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Safesend debuts Next Gen Gather AI as part of larger rebrand

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Accounting solutions provider SafeSend announced the rebranding of its SafeSend Suite product to SafeSend One in order to emphasize the addition of its brand new Next Gen Gather AI, included as part of a new Premium Tier package. The software package now offers secure and compliant engagement letters, file transfers, organizers, e-signatures, tax return assembly and delivery, and a new AI-driven gathering capability. 

“The rebranding from SafeSend Suite to SafeSend One marks the launch of the innovative next gen Gather AI feature and a new premium packaging tier,” said SafeSend in a fact sheet on the rebranding. “These exciting updates help solidify SafeSend’s goal to be the trusted partner in providing an end-to-end client experience for accounting firms. This rebrand reflects our commitment to constant evolution, setting trends, supporting firms’ needs, defining the future, and establishing the ‘gold standard’ for an end-to-end taxpayer journey.”

Next Gen Gather AI was described by Steven Lyon, senior product manager, during a demo as a completely new feature that is meant to help accountants do tasks like collect e-signatures on engagement letters, generate questionnaires and collect important documents. 

Once client information is entered, the software begins collecting client information through generating a fillable yes/no organizer. Users can upload their own if they want but it’s not strictly necessary; nor is even sending the fillable organizer in the first place, if the user doesn’t want to do so. 

After that, it adds room for e-signatures on the engagement letter and lets people drag and drop their signatures into the appropriate space. 

Next, the system generates a customizable questionnaire, which can either be built manually or from a template, with space for yes/no, multiple choice and fillable text boxes. 

Then the system makes the document request list using AI. Lyon said “one of the big features” of this part is that if the user uploads the previous year’s organizer, it will automatically generate a document request list based on the information there. People can also choose to use templates, or manually modify the AI-generated list by adding or removing different requests. He noted that users do not necessarily need to send the organizer in order to auto generate the document request list.

Finally, the user chooses their delivery and notification options, as well as sets reminders to the client if they’re taking too long to upload their documents. 

On the clients’ side, said Lyon, they will see an email asking them to please complete their “Gather Request.” After verifying their identities via a one-time code, they can start by signing the engagement letter, then answering the questionnaire. Once completed, they’re taken to the organizer with the fillable yes/no questions and places to enter personal information. Finally they’re taken to the upload screen where they see the requested source documents for the firm. The client can upload many source documents at once, and the software will use AI to recognize those items and automatically map them to the document request list. Those that cannot be auto-categorized will appear on the right of the screen for further inspection. 

The rebranding will also involve a phase-out of individual product logos for SafeSend Returns, SafeSend Exchange and other solutions, as they will be unified under the combined product portfolio of SafeSend One. This shift emphasizes the broader suite’s key features rather than individual product names.

“Our goal has always been to provide a singular, comprehensive solution that enhances the firm-client experience while simplifying the tax process for firms,” said Andrew Hatfield, SafeSend co-founder and chief growth officer. “SafeSend One and Gather AI are the latest demonstrations of our commitment to innovate on behalf of our customers.”

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Accounting

Acting IRS commissioner reportedly replaced

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Gary Shapley, who was named only days ago as the acting commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, is reportedly being replaced by Deputy Treasury Secretary Michael Faulkender amid a power struggle between Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Elon Musk.

The New York Times reported that Bessent was outraged that Shapley was named to head the IRS without his knowledge or approval and complained to President Trump about it. Shapley was installed as acting commissioner on Tuesday, only to be ousted on Friday. He first gained prominence as an IRS Criminal Investigation special agent and whistleblower who testified in 2023 before the House Oversight Committee that then-President Joe Biden’s son Hunter received preferential treatment during a tax-evasion investigation, and he and another special agent had been removed from the investigation after complaining to their supervisors in 2022. He was promoted last month to senior advisor to Bessent and made deputy chief of IRS Criminal Investigation. Shapley is expected to remain now as a senior official at IRS Criminal Investigation, according to the Wall Street Journal. The IRS and the Treasury Department press offices did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Faulkender was confirmed last month as deputy secretary at the Treasury Department and formerly worked during the first Trump administration at the Treasury on the Paycheck Protection Program before leaving to teach finance at the University of Maryland.

Faulkender will be the fifth head of the IRS this year. Former IRS commissioner Danny Werfel departed in January, on Inauguration Day, after Trump announced in December he planned to name former Congressman Billy Long, R-Missouri, as the next IRS commissioner, even though Werfel’s term wasn’t scheduled to end until November 2027. The Senate has not yet scheduled a confirmation hearing for Long, amid questions from Senate Democrats about his work promoting the Employee Retention Credit and so-called “tribal tax credits.” The job of acting commissioner has since been filled by Douglas O’Donnell, who was deputy commissioner under Werfel. However, O’Donnell abruptly retired as the IRS came under pressure to lay off thousands of employees and share access to confidential taxpayer data. He was replaced by IRS chief operating officer Melanie Krause, who resigned last week after coming under similar pressure to provide taxpayer data to immigration authorities and employees of the Musk-led U.S. DOGE Service. 

Krause had planned to depart later this month under the deferred resignation program at the IRS, under which approximately 22,000 IRS employees have accepted the voluntary buyout offers. But Musk reportedly pushed to have Shapley installed on Tuesday, according to the Times, and he remained working in the commissioner’s office as recently as Friday morning. Meanwhile, plans are underway for further reductions in the IRS workforce of up to 40%, according to the Federal News Network, taking the IRS from approximately 102,000 employees at the beginning of the year to around 60,000 to 70,000 employees.

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Accounting

On the move: EY names San Antonio office MP

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Carr, Riggs & Ingram appoints CFO and chief legal officer; TSCPA hosts accounting bootcamp; and more news from across the profession.

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Accounting

Tech news: Certinia announces spring release

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Certinia announces spring release; Intuit acquires tech and experts from fintech Deserve; Paystand launches feature to navigate tariffs; and other accounting tech news and updates.

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