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For accountants

Get client documents in without chasing them by email.

Year-end accounts, tax returns, new client onboarding: send each client one checklist through a private link, and let reminders chase whatever is still missing.

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Year-end shouldn't live in your inbox.

Every engagement starts with getting documents in. Over email, that's the part that drags on.

Files spread across threads

Bank statements in one reply, invoices in another, a photo of a receipt forwarded from a phone. Before the work starts, you're piecing the year back together.

Chasing by hand

Every follow-up is an email you write, remember to send, then write again a week later, for every client who is still missing something.

Not knowing what's missing

Was that March's statement or April's? Without one list per client, the only way to know what's outstanding is to read back through everything.

How it works

Four steps, for every engagement.

The same way of working for year-end accounts, tax returns and new clients.

  1. 1

    Pick a template

    Start from the list you always send.

    Choose your year-end, tax return or onboarding template, then add, remove or rename items for this client.

    Create a template
  2. 2

    Send a private link

    Your client uploads. No account.

    Your client opens the link and uploads each document against its item. They can come back later to finish, and their progress is saved.

    Copy or share the client link
  3. 3

    Let reminders follow up

    Only what's missing, on a schedule.

    By default, reminders go out 3 and 7 days after you send the request and again shortly before the due date. Each one lists only what's outstanding.

    How automatic reminders work
  4. 4

    Review each file

    Approve it, or ask again with a note.

    Approve each document, or ask for a replacement with a note your client sees next to that item. Earlier versions stay in the history.

    Review and approve uploads

Features

Everything the chase needs. Nothing it doesn't.

Reusable templates

Build your year-end, tax return and onboarding checklists once, then start each request from one.

Create a template

A link, not an account

Clients upload through a private link. No account, no password and nothing to install.

How client links are protected

Reminders that stop

Reminders list only what's outstanding and stop once it arrives. Send one now, skip one or add a one-off message.

How automatic reminders work

Replacement requests

Wrong year, wrong account, a blurry photo: ask for a replacement with a note, shown next to that item.

Ask a client for a replacement file

Progress at a glance

See how many documents each client has sent, what's waiting for review and what's still missing.

Review and approve uploads

Team workspace

Growth and Pro

Invite colleagues, assign requests and see who reviewed what.

Invite your team

Branded client page

Growth and Pro

Your logo and accent colour on the upload page and in the emails your clients receive.

Add your logo and brand colour

ZIP download

Download all of a request's files as one ZIP, ready to file with the rest of the client's work.

Download all files as a ZIP

Where it fits

GarnerDocs does one job: getting documents from your clients to you, complete and checked. It doesn't replace your practice management software, your tax software or your bookkeeping ledger, and it doesn't connect to them. There are no built-in integrations, though on Growth and Pro webhooks can pass events to Zapier, Make or your own systems.

That's on purpose. There's nothing to migrate and no new system for your clients to learn. They get a link, and you get a checklist that shows what's in and what isn't. When a request is done, download the files one at a time or as a ZIP, and file them wherever you keep the rest of the client's work.

It also isn't an archive. Files are kept for the retention period you choose, then deleted. And it doesn't send engagement letters or collect signatures: it collects documents.

Read how files and client links are protected on the Security page.

Questions

Do my clients need to create an account?

No. Clients open the private link you send them and upload directly. There's no registration and no password to remember.

What happens if a client uploads the wrong file?

Request a replacement with a short note explaining what's needed. Your client sees the note next to that document and can upload a new file. The earlier version stays in the history.

Can several people in my practice work on requests?

Yes, on the Growth and Pro plans. Invite colleagues to your workspace, assign collections, and see who reviewed what. Starter includes one seat.

Which plan do I need?

Starter is for one person working alone. Growth and Pro add your team, your logo and colours on the client page, custom reminder schedules and more active requests, and Pro adds advanced reporting. Every plan starts with a free trial.

Is it secure?

Files are stored privately with encryption, and they can only be downloaded by your team after a permission check. Each client link ends in a random code that GarnerDocs doesn't store in readable form. The Security page has the details.

How long are files kept?

For the retention period your workspace chooses: 30 days, 90 days, 180 days or 1 year after a request is completed. The workspace owner gets an email 14 days and 3 days before files are deleted, so you can download what you need first.

Related

  • Use case

    Year-end accounts

    Bank statements, invoices, loan and payroll records from every client after their year end. Send each one the list for their type of business, and let reminders chase the rest.

  • Use case

    Tax season for individual returns

    W-2s, 1099s, 1098s and K-1s from every individual client. Send one checklist before the forms arrive, and let reminders chase each one in, well before the 15 April deadline.

  • Use case

    Self Assessment returns

    P60s, interest statements, dividend vouchers and rental records from every individual client. Send one checklist in the autumn and let reminders chase it in, well before the January rush.

  • Use case

    Client onboarding and AML ID

    Photo ID, proof of address, prior-year accounts and company details from every new client. Send one checklist through a private link before work starts, and let reminders chase the rest.

  • Checklist

    Year-end accounts checklist for clients

    Three year-end lists, for limited companies, sole traders and partnerships, with a line on why you need each document.

  • Compare

    GarnerDocs vs email attachments

    Email is free, and every client already knows how to attach a file. Here's what it costs you in chasing time and risk once you collect from more than a few clients.

Spend less time chasing. More time doing the work that matters.

Make document collection the easiest part of working with your clients.

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