Automating Tax File Management for an Accounting Firm with Zoho One

The client is an accounting firm specializing in preparing tax returns for individuals. The company operates entirely remotely: clients submit their information and documents without needing to travel, primarily by email or via various shared links.

Experiencing strong growth since its inception, the firm has seen its case volume increase rapidly, almost doubling each year. With several hundred clients to manage, this growth, however, came with a heavy administrative burden and processes that were difficult to maintain, jeopardizing the quality of follow-up and adherence to tax deadlines.

It was in this context that the client engaged Tooly to structure and automate their case management using Zoho One.

Number of integrated Zoho applications

3

Company Size

Industries

The Challenge

Before Tooly's intervention, the firm faced several significant issues:

Scattered document collection 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 Objectives

The mandate entrusted to Tooly aimed to:

Significantly reduce the time spent on administrative tasks;
Centralize client information and documents in a single system;
Implement clear and structured tracking of case progress;
Automate reminders and communications with clients;
Empower clients to submit their documents independently.

The Solution

Centralized Client Data with Zoho CRM

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

Case statuses represent the different steps to be completed, offering immediate visibility into progress and upcoming actions.

Tooly Project Approach

The project was conducted using a collaborative and structured approach:

regular meetings to stay aligned with objectives;
detailed needs assessment to thoroughly understand the firm’s operational reality;
targeted recommendations to maximize administrative workload reduction;
testing and adjustment phases;
training to empower the team to use the tools independently.

Automated Information Collection with Zoho Forms

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

This automation standardizes needs assessment and ensures that essential information is requested from the outset.

Secure Document Management with Zoho WorkDrive

For each new case, a WorkDrive space is automatically created from predefined templates, including:

data collection templates;
internal procedures;
a standardized classification structure.

A secure link is then shared with the client so they can directly upload their documents to their own folder, linked to their CRM record. This eliminates information loss and centralizes all files in the correct location.

Automations and Proactive Follow-ups

Automatic tasks and reminders are triggered from the CRM based on the case status. Reminders for missing documents and status changes ensure that no step is overlooked 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 rapid reduction of administrative burden;

training ensuring full adoption of the solution.

Satisfied with the results and value generated, Impôt WX has already confirmed a second phase of collaboration with Tooly. This next step aims to further optimize processes, 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.