One of the most difficult tasks for bookkeepers is being able to acquire all the necessary documents from their clients, in a timely and organized fashion. On the other hand, one of the hardest tasks for business owners is organizing their shoebox of documents, without misplacing the important receipts and statements. In this post, you will find 3 simple functions that can help to save time, and ultimately improve your bookkeeping process.
1. Acquiring Documents
From the perspective of the bookkeeper, acquiring documents can be a major pain. In order to reduce the time required chasing after clients for documents, LedgerDocs now has multiple ways in which to upload files securely to the shared project.
- One of these new tools puts the power into the palm of the client's hand, literally. With the Ledgerdocs smartphone app, uploading documents is as easy as snapping a photo and selecting upload. A common use for this would be to record receipts on the go.
- If the smartphone app is not the way for you then try setting up an email address within your project by selecting the Email Upload tab. By creating your personal email address, all messages sent with attachments will have the attachment automatically uploaded into the project inbox, while anything in the body of the email will become a note attached to that document.
- Are there multiple files to upload at once but you don't want to email each one individually? You can upload them all by using your computer; simply log into your LedgerDocs account and use the Upload Files button in the Overview tab. The file uploader will allow for batches of up to 20 files to be uploaded at the same time. Uploading quietly runs in the background while you get on with other tasks.
For the bookkeeper's convenience, they will receive daily updates via email to notify them of any changes or new file uploads that have occurred in the past 24 hours. These features help to save time for both the bookkeeper and the business.
2. Filing Documents
New files will appear in the Inbox of the selected project, allowing easy access to files that have not yet been used by the bookkeeper. Once the files have been reviewed or used, they can easily be filed into the system. The document viewer allows you to seamlessly scroll through each document without leaving the viewer screen by using the right and left navigation arrows available. From there a bookkeeper can quickly input the relevant information into their accounting package and file that document to the appropriate folder in LedgerDocs when finished. Other features in the document viewer include adding notes for better collaboration with the client and tags to add easier retrieval of the document at a later stage. The files can easily be dragged and dropped into folders for easy archiving of accounting information. These folders can be added, deleted, or edited in order to offer the most organized setup for your needs.
3. Search for Documents
A great deal of time can be wasted searching for a misplaced document, or one that has been recycled and is no longer there. By uploading all of your documents into a single document management system, you can easily search for the document you are looking for, and retrieve them quickly. In addition to simplicity, this effectively offers a second, digital copy for all of your records.
When it comes time to retrieve the files you need, it is as simple as selecting the "Search Documents" button. From here there are different filters in order to find the files you need as fast as possible. These filters include searching by folders or by the date that the file was uploaded. You can also search by the tags that you have added to individual files in order to easily find a group of associated files that you need. There is also the option to display files by date or alphabetically.
This comes in handy for bookkeepers in the scramble of tax season when it is important to have all of your documents in order to remit the proper amounts to the CRA. Additionally, in the case of an audit the bookkeeper will have easy access to supporting documents in order to prove or disprove anything they are looking for. Digital copies are now more useful as the CRA and the IRS are moving towards a fully digital process and are more accepting of digital documents for auditing and tax purposes. For more information on these processes, you can visit our previous blog posts; Are Scanned Documents Accepted as Proof in a Canadian Audit? And Are Scanned Documents Accepted by the IRS for a US Audit?
As you can see, having all of your key documents in one place allows for a simple and efficient bookkeeping system. The ability to easily upload, file, and search for documents allows for easy access and collaboration. This means that you can focus on your business, while your bookkeeper concentrates on keeping your books up-to-date.
LedgerDocs is a simple document management system designed for the collaboration between bookkeepers, accountants and businesses. We offer a simple process of storing, preserving and retrieving your information in a secure and organized manner.
Try LedgerDocs risk free 30 day trial today!
