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Writer's pictureAlik Mock

Soraban: The Best Tax Software To Collect More Client Data (Sooner)



Do you need to reduce admin work for your employees and streamline your tax preparation process? Soraban is a leading tax automation tool that simplifies client data collection and delivery. 


It’s the perfect solution for tax extension season, which you can test with selected beta clients and team members. That way, if you decide to roll it out to your entire firm, the adoption process will be much quicker among clients and employees.


“Soraban allowed me to save time in the tax preparation process... making it incredibly convenient for both me and my clients." – Jackson Pace CPA: George, UT


Overview

Soraban is an online software solution that fills the role of “intelligent client coordinator”. It automates the collection and delivery of client tax information, including communications, questionnaires, data entry, and tax return e-signatures. It’s built into an easy-to-use client portal, making it one of the best tax software available for tax preparers.


How Soraban Can Help

With tax season comes numerous stressful challenges. As an accountant, you’ve probably experienced the following issues in your firm:


  • Data collection issues: Collecting forms, information, and documents from clients can be time-consuming, repetitive, and draining on employees.

  • Manual data entry: Filling out tax returns with data from previous years often requires manual input and review.

  • Updating clients: Keeping clients updated on the status of their returns is necessary, but labor-intensive. Especially around tax season, team members may be overworked and have issues staying on top of client communications.

  • Checklists: There’s nothing worse than starting a client’s tax return and realizing they’ve provided inadequate information. This can lead to processing delays and back-and-forth communications with clients.

  • Human errors: Manual data entry is prone to errors and can slow down your workflow and processing times.

The good news is that software automation can eliminate all of these issues. Software like Soraban can help your firm increase its output and minimize its administration burden, without hiring additional employees (which is why it’s one of the best tax software for tax preparers).


As an intelligent client coordinator, Soraban offers many benefits, including:


  • Increased client engagement: By making your data collection, communication, and delivery process easier and simpler, clients are more engaged and responsive.

  • Increased efficiency: As more clients work with an automated, streamlined tax process, your accounting team has more time to work on higher-value billable work.

  • Tailored experience for clients: Soraban offers white labeling so you can fully customize the portal with your firm’s colors, domain URL, and branding.

  • Prioritizing clients: Soraban also allows you to prioritize clients that need more of a human touch.

  • Accelerated data entry: Soraban can help quickly input client information, saving time and reducing errors.

  • Saves time: By automating routine tasks and data collection, Soraban can free up your admin and office managers to focus on more critical aspects of client relationships.

"This product has truly been a game-changer for our workflow... and the flexibility it offers, whether it's guiding users step-by-step or providing options for different preferences, is invaluable." – Schanel & Associates: Jupiter, FL


Key Features Of Soraban

When looking for the best tax software for tax preparers, it’s important to consider what features you need. 


Soraban offers the following features:


Client Portal:

  • Auto-remind your clients via email, SMS, and virtual messages (to upload documents, e-sign, or pay invoices)

  • Build custom questionnaires

  • Employees can open and download items uploaded by clients

  • Passwordless / SMS-based sign-in for increased security

  • Document upload and historical storage (for prior years)

  • Integrates with your document management system (Sharefile, SharePoint, and Google Drive via Zapier)


Questionnaire Features:

  • Bulk upload processor – allows you to organize the documents uploaded by your clients automatically

  • Bookmarked PDF – allows you to reference supporting documents

  • Engagement letters – Soraban offers integration with third-party software, like Practice Ignition

  • Retainer fees paid upfront – option to collect fees before the client starts the questionnaire/tax organizer

  • Custom links to start the questionnaire (including for new clients)

  • Templates – start with a template for your questionnaire, with the option to customize it to your specific needs

  • Option to add notes

  • Automated reminders – sending options include SMS and email


Reporting Features:

  • Excel format for custom editing

  • Advanced filtering and sorting options


Data Entry Automation & Integrations:

  • You can auto-process data into UltraTax and Lacerte

  • Soraban also works with Drake GruntWorx, ProConnect, Sureprep SP Binder, and CCH Autoflow


Tax Return Delivery:

  • SMS-based authentication for e-signing

  • Soraban allows you to collect payment on delivery of client tax returns, with clear payment instructions for your clients

  • Auto-place e-signature boxes – so your admin team doesn’t have to select these fields manually

  • Auto-upload tax return via the Soraban portal (available if you integrate Soraban with your other tax software)


This is why Soraban is one of the best tax software for tax preparers – because of the amount of administration time (i.e. non-billable work), it can save your accounting team.


"This year, we handled more tax returns than before... Soraban is straightforward and not overcomplicated - exactly what we needed.” – Vine Financial Partners: Austin, TX  


How To Start Using Soraban


Note: Before implementing Soraban with your entire client list, test the software with some beta clients and ask them for feedback. When you’re ready to implement Soraban across your entire firm, here’s what you need to do:


Step 1 – Initial Setup: Import and set up your client list, including the prior year's tax data for all of your clients.

Step 2 – Configuration: Tag clients for categorization, create questionnaires, and customize your Soraban portal to match your branding perfectly. 


Step 3 – Workflow Integrations: Integrate Soraban with your existing accounting software, practice management system, CRM, and workflow tools.


Step 4 – Refine & Define: Adjust Soraban’s functionality to fit the needs of your firm and clients. It’s important to constantly refine and improve the setup, especially when regulatory requirements are constantly updated.


Step 5 – Internal Adoption: Host a company training workshop and weekly Soraban meetings to ensure your employees are comfortable using the new system.


Step 6 – External Adoption: Prepare an email campaign to inform your clients about your new Soraban system, how it works, and how it will improve their annual tax process.


Step 7 – Supporting Adoption: To maximize firm-wide use and success with Soraban, continue communicating with and supporting your team and clients.


Conclusion

Many factors are at play when considering which online tool is the best tax software for tax preparers. It’s important to find a solution that solves the problems that your firm faces. Because administration is a never-ending battle for many accounting firms, we recommend Soraban. It’s a powerful tool that automates many ad hoc processes while also integrating with popular tax software like UltraTax, Lacerte, and ProConnect. It’s perfect for systemizing your processes and eliminating administrative workload.


Want to test out Soraban in your accounting firm? Genwise and Soraban are collaborating to waive the $2,000 initiation fee, and the first 50 firms who register during tax extension season will receive an additional rate-based annual discount. Soraban also provides instructional demos and a dedicated support team to ensure you have all the resources to upgrade and streamline your entire tech stack and revolutionize your accounting firm. 


To find out more and to claim your discount, book a call with Genwise.


Soraban is an affiliate of Genwise. If you choose to utilize software from Soraban, we may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products that we have tested and use ourselves.


Drilldown Solution – Case Study

Learn how we helped Utah-based accounting firm Drilldown Solution double its tax return output with software like Soraban. Read More


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