A new tax office needs four things the tax software does not give you: a way for clients to send documents, a way to know what is still missing, a way to catch calls you cannot answer, and a way to see every return's status at a glance. AI360 CPA installs all four, branded to your firm, in one managed setup called Tax Season Ready.
What you already have, and what is still missing
Your PTIN lets you prepare returns for pay. Your EFIN lets you e-file them. Your tax software (Drake, ProSeries, TaxSlayer Pro, UltimateTax, whichever you chose) prepares and files the return. That covers the return itself.
It does not cover the client. Where do they send the W-2? Who tells them the 1099 is still missing? Who answers when they call while you are in another return? Where do you look to see which of your 40 clients are ready, waiting, or done? In most first-season offices the answer is your phone, your inbox, and your memory. That works until about February 10.
What Tax Season Ready installs
- Client portal with secure document upload. Branded to your firm, works from a phone. One link per client.
- Automated document collection and checklists. Each client sees what is received and what is still needed. Reminders go out until the list is complete.
- AI assistant inside the portal. Answers routine client questions and tells them what is still needed, without your time.
- Missed call text back. A call you cannot take gets an immediate text so the lead does not go to the next preparer on Google.
- Appointment confirmation and reminders. Fewer no-shows, no manual reminder texts.
- Pipeline setup. Every return sits in a stage: new, waiting on documents, ready to prepare, in review, filed. You see the whole season on one screen.
Sixteen automations in total, the same ones already running in live tax offices. Installed and managed by AI360, not a software login you have to configure yourself.
Why a new office should set this up before the first client
Established firms retrofit these systems around habits they already have, and it hurts. A new office has no habits yet. If the first client you ever take on uploads through your portal, every client after them will too, and you never build the email-attachment problem that older firms spend years trying to undo.
It also changes how you look. A solo preparer with a branded portal, a checklist, and a confirmation text reads like an established firm on day one. Clients notice, and they refer.
What it costs and how long it takes
Tax Season Ready is a $3,500 install, one time, plus $497 per month. Managed installation targets 30 days from the point you have provided access, content, approvals, and payment has cleared. Every install includes 14 days of post-launch support. Full detail is on the pricing page.
If $3,500 up front is too much for a first season, say so on the call. The discovery call is free, 30 minutes, and the honest answer for some brand-new offices is to start smaller.
What this is not
AI360 CPA does not replace your tax software and does not prepare returns. It runs the client-service and document layer around the software you already chose. You keep every judgment call. The system keeps the chase off your desk.
I only have a PTIN and no EFIN yet. Can I still set this up?
Yes. The portal, checklists, reminders, and pipeline do not depend on e-filing. Many new preparers set the client side up while the EFIN application is still in process so the office is ready the day it is approved.
Does this work with my tax software?
Tax Season Ready runs alongside any professional tax software. It handles the client, the documents, and the status. Your software handles the return. Deeper tax software auto-fill integration is part of Practice OS, the larger plan.
I am an enrolled agent, not a CPA. Is this for me?
Yes. AI360 CPA serves independent tax offices, enrolled agents, and CPA firms. The setup is the same. The name comes from where the first installs happened, not from a credential requirement.
Do I need to know anything technical?
No. Installation is managed. You provide your logo, your services, your availability, and access to the accounts that need connecting. AI360 builds, tests, and hands it over with training.