Follow these steps to activate UltraTax CS for tax years 2025 and onward
Starting with tax year 2025, SurePrep has introduced a new, simplified integration process for UltraTax CS customers (local desktop and Virtual Office/SaaS). This
mandatory one-time setup
replaces the previous integration method and significantly reduces the complexity of connecting SurePrep services with UltraTax CS.
This is a mandatory, one-time integration that ALL firms using SurePrep and UltraTax CS must complete to create binders and Document Request Lists (DRLs) for the 2025 tax year.
Action Required: Complete New Integration Setup
note
New
mandatory
requirements for the upcoming 2025 tax year:
All firms using SurePrep with UltraTax CS
must
complete this new integration setup or
you will not be able to create binders or Document Request Lists (DRL) for tax year 2025
Firms using SurePrep Single Sign-On (legacy)
must
migrate to Thomson Reuters SSO as soon as possible. Your firm users will not be able to create binders or DRL for the 2025 tax year until you update your SSO connections. Contact SurePrep Support for more information.
Step 1: Main Integration Setup (Required for ALL UltraTax CS customers)
Follow these steps to complete the one-time integration setup:
Open
UltraTax CS
Navigate to
Setup
,
System Configuration
.
Select the
SurePrep & SafeSend Integrations
tab, then the
Select Firm ID
button.
Select your
Firm ID
from the drop-down menu, then
OK
.
Select
Enable SurePrep Integration
(if not already selected)
Select
OK
to save all settings.
You're now set to create binders for tax year 2025!
tip
To view your connection in SurePrep, navigate to
FileRoom
,
Account Admin
,
Account Setup
,
Tax File Activation Web
,
UltraTax CS
(tab). Your UltraTax account will appear in the
UltraTax CS Firm Connection Details
section.
Step 2: Additional Setup for TaxCaddy Customers (UltraTax CS Local Desktop Only)
note
Skip this step if you don't use both UltraTax CS
Local Desktop
AND TaxCaddy.
Starting with tax year 2025, UltraTax CS Local Desktop users need to assign their UltraTax firm Account Number to clients:
Go to
TaxCaddy
,
Administrative
,
CLIENT MANAGEMENT
.
Select the
Edit Multiple Clients
icon for bulk updates.
In the Excel file, assign your firm's UltraTax Account Number to all clients.
tip
Select the account number in the top cell, then drag down using the fill handle to apply to all clients
Upload the updated Excel file
using the Edit Multiple Clients feature.
You can now create DRLs for tax year 2025!
If you are creating binders for a new tax year and choose to roll forward clients from the previous tax year:
Select
Setup
System Configuration
SurePrep & SafeSend Integrations
Utilities
Proforma
.
Next, sync the clients to ultratax.com – you can either sync clients on the
Proforma
window (as in rolling forward previous year clients to the current tax year) or from the Utilities menu
Proforma
window (recommended): Select the clients you want to roll forward to the current year, select the checkbox for
Sync client to ultratax.com on proforma
, then select
Proforma
.
Sync clients
window: If you already used the
Proforma
feature without selecting the sync clients checkbox, then you can either redo the Proforma and start over, or go to
Utilities
Sync Clients to ultratax.com
to sync clients.
Important Reminders
One-Time Setup Per Firm
Only one user per firm needs to complete this integration
The user must have permissions to access
System Configuration
in UltraTax CS
Changes apply to the entire firm account
The user completing this integration in UltraTax must also have the same email address account in
FileRoom
,
Admin
,
Users
, then
User Management
Ensure SurePrep API is enabled for your firm
Account Limitations
One SurePrep firm account can connect to one UltraTax account (and vice versa)
If you have multiple FileRoom accounts (for example, a training account), you'll need to disconnect and select the appropriate FileRoom account in UltraTax. Use caution when disconnecting - this change applies to your entire firm and may disrupt existing binders. We recommend you carefully manage disconnection/reconnection to avoid disrupting production workflows.
note
Disconnect with caution
- all pending binders (in processing) will be discontinued for all clients and can't be restarted.
Tax Year Coverage
This integration applies to tax year 2025 onwards for binders and DRL. If you need to create binders for previous tax years (like 2024 and 2023), then follow the instructions on the legacy activation article. Both integrations can coexist for different tax years
Firms using SSO
If your firm is using SurePrep's SSO (legacy), then you must switch over to Thomson Reuters SSO immediately. Your firm will not be able to create binders or TaxCaddy DRL until you migrate.
SSO migration may take time to set up; we highly recommend initiating the process now.
If you have any questions or need assistance, contact our Support team (
Why am I not able to connect with SurePrep from UltraTax?
Check if you have SurePrep API enabled in
FileRoom
,
Account Admin
, then check if the user attempting to complete the integration in UltraTax is also added as a user in FileRoom (with the same email address). If you are still not able to connect, please contact Support.
Does this work for both Local Desktop and Virtual Office?
Yes
, this activation applies to both UltraTax CS Local Desktop and Virtual Office/SaaS in one unified process.
What if I need to create binders for 2024 and earlier tax years?
You must continue using the existing (legacy) UltraTax CS setup for 2024 and prior tax years.
Does each user at my firm need to complete this integration?
No
, only one user per firm needs to complete the integration. The user must have UltraTax CS permissions to access
Setup
,
System Configuration
What SurePrep services require this integration?
The integration is required for TaxCaddy, 1040SCAN PRO, 1040SCANverify, 1040SCAN Organize, and SPbinder services. It does not apply to customers using only the SurePrep Outsource service.
When should I complete this activation?
You must complete the integration before creating any SurePrep binders or TaxCaddy DRL.