Drake Portals


For many firms, Drake Portals (hosted on the SecureFilePro.com domain) serves as the bridge between preparer and client, making both document and client management secure and efficient. With your own secure, file-sharing, firm-specific site built with an encrypted cloud storage system, Drake Portals makes it easy to send, receive, and manage client documents whether in the office or on the go, while clients can e-sign documents, upload forms, and provide tax-necessary data right from home. Updating returns, communicating with clients, and receiving payments for services can all be done wherever work takes you.


Signature features of Drake Portals include:

  • Importing Client Data Directly into Drake Tax — Preparers can send questionnaires from Drake Portals to clients. Once a client has completed and returned a questionnaire, the preparer can import it back into Drake Tax and have the client’s answers flow directly into the appropriate forms and screens, eliminating the need for data entry.
  • Enhanced Reporting — In addition to file transactions, you can view reports for questionnaires, signature documents, profiles, and e-payments, making it easier to guide a client through the tax-filing process from start to finish. New status filters also allow you to easily sort through the current stage of each report type.
  • Notifications — Immediately know when a client uploads or signs a document, sends a message, or makes a payment. Clicking the notification automatically redirects you to the appropriate location.


Using Drake Portals with Drake Documents


Accessing Drake Portals through Drake Documents makes it even easier to work with client files, whether they be in the Working Cabinet or Archive Cabinet. Perform many functions from the Drake Documents window or go to the Portals website to:

  • Drag-and-drop files from Drake Documents into clients’ files and vice versa.
  • Import any type of file into a client folder in Drake Documents; additionally, clients can upload any type of file to Drake Portals.
  • Scan or upload documents into Drake Documents and have them automatically synchronized to the client’s portal; files uploaded to Drake Portals appear in Drake Documents upon refresh.
  • Send clients (or have clients send you) messages, questionnaires, signatures, payments, and even photos of forms.


Drake Portals' Online, Offsite Backup


Drake Software customers who want to store their Drake Tax files at an off-site, Internet-based location can back up their files to Drake Portals. Customers who already have an SFP domain can simply enter their Drake Portals account number and mark the required boxes for an automatic or manual backup; customers who do not have a Drake Portals account must set one up first and pay a monthly or annual fee. Prices range depending on the desired amount of storage.


Features of Drake Portals 


Features of Drake Portals include:

  • Client questionnaires—answers of which can be directly imported into Drake Tax
  • Messenger, e-Payment, and e-Signature tools
  • Reports that show, at a glance, all file, questionnaire, signature, profile, and e-pay activity
  • Automatic notifications to clients and preparers when files are downloaded, uploaded, or signed, questionnaires completed, messages sent, profile information updated, or payments sent
  • Email customization, allowing preparers to:
    • Change certain text within automatic emails
    • Add/remove a logo
    • Customize instructional paragraph for new and existing clients
    • Add additional paragraphs, and add footer information to emails
  • Public and private files; public files are viewable by all Drake Portals users, including clients, whereas only administrators and preparers can view private files.
  • Files with customizable expiration dates, ensuring you never run out of storage


Refer to the following links for more information on Drake Portals: