File status board
Every return shows its current stage, the person holding it and the date it last moved, so nothing sits unnoticed.
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Staff Operations App for Tax Preparation Firms
A staff operations app for tax preparation firms tracks every return from intake to second review and e-file, so each preparer, reviewer and coordinator sees the same status for the same client. SIZ Group, a software agency in Austin, builds these apps for iOS and Android after a free scoping call.
01
How a tax return moves through the office, and where the handoffs fail
A return in a tax office passes through several pairs of hands. An intake coordinator sorts the documents and opens the file, a preparer keys the figures into the tax software, a reviewer checks the draft, an e-file coordinator submits it, and a client service person calls the family with the outcome. Each person does their part well, but the baton passes through email, sticky notes and a whiteboard by the door.
The failures happen at those handoffs. A document is filed under the wrong client and the preparer starts without it. A reviewer approves a draft that still has a placeholder figure. An extension is needed on a return that everyone assumed was finished. The operations manager usually learns about these problems at the end of a long day, when the damage is already done.
02
What the operations manager needs the app to prove before sign-off
The operations manager needs proof that the app removes lost files and missed reviews. We would define the first measures together: how many returns reach e-file without a second review, how often a file waits for a document longer than the agreed standard, and how many extensions are filed because of an avoidable delay. Those figures come from the firm's own records and form the baseline before launch.
Before approval, we would run a few real returns from intake to e-file in a test copy of the app, using dummy client data. The manager should see where each status changes, who can move a return forward and what happens when a reviewer rejects a draft. Being able to show that trail to the partners makes the approval much easier.
- Returns sent to e-file without a recorded second review
- Average wait for missing documents, compared with the standard
- Extensions filed because of a delay inside the office
- Preparer workload by week, from intake through to e-file
03
A step-by-step walk through one return in the finished app
A return arrives with a new client, and the intake coordinator opens the file in the app. The checklist fills itself with the document types expected for a household with two earners and a rental property. The coordinator marks the W-2s as received, flags a missing mortgage statement and assigns the file to a preparer whose week has room for it.
The preparer sees the file on their phone while waiting for a train, reads the notes and marks the figures as entered when they reach the office. The draft moves to a reviewer automatically, who sees the open questions and the documents attached to each line. Once the reviewer signs off, the e-file coordinator receives the return with the approval recorded, and the client service person sees the status update in the same place.
What you get
Key features
Document checklist
Expected documents appear for each household type, with received, missing and unreadable items marked clearly.
Preparer workload view
The manager sees each preparer's open returns by week and can move a file to someone with more room in a few taps.
Second review sign-off
A draft cannot move to e-file until a second reviewer has approved it, and the approval is recorded with the reviewer's name.
04
The first release: the features worth building first, and what can wait
The first release should cover the file status board, the document checklist, the preparer workload view and the second review sign-off. Those four screens remove most of the lost files and missed reviews, and they fit the way most offices already work. They also give the manager a clear story to tell the partners when the first season ends.
Client communication templates, detailed fee tracking and automatic extension filing can wait for a later phase. Each depends on rules the firm may still be settling, and adding them now would slow down the core screens that matter during the season.
05
Rolling out the staff app during a busy season
A tax office cannot pause for a training month, so the rollout should start in a quieter period. We would begin with the operations manager and two preparers, load a handful of returns from the prior year and run them through the full path. Anything that slows the team down gets fixed before the wider launch.
Bring the rest of the staff in by role: intake first, then preparers, then reviewers and coordinators. Keep the old tracker running for the first weeks so the team can compare the two. Post-launch support handles the changes that real season work reveals, and the operations manager keeps the final say on the status rules.
06
How to measure whether the staff operations app is working
Measure the app against the work the office already tracks. Count the returns that reach e-file on time, the number of missing documents chased by phone and the extensions caused by avoidable delays. A drop in those three figures during the first full season is the clearest sign the app is helping.
Watch the team too. Look at how many days a file spends with each person, whether reviews are happening before e-file, and whether preparers feel their weekly load is fair. Share the figures at the end of each week so problems are discussed while they are still small.
- Returns filed on time, compared with the same season last year
- Documents chased by phone each week
- Extensions caused by an avoidable internal delay
- Days each file spends with a single person before moving on
Will the staff operations app replace our tax preparation software?+
No. The returns are still prepared in the software the firm trusts. The staff app tracks the file around the return, including documents, owners, reviews and deadlines, and reads the status the office needs.
How does the app handle a reviewer who rejects a draft?+
The rejection returns the file to the preparer with the reviewer's notes attached to the line in question. The status changes automatically, and the manager can see how many returns are being sent back and why.
Can staff access the app from home during the season?+
Yes, with access limited to their own role and secured on their device. We agree the access rules, the device requirements and the logout behavior with the firm before the build begins.
What is the first step with the free scoping call?+
We walk through how a return moves through your office, the handoffs that cause trouble and the systems you use. You receive a written scope and price, and nothing is built until you approve it.
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