For tax preparers
E-Signature for Tax Preparers
Send engagement letters and consent forms by email or text, collect W-2s and 1099s with a document request, and stop chasing signatures in March.
Documents you can send
What you can send, and what you shouldn't.
MultiDocs works for the paperwork around the return. It is not a tool for signing the e-file authorization.
- Engagement letters, with the scope, fees and responsibilities.
- Consent to disclose or use tax return information (IRC § 7216), which the IRS lets clients sign electronically.
- Document requests, with "ask for a document" fields so clients attach a photo or PDF of a W-2, 1099 or receipt.
- Client organizers and questionnaires, with checkboxes and text fields.
- Bookkeeping and payroll service agreements, for year-round clients.
- Completeness acknowledgements, where the client confirms they gave you every document for the year.
How it works
Engagement letter signed in three steps.
Upload your engagement letter or consent as a PDF. Add signature, date and the fields the client fills in.
Send by email or text. For joint returns, add both spouses as signers, at the same time or in order.
You get the signed PDF with a certificate. Download it to your own records.
Why MultiDocs
Clients sign from the couch, not your waiting room.
Clients open a link and sign with a finger or a mouse. Nothing to download, no password to remember.
Send the link by text message, WhatsApp or email, or copy it and paste it anywhere. Email reminders go out every two days, up to three times.
Send your new-season engagement letter to every returning client at once, each with their own copy: up to 20 on the free plan, up to 500 on Team.
The last page records the date and time, where the link was sent, IP address, device, a unique signer code and the SHA-256 fingerprint of the file. Anyone can check it at /verify.
Good to know
MultiDocs is not for Form 8879.
Do not use MultiDocs for remote Form 8879 or Form 8878 signatures. When the client is not in the room, the IRS requires the e-signature software to verify the taxpayer's identity, for example with knowledge-based authentication (KBA), and to record specific data about the signing. MultiDocs does not provide identity verification. Use your tax software's e-signature feature, or a handwritten signature. See the IRS e-file signature FAQs and IRS Publication 1345.
Section 7216 consents can be signed electronically, but Rev. Proc. 2013-14 sets how (irs.gov). For Form 1040 clients, the signature must be one of the listed methods, such as the taxpayer typing their own name. Add a name field and leave it blank so the client types it, use the mandatory wording, and use a separate consent for each disclosure or use. The regulation is 26 CFR § 301.7216-3.
Files are encrypted in transit and deleted 30 days after completion, but MultiDocs has no SOC 2 report. Include it in your written information security plan like any other tool. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.
ESIGN and UETA in plain English.
When typing your name counts.
Engagement letters for every client.
How files are stored and deleted.
Questions
Tax preparer e-signature questions.
Can I use MultiDocs for Form 8879?
No. For remote signatures the IRS requires identity verification, such as KBA, that MultiDocs does not provide. Use your tax software's e-signature or get a handwritten signature.
Can clients sign a Section 7216 consent electronically?
Yes. Rev. Proc. 2013-14 allows electronic consents if the client signs in one of the listed ways, for example by typing their own name. Use the required wording and a separate consent for each disclosure or use.
Can clients send me their tax documents?
Yes. Add "ask for a document" fields, and the client attaches a photo or PDF of each form before signing.
Can both spouses sign the engagement letter?
Yes. Add up to 20 signers per document, at the same time or in order.
Do clients need an account?
No. They open the link from an email or text and sign in their browser.
How long are documents kept?
We delete files 30 days after completion. Download signed letters and consents to your own records and keep them as long as your retention policy requires.
Pricing
Free to start. $25 a month for the whole team.
Sign your own documents free, forever, and send 15 signature requests a month on the free plan. The Team plan is $25 a month (or $240 a year) for everyone in your practice, with up to 1,000 requests a month and bulk send to 500 people.