Intuit® eSignature offers Leppert Group a seamless solution for secure and compliant electronic signing

Although it has only been two years since Leppert Group, LLC,  was established, the partners at this New Jersey-based accounting and tax firm wasted no time ensuring they have the best-of-breed technology solutions in place. The firm’s technology philosophy is driven by its commitment to providing small business clients with a high-quality online experience, backed by the personal touch that the Leppert Group team is now known for.

In offering a comprehensive range of services, including tax compliance and planning, financial statement preparation, and accounting, bookkeeping, and advisory services, the firm is continually generating forms and documents that need to be signed. However, one of the firm’s partners, David Richards, CPA, viewed this task as more than than. It was an opportunity to find a better, more secure, and efficient alternative to obtaining signatures for documents.

Intuit eSignature checks all the boxes for ease of use, integration, and security

David is on the forefront of identifying solutions that will help enhance Leppert Group’s tech stack for overall productivity and efficiency. Intuit® eSignature was a superior option for eliminating the time-intensive process of chasing down wet signatures than the solution the firm had been using.

At that time, David and his team were migrating to Intuit ProConnect™ Tax to help scale the firm’s tax software needs and collaborate more closely with their clients. It was from the due diligence to transition the firm’s tax software to Intuit that David learned about the seamless integration of eSignature in ProConnect Tax. 

“We had been using DocuSign with engagement letters and other non-tax authorizations, so we quickly recognized the ease and time savings of electronic signatures in general,” said David. “When we were researching ProConnect Tax, we learned that there was a seamless integration within the program — and knew we needed to make the change. Even though eSignature is basically the same technology as DocuSign, speeding our workflow was another positive point that helped us in our decision to migrate to the Intuit suite of solutions.”

Intuit’s best-of-breed solution provides added productivity and peace of mind

Leppert Group started using eSignature for the 2020 tax season and, given the clear efficiency benefits and time savings, the firm realized it wanted to continue using it for the future. However, David sees eSignature as much more than just a tax season convenience and timesaver.

“The ease of use eSignature offers makes it a no-brainer for firms looking for the total signing solution. From the IRS requirements for compliant identity authorization being handled by the software, to the efficiency and security in our workflow for digital signatures, it really is a great solution,” he said. “We are able to eliminate the need for getting the identity authorization ourselves because eSignature checks that box for us and our clients.”

As far as the tax return process goes, David says it couldn’t be easier.

“Once a return is complete, reviewed, and ready to e-file, we simply click on ‘Client Authorization eSignature’ and follow the prompts. The increase in productivity and cost savings is pretty obvious.”

With eSignature, the firm is in total control.

“Clicking a button to send the document or authorization with instructions included, as opposed to creating a PDF and then emailing the PDF manually to a client with instructions, takes way less time and a much lower admin cost,” he continued. “And at this point in our firm’s trajectory, we don’t see any issues with making eSignature a standardized part of our process for every client. If clients don’t want to use it, we will upcharge them so they see it as the benefit it truly is.”

Leveraging the power of an IRS-compliant solution

eSignature also meets the IRS compliant identity authorization requirements, and is only one of a handful of authorized applications to do that. Knowing that Intuit eSignature can completely handle all aspects of signing signature firm documents, along with all related compliance components, is something David sees as a critical benefit for his firm.

“With our end-to-end signature needs taken care of, we can focus on the quality of our work and the needs of our clients.”

At a glance

Firm: Leppert Group, LLC

Location: Sandyston, NJ

Size of firm: 18 employees

Niche focus: Small- to medium-size businesses, with a focus on providing a value-added fixed price menu of services, from their fundamentals package to a tailored array of services geared to impact not only the bottom line, but to provide value to their clients’ overall business.

Intuit software: Intuit® eSignature, Intuit ProConnect™ Tax, QuickBooks® Online, Intuit Link.

Put the power of Intuit® eSignature into your practice. It’s a seamless and secure solution for all your eSignature requirements.  Contact us today for a demo or call 833-978-6830.