During a Lean process improvement project, the firm realized they were spending a lot of time and energy assisting clients with portals and tracking down Forms 8879. For returns that were mailed, the cost of postage kept increasing, and delivery was unreliable. Even worse, clients regarded paper returns as a nuisance. Jerry Schmit, a partner on Sikich’s tax team, heard about SafeSend Returns and says he knew “that simple solution is what we need.”
Schmit says the favorite feature for most business clients using SafeSend returns is the electronic K-1 distribution because either the firm or the client can enter email addresses for all partners and shareholders and have K-1s delivered electronically.
Schmit says they work with one client who has 20 to 30 returns and works with other CPA firms to prepare some of them. “They’ve told us this is far and away the best K-1 delivery system,” Schmit says. “Another firm they work with sends K-1s via portals. The client has no control over it. They don’t know if and when the K-1s are delivered.”
The firm found that good communication with clients ahead of time is key for getting them on board.