Questions answered on their phone, no portal password

The problem with portals

A client portal asks the client to remember a password for a firm they deal with a few times a year. When they can't log in, the question waits and the job sits in With Client. The questions themselves are usually small: what was this $480 payment, is this a personal or business expense, can you send the invoice.

How it works

1. Send the questions. From the client or the workpaper, by SMS or email.
2. The client taps the link. No login, no app. They open the text or email and answer straight away on their phone.
3. They upload what you need. A photo of a receipt or invoice goes in with the answer.
4. Answers file themselves. Every answer and upload lands on the client file and the BAS workpaper.
5. Reminders stop on their own. Follow-ups go out automatically and stop the moment the client answers.

When the client can't answer

Sometimes the right person is the bookkeeper, the spouse or the business partner. Clients can pass a question on with a note explaining why, so it doesn't stall in silence and your team knows where it went.

Because the answer arrives where the work is, the preparer doesn't copy it from an email into a note, and the reviewer can see what the client said.

Who it's for

Firms that spend time chasing client information for BAS and tax returns, and clients who will reply to a text but won't log into a portal.

How it connects to the rest of Nagaris

Client Queries is how BAS workpapers get the answers only the client has. Texts go from your firm's own number through Shared SMS, so replies land on the client file where the whole team can see them, not on someone's personal phone. Jobs waiting on answers show in the With Client view in Workflow. For wording that gets a reply first time, see the client request message templates and the tax return checklist.

What it costs

Texts from your Nagaris number are 9¢ each, with no SMS plans or bundles to manage.

Questions

Do clients need to log in?

No. They open the text or email, tap the link and answer on their phone, with no login or app.

Can clients upload documents?

Yes. They can upload photos with their answers, and these file on the client and the BAS workpaper.

Who sends the reminders?

Follow-ups go out on their own and stop the moment the client answers.

What if the client doesn't know the answer?

They can pass the question on with a note, so nothing stalls.

What does an SMS cost?

9¢ a text from your Nagaris number, with no plans or bundles.