Is the client portal easy for non-tech-savvy clients to use?

Yes. Clients can log in from any browser, with no software or app to install. Many firms tell us their senior clients turn out to be the portal’s biggest fans.

Do clients ever use the Connected Desktop?

No. Clients only access SmartVault through the portal, a simplified view built specifically for them. The Connected Desktop is for internal firm use only.

Can clients sign forms like 8879s through the portal?

Yes. The built-in eSignature tool supports tax forms, engagement letters, POAs, and more, with full audit trails attached to every signature.

Is the portal secure and compliant?

Yes. SmartVault is SOC 2 Type 2 compliant and uses enterprise-grade encryption, two-factor authentication, and full audit trails on every document and action.

How do I get clients to actually use the portal?

SmartVault includes built-in onboarding templates and reminder tools so your team can guide clients to adopt the portal confidently from day one.

Can I use advanced request tools from the Connected Desktop?

No. Advanced request tools, along with Bulk Send and document requests, are only available through the Client Portal.

What makes SmartVault the best client portal for accountants?

SmartVault is purpose-built for accounting workflows, not a generic file-sharing tool. It includes unlimited client users at no added cost, built-in eSignature for 8879s and engagement letters, SOC 2 Type 2 compliance, and AI-assisted document requests designed specifically around tax season workflows.

What's the difference between a client portal and a document management system?

A client portal is the client-facing side, where they upload documents, sign forms, and check status. A document management system (DMS) is what your team uses behind the scenes to organize, store, and process those files. SmartVault connects both in one system, so nothing gets lost between what clients see and what your team does.

Is client data encrypted and backed up?

Yes. All documents are protected with AES-256 encryption both in transit and at rest, and your data is backed up automatically as part of our SOC 2 Type 2 compliant infrastructure.

Client Portal

Client Portal Software for Accountants to Streamline Collaboration

SmartVault Client Portal is a secure, branded client portal for CPA and tax firms. It combines AI-built document requests, 8879 eSignature, real-time status tracking, and unlimited client users, and it integrates with Lacerte, ProSeries, UltraTax, Drake, and CCH Axcess.

Book a Demo See the Connected Workflow

The Client Experience

Clients Log In and Know What to do Next.

Upload documents, find past files, and answer your requests from one home screen, so your team spends less time on follow-ups.

SmartVault client portal home screen showing upload, view files, and document requests

Upload securely
Clients send documents directly to your firm.
Find every file
Past uploads and document history stay in one place.
Respond to requests
Pending requests show up on the home screen, so clients know what is needed.

The Real Problem

It’s Not That Firms Lack a Portal. It’s That They Have Too Many Tools.

A portal for requests. Another for eSignature. Another for delivery. Every seam is a login your client abandons, and an hour your team spends stitching tools together.

App Sprawl

Firms juggle 6–10 disconnected tools

40% of accounting firms juggle 6–10 disconnected tools, creating handoffs, rework, and version chaos at every stage.

Canopy / CPA Practice Advisor, 2024

6–10

tools per firm

The #1 Complaint

Workflow inefficiency tops the list

More than half of all firms cited workflow inefficiencies as their single biggest operational challenge in 2024.

Financial Cents State of Workflow Automation, 2024

55%

of firms surveyed

Book a Demo

One Door, Whole Workflow

One Portal, Because It’s One Workflow.

Accounting firms that escape busy season chaos stop treating documents as file storage and start treating them as the thread that connects every stage. Your client touches three of these stages and sees the same portal every time.

Watch the workflow move.

Select a stage to see how one portal carries every client from engagement letter to archived return.

Secure by design Every file stays inside SmartVault

Stage 01 Engage

Workflow progress 20%

Proposals, engagement letters, and eSignatures — signed in the portal.

Clients review and sign engagement letters in the same portal they’ll use all season. Priced proposals with SmartProposal are coming Q4 2026.

Result Client sees the portal · Engagement signed

Stage 02 Collect

Workflow progress 40%

Each client's request list, built from last year's return.

SmartRequestAI builds a personalized request list from prior year data and reminds clients until everything’s in — no blank organizers, no chasing.

Result Client sees the portal · Documents collected

Stage 03 Prep & Review

Workflow progress 60%

Your team preps from organized workpapers in Connected Desktop.

Version control, audit trail, and print-to-folder from your tax software keep every workpaper in one system of record while your team works.

Result Behind the scenes · Review-ready workpapers

Stage 04 Deliver

Workflow progress 80%

Returns delivered with eSignature and payment in the same portal.

Clients sign and pay where they already uploaded — same login, nothing new to learn.

