The Best CRM for Tax Firms

It’s important for the current accounting firm to be able to rely on a sophisticated platform that combines powerful automation, integrations, and synced communication methods so that every client interaction is managed to the same high standards as the accounting services offered.

There are a large number of CRM platforms to choose from, but a select few rise to the top. With so many features and different pricing models, we’ve put together this comparison of the best CRM for tax firms to help you make this critical choice for your team.

What Are the Core Features to Look for in the Best CRM for Tax Firms?

Tax firms are always in need of finding ways to improve operations and uncover new efficiencies wherever possible. Some of the main features the top CRM platforms offer include:

• Centralized client and contact data shared across the practice’s team
• Automated workflow including processes and alerts
• Synced email communications
• Important notations
• Client analytics (locations, YOY growth, client types, occupations, etc.)
• Bulk actions like email & portal invitations
• Client portal
• Digital handling and storage of documents
• Time tracking
• Payment processing and invoicing
• Integration with other tax applications

Comparing the Top 3 Tax CRM Software Options

Canopy, Karbon, and TaxDome are three of the best tax CRM options for accounting firms, feature-for-feature. Since they share many of the same benefits, here’s a look at each platform’s unique qualities.

Canopy

Canopy stands out for making centralized client data and communication management easy for any sized  accounting firm. It is considered the best CRM for tax and accounting professionals who need to enhance their operational efficiency with an intuitive, customizable dashboard, and manage all clients, contacts, emails, groups, and individual client projects. 

Canopy’s feature set is robust enough to follow small firms on the upward rise as they scale to larger, more complex workflows. One way Canopy’s model is designed to explicitly answer the needs of smaller firms is by making all of its core CRM features available for unlimited users. This allows Canopy’s complete end-to-end features to extend CRM duties to include everything expected from a practice management system.

When compared to its top competitors, Canopy is the only CRM that offers all of the same expansive features and add-on options while making the foundational features available to any number of users. Extra features can be added as firms grow, per user, on a monthly basis, making it clear its model is to only add additional costs at the exact rate of a firm’s growth.

While Karbon places an emphasis on its webinars and other industry resources, Canopy also offers webinars led by industry experts, Ebooks, and similar resources.

TaxDome

TaxDome is another CRM for tax professionals that makes the short list with Canopy and Karbon, not only for the expected features found from all three platform options, but its package options make TaxDome one of the best all-in-one practice management platforms. 

TaxDome’s wide range of features distinguishes its model from lesser CRM offerings that didn’t make the list, but you will find they’re also available with Canopy and Karbon. 

The biggest standout for TaxDome compared to Canopy and Karbon is their tiered packaging. Its pro-level plan incorporates custom website options and automatic workpaper assignments that have become an important element in helping smaller firms grow, and the top-tier plan adds a higher level of client support.

TaxDome locks in per-user pricing based on a 3-year contract commitment, where Canopy’s pricing is month to month and Karbon saves users the most with a 1-year commitment.

Karbon

Like the other top competitors, Karbon integrates other tax management tools to pull in client details and coordinate information about each unique client without duplicating the same information in multiple programs.

Karbon’s standout features extend beyond its CRM platform, with their offered training, paid individualized support, webinars, an industry magazine, newsletter, and more.

Karbon’s price model is more expensive if paid month to month rather than yearly, but is based on a per-user model like TaxDome.

Side-By-Side Feature and Price Comparison

Canopy Case Study: Unity Business Advisors

For over 25 years, Unity Business Advisors has provided small businesses with comprehensive accounting, payroll, tax planning, and advisory services. As its team of 15-18 employees continued to grow, including an expanding outsourced support team, the need for a centralized CRM platform became increasingly apparent.

The firm’s inefficiencies stemmed from an overload of projects to manage, and as the team grew, it faced challenges with communication, mismanaged priorities, and priceless hours lost tracking down emails and documents.

Canopy offered the comprehensive solution Unity Business Advisors required, with tools to streamline communication, create customizable workflows, track tasks, and improve team management. The firm experienced more organized client projects, improved communication, and efficiencies that provided a much-needed work-life balance for employees.

Client satisfaction improved, and the firm is now capable of scaling and leveraging Canopy’s features to continuously improve.

Choose Canopy for Client Management that Scales

For small-to-mid-sized accounting firms, the choice is clear: Scale your operations with Canopy and add the features you need to a robust, unlimited CRM foundation as your operations grow.

Ready to unlock the power of a world-class CRM? Request your demo today!