Signatures: Troubleshooting
Here, we'll provide solutions to potential problems you may encounter when using our signatures feature, ensuring a seamless experience for you and your clients.
Covered here:
- I can’t request a signature
- I can't find a contact in the list of signers
- The signature field is not appearing for one of the contacts (for a married couple account)
- Can't request a signature for one of the contacts while filing a joint return
- I need one of the contacts to sign the document once again
- "Unfortunately, there are no questions available to verify your identity for the social security number provided"
- How does someone sign a document/proposal as a POA for a client?
- Grant support team access
I can’t request a signature
If you ever find yourself unable to request a signature from a client, it's likely because you uploaded a document to the folder with an incorrect access level. To resolve this issue, follow these steps:
- Navigate to the Docs tab for your selected client.
- Locate the document for which you want to request a signature.
- Click on the three dots located to the far right and choose Move.
- Select a folder with the Client can view access and click Move.
- Once you've moved the document to the appropriate folder, find it there, click on the three dots again, and select Request signature.
Now you can easily resolve the issue of being unable to request the signature from a client.
I can't find a contact in the list of signers
If you don't see the specific contact in the Choose signer drop-down when requesting a signature, such contacts don't have access to the client portal.
To resolve this issue, go to the client's account. In the Info tab, go to the Contacts section and toggle on LOGIN for required contacts.
The signature field is not appearing for one of the contacts (for a married couple account)
When spouses share a computer to access TaxDome and save their login credentials, it is essential to handle document signatures correctly to avoid confusion. Typically, you add a signature field for each contact and send documents accordingly. However, a common issue arises when one spouse logs in with the other's saved credentials, signs the document and saves it. When the other spouse tries to log in, they don't see the signature field, resulting in confusion.
To check the signature status, follow these steps:
- Go to the client's account in TaxDome and click on the Docs tab.
- Select the Signatures subtab.
- Hover your mouse over the status of the document to see which email address has been used for signing and which is still pending.
- If one spouse has already signed the document using their email address, the other spouse's email address will appear as Pending.
In this case, the client won't be able to add their signature because the signature field has already been completed. You can tell them to log into the correct account and sign their fields or start the signing process from the beginning.
Can't request a signature for one of the contacts while filing a joint return
If your clients file a joint return as a married couple, you may encounter a situation when you want to request their signatures but see only one of them in the Choose signer drop-down.
This happens because signers are not accounts but contacts, and each of these contacts must have an email to log in. If your clients need a joint return, they need one account but several contacts – several emails.
To resolve this issue, go to the client's account. In the Info tab, go to the Contacts section, add missing contacts or click existing ones and add their emails. Once it's done, you can get back to requesting signatures. You'll see that both spouses can be selected in the Choose signer drop-down.
Learn more about joint returns.
I need one of the contacts to sign the document once again
Let's say you're filing a joint return for a married couple. They both signed the document you sent them. However, you're dissatisfied with the quality of one of the signatures. In this case, you can't just request the signatures for this document once again because the document is already signed by both sides, it's in the final state.
To resolve this issue, you should replace the initially signed document with its copy without signatures. Both contacts will need to sign this document again. So, please remind them to be careful.
If the issue is connected not with the signature quality but with the failed KBA, read the corresponding article section.
"Unfortunately, there are no questions available to verify your identity for the social security number provided"
If your clients encounter the error message: " Unfortunately, there are no questions available to verify your identity for the social security number provided," it means that our KBA provider couldn't gather enough data from credit bureaus or public records to create the required set of five questions based on the SSN you provided. This typically occurs when your clients' financial activity hasn't been substantial enough in the public eye to generate the verification questionnaire.
As of now, there isn't a direct workaround for this issue. To provide a compliant e-signature remotely, clients may need to follow these steps:
- Print the required forms.
- Sign the printed forms by hand.
- Scan the signed forms back into the system.
This process allows them to provide their signature while adhering to the necessary compliance standards, despite the SSN verification error.
How does someone sign a document/proposal as a POA for a client?
In case of the client's death or disability, you can make a POA (power of attorney) to sign on behalf of your client. To do so:
1. Add the POA as a contact within the client account.
2. Make sure signatory authority is enabled for the contact.
Grant support team access
Before contacting the support team, grant them access to the web portal in advance so that they can perform some action as if they were owners of your firm. It allows the support team to quickly resolve issues by performing actions on your behalf, saving you time and ensuring efficient troubleshooting.
1. Go to Settings > Firm Settings from the sidebar menu.
2. In the Editor access section, toggle on Allow support team to log in with owner-like permissions.
3. (Optional) Set the time this permission is valid. By default, access is given for one month, but you can increase or decrease it.
4. Click Save.