Define done at each stage
A file is not “complete” until every checklist line is received. A return is not “reviewed” until the reviewer has cleared their notes. Clear definitions stop work moving forward half-finished.
Accounting Firm Workflow: Document Request to Filed Return | HelloBooks An accounting firm workflow from document request to filed return: intake, preparation, review, client e-signature with IRS rules, filing and retention.
Efficiency · workflow
Practice workflow: from document request to filed return
Every return passes through the same stages. Naming them, and agreeing what “done” means at each, is what lets a firm see where work is stuck.
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Requested
Checklist sent to the client
- 2
Complete
Every item received
- 3
Prepared
Draft with preparer self-review
- 4
Reviewed
Reviewer signs off
- 5
Signed
Client signs Form 8879
- 6
Filed and stored
Acceptance confirmed; 8879 retained
Signature and retention
For remote e-signature of Form 8879, the IRS requires identity verification and a tamper-proof record that captures the signed image, date and time, IP address and verification result. The ERO keeps the form 3 years from the return due date or IRS received date, whichever is later.
Seeing the pipeline
HelloBooks Practice lists engagements with live status tracking, kanban boards, tax-return tracking by form and year, and e-filing status monitoring as live. Each stage above can be a column, so bottlenecks show up as a crowded column.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
- Where do most returns get stuck?
- Usually between requested and complete. That is why the document collection guides focus on asking precisely and chasing by item.
- Does HelloBooks handle 8879 signing?
- Not yet. IRS 8879 remote signing with identity verification is on the HelloBooks Practice roadmap; self-hosted e-signature for other documents is in pilot.
Related
Keep exploring
E-signature for Form 8879 and engagement letters
Document collection · e-signature
How to review outsourced tax returns
Outsourcing · quality review
Accounting practice efficiency: the guides
For CPA and bookkeeping firms · efficiency
Tax return changes for CPA firms
Every federal change for the 2025 and 2026 seasons
Sources
- IRS, FAQs for IRS e-file signature authorization — checked 2026-10-21
- IRS Form 8879 and its instructions (Rev. January 2021) — checked 2026-10-21
General information for tax and accounting professionals, not legal advice. Rules are summarised from the primary sources listed on the date shown; read the current text before relying on it.
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