DMA2Go – Episode 9 – Integrating DMS into the Tax Practice
Oct. 15, 2008
Host: John Higgins, CPA.CITP www.CPACrossings.comCall to leave messages: 1-800-456-0864 ext# 2106Next recording – Episode # 10 on Friday, November 21, 2008 at 11:30am EasternTopic 1 – Milestones in the tax prep. processData gathering & organization
Tax preparation & review
Document distribution & archiving
Topic 2 – DMS tools and best practices for each milestone
Data gathering –
- Try to procure info electronically to minimize scanning
- PDF, e-mail, Word, Excel, remote entry (on-line organizer)
- Scanning process
- Consider scan & organize tools (see CPATA Sep 08 – Scan & Organize)
- ProFx Scan, ATX/TaxWise Scan & Fill, GruntWorx, SurePrep – 1040 scan, Thomson GFR taxsort, Thomson FCS. [Intuit rumored to be announcing a product soon.]
- Procure the appropriate scanner. Emphasize centralized scanning. Do a walkthrough of your scanning workflow and communicate throughout office. Gain efficiency through a standardized process.
- Decide whether to use front end scanning (paperless preparation), mid point scanning (paperless review) or after the fact scanning (paperless archiving). Most important decision.
- Consider scan & organize tools (see CPATA Sep 08 – Scan & Organize)
- Preparation process
- Develop a document / file organization model
- Windows Explorer file structure
- DMS solution (CPATA June / August)
- Get all prior year files and documents into system and organized
- Develop document annotation and tick marking standards / policy.
- Learn how to use Adobe for annotation
- Determine methodology for review note tracking and processing
- Workflow software
- Word / Excel
- Adobe
- Tax software
- Paper
- Decide which versions of tax return to print to PDF; Accountant, Client, Government
- Walkthrough workflow procedures, document and communicate to all staff
- Develop a document / file organization model
- Document Distribution & archiving
- Print all forms & returns to PDF and then determine which ones to print to paper, if any!
- Print Accountant and taxpayer copy to PDF (more efficient in the long run)
- Emphasize distributing final taxpayer copy via PDF e-mail attachment (portal preferred)
- Discourage paper or CD distribution due to unnecessary cost and security risk.
- Develop password protection policy for all PDFs going outside the firm
- Develop pw model based on a standard that results in a unique password for each client.
- Structure the policy so that anyone who has access to client info can determine the pw.
- Investigate the use of a portal, recommend this decision made in conjunction with, or after procurement of DMS.
Final thoughts – don’t bite off more than you can chew, but go far enough to challenge your team to make significant progress to leveraging technology to maximize efficiency.