Derek Foote
CPA | Gresham, Oregon

CLIENT COLLABORATION GUIDE

BRINGING important values to the table for every client: integrity, consistency, and helpfulness.

Leveraging the latest technology, applying consistent systems, and setting clear expectations creates an environment for helpfulness to thrive. The most fulfilling aspect of our relationship is simplifying complex issues so you can succeed.

This guide is an overview of what to expect as we collaborate on your taxes, planning, and other needs.

Business Hours

COMMUNICATION METHODS & EXPECTATIONS

WORKING TOGETHER VIRTUALLY

• Communication is primarily through email and TaxDome, ensuring a documented history for future reference.
• Virtual meetings and calls are scheduled  in advance to ensure focus and efficiency. It allows me to be prepared to help and answer questions.
• Documents are shared electronically via the TaxDome platform.

Capacity & WORKFLOW

TAX SEASON CAPACITY QUEUE

During tax season I actively monitor available capacity and update as tax season progresses:

• 100 entries are available. An s-corp or partnership and an owner are two entries.
• Available capacity will be disclosed inside your client portal and updated regularly.
• After submitting your information, I will give it a preliminary review* within two business days. You will receive confirmation that I have sufficient information to get started, or you will receive a list of preliminary items still needed to reserve an entry in the queue.
• Often brokerage 1099s are delayed. Your spot will be considered reserved so long as everything else is received and there is a prompt hand-off of the 1099 as soon as it’s available. Delay in receiving the 1099 may necessitate an extension.
• The queue closes to submissions on March 20. The remainder of the season is reserved for finishing existing projects and extensions.

My goal is to protect my service from undue pressure, which leads to lower quality service and a poorer work product. Additionally, providing a quick preliminary review will result in clear feedback on needed information and reduce back-and-forth during the preparation process.

The queue reached full capacity on February 11, 2026. You should expect a similar outcome this upcoming tax season.
 

Workflow

• Engagement letters are signed in January.
• Organizers are available once the engagement letter is signed.
• Document delivery includes a complete copy of the tax return, and a separate “action item” PDF.

CORE VALUES

Integrity

It’s often easier to know how integrity feels than define what it means. It’s sticking to my moral compass, remaining honest, and taking accountability for my work.

When engaging with a potential client, we discuss communication, services, and processes. Fulfilling these commitments is professional integrity. It’s why I’ve created this guide.

Additionally, I adhere to established laws, regulations, and professional standards. In areas lacking clear guidance, I apply my professional judgement in your best interest.

Consistency

Consistent application of systems and processes is critical for quality work and meeting client expectations.

While each business and taxpayer is unique, there is a huge scope of compliance that everyone must fulfill.

Relying on consistent systems saves time for both of us, and ensures all necessary work is completed. Building efficient administrative processes allows me to dedicate more time to helping you.

Lou Radja, an amazing speaker and coach, puts it simply as “systems beat intentions.”

Helpfulness

Using my knowledge to help people makes the technical work a fulfilling career.

I’m happy to simplify complex technical issues to manageable and understandable terms. I make sure we’ve built understanding of concepts before introducing technical terminology.

Leveraging the latest technology, applying consistent systems, and setting clear expectations creates an environment where helpfulness can thrive.

Tell Me About Yours

Values impact our personal and professional lives. If you’d like to share yours, I’m all for it. If there’s certain values you hold close,  let’s chat about ways we can honor and support those working together.

Tax Compliance Timeline

• Signing engagement letters in advance is required for me to assist with filing obligations, including extensions.
• Organizers are sent after signing. Completing the organizer is crucial to ensure the best outcome and to meet IRS due diligence requirements. The organizer must be completed before preparation can start.
• An automated process is used to follow up on open items. You will receive periodic reminders until these items are resolved.
• To ensure quality service and a thorough work product, it is important to adhere to submission deadlines. The specific deadlines care clearly communicated in advance.
• Work received after deadlines will require an extension. Extensions do not elevate your risk. They are a critical tool allowing me to dedicate the time needed for each client’s unique situation.

Planning & Advisory Timeline

• The planning and advisory process is tailored to each client. Deadlines are assigned based on the assessment of your requirements, typically 2-3 weeks ahead of payment deadlines.
• Engaging in proactive quarterly planning is highly beneficial. It helps avoid surprises, provides greater flexibility in strategy, and aligns your tax obligations with your cash flow. “It’s better to perform a physical than an autopsy.”
• There may be other advisory matters that come up. I strongly encourage you to reach out with questions during the year. It may be a quick answer or lead to a bigger project. We will discuss the issue and explore options to address them at a level you are comfortable with. 

