=== Tax Desk – Client Portal for Accountants ===
Contributors: happisoft
Tags: accountant, tax, client portal, document upload, bookkeeping
Requires at least: 6.5
Tested up to: 7.1
Requires PHP: 7.4
Stable tag: 1.0.0
License: GPLv2 or later
License URI: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html

Run tax season from WordPress: clients, filings, document checklists, a secure branded upload page for clients and automatic reminders.

== Description ==

Tax Desk turns your WordPress site into a small practice tool for accountants, bookkeepers and tax preparers. You can stop chasing documents by email: each client gets one secure personal page that lists what you still need. They upload from their phone or computer, and you see it on your board.

It takes your website's name, logo and contact details on its own, so it looks like your firm from the first minute. Its design stays clean and neutral and works with any theme.

= How it works =

1. **Create a filing.** Choose the client and what you are preparing (T1, T2, T3, T5, GST/HST, T4 payroll or your own types). Tax Desk builds the document checklist and emails the client one personal link.
2. **Your client sends what you need.** On their page they see the checklist in their language and upload slips and receipts from their phone or computer. No account, no password.
3. **You follow the season from one board.** New uploads, files waiting too long and overdue filings are flagged for you. Automatic reminders ask only for what is still missing, and you move each filing through its stages until it is filed.

= Who it's for =

Independent tax preparers, bookkeepers and small accounting firms, especially in Canada, who want a professional client portal on their own website without a monthly SaaS fee per client.

= What you get =

* **A board for the whole season.** Every filing is shown with its stage, its document progress, its due date and how long it has waited. You can filter by stage, by type or by client, and the board flags new uploads, late files and clients who have stopped answering.
* **Filing types with checklists.** Canadian presets are included: T1, T2, T3, T5, GST/HST and T4 payroll. You can edit them all, add your own and set a usual deadline for each. When one client has several types (for example a T1 and a T5), the client still sees them all on one page.
* **A secure client page.** Clients open it from one personal link per season, with no account or password to remember. The link expires on its own and can be replaced in one click. Clients can upload PDF, image, Word, Excel and CSV files up to 20 MB each.
* **Document requests and automatic reminders.** One email lists only what is still missing, and a short morning digest tells you what needs attention.
* **Tax seasons.** Each tax year is a season. When a new one starts, you can bring last year's clients over with fresh checklists. Past seasons stay archived and you can still open them.
* **Bilingual, per client.** Each client gets their page and emails in their own language, English or French. Your dashboard follows your WordPress language.
* **Your branding.** The plugin uses your site's logo or a logo you upload, your accent colour, your firm name, phone and address. You can show the client page as a clean standalone page or inside your theme.
* **Private file storage.** When the server allows it, files are kept outside the public web folder. Otherwise they go in a protected folder. A privacy note you write is shown to clients.

= Tax Desk Pro =

[Tax Desk Pro](https://happisoft.ca/plugins/tax-desk/) is a separate add-on for firms that want to run their whole practice from it:

* a smart questionnaire that builds each client's checklist (Canadian presets, your own questions, follow-ups and document rules);
* "last year you sent us…" reminders on every checklist;
* return delivery with client approval, and client import from a spreadsheet;
* quotes and invoices with GST/QST/HST, paid online by card (Stripe) or PayPal, with automatic reminders;
* electronic signatures for the engagement letter, T183, TP-1000 and other authorization forms;
* team accounts, client messages, Google Drive storage, two-step sign-in and an activity log.

= Privacy =

Tax Desk makes no outside connections and sends no tracking or analytics. Client data stays in your WordPress database, and files stay on your server.

== Installation ==

1. Install and activate the plugin.
2. A "Client portal" page is created for you. Clients reach it only through their personal link.
3. Go to **Tax Desk → Settings** and check your firm name, contact email and logo.
4. Go to **Tax Desk → New filing** to create your first client and filing, and email the document request.

Make sure your site can send email. For reliable delivery we recommend an SMTP plugin.

== Frequently Asked Questions ==

= Is it only for Canada? =

No. The presets are Canadian, but every type, deadline and checklist can be edited. Use **Settings → Filing types** to set up your own.

= Do clients need an account? =

No. Each client gets a personal link for the season. It expires after a number of days you choose, and each new email extends it.

= Where are the files stored? =

On your server, in a private folder that cannot be reached by a web address. Include that folder in your backups. Tax Desk Pro can store files in your Google Drive instead.

= Can I import my clients from a spreadsheet? =

Client import from a CSV file is part of Tax Desk Pro. In the free plugin you add clients one by one, or while creating a filing.

= Can I put the client page inside my theme? =

Yes. In **Settings → Client page**, choose "Inside my theme". You can also place the `[taxdesk_portal]` shortcode on any page.

= Which languages are included? =

English and French (France and Canada). The plugin is translation-ready.

= What happens to my data if I delete the plugin? =

Nothing is deleted, unless you tick "Delete all Tax Desk data and files when the plugin is deleted" in **Settings → File storage**.

== Screenshots ==

1. The season board: every filing with its stage, document progress, due date and what needs your attention.
2. The client page: one secure link per client, with the checklist and uploads in their language.
3. A filing: status, checklist, client link, reminders and history. Pro features are shown as previews.
4. The client page on a phone: clients can send photos of their slips.
5. Creating a filing for one client and several types at once.
6. Your clients, with their language and their filings.
7. Firm and branding settings: name, contact details, logo and accent colour.
8. Reminders and emails: automatic reminders and a morning digest.

== Changelog ==

= 1.0.0 =
* First release.
