Eight stages from secure intake to filed return.
Exactly what happens, what we need from you, and when.
A return prepared by TaxOwl Advisors moves through eight clear stages. The pace mostly depends on how quickly your documents arrive — and at every stage, you know exactly where your return stands.
1. Secure Intake & Fit Check
Complete a short secure intake and select the service you need. We review your answers, confirm fit and scope, and send the appropriate engagement options.
This first step asks only for contact information, the service you need, and high-level complexity details. Do not submit Social Security numbers, dates of birth, identification, IP PINs, tax documents, or bank information during the fit check or an optional call.
Most clients can begin without a call. If your answers reveal uncertain scope, unusual entities, foreign reporting, extensive cleanup, multiple unfiled years, or another pricing exception, we'll invite you to a short complexity review.
Start Secure Intake Request an Optional Fit Call
What you need: 5–10 minutes. What you receive: fit confirmation, clear scope, and the appropriate engagement options.
2. Engagement & Payment
You receive an engagement letter in your secure TaxOwl Advisors portal. It spells out the flat fee, what's included, what's not, and refund policy. You sign electronically. Payment is collected at engagement through Stripe.
TaxOwl does not request sensitive tax-return information until you have accepted the engagement and are working inside the authenticated portal.
That's when we start work.
What you need: 5 minutes + payment. What you walk away with: active engagement, work begins.
3. Tax Organizer
Within minutes of your signed engagement letter, your TaxOwl Advisors portal populates with the tax organizer matched to your return type (1040, 1120-S, 1065, 1120, 1041, or 990), a document checklist, and a welcome email explaining how to upload.
Enter Social Security numbers, dates of birth, identity documents, IP PINs, tax records, and refund or payment account information only in that organizer. Never send these items by ordinary email, text, a public website form, consultation notes, or chat. TaxOwl will never ask for online-banking usernames, passwords, or security codes.
The organizer auto-saves. Complete it in pieces over a few days. Returning clients get last year's data pre-filled.
What you need: 30-60 minutes (individuals; longer for business owners).
4. Document Upload
You upload your tax documents to TaxDome via drag-and-drop, mobile app photo, or by forwarding email attachments to your personal upload address (created automatically). We message you in the portal if anything is missing.
What you need: documents as they arrive. What you walk away with: every document organized and secure.
5. Preparation
Two phases:
Phase A — Extraction. We use specialized prep software to extract data from your source documents (W-2s, 1099s, K-1s, brokerage statements) into a structured workpaper.
Phase B — Build. Your specialist takes the workpaper and builds your return in tax software, applying prior-year carryforwards, equity comp cost-basis adjustments, K-1 line items, state apportionment, and next-year estimated tax computations.
A first draft is typically ready in 3-5 business days from full document receipt.
6. Internal Review (the second-eyes principle)
This is the step that defines TaxOwl Advisors. Every return is reviewed by the second specialist — not the one who built it. The reviewer checks variance vs. prior year, cost-basis adjustments on equity comp, K-1 reconciliation, multi-state accuracy, and estimated tax projections.
If anything looks off, it goes back to the specialist before the client sees it.
7. Your Review & E-Signature
Your draft return is delivered to your TaxOwl Advisors portal along with a summary of your tax position, side-by-side prior-year comparison, notes on anything unusual, and Form 8879 for your e-signature.
We schedule a Tax Review & Approval Call if your return is complex enough to walk through. For simpler returns, portal messaging is often sufficient.
When you're satisfied, you sign Form 8879. We e-file the same day.
8. E-File & Delivery
Within 24 hours of your 8879 signature, your return is transmitted. Within 48-72 hours, you receive IRS and state acceptance confirmations, a final filed copy in your portal, direct-deposit refund expected date or balance-due payment instructions, and estimated tax vouchers for next year if applicable.
Everything is archived in your TaxOwl Advisors portal permanently — download anytime, current or prior years.
After filing: Year-Round Support
The engagement doesn't end at filing:
- Q3 estimated tax check-in (Premium and Bundle clients automatically)
- Q4 planning conversation for year-end moves (Premium and Bundle clients)
- IRS notice response — forward any notice; we triage same-day
- Mid-year questions — equity vests, life events, business changes
- Following year — we carry forward everything and notify you when it's time to start the next return
The same two specialists. Year after year.
Ready to start?
Start Secure Intake Request an Optional Fit Call
Or reach out directly:
Phone: (813) 790-9269 · Email: hello@taxowl.co
Tax Preparation. Tax Strategy. Business Tax. Built for the complex return.