Why UltraTax CS Users Are Adding SmartVault to Their Tech Stack

This blog summarizes key insights from our recent webinar, “Building a Stronger Foundation: How SmartVault Bolsters Your UltraTax CS Experience.”

Want to see the full demonstration of SmartVault’s integration with UltraTax CS?
Watch the on-demand webinar here.

The problem isn’t the tax preparation tool (UltraTax CS). It’s the other pieces in the Thomson Reuters ecosystem that make accounting and tax pros feel that they’re constantly fighting an uphill battle.

“I talk to firms literally every day, and they tell me that they’re drowning in what we like to call document chaos,” says Chad Helmlinger, Director of Product Marketing at SmartVault. “Document chaos could mean different things to different folks. It could be that feeling of knowing that your client information is somewhere in your systems, but you can’t quickly put your hands on it when needed.”

During our recent webinar for UltraTax CS users, we heard from dozens of accounting professionals who shared the same frustrations in the chat: scattered documents, manual processes that eat up billable time, and the constant worry about whether their current Thomson Reuters document management and client portal tools will actually work when they need them most.

Sound familiar?

The Real Cost of Settling for “Good Enough”

Many UltraTax CS users have simply accepted the limitations of their current document management setup, chalking it up to the cost of doing business. But there are very real financial impacts to settling for inadequate software.

“Every time your staff manually routes documents, or hunts for the right version, that’s billing time evaporating,” Chad explained. “It’s not just about the immediate productivity loss — that frustration leads to burnout across your staff, and that also could potentially lead to turnover.”

The numbers are sobering. During the webinar, we learned that firms can lose up to 10 minutes per return when manually handling documents. Multiply that by hundreds or thousands of returns, and you’re looking at serious money walking out the door.

In fact, Chad shared a story from just the week before: “I was on a call last week with a firm that told me they lost one of their major clients because their portal was too difficult for them to use. That’s revenue walking out the door because of technology limitations.”

Why Thomson Reuters Document Tools Keep Falling Short

If you’ve been following the Thomson Reuters ecosystem for a while, you’ve probably noticed a pattern. As Daniel Fritz, VP of Product at SmartVault, observed during the webinar: “They would rather just acquire than really put in the time and innovate the tools they already have.”

Let’s be honest about what UltraTax CS users are dealing with:

• File Cabinet CS is built for small firms and has no cloud access, forcing you to add NetClient for any modern functionality. NetClient, as Fritz noted, “is one of those interfaces that we see is just limited in what it can do.”
• GoFileRoom comes with a hefty price tag when upgrading from FileCabinet, and many firms find the transition costly and time-consuming.
• Onvio is where Thomson Reuters says the future lies, but Fritz had this reality check: “There’s constant system outages when it comes to Onvio, especially during tax season when it’s most critical. When Onvio is not there and it’s not ready for prime time, you fall back on NetClient. So then you’re double dipping and paying for multiple options.”

How SmartVault Changes Everything for UltraTax CS Users

Here’s where things get exciting. SmartVault wasn’t built as an afterthought or acquired as part of a larger strategy. It was purpose-built for accounting professionals, with a specific focus on seamless integration with tax preparation software like UltraTax CS.

The game-changer is SmartVault’s SmartRouting technology. As Fritz demonstrated during the webinar: “Within SmartVault, we take a unique approach. Whenever you print inside of UltraTax CS, we pick up that document and analyze it, and we understand who the client is, what year it is, and where the document needs to go. We match that directly with one of the clients inside of SmartVault.”

This means no more manual routing. No more human error. No more hunting for documents. “That will take away any of that human error. It really speeds things along because you are able to do this and complete this in bulk,” Fritz explained.

The integration goes even deeper. Once your tax return is routed to the correct client folder, the e-signature process becomes seamless: “Just simply click ‘get signature’ … you’ll get an email notification when the document is signed, and the signed document is automatically saved in the correct client folder for you.”

Real Results from Real UltraTax CS Users

The proof is in the results. Take Kristie Agar from O’Connor and Agar CPA, who made the switch from Onvio to SmartVault. Before the switch, she dealt with a clunky experience, frustrated interface, manual return routing, and constant need to purchase more e-signature envelopes.

After switching to SmartVault, Kristie became completely paperless with one-click tax return routing, unlimited e-signatures, and zero system outages.

As she put it: “We switched from Onvio to SmartVault. It’s made our work so much smoother. I used to have to print returns to a temporary folder, then upload and sort each one. With SmartRouting, I go straight from UltraTax into SmartVault with one click. It’s a huge time-saver.”

“Getting signatures through SmartVault is my favorite feature,” she raved. “The return comes over from UltraTax, I click ‘Get Signature,’ and it’s sent to the client. So simple and fast!”

The Security You Need, The Reliability You Deserve

Unlike the Thomson Reuters ecosystem, SmartVault has maintained 100% uptime for the last two tax seasons. No maintenance windows during crunch time. No “investigating this issue” emails when you need your systems most.

Security-wise, SmartVault maintains SOC 2 Type II compliance — not just the snapshot-in-time Type I that many vendors claim. As Fritz explained: “When we went through our SOC 2 Type II audit, we were in that audit for nearly nine months. So that testing period is extensive… Being that snapshot with the Type I, most people can get that for a home inspection. But what sets us apart at SmartVault is that we maintain the SOC 2 Type II compliance.”

Migration Made Simple

Worried about moving your data from File Cabinet CS or other Thomson Reuters tools? SmartVault has migrated thousands of firms through their proven “Smart Move” process. “Our migration wizard takes that information and immediately creates your folder structure inside of SmartVault and puts those documents into the appropriate location,” Fritz assured webinar participants.

The process typically takes 4-6 weeks with no workflow disruption, and you get a dedicated migration specialist to guide you through every step.

Ready to See the Difference?

If you’re tired of fighting your document management system instead of focusing on serving clients and growing your practice, it’s time to see what SmartVault can do for your UltraTax CS workflow.

Watch our full webinar to hear the full conversation and see the integration in action, or schedule a personalized demo where we can show you exactly how it would work with your specific UltraTax CS setup.

Thousands of UltraTax CS users have already made the switch. Isn’t it time you joined them?