Ai philosophy & use

AI is easily the biggest technological change impacting modern accounting firms. There are three key areas to think about AI tools in public accounting: service, production, and research.

AI in service

I do not use AI to replace personal client service. You can generally expect that when you interact with my practice, you’re interacting with me. Responses, strategies, and analysis are based on experience, expertise, and research.

AI is used to support service in key ways:

• An AI note taker in meetings allows us to focus on the discussion and have pertinent notes for future reference.
• An AI-enabled email platform allows for contextual references and search across email threads and discussions.

AI in production

Production includes intake, preparation, review, and delivery of your tax returns and other advisory projects. There is a significant push for AI-enabled intake and preparation tools to increase efficiency and grow capacity. I intentionally avoid these pressures.

I believe that the more removed and disconnected I am from the process, the more disconnected I am from the client, which undermines my service.

I do rely on technology and automation to support administrative processes, so I have the time to focus on service. But I have no intention of using it to replace hands-on steps in the pursuit of unnecessary growth. By design, I am a small practice. Capacity is limited to the people who are best supported with my time, effort, and expertise.

I do utilize AI as a supplemental tool. This is for intermediate steps such as file and data organization. For example, TaxDome automatically re-names files you upload based on their content. It is not replacing the preparation, review, or delivery of my services.

AI in research 

This is the area where AI provides significant benefit. Historically, professional research databases were prohibitively expensive, and ad hoc research was extremely time-consuming. AI has made technical research much more accessible. Research tools are limited to properly vetted reference content, and I take reasonable steps to verify the results.

TaxDome

TaxDome (TD) is an “all-in-one” practice management system, serving as a secure hub to manage your account(s).

You can access your account anytime using your unique login with your own e-mail address. Multiple users can access to the same account, each with their own unique email address.

The mobile app is particularly useful for submitting documents using your phone. it’s available for iOS or Android.

You can access your portal any time by clicking on “Client Login” in the main menu.

Home

After logging in, the dashboard provides important updates such as pending invoices, unread messages, pending organizers, and new documents.

Docs

Upload, e-sign, and download deliverables.

Chats 

Ask questions, respond messages, and respond to open items.

Organizers

Fill out necessary questionnaires for tax return preparation.

Proposals & Engagement Letters

Sign engagement letters that define the scope of our engagement.

Billing

Pay invoices and review payment history.

Switch Account

The white box in the top right allows you to toggle between accounts.

Other Software & Security

CCH Axcess Tax & Thomson Reuters UltraTax (UT) 

My practice transitioned away from UltraTax beginning with 2025 tax returns that were filed on extension. Beginning with returns filed in Spring 2026 my practice began using CCH Axcess Tax.

Both Axcess Tax and UltraTax a leading professional-grade tax software. As of Spring 2023, they were some of the few supporting electronic filing for the City of Portland, Multnomah County, and other Portland metro and Oregon taxes. This provides a consistent filing method across all your tax returns, streamlining the filing process.

However, Ultratax had some drawbacks, such as late and buggy software updates in recent years. Critical 2022 forms were released days before the April filing deadline. Fixes to other 2022 instructions weren’t released until a months later, if at all. Axcess Tax has generally  been more proactive in producing updates alongside a better client service.

Thankfully my attention to detail and small volume ensures I can carefully review all your filing obligations and ensure they’re complete and accurate. In certain cases, we may still need to paper file or put projects on hold while waiting for the necessary updates.

Other Software

There are various other ancillary programs I use to enhance our collaboration. These are things like Microsoft Office, trial balance and tax projection software, and Calendly. All of these are leveraged in various ways to ensure you have the best experience possible.

Security

Cloud-based solutions rely on the latest modern security standards. UltraTax is installed on a local machine in my office, which is physically secured from public access. All programs require a unique login and have two-factor authentication (2FA).

All firm and client data is backed up to an encrypted on-site network attached storage (NAS). Data remains encrypted until accessed with the appropriate login credentials and encryption keys.

Professional standards prohibit sharing your information with third parties without your consent.

If desired, a complete copy of my Information (Data) Security Plan and Confidentiality Policy are available upon request.