Discussion:Portals?
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Discussion Forum Index --> Business Growth Community --> Portals?
Davidrayjr (talk|edits) said: | 20 October 2009 |
| I didn't find much on the site about the use of portals for storing client documents. I've been looking at using a portal system that integrates with my FileCabinet and UltraTax software suite. Anyone else doing this? If you do, a couple questions. Do you charge the client for them? Do you still print the tax return or any other documents for them?
My software suite uses NetClient CS for portals and it's like $500 up front and $175 a month for 1000 portals. I have heard about another CPA that does CPE classes actually charges like $35 for individual and $75 for business clients what is called a technology fee. I'd like to get away from printing returns but then again, you feel like your handing the customer a deliverable when you put it together and put it in your nice client organizer with your company name embossed on the folder. | |
| 20 October 2009 | |
| Part of the process of going paperless. You can still give them the deliverable, but the portal also allows the client to go online for that copy they need after they lose your finely embossed folder.
Migrating to the portal process is going to be similar to the E-file migration. At first, the cost to us was higher and we charged clients for e-filing. Now, E-file is cheaper than mailing in returns, so E-file is free, if the client wants to paper file, I charge an extra $25 to $50 for this option. It takes more time for us to process these things. Now, keep in mind, I understand old school and anyone over the age of 50 did not get charged for paper filings. I see the portal transition going the same way. $2,600 is a lot of money to shell out if the clients don't use them. I won't truly start using them until they are sold in smaller quantities and are less expensive <which they will be>. What I would like first would be a truly secure password enabled email client that would allow me to send client information securely across email applications. I don't want to require my clients to sign up for an additional email. They should be able to use the one they have. At that point, after the email and/or portal solution is obtained, I have my natural increase in fees and then offer clients a first year "discount" to use electronic delivery. After a few years of this I would migrate to the scenario that this is how I deliver my product, paper and pretty embossed file folders are extra. | |
FloridaTaxes (talk|edits) said: | 20 October 2009 |
| I use the portal integrated with my website from CPA Site Solutions and it works very well. It comes with a pre-set amount of storage for free and you can easily add storage space at a low cost. I always use the portal to send documents to clients electronically and vice versa since email is not secure. Not all of them want to use it, but the ones that do love it. I still provide everyone with printed tax returns, financial statements, etc for now. | |
| 21 October 2009 | |
| FloridaTaxes- Can you store any type file in the portals you use? We have looked at Ultra Tax portals but the new pricing makes it hard to make the plunge. Being able to use it for all types of files would be a great advantage. | |
| 21 October 2009 | |
| See, that's what I would like. And my website hosted on godaddy.com will allow me to send encrypted and password protected emails, but only to people with a godaddy email account. That doesn't work for me. | |
| October 21, 2009 | |
| There's a free webinar thru webcpa.com 10/22/09 at noon EST "Explore Portals and how they can advance your firm". I signed up for it; I'll let you know if it was worth the money.... | |
FloridaTaxes (talk|edits) said: | 21 October 2009 |
| Yes, I can upload anything including QuickBooks files, PDFs, spreadsheets, etc. I get 500 MB included for free and so far I haven't needed more but I can add more for a low fee. | |
FloridaTaxes (talk|edits) said: | 21 October 2009 |
| If I do upload something large like QuickBooks files I just let the client know it will only be there for a week. | |
Davidrayjr (talk|edits) said: | 21 October 2009 |
| I also use cpa site solutions and have also use their portals via my website but you have to manually upload to the client portals each time.
Since I am on the UltraTax CS suite of products, they have it integrated with FileCabinet CS that once its set-up, should automatically mirror what you select for the clients to see. It's pretty slick how it works and we all love FileCabinet CS since it auto files what you print to the client folders. CPA Site solutions portal is too manual for me. Especially if you had a ton of tax returns to put there. | |
FloridaTaxes (talk|edits) said: | 21 October 2009 |
| Yes, I agree that it can be time consuming if you have a lot of tax returns to upload. | |
| 21 October 2009 | |
| I just got an email from www.cpasafemail.com that is not a portal, but achieves what I was asking, the ability to send password protected and encrypted files via my email account to clients current email account.
Price is $480 per firm, for 4 users. That looks reasonable enough for me to try. Florida, is your portal included, or are you paying for that? I see the encrypted email as a good thing for clients hesitant to use the portal. I eventually want both. | |
FloridaTaxes (talk|edits) said: | 21 October 2009 |
| It is included in the monthly fee I pay for the website. | |
| 21 October 2009 | |
| Florida - So, you have portals, but not the email capability? I am leaning towards the email capability intitially, maybe with a portal you have that is more manual to work with. With almost 800 personal and business returns to process, I think I agree with David that it would become cumbersome to place into the proper folder.
David - Does File cabinet CS allow you to add other documents to the portal? I mean, autogenerating client folders after tax preparation is definitely logical, but what about adding other documents to it? Also, just wondering, when manually putting files into folders, what would happen if you accidentally put the wrong stuff into a folder. Not good. | |
Davidrayjr (talk|edits) said: | 21 October 2009 |
| I'm sure I'm in the wrong but probably in the wrong with a huge majority of people out there as I don't worry about encrypted emails etc. I do my best to password protect sensitive information when I email it but that is about it. Thus my push for portals as a selling point. I don't have to worry about any of this security. I'd love to charge clients for it but one of my staff people said it made us look cheap to charge for it. I'm losing site of the big picture anyway, which is to get away from printing all these returns, monthly write-up etc etc. I'm sure I'll net even or close to it, even with NetClient's CS monthly fee.
How do you all handle client documents? Scan them, copy them? Again, I have FileCabinet CS but a network scanner that doesn't directly feed into it. Thought about just getting a program where I can scan in bulk and do a search for documents I need without organizing it. That seems to be the biggest pain about scanning. | |
| 21 October 2009 | |
| David,
Unfortunately, with privacy laws, it makes sense to have encrypted email. It's just the need to find an inexpensive one that works. I'm in the research stages and actually had a demo scheduled for yesterday, but the flu hit everyone so I canceled it. I think Copanion is the company O was looking at. They advertise their software scans and organizes tax documents into some semblance of order and then the handwritted stuff is at the end and can be reconfigured. Sounds nice. I use free pdf writer Cutepdf.com and have it set up as a printer. I then print many documents out of my applications using this and my pdf's are generated and ready to be filed/emailed/portalized. I think we are all learning together. One thing I found out is that if you are going to scan, get a stand alone scanner rather than a multi function machine. | |
FloridaTaxes (talk|edits) said: | 22 October 2009 |
| Correct, I do not have encrypted email. | |
| 22 October 2009 | |
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| 23 October 2009 | |
| I use Leapfile. If the client looses the return, so what! I just leap them another one. It's pretty affordable to. I think the plans start at $20 per user per month. | |
| 23 October 2009 | |
| Leapfile looks good pricewise. going to start implementing a few on a trial basis see which one I like | |
