Tax preparation software for professionals who run the practice
Short answer: Your tax software files the return. Alori runs everything around it. As tax preparation software for professionals, it gives a small practice online booking with reminders, a board with one card per return, texting from your business number, and one inbox per client. It is the all-in-one app you set up by describing your practice, then change by asking in plain words.
Tax season, from the front desk
From February to April, the phone does not stop. Clients call to book, to ask what to bring, and to ask if their return is done. Appointments live in a paper book or a calendar app. The list of returns lives on a whiteboard or in a spreadsheet. Reminders go out one text at a time from someone's cell phone.
A typical small practice juggles:
- A calendar or booking app for appointments
- A spreadsheet or whiteboard to track each return
- Personal cell phones for texts, so client history is scattered
- Email in one person's inbox
- A separate tool to bill the client
None of these talk to each other, and the busiest weeks of the year are when things fall through.
What Alori gives a tax preparer
Online booking with reminders. Turn on booking, create an appointment type like "Personal return, 45 minutes", and share the link. Clients pick an open time in their time zone and both of you get an email. Reminders go out by email up to 2 days before. Clients can move or cancel from the email, which saves a phone call. See Schedule.
One card per return on a board. Make a task for each return and open the task board. Cards move across To do, Waiting, In progress and Done. "Waiting" is where returns sit until the client sends the last slip. Filter by preparer to see who has what. See Tasks.
Texting from your business number. Get a business phone number in Alori and text clients from it. Replies come back in the same thread, so anyone on the team can pick up the conversation. Quick replies save typing for the questions you answer 50 times a season.
One inbox per client. Texts, emails and calls with each client sit in one thread in Conversations. Voicemails are written out for you, so you can read them between appointments.
Reminders you set by asking. Tell your bot "every Monday at 8, text me the returns still waiting on clients" or "remind me Friday at 3 to call Bob". It sets up the automation and turns it on. Messages to clients always show you the exact words and wait for your yes.
Invoices with card payment. Bill the return from Invoices. The emailed invoice has a pay by card link and turns Paid by itself.
Unlimited users. Seasonal staff get their own login at no extra cost. See pricing.
What is coming soon
Document collection is not built yet: a list of slips and forms you ask each client for, with a check as each one comes in. Today, clients keep sending documents the way they do now, and you list what is still missing as subtasks on the return's card.
How to start
- Describe your practice. For example: "tax preparation office, 3 preparers, personal and small business returns, busy from February to April".
- Import your clients. Paste last year's client list into Ask Alori and it adds them, even if names, phones and emails are mixed up.
- Invite your team. Each preparer gets an invitation email and their own login.
| Season task | In Alori |
|---|---|
| Clients book a slot | Booking link with email reminders |
| Track each return | One task card per return on the board |
| "Is my return done?" | Text thread from your business number |
| Get paid | Invoice with a pay by card link |
If you also do bookkeeping or monthly accounting, see bookkeepers and accounting firms.
FAQ
Does Alori prepare or file tax returns? No. Keep your tax software for the return itself. Alori handles booking, tracking, client messages and billing around it.
Can clients book their own appointment? Yes. Share a booking link. Clients pick an open time, both sides get an email, and reminders go out before the appointment. You can also ask to approve each request yourself.
Can I text a reminder to many clients at once? Not as a bulk send today. You can text each client from their thread with quick replies, and set up automations that remind you who still needs a message.
Can clients upload their tax documents? Not through a portal yet. Document collection is coming soon. Today, keep your current way of receiving documents and track what is missing on each return's card.