Inside Soraban: How Tax Returns Move from Client Upload to Signed Return
Tax workflow shouldn't mean hours of manual document sorting, data entry, and packet assembly. Most firms are still doing this by hand — organizing client uploads, typing W-2 data into tax software, then building signature packets with separate tools.
Here's what actually happens when you use Soraban, from client upload to signed return. This is the complete workflow that saves 83 minutes per return on intake, cuts data entry to the tax software out of the process, and drops return packet prep from 30 minutes to 3 minutes.
How Soraban works: The complete workflow at a glance
Soraban automates the full tax workflow with three connected products:
- Collect: Personalized and dynamic questionnaires guide clients while AI organizes documents automatically
- Connect: AI extracts data with and pushes it directly into your tax software with 99-100% accuracy
- Deliver: Returns are assembled, e-signed, and paid in a single secure client link, and Soraban handles the reminders
The workflow is simple: Client uploads documents → AI extracts and maps data → Preparer reviews in software → Return moves to Deliver → Client signs and pays. Tasks that once required days of back-and-forth across multiple tools now flow through a single platform.
Step 1: Collect handles document gathering
How collection works
Admins send clients a personalized link to their questionnaire, either individually or in batches. Soraban pulls prior-year return data and customizes each client’s questionnaire based on their situation.
Questions appear only when relevant. Rental income, contractor income, or property ownership triggers prompts as needed. Partial-year events, such as a property sale, generate targeted questions instead of repeating full-year inquiries.
What clients see
Clients access a white-labeled portal from any device. And firms have multiple options, including secure magic link options without passwords. They answer adaptive questions and upload multiple documents at once. AI scans and categorizes each file, separates multi-page PDFs, and renames them automatically.
Admins see live updates on submissions, while automated SMS and email reminders cut manual follow-ups by 60–70%, keeping intake organized without constant intervention.
Step 2: Connect extracts data and exports to tax software
How the AI reads forms
The review and export process
For example, three 1099-INT amounts — $847.23, $12.45, $203.67 — can be reviewed and approved in seconds. One-click export populates all fields in UltraTax, Lacerte, Drake, or CCH Axcess with PDFs attached, so preparers receive a fully organized return ready for review instead of starting from scratch.
Step 3: Deliver assembles returns and gets signatures
From finished return to signed packet
Once a return is complete, Deliver assembles the packet automatically. Signature fields, dates, and payment processing are included in a single link, reducing tasks that previously took 30 minutes to just 3.
What clients experience
Clients receive one mobile-friendly link to review, sign, and pay. There’s no need for separate DocuSign accounts or payment portals. Progress saves automatically if they step away, keeping the experience straightforward and intuitive.
What this means for workflow
Admins can send fully completed return packages without involving a CPA. Auto-tagging, integrated Stripe payments, and automatic receipts let teams send 15 returns in the time it once took to prepare one, freeing staff to focus on higher-value work.
What this means for your firm
With Soraban, each role sees tangible benefits:
- Admins spend less time chasing files. Automated reminders and one-click packet assembly free more than 2 hours per return
- Preparers focus on reviewing returns instead of entering data. Pre-filled information that exports directly to your tax software
- Clients enjoy a simpler, unified experience: one passwordless link to upload documents, and another to review, sign, and pay — no portal fatigue or juggling multiple tools
Overall, firms can process roughly 15% more returns with the same staff. For practices handling 500+ returns annually, the time savings often exceed software costs within the first tax season.
I’m not a fan of my current tax organizer, but clients still ask for it, so I send it out even though many clients don’t bother filling it out.
I don't want people to feel like they're having to do their own return.
Frequently asked questions:
1) Does Soraban work with clients who aren't tech-savvy?
Yes. Clients don’t need an app, account, or password. They click the link, follow the prompts, and upload documents. The platform works on any device and adapts to whatever they’re using.
For clients’ mailing in documents, firms can use the Smart Bulk Upload and have the documents identified, sorted, and renamed in minutes.
2) Can Soraban identify incorrect or mismatched documents?
Yes. The AI flags files it can’t categorize and detects mismatches such as wrong tax year or SSN/name discrepancies. Admins can request corrected files with a single click.
3) Can Soraban handle complex returns?
Yes. Soraban supports personal, business, bookkeeping, and payroll intake. Questionnaires can be customized for S-Corps, partnerships, trusts, and multi-state returns. The AI processes K-1s and 1120-S forms.
4) How accurate is the Connect AI Agent?
Connect achieves 99-100% accuracy on transferring data into the tax software, trained across six tax seasons with 500+ firms. Preparers verify pre-filled information instead of typing manually, resulting in fewer errors than traditional data entry.
5) Does Soraban replace our tax software?
No. Soraban works alongside UltraTax, Lacerte, Drake, or CCH Axcess. It handles document collection, data extraction, and final delivery, while you continue preparing returns in your tax software.
6) How does Deliver compare to DocuSign?
Deliver is designed specifically for tax returns. It auto-tags signature fields, handles payment processing, and provides one link for everything. Most firms find it faster, more accurate, and simpler than DocuSign for tax workflows.
7) What about security and compliance?
Soraban maintains SOC 2 Type II compliance with enterprise-grade data protection. Data is encrypted in transit and at rest, with multi-factor authentication and full audit logs for transparency.
8) Do we pay per user or per return?
Soraban uses return-based pricing, not per-user. Packages start at 250 returns annually, with volume. You can scale staffing during busy season without changing software costs.
9) What if we're mid-season already?
Soraban supports onboarding year-round. Firms starting during low-volume months (May through December) see the smoothest adoption. The 30-day white-glove program covers training, data import, client setup, and workflow alignment.
10) What's included in onboarding?
White-glove onboarding includes admin training, client setup, workflow alignment, and data import from your tax software, plus 30 days of dedicated support. The one-time fee ($1,000 to $4,500) covers the full setup, customized to your processes.
Ready to see your firm's ROI?
Tax season can overwhelm even well-staffed firms. Hours spent on manual document collection, data entry, and building signature packets add up quickly—and that’s time your team could spend on actual accounting work.
Firms processing 500+ returns typically see ROI within their first tax season when they automate intake and workflow with Soraban. Join a Live Demo to watch the full process — from client upload to signed return — without any sales pressure. See how one platform replaces multiple tools and frees up your team for higher-value work.
See Soraban in action:
Schedule a live demo at soraban.com
Have questions about your setup?
Email info@soraban.com to talk through your workflow.