Firms typically address staffing and workload pains in one of two ways: implementing digital automation solutions or leveraging tax preparation outsourcing services.
Although tax technology has made extraordinary breakthroughs in data automation, verifying that data still takes up billable hours. Tax preparation outsourcing resolves workload compression entirely, but at a much higher cost.
What if there was a middle ground?
1040SCANverify is a solution that combines industry-leading automation with an expert verification service to eliminate manual work for a fraction of the price. This tech/service fusion is a more cost-effective alternative to full preparation outsourcing. It minimizes data entry and workpaper organization while eliminating data verification, which frees your staff to focus on higher-value tasks. Let’s explore why 1040SCANverify continues to be SurePrep’s most popular and fastest-growing solution.
How 1040SCANverify works
1040SCANverify combines software and service to perform three key functions:
- Reducing data entry by scanning and extracting data from tax documents and exporting it to your tax software.
- Automating workpaper preparation by bookmarking and organizing source documents into a standardized workpaper index.
- Eliminating data verification by outsourcing the task to trained SurePrep verifiers.
Your tax prosfessionals then prepare and review the workpapers in our award-winning digital binder.
See an animated walkthrough of the 1040SCANverify process
The 1040SCANverify advantage
1040SCAN leads the industry in data automation by recognizing 4–7 times as many tax documents as alternatives. However, even advanced data-extraction technology isn’t 100% accurate. That’s why best practice is to verify the data for accuracy before exporting to your tax software.
Your firm could perform this verification in-house with SurePrep’s user-friendly Review Wizard. But our customers tell us that outsourcing with 1040SCANverify yields the greatest realization. Here’s how:
Time savings
Performing in-house verification requires training staff and weathering the learning curve. SurePrep verifiers already have the training and experience to validate data quickly and accurately. Turnaround time varies by return complexity and time of year, but most returns are delivered back to your firm within one business day.
Cost savings
Compared to hiring seasonal staff or fully outsourcing tax preparation, 1040SCANverify represents the most cost-effective way to reduce workload compression. Based on internal research, 1040SCANverify covers approximately 80% of the preparation process for 20% of what a full tax preparation outsource service would cost.
Elevating staff
Data entry, workpaper organization, and verification are not the most effective use of preparer time. By automating and outsourcing these tasks, your preparers can concentrate on duties that better utilize their skills and expertise. For example, your team will have more time to prepare detailed workpaper binders that facilitate a faster review.
Real-world results with 1040SCANverify
Janover LLC is a large public accounting firm that adopted SurePrep solutions to standardize their processes and eliminate workflow bottlenecks. Chief Information Officer Steven Hart believes the added cost was marginal compared to the expense of hiring and training seasonal employees.
In this staffing market, you can’t rely on getting all the staff you want. Outsourcing doesn’t save you jobs, it saves you attrition and burnout.
Steven Hart, Chief Information Officer, Janover LLC
Janover saw their greatest realization by using 1040SCANverify to outsource their tax preparation. The firm plans to move all SurePrep returns to the service going forward.