Safeguarding sensitive client data is paramount for tax professionals. Understanding how to send tax documents securely, ensures the confidentiality and integrity of your clients’ financial information and protects your professional reputation as a tax preparer.
Why is it important to send tax documents securely?
As a tax preparer, protecting your clients’ data is one of your top priorities, and it can be challenging if you run a remote tax office. Knowing the best way to send tax documents securely is not just a legal requirement but a fundamental fiduciary responsibility protecting you and your clients from potential identity theft, security breaches, and other cyber threats.
What is the TaxesToGo App?
The TaxesToGo® mobile app is a fully integrated communication tool that leverages technology to transform the process of tax preparation into a more efficient, secure, and user-friendly experience. The app is one of the best ways to send tax documents securely:
- It eliminates the need to scan, fax, or mail documents.
- It increases efficiency by eliminating the need for in-person meetings.
- It allows easy importation of the current year’s tax data and syncs it directly with TaxSlayer ProWeb.
- It provides for simple communication with clients through the TaxesToGo® app
The TaxSlayer Pro TaxesToGo® app is available to download on Android through the Google Play store, on iOS through the App Store, or through a secure link you can send your clients. The TaxesToGo app® is included with TaxSlayer Pro Premium, TaxSlayer Pro Web, and TaxSlayer Pro Web + Corporate. Now, you can prepare your clients’ taxes without them visiting your office.
How to use TaxesToGo App
So, how do you securely send tax documents using the TaxesToGo® app? You can provide customers with your branded app using the custom Referral Link you create in Account Hub. After they input their information using the referral link, the app will be branded once they log into their account. If your client downloads the TaxesToGo® app from Google Play or the App Store, your branding will be applied when the user logs into the app for the first time with the information entered on the Referral Link screen.
The TaxesToGo® app does not replace you, tax preparer. Instead, it strengthens your relationship with your clients and increases retention because it provides a simple communication tool for you and your clients. You can send messages, documents, and signatures safely and securely and fill out your clients’ tax returns with the information they send via the app.
How to help your tax client if they don’t use a smartphone
Even if your client doesn’t use a smartphone, they can still send tax documents securely and submit e-signatures through TaxSlayer Pro’s client portal, which is accessible from any computer that your clients use.
Other tools and tips to share with your tax clients for document security
To further ensure security when your clients submit tax documents, there are a variety of other factors to consider as well:
Avoid using public Wi-Fi to send sensitive documents
Even if you run a remote tax office, it’s important to avoid using public Wi-Fi when you and your clients need to exchange documents and communicate. Try to make sure you’re working from a home office or other trusted location when you need to share sensitive client tax information and ask your clients to do the same.
Consider using VPNs
Sometimes, you and your clients will have to transfer documents when away from home or when on public Wi-Fi. To prevent hackers from accessing your data or your clients’ through your internet connection, use a Virtual Private Network (VPN). VPNs are absolutely critical if you ever need to connect to public Wi-Fi while you work or if your client needs to send tax documents securely while on vacation, for example. Fortunately, they’re also affordable and easy to implement.
Make sure your client has been verified with ID.me
You can add another layer of data and identity security with ID.me, an identity verification service that offers secure and easy identity proofing online. The IRS has integrated ID.me into its applications, requiring individual taxpayers and tax professionals to verify their identities before accessing certain applications through the IRS website.
ID.me provides additional security when accessing the IRS website, making it extremely challenging for fraudsters to impersonate tax professionals. For taxpayers, ID.me helps prevent thieves from filing false returns and stealing refunds.
Interested in learning more about how to send tax documents securely or other topics for professional tax preparers? Check out our extensive online resources exclusively for tax preparers.
