More than 65% of the Top 500 firms automate their tax process and help eliminate tax season frustration using the SafeSend Suite®. These successful firms first maximized the full range of efficiencies in the SafeSend Suite, then implemented APIs as the next step to improve efficiency and productivity for their firm.
APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) enable two software programs to communicate. APIs have been working behind the scenes in many everyday applications that end users may not realize are occurring—from booking travel arrangements to searching for a nearby restaurant.
When it comes to the tax engagement, there are dozens of steps involved. Critical steps that—if missed—create additional work and follow-up for admins and tax teams. APIs enhance efficiency and help firms further automate steps in the tax journey. They can be used to customize processes based on their firm’s workflow and their available resources. These automations improve efficiency and productivity and reduce manual work in the process.
Never Miss an Important Document
Imagine the peace of mind your tax team would experience if they were certain all taxpayer-signed documents were automatically routed to your document management system. Depending on a firm’s available IT resources, further automations could be put in place downstream to route signed documents to client folders, update the status in your workflow tool, and send a notification to the e-filer for release of the signed tax return to the IRS.
Top firms utilizing APIs designed with distinct functions such as automatic downloads of e-signed e-file forms from within a specific software experience this level of confidence. They experience improved efficiency and productivity with their 8879 processes. They know—and trust—that those e-file documents are routed directly to the safety of the firm’s digital file cabinet. Think of how much work would your team save if the only e-file forms that needed personal attention were the handful that were received outside of the firm’s e-sign automation process.
Free Up Valuable Administrative Time
Firms have trusted the automation solution SafeSend Returns®—the core of the SafeSend Suite—to automate the assembly, delivery, and e-file of tax returns for years. This multiple-award-winning automation solution is the fastest way to deliver tax returns and collect e-signatures.
APIs available in the SafeSend Suite supercharge the automation solutions that are already helping firms from getting tax ready to finish & file. If checking to make sure all the engagement letters and e-file forms have been signed and returned is still a manual process in your firm, an API can be implemented that checks for those documents—and automatically files them where they need to go.
APIs add more automation to the steps admins have historically completed manually. Saving time—even the few seconds it may take to drag a signed document to an archive location—frees the person normally tasked with that process to work on more value-added projects.
Based on your firm’s preferred process, an API can be customized to do a variety of things, such as move completed returns from the delivered return report to the archive location. Give your firm’s day-to-day productivity a boost when you archive, send reminders, send access links, and get returns all via APIs.
Transform the Client Organizer Process with APIs
Tracking the completion of the organizer and the intake of client source documents are common pain points for firms. Revolutionize the gathering process with the power of SafeSend Organizers™ and SafeSend® APIs.
With the power of SafeSend Organizers, a digital, fillable, and trackable client organizer converts the static PDF to an intuitive, simple process that enhances the client experience and increases completion rates.
The drudgery surrounding source documents disappears when your firm implements SafeSend APIs, as every source document a client uploads is automatically routed to your document management system. APIs can automatically archive, send reminders, or send access links, saving time and giving your tax team the assurance of knowing source documents are not slipping through the cracks.
Savings Realized with APIs
Before APIs, integrations between applications were not possible, or required fragile robotic process automation (RPA) bots. APIs provide the opportunity to have efficiency and communication between systems—without pricey software investment. APIs within the SafeSend Suite are designed specifically for the workflow of the tax and accounting profession.
APIs save steps in your tax process. Adopting a tax automation solution that incorporates API technology to set up customizable reminders and auto archive improves efficiency and productivity within your firm. SafeSend APIs automate the e-sign process by automatically downloading all documents signed in SafeSend Signatures™, freeing up time for tax admins to focus on more important work. Within SafeSend Returns, the ability to archive returns, send reminders, and recall returns are all available via API. Automating steps with APIs also reduces human error.
IT Tips for API Integration
Top firms understand that automating processes on a large scale works well when an IT specialist can implement the APIs that best serve them. When your tax automation solution provider recognizes the drive for excellence and provides your IT team with the necessary resources, your firm will more quickly improve efficiency and productivity.
SafeSend knows that firms wishing to create APIs further “downstream” will require technical documentation, webhooks, and sample code for their development team and SafeSend has created a developer section with all the tools and resources necessary to implement APIs. Developers can optimize a firm’s current tech tools as well as create new services. The full power of the SafeSend Suite can be harnessed when your existing technology is integrated through APIs and self-service tools.
Harness the Power
The powerful functionality of the SafeSend Suite offers tax and accounting professionals automated solutions to address every client touchpoint across the tax engagement. Say farewell to the overload of manual, labor-intensive tasks during the assembly and delivery of client-ready tax returns. Eliminate pain points for your firm and streamline the journey from tax ready to finish and file. Supercharge the automation process with APIs to further improve efficiency and productivity. Schedule a demo to learn more about how the SafeSend Suite APIs can benefit your firm.
Schedule Your SafeSend Suite Demo Today
SafeSend Returns is the flagship solution in the SafeSend Suite and a multi-year winner of the CPA Practice Advisor Technology Innovation Award. SafeSend Returns eliminates the manual, labor-intensive elements many tax departments experience producing client-ready tax returns.