Work Without a Portal: Clients Email, You Run Everything From One Hub

Most clients dislike registering, remembering passwords, and uploading files. Every extra click means another delay—and another follow-up for your team. In busy season, that compounds.

The alternative: let clients stick to email, while the preparer runs the entire workflow in one hub (Tax Studio AI) organized by client, office, and preparer.

How it works (3 simple steps)

1. Client emails documents to the preparer (or to an office/client alias).

2. It lands in your hub: Tax Studio AI centralizes messages and attachments in one inbox.

3. You assign & organize: one click to link the thread/files to the right client, tag the office and responsible preparer, and keep moving—without losing track.

Levers: Ease/Laziness (for clients: zero new steps), Before→After (scattered emails → one hub), Loss aversion (fewer manual follow-ups).

Before → After: from email chaos to one organized hub

Before: Email everywhere, shared drives, re-keying, duplicates, lost context.
After with Tax Studio AI: One inbox with filters by client/office/preparer, data extraction to reduce re-entry, and instant search. Clients keep using email; your team gains control.

• Save 5–10+ hours/week.

• Zero “Where did that file go?”

• Clear audit history across the lifecycle.

UX choices that make it painless for preparers

• “Needs attention” view with the next step.

• One-click assignment to the correct client.

• Office & preparer tags for clean workload routing.

• Document data extraction to speed accounting/tax work.

• Lightning search across clients and files.

• Security by default: encryption at rest/in transit; role-based access.

Your first 15 minutes to live

1. Connect your books (QuickBooks/Xero) or import CSV.

2. Create email aliases per office or per client (optional).

3. Set routing rules (sender, subject, labels).

4. Test it: forward a PDF, assign it to a client.

5. Work from the dashboard: continue reconciliation, adjustments, prep.

Mini checklist to stay organized

• One place for all client emails/files.

• Basic routing rules (office, preparer, client).

• One-click assignment + internal notes.

• Search and audit enabled.

• QBO/Xero integration to avoid re-entry.

FAQ

Does the client need an account? No. They can keep emailing their preparer.
Can we separate by offices and staff? Yes—office and preparer tags/filters.
What about security? Encryption in transit/at rest, access control, audit trail.
How long is setup? Typically 15–30 minutes.