Secure instant chats with tasks
You can securely communicate in real-time with your tax preparer and exchange documents in chat threads. Here, you will learn everything you need on messaging through Chats.
Covered here:
- Replying to chats
- Creating chats
- Your chats list
- Managing your tasks
- Including videos in chats
- Managing docs inside chats
Replying to chats
Once you have a new chat, you’ll see a notification in the main menu. All pending chats with the number of tasks to complete are displayed in the Chats & Tasks block of your dashboard. You can also access them by going to the Chats & Tasks section.
In addition to client tasks, the firm owner can send client requests via the chat thread—short questionnaires through which firms quickly clarify missing details. Requests are displayed as icons in the chat thread. When you click on it, the page with the questionnaire questions opens.
Remember, you’ll always get an email notification when your accountant sends you a message or requests additional information. Click the View Chat button or the link in the chat to view and reply to it.
Read the chat from your accountant, type a reply in the message field, and then click the send icon when you're done.
Creating chats
Note: Creating a chat thread may be unavailable if your firm has turned it off. In this case, you won't see the New chat button.
To start a chat:
1. Go to the Chats & Tasks section, then click New chat, or go to the Home page and click New chat in the Quick links section to the right of the dashboard.
2. Write a message. Apply formatting and add bullets or numbered lists. Give the chat a name (you can change it or edit it later).
3. Click Create chat. Next, your preparer receives a notification letting them know that they have a message from you.
Your chats list
To view all your chats, go to Chats & Tasks in the main menu. If you have unread chats, you will find the Unread section on the top and the Read chats below, sorted chronologically by the most recent response.
On the left, a list displays information about the last response time, author, subject and status of your tasks for each thread. The unread threads are marked with a green paper plane icon and a dot, and the read threads are marked with a purple paper plane icon. Archived threads are marked with a grey plane.
What you may find on this page:
- Both you and your preparer can use Chats to ask questions, get info and upload and download documents.
- Your preparer receives a notification that a question is pending and then answers it.
- Either a firm or you can start a chat thread.
- All chats and attachments are on one page.
- Your preparer might add tasks for you inside a chat thread.
- Your preparer might add client requests inside a chat thread.
- Once you’ve completed a task, either you or your accountant can check it off.
- All tasks are accessible on one page.
- Once everything in a chat thread is completed, your preparer may archive it.
Managing your tasks
Your accountant can assign tasks inside a chat.
If there are any tasks attached to the chat thread, a section called Your Tasks appears inside the thread. You will also see the number of tasks assigned/completed in the chat thread name.
Tasks look like the items of a to-do checklist. Once a task is completed, either you or your accountant can check it off.
You can also check your tasks right from the notification on your dashboard.
If you want to track your tasks from all your chats on a single page, go to the Chats & Tasks tab, click on the Filter button far to the right, and select:
- Incomplete: To view all the chat threads with your tasks to complete.
- Completed: To view all the chat threads with checked-off to-do items.
- All: To view all the chat threads with your tasks.
Then click Apply.
There are two other ways to filter chats. You can filter by:
- Time interval: see chat threads with responses or your tasks created from a selected range.
- Status: see only chat threads with Active or Archive status.
Including videos in chats
Sometimes words are not enough—and visuals are a big help. Embed videos from Loom, Vimeo, YouTube or Google Drive if you want to show your preparer something you feel is too difficult to explain. Click the embed-video icon (the push-play arrow) in the text-formatting toolbar, then paste the link to your video.
Your preparer will be able to watch the video right inside the chat thread.
