Tax return review software built for professional sign-off
The tax return may be the final document lodged, but a proper review cannot stop at the return itself.
Figures need to agree with the financial statements. Tax calculations need to reconcile with the workpapers. Disclosures need to make sense in the context of the complete file. Unusual movements need to be understood rather than simply carried forward.
Taxpartna helps Australian accounting firms complete that review more efficiently.
It analyses the documents submitted with the job, cross-checks information across the file and highlights matters requiring the reviewer's attention.
Review the return in the context of the whole file
Many review issues are not obvious when one document is viewed in isolation.
A number may look reasonable in the income tax return but disagree with the financial statements. An amount may appear in a workpaper without a second supporting source. A disclosure may be present, but the related working may not reconcile.
Taxpartna reads across the file rather than treating the tax return as a standalone document.
Reviewed information may be categorised as:
The value agrees across multiple sources within the applicable tolerance.
The information was located in one document but could not be corroborated elsewhere in the submitted file.
An expected value or item could not be located.
Two or more documents contain values that do not agree within tolerance.
This gives the reviewer a practical map of the file: what agrees, what is missing and what deserves another look.
Spend review time on the exceptions
A large part of manual tax review involves confirming information that is already correct.
The reviewer checks the same figure in several places, traces the tax reconciliation and works through common compliance matters. Most items pass, but each still consumes time.
Taxpartna performs defined checks first and brings exceptions to the reviewer's attention.
The reviewer can then focus on questions such as:
- Why does this figure differ between the workpaper and the return?
- Is there another document supporting this amount?
- Has the appropriate tax treatment been applied?
- Is the movement commercially reasonable?
- Does the matter require clarification from the preparer or client?
Taxpartna reduces searching. The firm's reviewer provides the judgement.
Clear explanations, not unexplained alerts
A warning without context is rarely useful to an experienced tax reviewer.
Taxpartna presents the values considered, where they were identified and why the result was flagged or passed.
Where relevant, the output can include the information used in the check and an explanation of the result.
This allows the reviewer to assess the outcome rather than simply accepting a red or green status.
It also makes it easier to send a specific review point back to the preparer. Instead of asking the preparer to recheck the entire return, the reviewer can point to the document, value and inconsistency involved.
Support a more consistent sign-off process
Tax-return review can vary considerably between reviewers.
One reviewer may concentrate on reconciliations. Another may focus heavily on disclosure labels. A third may spend more time investigating year-on-year movements.
Taxpartna provides a consistent baseline of automated checks while preserving each reviewer's ability to investigate anything else they consider relevant.
This is particularly useful when:
- several jobs reach review at the same time
- senior staff are responsible for a large review queue
- less experienced team members prepare the work
- the firm is standardising its sign-off process
- partners want better visibility over review quality
Record what was checked
After the identified items have been assessed, the completed review can be exported for retention in the client file.
The resulting file note can document the checks completed, supporting values and sources, explanations presented and reviewer sign-off.
It provides a clearer record than an undocumented final-review tick and helps the firm demonstrate the process followed if the work is later questioned.
Review faster without lowering the standard
Taxpartna is not an automated tax agent and does not lodge or approve tax returns.
It is a quality-assurance tool for Australian accounting firms seeking a more efficient way to inspect a file before lodgement.
The preparation team completes the work. Taxpartna helps check it. The firm's reviewer decides whether it is ready to sign.
Frequently asked questions
No. Taxpartna provides review assistance only. A registered tax practitioner must assess the results, resolve any concerns and make the final sign-off decision.