How to Manage Client Docs as a CPA Without Losing Your Mind

Accountancy is not a notoriously thrill-seeking profession, but anybody on the client-facing end of things knows that the heart rate will be stirred periodically when the deadlines roll around. Even the safest and sleepiest book of business can get stressful when the end of the FY and/or the tax year draws nigh, and every client needs everything perfect immediately regardless of the quality of what they handed over. 

When busy season arrives, juggling the demands of multiple clients, each with their own voluminous financial records and often a similarly long list of idiosyncrasies, can test the patience of even the most experienced CPA. The good news is that managing client documents is a much less arduous task than it used to be, thanks to a robust range of tools that do for client files what the calculator did for accountancy. 

The best document management systems for CPAs keep track of the accounts, tax returns and approvals in a way that’s easy for the CPA and transparent for the client, and soothes the blood pressure of all parties. Here are some tips on how you can stay on top of things with a smart document management strategy. 

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1. Don’t change all your tools and workflow

Taking control doesn’t have to mean launching into a new platform or a new workflow - that’s making more work, not less. Reduce the cognitive load by keeping the tools you’re familiar with, like Netsuite, TaxCalc and Office365, and making them work more closely together. Workiro plugs right into all three and a number of other leading accounting and CRM platforms besides, giving a unified view on client documents without forcing you and your team to learn a whole new way of working.

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2. Keep files and comms on a single platform

Every time a document leaves your system - be it a critical spreadsheet or straightforward policy doc - is an opportunity for disaster. The biggest and nastiest consequences arise from the security and compliance failures when sending sensitive financial data out into the world, which will have government agencies on your case - but even if you stay secure, passing things around via email or to-and-fro between your system and clients’ is a recipe for losing track and collecting errors. Keep it all on one platform that allows everybody secure access  - and that doesn’t mean doing battle with your clients’ IT team, either. A good DMS like Workiro includes secure collaboration for both internal and external users - all the client needs is an internet connection. 

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3. Ditch manual signing and data entry

In a similar vein, every hard copy and hand-typed entry represents something that can be lost or misplaced. Direct integration with Office365 means that you can work direct from the client’s source files, and the best document management systems for accountants enable you to go fully digital for signing and approvals, and the cream of the crop give you unlimited e-signatures so you can get tax returns, limited company accounts and pay statements signed off in hours rather than weeks.

4. Have a single hub for client information

And we mean all client information, not just the accounts. The real way to preserve your time and your sanity is to have a single view on the documents, the emails and every amendment (helpful or otherwise) the client has sent your way. A good DMS makes this easy: Workiro gives you a single connected client file that brings everything together in one place. Documents automatically link to clients, entities, and engagements and rich search tools mean you can instantly find everything right down to the initial enquiry. On top of all that it’ll age like fine wine: with unlimited cloud storage included in Workiro, you can maintain robust records of each tax year, and hit the ground running for each one that follows.

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5. Be ruthless about version control

Have a single version of every file and monitor the changes to it - and that doesn’t mean tacking on version numbers to the filename, which will inevitably be overlooked and/or come back to you with dreaded (bracketed numbers) at the end. A strong DMS like Workiro enables you to set a single, canonical version for key documents, and see the different versions and changes at a glance. Effortless organisation, and eternally audit-ready.

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6. Automate (almost) everything that isn’t the audit itself

The hard yards in accounting are getting the books balanced, but the associated admin work can be almost as time-consuming. Workiro includes automatic tagging and filing for documents in cloud storage, stashing them based on client, project, or custom criteria. That keeps the client hubs up-to-date without any chasing or admin busywork, and means that you can focus on getting the accounts in order.

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7. Make sure anybody can answer client questions immediately

This is an additional benefit of the client hub: by having all client data and communications viewable in one place, you can grant access to other team members to ensure that key information or status updates aren’t trapped in somebody’s inbox. Pair it with robust, fully-compliant account security and you can be confident that the whole team can see what’s happening, so there’s always somebody to keep things moving and respond to client enquiries. End result: happier clients, and less time wasted because nobody has to stop what they’re doing and dig up whatever’s been requested this time. 

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8. Have a disaster-proof backup system behind it all

Hopefully you’ll never need it, but you can rest that bit easier knowing it’s there. It’s one of the easier inclusions, too. Any good document management system for CPAs will be cloud-based and include robust backup features which carry appropriate industry certifications like CSA Star. Don’t rely on free cloud backup services that come with hidden risks.

Follow those tips and you should find yourself retaining both your mind and your equilibrium even in the depths of tax season. If you’d like to hear more on how Workiro can bring even more rays of light into early April, get in touch with one of our accountancy specialists. If you’d like to learn more about the benefits of going digital, check out our main guide to document management systems.