Windows App: Request E-Signatures

Request e-signatures from the TaxDome Windows desktop app as you upload prepared documents and forms. Indicate where you want clients to e-sign, insert fields for the taxpayer and their spouse, and add knowledge-based authentication (KBA). Then turn on reminders so clients don’t forget to sign ASAP!

Note: You must upload documents to a top-level folder with Client can view access to request e-signatures.

Covered here:

Requesting e-signatures on the TaxDome Windows app
Requesting e-signatures from a married couple
Adding a firm representative's e-signature
Applying signature templates

Requesting e-signatures on the TaxDome Windows app

To request e-signatures on prepared documents and forms:

1. Upload the doc to the TaxDome Windows app (for help, see the demo above).

2. Select the client account the doc is for.

3. Select a folder with Client can view access to which you want to upload the doc, then toggle on Request client signature? The new window for signature will open.

4. Either choose the signer manually (this could be the client or a firm representative) in the Choose signer drop-down, or apply a signature template.

5. Add as many e-signature fields as are needed for each form.

6. Сlick SAVE. Once the document uploads, an email is sent to the client with a link to the doc pending e-signature, and the document becomes visible in the Signatures subtab of their Docs tab.

Tip!

If you want to link the uploaded document to a job, enable the Link to job toggle and select the job. Read more about linking elements to jobs.
When the document is linked to a job, the job can be moved automatically to the next stage of the pipeline once the e-signature is completed.

Below, find out more about the numbered fields:

1. Choose template: If you’ve created signature templates to save time with frequently used forms, select the template. For more on applying templates, see details below.

2. Choose signer: Select the name of the person who needs to sign here.

To add a field, select the contact name from the dropdown list.
To add another field for the firm representative, select their name from the dropdown (details below).
You can also add a field for an additional signer, such as spouse (details below).

3. There are various fields that you can drag-and-drop onto the doc:

Signature: Drag-and-drop this field onto the doc where you need the client or firm rep to sign.
Initials: Drag-and-drop this field onto the doc where you need them to initial something.
Date signed: Drag-and-drop this field onto the doc where you need the date. Once the client signs a document, dates automatically populate the date fields, as well as the signature fields where they sign. The date populates a firm rep’s fields when the document is sent to the client to be signed. Dates cannot be edited.
Text field: Use this like a Post-it. Drag-and-drop it where you want to add a note, or to request additional information. Place the field where you want it to be, then click on it to edit it.

4. Reminders: Toggle this on if you want an email notification to be sent to the client when they don’t sign by the due date. Here's more info about reminders.

5. Require KBA: Toggle this on to use knowledge-based authentication (available to your US clients only). Here's more on KBA.

6. Navigation buttons: Use these buttons to go from page to page.

7. Cancel: Click to discard all changes.

8. SAVE: You can save your changes without sending the document. You’ll still be able to review and edit it. The document won’t be visible to the client until you click UPLOAD FILES.

Requesting e-signatures from a married couple

According to tax rules, spouses doing a married-filing-jointly tax return must both sign.

Before you request a couple’s e-signatures, make sure that...

The spouse’s contact is linked to the taxpayer account. (Here's more on contacts and accounts.)
Both the taxpayer and the spouse have portal access to the account: in the account’s contact section, Login must be toggled on for both their email addresses.

Next steps:

1. Toggle on Request client signature? just as you do when you need one person to e-sign (see above). First, add fields for the taxpayer, then select the spouse’s contact name in the Choose signer drop-down.

2. Add fields where the spouse should sign. For clarity, a different color is used for each signer.

3. Сlick Send to get the document out to both spouses.

What happens when you request e-signatures from a married couple

Both contacts linked to the account, the taxpayer and their spouse, receive an email with a unique link to the document pending e-signature.
Both spouses see that the document is pending e-signature.
Both spouses see all the fields added to the document but can only sign their own.
You receive a notification when a spouse signs the document; it lets you know if the other spouse still needs to e-sign.
Once anyone signs, you cannot edit the signature fields.
A document is marked Signed once both spouses have signed.
If one of the signers fails the KBA or declines to sign, you’ll need to upload the prepared document again and re-request both signatures.

Adding a firm representative’s e-signature

Many documents need to be signed by a tax preparer, too. If you need several company reps to sign, add the fields for those signatures, and indicate each team member’s name.

When requesting an e-signature from a team member, select the name from the Choose signer drop-down. Available fields:

Signature: By default, your name appears. If you need more signature fields for your firm, add more, then edit the names.
Date: It is automatically populated when the document is sent to the client.

Tips:

If you need to change your name or initials, click on the field to edit it.
If a signature field is added for a firm representative, but the document hasn’t been sent to the client, the field can be edited or deleted by any team member with access to the client account documents.
Once you send the document to a client, the document is considered signed by your firm, and the client sees that it is signed by the company representatives.
If signature fields for firm representatives are added to the document, but the document hasn’t been signed by the client yet, you still can cancel the e-signature request.
A document’s audit trail shows who added each firm representative’s signature field on the document.

Applying signature templates

Having signature templates will save time when requesting e-signatures on frequently used forms, such as a 8879, 8821 or 2848. Here's more on creating templates.

Once you’ve created a template, use it to speed up your signature-requesting process.

Here’s how:

1. Request an e-signature for any document uploaded to the folder with Client can view access.

2. Click Choose template to get a drop-down menu. Select a template.

Your name will automatically populate the firm representative’s signature field.
Your clients’ names will automatically populate the Signer 1 and Signer 2 signature fields.

3. For more info, read about signature settings.

The order of the linked contacts in the Account Details section determines the order of the signers. If you need to, you can change the default signing order.