Ultra Tax E Signature AddOn

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#1
swgordon  
Does anyone use the esignature addon for Ultratax? I am thinking of implementing it for 2019 and apparently you can upload your engagement letters and have them signed too. I also have a fillable questionnaire and EFT Authorization form that I need to have signed. It appears that these would not be eligible for esignature via this platform. Can anyone that is using it provide any insight?
 

#2
makbo  
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I've been using it for 3 years now with success. There is a fair amount of on line help from TR (vendor), and I strongly recommend you experiment on yourself first, before clients.

You are incorrect about EFT authorizations, those can be e-signed.

Here's what I do. First, I send client engagement letter and consent to disclose, if appropriate. They sign, very easy, no KBA. This tells me the are going to be a returning client this year. Then I send them my Yes/No questionnaire with a cover letter, which they can fill out online if they wish, but I don't require it. No signature.

Finally, when return is ready to sign and file, I send the 8879+state, and also bank verification forms. All four forms (fed 8879, fed bank verify, state 8879, state bank verify) are e-signed using KBA and the status is automatically updated into the tax return (well, except for the state 8879 signature, I have to check the "signature received" box myself).

Each spouse on MFJ returns must have a separate email and sign separately for KBA. For the engagement letter, I can use just one spouse if I wish per setting in UT. Signature requests can be cancelled and re-issued. Clients have 4 days for KBA signatures before they expire, but they can be re-issued. If client fails the KBA or declines, you only get one shot for that. Non-KBA signatures are more flexible. You manage all this from one of the UT home page screens. And of course there is a fee, but only for successful signatures -- multiple signatures at one time do not cost extra.
 

#3
jdctax  
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How do you send the Yes/No questionnaire? I'd like to send something that can be filled out online with required questions (i.e. foreign bank accounts, changes to marital status or dependents, etc) and the ability to fill in organizer info if desired but I haven't found a great system for doing that yet.
 

#4
makbo  
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jdctax wrote:How do you send the Yes/No questionnaire? I'd like to send something that can be filled out online with required questions (i.e. foreign bank accounts, changes to marital status or dependents, etc) and the ability to fill in organizer info if desired but I haven't found a great system for doing that yet.

The questionnaire is just one part of the overall organizer package, it's the only one I normally use, although clients can optionally fill out more organizer pages on line if they wish.

It's not feasible to provide a tutorial here, but what you want can be done, there are actually quite a few organizer options available with UT, for delivery on paper, by email, or through the vendor portal. And you can customize most of them. You are just going to have to dig into the help screens, and experiment on yourself (or a staff/family member). They may even have some video tutorials at the vendor web site, after all this is a product they promote.

To get the most flexibility and ability to send files back and forth with clients, you need to buy their NetPortal product, I think. It's not cheap, so instead I upload and retrieve organizers and signatures forms on a per-return basis, which means I can't upload files to the client, they can only send files to me (and I choose the option for "one time only", as I have another portal I use regularly for everything else).
 

#5
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What's the cost of this? Curious as to setting up templates to use in RightSignature, since the documents are basically the same in format.

But realistically, it is not difficult for any of my clients to scan their signed forms. Not sure I feel like taking on the cost, because it just means I pass it onto clients through increased fees.
 

#6
makbo  
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CornerstoneCPA wrote:What's the cost of this?

Remember, only successful esignatures are charged, so it costs nothing to send. Engagement/consent signatures are $1, KBA-based signatures are $5, which includes up to 2 taxpayers (MFJ) and all state/bank forms as well at no extra charge.

CornerstoneCPA wrote:But realistically, it is not difficult for any of my clients to scan their signed forms.

But before that, they had to print them and sign them. I have some clients who don't have regular access to desktop computer or printer at all, they use their "smart" phone for everything digital. eSignature is completely paperless and can comfortably be handled on a mobile device. I don't really want any more clients than I already have who can't or won't use paperless technology.

The audit log info of the signature(s) is much stronger evidence than a chicken scratch on a paper form. And for those clients who I have never met in person, the KBA basically serves as my due diligence as to their identity. Lastly, as I speculated but can't prove, I think the IRS treats KBA signed returns as more trustworthy, because I'm pretty sure they receive that information about how it was signed.
 

#7
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Huh, interesting. So far this year, I have been almost entirely paper free with tax prep. I'll look into the UT esig service. Nice thing about RightSignature is that it can be used for ANYTHING, including contracts. But, I do not want to take on their fixed monthly fee.
 

#8
swgordon  
makbo is there the option to fill in data in the engagement letter or eft authorization? i need them to fill in their bank info on the eft form and on my engagement letter i have them fill in DOB, etc. i could move those items to the questionnaire but still need the bank info on the eft.

Cornerstone just fyi, Ultratax quoted me $2000 for $750 efile signatures and unlimited "other" signature docs.

It is appealing just for the efile sigs even if the engagement letter wont work. I can't tell you how much time I spend going after clients for efile forms and then scanning them once i actually receive them back.
 

#9
makbo  
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swgordon wrote:makbo is there the option to fill in data in the engagement letter or eft authorization? i need them to fill in their bank info on the eft form and on my engagement letter i have them fill in DOB, etc. i could move those items to the questionnaire but still need the bank info on the eft.

If you want to collect DOB and bank info online, it would be via the organizer, not esign.

It is possible to insert some "live" data into the engagement letter and other templates, for example the taxpayer's name and address obviously is unique to each output letter. I haven't used it much otherwise, so you'll have to check what's possible.

As for price you quoted, TR does offer pay per organizer/signature option for smaller practices at the prices I quoted previously.
 

#10
jdctax  
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makbo wrote:
jdctax wrote:How do you send the Yes/No questionnaire? I'd like to send something that can be filled out online with required questions (i.e. foreign bank accounts, changes to marital status or dependents, etc) and the ability to fill in organizer info if desired but I haven't found a great system for doing that yet.

The questionnaire is just one part of the overall organizer package, it's the only one I normally use, although clients can optionally fill out more organizer pages on line if they wish.

It's not feasible to provide a tutorial here, but what you want can be done, there are actually quite a few organizer options available with UT, for delivery on paper, by email, or through the vendor portal. And you can customize most of them. You are just going to have to dig into the help screens, and experiment on yourself (or a staff/family member). They may even have some video tutorials at the vendor web site, after all this is a product they promote.

To get the most flexibility and ability to send files back and forth with clients, you need to buy their NetPortal product, I think. It's not cheap, so instead I upload and retrieve organizers and signatures forms on a per-return basis, which means I can't upload files to the client, they can only send files to me (and I choose the option for "one time only", as I have another portal I use regularly for everything else).



Thanks for the info. I use Sharefile for my portal so was looking for something for just the organizer as well. I'll check out the one off options. I did see some info in my training about the electronic organizer and only paying for the ones that are completed - I'll have to explore that more.
 


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