Automating tax records management for an accounting firm with Zoho One

The client is an accounting firm specializing in personal income tax preparation. The company operates entirely remotely: clients submit their information and documents without traveling, primarily via email or various shared links.

Experiencing strong growth since its inception, the firm has seen its case volume increase rapidly, nearly doubling every year. With several hundred clients to manage, this growth was accompanied by a heavy administrative burden and processes that were difficult to maintain, jeopardizing the quality of follow-ups and compliance with tax deadlines.

In this context, the client turned to Tooly to structure and automate their case management using Zoho One.

Number of Zoho apps integrated

3

Industries

The challenge

Prior to Tooly's intervention, the firm faced several significant challenges:

Document collection scattered across emails, links, and manual exchanges;

Lack of a centralized system to track the progress of tax files;

High volume of manual follow-ups with clients for missing documents;

Risk of oversights or delays on critical deadlines;

Very high administrative burden for a small, growing team.

The goals

The mandate given to Tooly was to:

Significantly reduce the time spent on administrative tasks;
Centralize client information and documents in a single system;
Implement clear and structured tracking of file progress;
Automate follow-ups and client communications;
Empower clients to upload their documents independently.

The solution

Centralizing Client Data with Zoho CRM

Tooly implemented Zoho CRM as the central foundation for case management. Each individual client is automatically created in the CRM from the information collected, with a structured file allowing for the tracking of every stage of their tax process.

File statuses represent the various stages to be completed, providing immediate visibility into progress and upcoming actions.

Tooly Project Approach

The project was conducted using a collaborative and structured approach:

Regular meetings to remain aligned on objectives;
Detailed needs assessment to fully understand the firm’s operational reality;
Targeted recommendations to maximize the reduction of administrative work;
Testing and adjustment phases;
Training to make the team self-sufficient in using the tools.

Automated information collection with Zoho Forms

Zoho Forms is used to collect all the necessary information from individuals. Once the form is completed, the data is automatically integrated into Zoho CRM, eliminating any manual entry.

This automation helps standardize the intake of requirements and ensure that essential information is requested from the start.

Secure document management with Zoho WorkDrive

For each new folder, a WorkDrive space is automatically created, based on predefined templates including:

data collection models;
internal procedures;
A standardized filing structure.

A secure link is then shared with the client so that they can deposit their documents directly in their own folder, attached to their CRM file. This eliminates information loss and centralizes all files in the right place.

Automations and proactive follow-ups

Automatic tasks and reminders are triggered from the CRM according to the status of the file. Reminders for missing documents and status changes help ensure that no step is missed and deadlines are met.

The project's success is based on several key elements:

Clear prioritization of features offering the best return on investment;

Close and transparent collaboration with the client;

A pragmatic approach focused on rapidly reducing the administrative burden;

Training sessions ensuring full adoption of the solution.

Satisfied with the results and the value generated, the company has already confirmed a second phase of collaboration with Tooly. This next step aims to go even further in process optimization, strengthen existing automations, and integrate new ideas stemming from the firm’s field experience.

With this project, Tooly demonstrates its ability to support professional service firms in their growth by leveraging the power and flexibility of Zoho One.