Table of contents:
What is an Umbrella account
Standard accounts in TFX are 1:1 - one individual is in control of one account. That individual may ask that notifications get sent to many email addresses, but taxes will still be prepared for just one individual.
However, sometimes one primary contact is preparing taxes for many individuals. For this scenario, we offer Umbrella accounts. These are particularly useful for families, allowing a designated person to manage multiple tax filings (parents, children, elderly grandparents, etc.).
The Umbrella can log in once and easily switch between the different accounts they have access to. This eliminates the need to juggle multiple email accounts and passwords. The Umbrella will be able to sign separate engagement letters, pay bills, review documents all in an organized fashion where nothing will slip through the cracks, and maintain organized communication.
How to set up an Umbrella account
To create an Umbrella account, send a request to our Support team with the following information:
Name: The name you want the account to be set up with (family/firm).
Primary contact name: The name of the person who will be the primary contact for the account.
Primary contact email: This email address will serve as the login credentials and will be used for all communications for all the users covered by the Umbrella account, e.g., doeumbrella@gmail.com in the table below.
Primary contact phone number.
How to create accounts inside the Umbrella account
Once the Umbrella account is created, you can make individual client accounts inside your profile. If you have any existing TFX client accounts, our Support team can place them inside the newly created Umbrella account.
Click the Full client list from the left sidebar for each new client and click the New client button.
Provide the required information and click Register.
Note: although you will need to provide a unique email address, emails intended for this individual will be directed to the Umbrella account's designated email (as explained below).
How email routing works
Each sub-account should have its email address. However, all emails will be routed to the Umbrella email address. Any accounts under the Umbrella may be removed and become standalone accounts that can log in and communicate without the Umbrella liaison. This is intentional, as perhaps your child will grow up and no longer want to be under the 'Umbrella' but handle their finances.
Example: The Umbrella account holder's email address: Doeumbrella@gmail.com
Name | Email address | Where emails are routed to |
John Doe | ||
Mary Doe | ||
Shane Doe | ||
Sue Doe |
Umbrella interface overview
The Home dashboard is where you can navigate to what you need, including bills, account details, and more.
The Full Client List shows you the status of each tax preparation.
Unassigned emails
Since one individual is liaisoning on behalf of many, we need to know for which taxpayer to route the communication. When you respond to an email from our system, we know which account it is for. All emails will show "For [Taxpayer Name]" in the subject to clarify whom we are addressing.
Examples of email subjects:
For John Doe: Your engagement letter is ready
For Mary Doe: We have some questions to finalize your return
For Shane Doe: Your tax return is ready
However, when you email your tax preparer from a new email address, we do not know for whom to route it. You will receive an email asking you to assign this email to one of the clients on the Unassigned Emails tab in the Umbrella account.
To assign emails:
On the Unassigned Emails tab, select an email.
Click on the empty Choose Client field and select New Client in the dropdown list if it is a new client (perhaps, your cousin Frankie also needs you to oversee his tax return).
Click Assign.
Navigation between accounts
When you log into one of the accounts under the Umbrella one, you will notice a Return to XXX Home page button in the top left corner. This will return you to the Umbrella Dashboard.
