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Days
Four steps, all electronic
From upload to filed,
From upload to filed,
without printing a thing.
The slow parts of tax season — drop-offs, paper signatures, voicemail tag — replaced with SmartVault, electronic signature, and a preparer who answers the same day.
The four steps
Upload → Prepare → Review → File.
Each step has one job and a clear handoff. No reshuffling, no surprises, no waiting on something we forgot to ask for.
1
Day 0 · ~15 min
Upload to SmartVault
You get an encrypted client folder. Drop in your W-2s, K-1s, prior returns, and statements from your phone or computer. Based on your filing, we send a checklist tailored to exactly what we need — so there's no guessing and no second round of requests if you complete it.
2
Days 1–3
We prepare in Drake
A named preparer drafts your return in Drake Tax — the same software established CPA firms use. Then a second preparer reviews it, and Guy Crouch, CPA signs off before it leaves the firm. That sign-off step is why our returns transmit cleanly.
3
Same day
You review & approve
The draft return lands in SmartVault with a one-page plain-English summary: your refund or balance, and anything worth knowing. Ask questions through the portal, or book a free 25-minute video call to walk through it. When you're satisfied, you sign Form 8879 electronically.
4
Same day
We e-file & confirm
We transmit direct to the IRS. The acceptance acknowledgement and a signed copy of your return land in your vault within hours. That's the whole thing.
How long it takes.
Our median turnaround is 72 business hours from a complete document set, meaning every checklist item is in SmartVault and every open question is answered.
The honest bottleneck is almost never us; it's waiting on a missing document. A complete upload is the fastest path to a filed return. In the last week before each deadline, we file already-engaged clients in upload order.
72h
Median, complete uploads
Same-day
E-file once approved
3h
Median Q&A response
0%
Paper required
Why we don't use paper.
Mailing a return means trusting the post and waiting days to learn whether anything arrived. E-filing confirms receipt, processes refunds faster, and leaves a clean record of what was sent and when.
For the returns we file, paper has no upside — which is why we've spent exactly $0 on postage and fax.
No office visit required
The entire engagement is electronic: intake, documents, review, signature, e-file, and the final signed return.
If you'd rather talk through your draft face to face, the 25-minute review call is on video and costs nothing.
What you'll need.
The faster your first upload is complete, the faster you're filed. SmartVault generates a checklist tailored to your specific filing after intake, but the universal items are short:
Individual 1040
- Photo ID + SSN for everyone on the return
- Prior-year tax return
- All W-2s and 1099s (INT, DIV, R)
- Bank routing for refund or payment
S-Corp 1120S
- Prior-year return
- Trial balance or QBO/Xero access
- Year-end bank and card statements
- Payroll summaries + K-1 information
Filing now · FY 2026
Pick your form.
Pick your form.
We'll take it from there.
Two forms, two deadlines, one workflow. Tell us which return you're filing and we'll send the SmartVault link and document checklist within the hour.
S-Corp · Form 1120S
Mar 15
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Individual · Form 1040
Apr 15
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