How to quickly set up eFileCabinet Desktop

You can use these recommended steps to quickly set up eFileCabinet Desktop in your office.

1. Install and configure eFileCabinet Desktop. This will take about an hour
2. Import client list
3. Apply templates for folder names. Leave those paper labels in the drawer
4. Apply suggested document names. One click will name your scanned documents “Source Documents for Tax Return” or “Preparer Copy for 1040” for a PDF copy of the tax return. The templates and suggested names can be done in just a few minutes.
5. Create preparer copies of the 2010 tax returns in eFileCabinet Desktop to refer to as you work on the 2011 returns. Many clients’ returns will be 50 to 100 pages or more. Your paper printer would take 5 to 8 minutes to print one client. However, the eFileCabinet PDF printer will print thousands of pages per minute to a PDF file.
   1. Set your default printer in your tax program to the eFileCabinet Desktop printer.
   2. Select the first client and print the preparer copy.
   3. A PDF copy will take only a few seconds to create.
   4. Select the proper client drawer with a few key strokes and save the PDF to the client.
   5. Repeat this for each tax client.
   6. One person should be able to do 50 to 80 return copies per hour to eFileCabinet Desktop. This will save many trips to the file cabinets during the busy season. With last year’s tax return copies and the permanent files in eFileCabinet, you will eliminate 90% of your trips to the paper file cabinet.
6. Scan permanent documents such as trust agreements, divorce decrees, installment amortizations, contracts, etc. Your scanner should be able to scan 20 to 40 pages per minute. This may take a few days.
7. Decide on a scheme for scanning older documents. Here are some ideas:
   1. Don’t scan old documents, just let them age and shred them when appropriate.
   2. Scan an entire folder if you work on it and place a red dot on the tab so you know it has been scanned.
   3. Start with A and end with Z. (Some companies will do this to free up additional office space.) Remember, it is not necessary to scan old documents.