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Resource Category: Blogs & Articles

Building the Perfect Intuit ProConnect Tech Stack with SmartVault, Karbon, and Ignition

The way accounting firms manage their tax workflows has changed dramatically in recent years. Firms can now build a best-of-breed tech stack that integrates seamlessly across their tax prep app, client engagement, practice management, and document management. That’s exactly what SmartVault, Karbon, and Ignition explored in a recent joint webinar: how firms can optimize their […]

5 Signs Your “Modern” Intake Process Is Still Old-School

Most firms think they’ve modernized intake. The organizer is gone, replaced by digital questionnaires. Clients upload PDFs instead of mailing in packets. Staff sort files in shared drives instead of manila folders. That’s progress… right? Not exactly. If your “modern” intake still frustrates clients and burns out staff, you’ve just swapped paper problems for digital […]

Introducing: SmartVault x ProConnect Tax

Intuit ProConnect Tax users love how easy it is to prep, track, and file returns in the cloud. But outside of the return itself, many firms are still stuck managing client documents with disconnected, manual processes that slow everything down. That often means digging through long email chains to find the latest upload, chasing clients […]

The Smart Firm’s Guide to Artificial Intelligence: Solving Client Intake Problems with AI

Accounting has always been about adapting tools to manage complexity. The earliest records we have — Mesopotamian cuneiform tablets — were accountants’ way of tracking goods and labor. Fast forward a few millennia, and the challenge is the same: adopting new tools to make firms more efficient while safeguarding accuracy and trust. Artificial intelligence (AI) […]

The CPA’s Guide to Onboarding Clients in 2025

You’re not just onboarding a client. You’re guiding them toward transformation. In 2025, clients aren’t just looking for a CPA, they’re seeking peace of mind, confidence, and progress. They want to feel in control of their finances, avoid surprises, and trust their accountant to help them make smarter decisions year-round. But most onboarding workflows don’t […]

Your Clients Hate Intake (And They’re Talking About It Online)

The Hard Truth About Tax Client Intake Processes Let’s stop sugarcoating it. Intake is the first impression clients have of your firm each tax season, and for too many, it feels like homework. What they experience: Overwhelm. Dozens of questions that don’t apply, triggering “N/A fatigue.” Confusion. Tax jargon they don’t understand, forcing them to […]

Beyond the Organizer: How “Modern” Intake Still Fails — and What to Do About It

The Culprit: Firm-Centric Client Intake Most firms have already ditched the organizer — you know, those 30-page packets and static PDFs that clients dread. They now have digital questionnaires and secure portals. On paper, that looks modern. In practice? Clients are still frustrated. Staff are still burned out. And firms are wondering why “modernization” hasn’t […]

SmartRequestAI FAQ: Everything You Need to Know About SmartVault’s New AI Feature

SmartRequestAI automatically generates tailored client questionnaires and document request lists, saving firms hours per return, reducing client confusion, and keeping everything secure inside SmartVault’s platform. We’ve compiled the most common questions about SmartRequestAI to help you understand why this is the solution that finally makes tax prep intake as smooth as it should be for […]

8 Must-Have Features for Your Tax Client Intake Tool

Personalized Document Requests You’ve seen it before: a client gets a generic organizer, stares at a page of irrelevant requests, fills some of it with “N/A,” then calls you to painstakingly go through the remaining questions — “What about this one? Do I need to answer this one too? I don’t even understand what this […]

How SmartVault Solves the Biggest Document Challenges for ProConnect Users

When tax season rolls around, any roadblocks to your firm’s accounting process can mean a loss of precious opportunities and profits. From inefficient workflows to outdated technology, accounting firms face a number of challenges that can slow down business and impact their bottom line. This can even be the case for teams that use top […]

Why Your Tax Clients Aren’t Responding to Your Document Requests

It’s not that clients don’t want to get you what you need. It’s not like they woke up one morning thinking, “How can I make my accountant miserable today?” (Unless they did, and if that’s the case, fire that client. Now.) The more realistic answer? Life gets in the way. They’re juggling work, kids, errands, […]

What Are Client Portals? A Complete Guide for Accounting Professionals [2025]

Too many accounting firms and tax practices still rely on email to collect and share sensitive client documents. While I understand the appeal — email feels familiar and simple — it’s alarming that we’re having this conversation when secure alternatives have been available for years. Recent discussions on Reddit and other accounting communities show many […]

UltraTax CS Users: Why Your FileCabinet CS Replacement Needs SmartRouting

The UltraTax CS Workflow Challenge Most UltraTax CS users have developed a familiar routine: prepare the return, print to a temporary folder, manually organize files, then upload and sort each document into the correct client folder. It works, but it’s time-consuming and prone to human error. When Kristie Agar of O’Connor and Agar CPA was […]

Death by a Thousand Logins: The Productivity Killer You’re Ignoring

Let’s play out a scene you probably know too well: You open your laptop, ready to take on the day. Three tax returns need to be finalized. Six clients are waiting on follow-ups. One team member needs help finding a W-2. So, you open your document management system. Then your e-sign tool. Then the client […]

Beyond Document Storage: How To Consolidate Your Tax Tech Stack with SmartVault

For 15 years, SmartVault has been synonymous with document management in the accounting and tax industry. And yes, we do that. But calling SmartVault “just document management” undersells what it’s become for modern tax and accounting firms: a secure, integrated platform that makes your work easier and quicker (for yourself, your teams, and your clients). […]

Why Onvio Isn’t Your Best FileCabinet CS Replacement: What Tax Pros Need to Know

Thomson Reuters announced FileCabinet CS will reach end-of-life in 2027, giving accounting and tax pros a pending deadline to find a suitable replacement. For many UltraTax CS users, the natural instinct is to stay within the Thomson Reuters ecosystem and migrate to Onvio. We get it. Onvio, a cloud-native software that includes document management and […]

FileCabinet CS Is Sunsetting — What Should You Do Now?

If you’ve been in the accounting world for a while, you’ve likely heard the rumors for years: “There’s no way they’ll keep FileCabinet CS running much longer.” Whether it came from a colleague, a sales rep pushing Onvio, or the threads lighting up on r/taxpros, everyone could sense it coming. And honestly? That alone says […]

Top 5 Alternatives to FileCabinet CS for Accounting Firms

Why It’s Time to Move on from FileCabinet CS FileCabinet CS may have been a staple in the accounting world, but its limitations are now too significant to ignore: No cloud or mobile access 100GB storage cap No client portal Manual document routing End-of-life in 2027 Waiting to make a change could mean rushing into […]

How to Set Prices for Client Accounting Services in 2025

If you’re a small firm owner offering Client Accounting Services (CAS), you’re sitting on a goldmine. But let’s be honest, quoting CAS fees can feel like fumbling in the dark. You’re probably asking: “Will clients actually pay for this?” “How do I stop undercharging without losing them?” “Am I giving too much away for free?” […]