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 From inefficient workflows to outdated technology, accounting firms face a number of challenges that can slow down business and impact their bottom line.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 tax software like Intuit ProConnect. While ProConnect is a powerful tax solution, firms often experience headaches when using a document management system alongside it. That was until SmartVault became the first and only one to fully integrate with ProConnect, Lacerte, and ProSeries.

For firms looking to increase efficiency and reduce costly errors, this integration between SmartVault and ProConnect addresses the following common issues among accounting teams.

Complex client management practices

Clients want to know what’s happening with their finances, and they expect you to keep them in the loop. But keeping your clients informed can be a drain on your business without an effective communication method. Manual communication can waste your team’s time, and it can fall by the wayside during busy season, leading to potential lapses in communication.

Slip-ups in client management can lead to a loss of business, negative public reviews, and future distrust of your practice from potential clients. Clients who feel neglected by your team can even turn into detractors who actively drive business away from your firm.

Inefficient client management practices can also increase your overall operating costs and create opportunities for errors. Manual data transfer takes valuable time away from your team, and it increases their chances of inputting incorrect information.

How SmartVault can help:

SmartVault simplifies the client communication process, putting your clients in the driver’s seat. Through the SmartVault platform, your firm can provide clients with a portal designed for ease of use and efficiency. In this portal, clients can upload files, review and e-sign documents, and track the status of their return, thereby reducing the workload on your team to keep them informed throughout every step of the process.

Firms that use ProConnect can create an even more efficient client data transfer process using the SmartVault integration. SmartVault can seamlessly sync client data from ProConnect, eliminating unwanted errors, redundant questions, and client frustration.
Sluggish manual tax return filing and organization

Relying on manual filing practices during tax season can be costly in terms of both time and money. Firms that still manually transfer tax returns from their tax software to their internal document storage system waste hours completing unnecessary work.

This outdated process not only requires your team to work harder, but it also reduces the volume of clients you can accept as your team drowns in tax season paperwork. Every tax return you file and organize into its specific client folder means minutes you can’t spend on another client. This time adds up and can quickly become a drag on your bottom line.

How SmartVault can help:

Manual filing and organization are a thing of the past with SmartVault. Your team can automatically transfer tax returns from tax software like ProConnect, organize them into custom folder structures, make them accessible from a centralized document repository, and pre-set permissions to reduce potential mistakes.

Simply set up your organizational structure using either pre-built or custom folder structures, connect your tax software, and SmartVault will take care of the rest. Tax returns will be automatically routed to your secure folders, allowing your team to provide clients with their results faster and focus on scaling your seasonal output.
Outdated tech stack

Even with top-of-the-line tax software like ProConnect at their disposal, many accounting firms still rely on a full suite of costly, outdated digital solutions — including client portals, file-sharing software, and automation tools — to keep their operations running smoothly during tax season. While these solutions may be adequate in some cases, they can also become major bottlenecks during your busiest months.

When accountants work with too many different, generic solutions, they spend more time trying to get all the software to communicate with one another than they do actually getting their work done. Outdated software also leaves accounting firms paying unnecessarily high monthly technology costs for solutions that don’t provide the return on investment they expect.

How SmartVault can help:

The key to creating an effective tech stack is interconnectivity. A practical solution can reduce the number of tools you need and make it easier than ever to transfer data between software. That’s why SmartVault’s range of tools and integrations, including the only native integration with ProConnect, makes it such a valuable addition to your digital arsenal.

SmartVault’s ProConnect integration streamlines the tools your business needs to work efficiently. By connecting your ProConnect tax software to SmartVault, you can eliminate the need for a separate client portal, manually updated file management solution, e-signature software, and more, as all these features are accessible directly from SmartVault.
Stringent data security standards

Clients trust you with their most sensitive data, and it’s your duty to protect it. But beyond the moral contract you enter with your clients, their data must be securely stored and protected in compliance with industry regulations.

To ensure your firm remains compliant with industry standards and rules, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board may audit your security practices. If audited, your firm must be able to prove this compliance or face the consequences of financial penalties and reputational damage.

How SmartVault can help:

SmartVault is equipped with industry-leading security protocols like AES-256 encryption, audit trails, and multi-factor authentication. SmartVault also offers additional layers of protection through secure share links, activity logs, and more. These tools help your firm remain compliant with IRS 4557 and the FTC Safeguards Rule, ensuring your client data remains secure.

SmartVault is SOC 2 Type 2 compliant. This provides not only the best proof of security over time, but can also act as a differentiating factor between your firm and the competition when it comes to guaranteeing the safety of your clients’ data.
Delayed client review and approval of tax returns

Tracking down client approvals is the final bottleneck for many accountants trying to get a return out the door. Hard-to-reach clients or outdated client communication methods can bring business to a grinding halt.

Ineffective communication and tracking systems can also significantly contribute to this issue. While some client management software may allow you to communicate with tax filers about their returns, many lack the advanced features necessary to facilitate a truly efficient review and approval process.

How SmartVault can help:

One of SmartVault’s core benefits is its ability to enhance client communication. Through automations and advanced features, SmartVault significantly streamlines the review and approval process compared to traditional methods.

SmartVault provides a user-friendly tracking solution and streamlines the process of securing signatures for approval with its e-signature and client portal features. Clients can easily log in to your provided portal, check the status of their tax return, receive notifications when it’s completed, review it, and provide an e-signature approval in a timely manner.

Enhance your accounting process with SmartVault x ProConnect

Accounting firms can easily resolve the above common issues with the right digital tools. Using SmartVault’s industry-leading features, integrated with ProConnect, your team can leave these challenges in the past and reach their maximum potential.

Discover how SmartVault can help your team enhance productivity by scheduling a demo today.