As a tax preparer, you know how overwhelming onboarding tax clients can feel sometimes. Gathering personal details, asking the right questions, and ensuring you don’t miss anything important takes time and energy every time you bring a new client onboard.
The good news? A little organization can go a long way! By creating a simple, go-to intake form, you can simplify the entire onboarding process. With a good template, everything you need is already laid out, ready for the new client to fill in—no more chasing them down to ask more questions or collect extra info.
Sounds great! But how do you make a good client intake form template? To help, we’ve put together a guide, complete with everything you’ll need to include in your intake form to make it a success. With a well-designed template, you’ll breeze through the intake process like never before.
Why is a client intake form so important?
A client intake form is one of the most effective ways to improve your workflow and streamline your processes. Here’s why it’s so important:
- Stay organized: Collecting all the necessary details upfront will help you avoid the last-minute rush to gather documents and information from your client. Everything will be right where you need it from the start.
- Minimize mistakes: With all your client’s critical information—like dependents, deductions, and filing status—in one place, you’re much less likely to miss something important.
- Build client confidence: A well-organized intake form shows clients that you believe in professionalism from the get-go. They’ll feel at ease knowing their taxes are in safe hands.
- Save time: No more chasing clients or scrolling through long email threads for missing info—giving you more time to focus on what really matters!
- Easy filing: With client intake forms close at hand, your filing process will be quicker, simpler, and way less stressful.
What to include in your tax client intake form
Here’s a breakdown of the critical questions to include in your tax client intake form, divided into sections. This will help you gather all the essential details right from the start.
1. Personal Information
- Full name
- Address
- Date of birth
- Email address
- Phone number
- Marital status
- Job title
- Tax filing status
- Social Security Number (SSN)
Questions:
- Do you have dependent children? Yes/No
- If so, how many?
- Are you a full-time student? Yes/No
- Are you permanently disabled? Yes/No
- Are you a US citizen/green card holder? Yes/No
2. Income details
Employment
Are you currently employed? Yes/No
If yes, please provide the following:
- Employer name
- Employer address
- Employer phone number
Self-employment
Are you self-employed or do you own a business? Yes/No
If yes, please provide the following:
- Business name
- Type of business
- Estimated annual income
Other Income
Do you have any other income sources? Select any from the following that apply.
- Rental income
- Alimony payments
- Dividends
- Interest
- Social security benefits
- Unemployment compensation
- Retirement plan distributions
- Disability benefits
- Pension income
- State tax relief
- Capital gains
- Foreign income
- Etc. (Please specify)
3. General expenses
| Expense | Amount |
| Medical | |
| Dental | |
| Mortgage interest | |
| Property tax | |
| Investment interest | |
| Investment expenses | |
| Charitable contributions | |
| Cash contributions | |
| Non-cash contributions | |
| Education | |
| Childcare | |
| Retirement contributions | |
| Alimony payments |
4. Previous tax years’ information
- Please provide a copy of your last year’s tax return.
- Do you have any unused tax credits or carryforward losses? Yes/No
- Were there any changes to your filing status or taxable income last year that could impact your current return (e.g., marriage, divorce, or change in dependents)?
- Did you receive a tax refund or owe any balance last year? Yes/No
- If yes, please specify the amount.
The information above is a great starting point for your client intake form, but it’s important to tweak it to fit your style and workflow. Everyone works a little differently, so make sure it matches the way you do things.
When you design a form that works for you, it can cut out a lot of the back-and-forth during the onboarding process. You won’t have to chase clients for missing details or dig through endless emails. Instead, you can spend more time on the important stuff—like going over client information and offering your expert advice.
Access customizable client intake forms and more with Workflows for Tax Pros
If you’re a tax or accounting professional who wants to streamline your onboarding process and beyond, say hello to Workflows for Tax Pros—a powerful tool designed to simplify your work processes.
We’re experts in TaxDome, a comprehensive platform for managing client information, communication, and document storage. The best part about TaxDome is that it comes with ready-to-use, customizable templates (including tax client intake forms). Integrating it into your workflow ensures that all your critical client data is organized, secure, and easily accessible whenever you need it.
We make transitioning from clunky manual operations to streamlined automation simple. Our proven process makes it easy for you, your team, and your clients to move to TaxDome.
Rest assured, our TaxDome templates were crafted from insights gained through extensive consultations with over 700 practices. They’re expertly engineered to revolutionize your workflow.
To work with us, simply:
- Get our proven TaxDome Template. Sign up for TaxDome to access ready-made signature templates, including onboarding templates, to streamline your automation and work smarter.
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