End-to-end procedure for taking on a new client who needs only tax-prep services from the firm — no accounting work — from initial contact through their first filed return. External clients (no firm-prepared bookkeeping) follow this path; internal clients (firm also doing accounting) skip the organizer step and follow SOP-005 directly.

- New tax client signs up or is referred to the firm - Existing accounting client adds tax services (use this, not full new-client flow) - Firm staff has confirmed scope and fee with the client verbally

- Primary owner: Manager or Partner who closed the client - Tax preparer: assigned via Settings → Users (firm allocation rule) - Engagement Partner: signs the engagement letter - Client: signs EL, completes organizer, signs 8879

- Firm Profile fully populated (Settings → Firm Profile) — Legal name, Brand, address, EIN, Engagement Partner, Zelle email - At least one tax preparer user invited and active - Stripe (or chosen payment gateway) connected for invoice collection - DocuSign / HelloSign connected for EL + 8879 signing - Tax software target chosen (Drake / Lacerte / UltraTax / ProSeries / ProConnect / CCH Axcess)

1. Add the client record (M-008) — Clients → + New Client → Primary Contact → Secondary Contact → Service Selection → Tax Prep 2. In Service Selection, choose return type (1040 / 1120 / 1120S / 1065 / 990) and number of returns to be filed 3. For multi-entity clients: confirm whether to issue one combined EL or separate ELs per entity (combined for related entities is the default) 4. Generate the engagement letter (M-026) — uses 6 default templates; firm name + Engagement Partner + Zelle email auto-fill from Firm Profile 5. Send EL for e-signature — KBA optional (per firm policy; not required by IRS for ELs) 6. EL signed → engagement auto-created at "Organizer Sent" stage in the Tax pipeline (M-011); welcome email + portal account auto-created 7. Client receives portal magic link, sets up biometric login on mobile, sees Organizer in their Requests tab 8. Tax engagement card sits in Kanban "Organizer Sent" column with progress badge; reminder emails fire every 3 days for stuck items 9. When organizer reaches 100% complete + documents received → engagement moves to "Missing Info Q&A" stage 10. Tax preparer runs through per-form Q&A (10 questions for 1040; entity-specific for business returns) — engagement stays in "Missing Info Q&A" until 100% answered 11. Click Generate Import File (M-013) — exports .TAX (Drake), .ut2 (UltraTax), or pushes via OAuth (ProConnect / CCH Axcess); gating prevents export until Q&A 100% 12. Preparer imports into tax software, prepares the return; optionally uses AI Tax Preparation (M-012) for first-pass draft 13. Manager review pass — engagement at "Manager Review" stage; review notes added inline 14. Send 8879 for e-signature — gates "Awaiting 8879" stage; KBA NOT required by IRS but optional per firm policy 15. After 8879 signed → Submit E-File (M-014); ack code populates within 24-48 hours 16. ACK accepted → engagement moves to "Filed" → click Create Invoice → Pay flow → engagement moves to "Completed"

- If client is INTERNAL (firm also does accounting): skip steps 7-10; system auto-pushes data from accounting close to "Import File Ready" - If client requests cleanup/prior-year work: charge advance, add Cleanup line item to EL, treat as separate engagement - If multi-state return: state e-file tracked separately from federal in Module 14; transmit state via tax software - If MFJ 1040: 8879 requires TWO signature field sets (taxpayer + spouse) — sequential signing; spouse signs after taxpayer

- Roll-forward year-2: prior year info pre-fills organizer; client confirms via "Looks good" or "There are changes" - Extension filing: tracked via extFiled + extDueDate fields; doesn't change main eFileStatus until actual return filed - Rejected ack code: see SOP-007 (e-file rejection handling) - Client doesn't sign EL within 14 days: send reminder, then partner-level outreach; do NOT start work without signed EL - Late documents arrive after Filed stage: open amendment as new engagement; do not edit completed return

- Time from EL signed → Filed should align with internal SLA (firm-defined; typical 2-6 weeks for 1040) - Organizer completion rate (clients reaching 100%): aim for >90% by Apr 1 - Manager review notes addressed before 8879 send (zero open notes at that gate) - E-file acceptance rate: >98% (rejections handled via SOP-007)

- Modules: M-008 Clients · M-026 E-Sign · M-011 Tax Pipeline · M-007 Client Portal · M-012 AI Tax Prep · M-013 Tax Software Export · M-014 E-File Tracking · M-009 Tasks · M-010 Billing - SOPs: SOP-005 (tax return prep workflow) · SOP-007 (e-file rejection) · SOP-008 (portal lock if invoice unpaid) · SOP-010 (integration setup if not yet connected)

- "Internal client" vs "external client" distinction matters: system MUST NOT assume external (per design intent); confirm at onboarding which type - One client can have multiple services = multiple ELs OR combined EL; for tax-only this is moot, but flag if client later adds accounting/audit - All emails from firm domain (NOT noreply@prodeskcpa.com) once white-label send architecture is finalized; today this still routes through SendGrid (carry-forward item)