Menu

Request Signatures via TaxFolder from TaxCycle

Updated: 2024-03-11

You can send documents to your clients for signature directly from TaxCycle, track the receipt of those signatures and download them from within TaxCycle. (To send a document for signature from the TaxFolder Client Dashboard, see the Send a Document for Signature or Approval from TaxFolder help topic.)

To start sending signature requests from TaxCycle, first set up your TaxFolder settings and sign into TaxCycle with your TaxCycle Account. See the Getting Started with TaxFolder help topic.

The example below shows how to send the AuthRep worksheet for signature by printing a single form. You can use the same settings when configuring a print set, or when printing a different template or form. If the AuthRep form is part of the print set, all the pages of the PDF go to TaxFolder with the appropriate fields on the form marked for signature.

For a complete list of forms and templates in TaxCycle that support electronic signatures, see the Forms and Templates That Support E-Signatures help topic.

  1. For T1 returns, make sure the client’s first name, last name, social insurance number, birth date, email address and mobile phone number are on the Info worksheet. These details are used to verify the identity of the client when signing the document. For T2 and other types of returns, TaxFolder uses the email address and mobile phone number of the signing officer to verify their identity. Note: If your client does not have a mobile phone number, you can use a land line to verify their identity; it will call the landline rather than sending an SMS message. However, you must put it in the mobile phone field on the Info worksheet. (Also note that international phone numbers from some countries are not supported at this time.) You cannot add a person as a team member AND a client using the same email address. If you need to send documents for signature to a person who has access to TaxFolder as a preparer, use a different email address.
  2. Go to the AuthRep worksheet and complete the required fields.
  3. Press Ctrl+Shift+P, click Print/PDF Form in the Tools menu, or right-click on the form and select Print/PDF Form. (If configuring a print set, click the edit link for the print set in the Print/PDF sidebar.)
  1. From the Printer/Output menu, select PDF.
  2. From the Email menu, select TaxFolder.
  3. From the Message menu, select Authorization Cover email. TaxFolder uses the subject line from this template as the Email notification subject line when requesting the signature from the client. The text in the template body is included as part of the Email notification body.
  4. From the SIN/BN menu, select Mask first five digits for security to obscure social insurance numbers and business numbers from the forms. (We strongly recommend using this option when sending documents for signatures.)
  5. From the drop-down menu, select Request signature. This sends your client an email asking them to provide their signature. (For step-by-step instructions on signing a document, see How to Sign a Document in TaxFolder.) 
  6. Check Invite new client to TaxFolder to send your client an email with instructions on how to sign up for TaxFolder. You can hide this check box on the TaxFolder page in TaxCycle Options. See the TaxFolder Notification Settings help topic for more details.
  7. If you also want to send an email to your client asking them to upload documents into their TaxFolder Client Portal, check Ask client to upload documents.

Print / Generate Forms Dialog Box

  1. The first time you add a client to TaxFolder by requesting a signature or asking them to upload documents, the client will receive an email asking them to activate their TaxCycle Account. Activating an account is optional when signing a document but is required for uploading documents to their client portal.
  2. TaxFolder always uses the email address and the phone number in the mobile phone number field on the Info worksheet to verify the identity of the person signing the document. To include information for verifying the signer of the document in T1 returns, select Require additional Knowledge Based Authentication questions.
  3. From the drop-down menu, select the Taxpayer’s language
  4. Set any other PDF options as required. See Printer and PDF Output Options for details.
  5. To save these settings and use them every time you print the AuthRep worksheet, click the link to Save these settings for AuthRep.
  6. The current status of your connection to TaxFolder shows at the bottom of the dialog box. If required, click Connect to sign into TaxFolder with your TaxCycle account.
  7. The first time you send a document via TaxFolder, it automatically creates an Engagement in TaxFolder with the client’s name. If you want to associate a request with an existing engagement, select the client’s name from the list. You can also type in this field to enter a custom engagement label.
    • TaxFolder now supports French email notifications.
    • If your client is new to TaxFolder, the first request will be sent with the language preference set here.
    • If an existing client, TaxFolder will respect the language setting in the print dialogue for these four notifications: Signature/Approval Request, Ask client to upload documents, Invite new client to TaxFolder, Share documents.
    • All other email notifications will respect the client’s TaxFolder language preference.
  8. Click Send via TaxFolder to send the document for signature.
  9. The Print Monitor at the bottom of the sidebar shows you the status as TaxCycle sends the document for signature.
  10. TaxFolder sends an email to the client requesting their signature on the document. To learn about the process for signing a document, see How to Sign a Document in TaxFolder. (You will also receive an email once your client signs the document.)
  11. In TaxCycle, the notification service listens for completed signatures coming from TaxFolder. When TaxCycle is open and connected to the notification service, it receives those messages and tracks them in the return. You can also check manually for any notifications; see Check for Signed Documents.
  12. TaxCycle tracks the tasks and status of electronic signature requests in the taxpayer’s workflow and updates these workflow tasks as it receives messages from the notification service. Once TaxCycle receives notice that your client signed the document, click the view link to download a signed copy. See the Track and Download Signed Documents.

Do Signature Requests Expire?

Yes, signature requests expire after 14 days; however, it is possible to resend the email if needed. See the Client Email Notifications from TaxFolder help topic for more information.