Result Client sees the portal · Signed and paid

Stage 05 Archive

Workflow progress 100%

Every document retained under SOC 2 Type 2 controls.

Role-based access and instant retrieval for your team, and clients can self-serve prior-year files 24/7.

Result Behind the scenes · Securely retained

Secure by design Every file stays inside SmartVault

Features

Client Portal Features Built for CPA and Tax Firms

SmartVault gives your clients one secure, branded place to upload documents and sign 8879s and engagement letters, while everything they send lands where your team works.

Unlimited client users, no per-client fees

Adding 200 new clients during tax season doesn’t change your bill.

Connected to your tax software

Works with Lacerte, ProSeries, ProConnect, UltraTax CS, Drake, CCH Axcess Tax, QuickBooks and more.

AI-built document requests

SmartRequestAI creates each client’s request list from last year’s return and sends reminders until everything is in, no chasing.

Branded for your firm

Clients see your logo and colors when they log in.

24/7 access to past returns

When a lender asks for last year’s return, clients download it themselves instead of calling your office.

Built-in eSignatures

Clients sign 8879s, engagement letters, and more right in the portal, with a full audit trail attached to every signature.

Real-time status for you and your clients

Clients see what’s still needed, your team sees what has arrived. Nobody has to call to check.

Onboard hundreds of clients at once

Bulk invites, engagement setup, and reminders that get clients onboarded fast.

Enterprise-grade security

SOC 2 Type 2 · ISO 27001 · ISO 22301 · HIPAA · AES-256 encryption in transit and at rest · Full audit trails · and more

Unlimited client users

included, no added cost

Explore all SmartVault features

Customer Story

Clients Don’t Have to Call for a File. They Just Open the Portal.

Firms running their practice on SmartVault see the same shift: clients stop asking for documents and start finding them. Here’s what that sounds like.

“What I love about having SmartVault as our single source of truth for clients specifically is that all their source documents are easily accessible. If they need copies of tax returns to buy a home, they can quickly go into SmartVault and find what they need, all without our assistance.”

Dawn Brolin, CPA, CFE CEO of Powerful Accounting and The Designated Motivator

24 7 Client Access Making Document Sharing Effortless With Smartvault

Customer story

Nick Boscia on 24/7 Client Access

Making tax document sharing effortless with SmartVault.

Watch the full story

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about the SmartVault Client Portal

Client onboarding, eSignature and document requests, security and compliance, and how the portal fits your firm's workflow.

Is the client portal easy for non-tech-savvy clients to use?

Yes. Clients can log in from any browser, with no software or app to install. Many firms tell us their senior clients turn out to be the portal’s biggest fans.
Do clients ever use the Connected Desktop?

No. Clients only access SmartVault through the portal, a simplified view built specifically for them. The Connected Desktop is for internal firm use only.
Can clients sign forms like 8879s through the portal?

Yes. The built-in eSignature tool supports tax forms, engagement letters, POAs, and more, with full audit trails attached to every signature.
Is the portal secure and compliant?

Yes. SmartVault is SOC 2 Type 2 compliant and uses enterprise-grade encryption, two-factor authentication, and full audit trails on every document and action.
How do I get clients to actually use the portal?

SmartVault includes built-in onboarding templates and reminder tools so your team can guide clients to adopt the portal confidently from day one.
Can I use advanced request tools from the Connected Desktop?

No. Advanced request tools, along with Bulk Send and document requests, are only available through the Client Portal.
What makes SmartVault the best client portal for accountants?

SmartVault is purpose-built for accounting workflows, not a generic file-sharing tool. It includes unlimited client users at no added cost, built-in eSignature for 8879s and engagement letters, SOC 2 Type 2 compliance, and AI-assisted document requests designed specifically around tax season workflows.
What's the difference between a client portal and a document management system?

A client portal is the client-facing side, where they upload documents, sign forms, and check status. A document management system (DMS) is what your team uses behind the scenes to organize, store, and process those files. SmartVault connects both in one system, so nothing gets lost between what clients see and what your team does.
Is client data encrypted and backed up?

Yes. All documents are protected with AES-256 encryption both in transit and at rest, and your data is backed up automatically as part of our SOC 2 Type 2 compliant infrastructure.

Give your accounting firm's clients a portal they'll actually use.

See how a 15-minute setup replaces email chaos with secure uploads, eSignatures, and AI-built document requests, all in one place.

Book a Portal Demo

Your end-to-end tax prep workflow

Client Portal Software for Accountants to Streamline Collaboration

Clients Log In and Know What to do Next.

Upload securely

Find every file

Respond to requests