kathyt wrote: I don't understand the people who said they just print to pdf, do you have to find the right folder with each tax return you print? In DMS in automatically finds the right client folder, can you set it up to print to PDF like that? What about all of the data we have in it now? So would anyone be so kind as to be a little bit more detailed on how you print to pdf?
Hi Kathy
I use Proseries so my set up might be slightly different.
I set up Proseries to print all pdf returns to the desktop. I then move them from the desktop to the appropriate client folder. When I "print" the tax returns I print (in pdf form) the filing copy, the taxpayer copy and the preparer copy (which as stated earlier go directly to the desktop). After I print them to the desktop I move them to the folder of my choice.
kathyt wrote: How you set up the files? We currently scan in all of our work papers in addition to the printing the tax return to DMS. I guess the bottom line is that if I don't got with Smart Vault, and I don't think I will, that I won't be able to set up Lacerte so that the return prints directly to the client file.
I scan all of my paperwork as well. I scan the organizer, source documents (W-2 forms, 1099 forms, 1098 forms, brokerage statements, K-1s) essentially any document that supports the tax return. The only exception to this in my practice is that I do not scan detailed receipts (a few clients give me stacks of receipts and I do not scan each and every one of those if the taxpayer has all ready recapped them and put the total in the organizer).
On my hard drive I set up a folder for each client, then under the client name I set up a folder for each tax year, under each tax year I have a folders segregated the way that I like them. Here's my file set up:
Smith, John (a folder with the name of the client)
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2013 (a folder under the clients name with the appropriate tax year). Then under each year I have the following folders:
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Client's disk(a file folder that contains the files that I burn onto a CD for the client, this CD contains a "filing copy" of the tax returns, the "taxpayer copy" of the tax returns, and a copy of the client's source documents).
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Supporting documents (a folder that contains a scanned copy of all of the client's supporting documents and any other supporting documents that I used to prepare the return including results of research or tax preparation notes, etc).
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Internal use only folder(this is a folder in which I put my tax return billing information.)
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Tax returns folder (in this folder I place my copies of the client's tax returns).
This system has worked very well in my practice. Occasionally I will have a client call me and ask me some question related to their tax return information and I can click on the client name, then click on the appropriate year and then either open the return or the source documents or both. So if John Smith calls me in June and says "Hey Tick, what was my W-2 income in 2011?" I can click on the folder "smith, john," click on "2011" folder, click on the "tax returns" folder and open the return and/or click on the supporting documents folder and open copies of the client's W-2 forms. So in a matter of a few clicks I can look at the client return and/or supporting documents.
I have been using this system for six years for me it works very well.
Dual monitors are very helpful and obviously a good back up regiment is mandatory.