I'm considering using the E-Organizer as an option for my techie clients. Does anyone use it? How successful is the "seemless interface". I know that my clients can't quite master the paper organizer, so I'm wondering how much time I might really save after all the corrections I have to make. Thanks for anything you have to offer.
Jodie,
I worked with the e-organizer for about three years with a previous firm, and we have a handful of clients (a dozen or so for a small practice) who really like using this, and the number grew each year. The firm offered clients the option to receive tax organizers in either paper format, PDF, or the e-organizer via e-mail.
It definitely takes some handholding when clients first start using the program, and you will want to become very familiar with the process yourself, from the way the program is received via e-mail by clients to opening and working with the program itself.
Then when the information is returned to you, you will want to take it for what it's worth: client data input. It generally takes quite a bit of cleanup, and we always request and work with original client documents. We usually have to go through the data and make corrections/modifications.
I wouldn't necessarily say the e-organizer saves time, but I feel like for the clients that are using it, it gives them the impression that the firm is at least staying up with technology. It also is another form of communication with our clients in that it allows them to provide information in the e-organizer that they might otherwise overlook and we would have to ask for later, such as basis information.
Some of the users actually are very adept at using the e-organizer now and can provide fairly accurate information. One is a Sch C, who provides us accurate income and expense information in the e-organizer.
There are occasional technical glitches to watch out for but most seem ironed out now, and we have had several instances where a user's security settings interfered with their ability to either download the program or return the data to us.
The cost is fairly low, but you will need to spend some time figuring out how the process works.
Hope this is helpful.
I have been using eorganizer for three years also. I have found that it is a great interviewing tool, since I can bring up there eorganizer and I actually have last years numbers stilling right on the screen. There are a couple of problems, you can't accumulate numbers on a line item plus I haven't found where to to enter the W-2 box 12 infor until I get back to the program.
As far as clients actually using, out of 1200 clients only 21 used the eorganizer.
