Tax Preparation — Business & Individual

Workflow tracking lives in Asana. Client communications and engagement letters use CoPilot/Assembly and DocuSign. Tax preparation runs in ProConnect. Workpapers are stored in Google Drive per naming conventions.

Step 1: Send Client Questionnaire

The Client Service Administrator (Seat 8) creates and sends the tax questionnaire through CoPilot for all clients. For first-time clients, a new client setup form is also sent.

Step 2: Client Activity Review & Follow-Up

Coordinator periodically reviews activity and follows up with clients to confirm access to their questionnaire. Scheduled documentation upload completion dates are communicated a week in advance.

Step 1: Questionnaire Download & Review

Once the client has completed their questionnaire and document upload, the Coordinator downloads all documents, saves to the current tax year folder, and adds the Preparer and Reviewer checklists.

Step 2: Engagement Letter

Coordinator confirms general information is current and requests pricing in the Prep Fee field. After fee is entered, Coordinator generates and sends the Engagement Letter via CoPilot using the DocuSign template for the return type.

Step 3: Completed Engagement Letters

Once the client completes their engagement letter, Coordinator checks off the task in Asana and saves a PDF copy to the correct tax season folder.

Step 4: Hand-Off to Preparer

Coordinator marks all Check-In subtasks complete, changes return status to Ready for Prep, confirms all fields are correctly filled out, and reassigns the tax return to the assigned preparer.

Step 1: Tax Specialist Does Return

1. Review Asana notes and confirm the YE Books Review task is marked complete (CAAS clients)
2. Create a Books-to-Tax Write-Up Workpaper — copy the template, save to the correct year folder, input client Trial Balance, map all TB accounts to tax mapping lines
3. Prepare AJEs using the AJEs tab — for CAAS clients, post AJEs directly to QBO dated 12/31
4. Prepare M-1 entries — common items: accrual to cash, meals/entertainment, life insurance premiums, auto miles, non-deductibles
5. Confirm all check figures are zero across all tabs
6. Prepare the return in ProConnect — enter all information referencing the workpaper and questionnaire
7. Address specialty considerations: SH basis (S-Corps), state apportionment, tax elections (Section 179, bonus depreciation, de minimis safe harbor)
8. Complete preparer checklist, initial, and date

Preparer leaves notes for the reviewer in Asana, changes status to Under Review, and assigns to the Tax Supervisor.

Step 2: Tax Supervisor Review

1. Tax Supervisor reviews the return and completes the reviewer checklist
2. For individual returns: 1st Reviewer marks subtasks complete and assigns to 2nd Reviewer for QC
3. After QC, Reviewer changes status to Assembly and assigns to the Client Service Administrator

The Coordinator works through all assembly steps, changes status to Delivery after the finalization email and 8879 are sent, then marks Done! after all finalization steps are complete.