxCaddy in order to push the client’s documents to the SurePrep binder without having to download them. Only create a SurePrep binder the ‘old-fashioned way’ once you have determined that the client won’t be utilizing TaxCaddy. Therefore, it is highly recommended to hold off on creating SurePrep binders until you have been able to assess your client’s interest in TaxCaddy.
  27. If you create the SurePrep binder within TaxCaddy, are you then required to open the binder only through TaxCaddy or can you still access it through SurePrep (the ‘old-fashioned way’)?
     You can open the binder via TaxCaddy or SurePrep.
  28. Will Schedule K-1s appear at the end of the binder? 
    Yes, when creating a binder or adding documents to an existing binder from within TaxCaddy, documents within the category Schedule K-1s will always be moved to the end of the binder.
  29. How long are clients' documents retained?
    Firms will have access to a taxpayer's documents and information for the current tax year only. After this time, TaxCaddy documents are retained for tax years that the CPA firm has sponsored. Clients with documents in tax years that are not sponsored will have the option to pay the TaxCaddy storage fee to retain their documents. 
  30. How secure is the client information?
    TaxCaddy has been audited, tested, and validated by an independent, security-focused consulting firm employing leaders in the industry. TaxCaddy employs the strictest security steps for safeguarding your data. Review the security audit attestation for additional information.
  31. Is TaxCaddy only for the 1040 product or can we use it for 1041s?
    TaxCaddy is available for both 1040 and 1041 clients to use! TaxCaddy proudly provides full support for your clients' 1040 tax return needs and currently offers partial support for 1041 tax returns. Stay up to date to know when more 1041 features are released.
  32. Are mobile applications available now?
    Yes, mobile apps are available for iPhone and Android.

This article applies to:

  • Product: SurePrep
  • Sub Product: TaxCaddy
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