Vaults and Folder Structure - Examples
Overview
Create at least two vaults in SmartVault, and then create at least one parent folder and subfolder under each vault to get started. This will help you get a feel for how you can use vaults, folders, and subfolders in SmartVault to help you organize your data.
Guidance
There are 3 examples in this article. Based on your business type, we recommend one of the Vault structures below.
Accounting Firm
If you're medium to large size firm and do more accounting than bookkeeping for clients, than this structure will allow you to scale. Each vault is divided by letter groupings and in each vault, you'll have various client folders. These folders can be shared with clients for any outbound data distribution and inbound data collection securely. The type of customer who would us this format is an accounting firm that dabbles in bookkeeping, but primarily does write ups to produce financial documents out of bookkeeping system and shares those documents via SmartVault.
Bookkeeping Firm
If you're focus is bookkeeping for your clients, if you're a small firm with less than a 100 clients, create a separate vault for each client and a few for your own firm. It makes it very easy to manage. However, if you've got more than 100 clients, we recommend the breakdown like the Accounting Firm pictorial above or the one below.
Small Business
If you're a Small Business, organize your SmartVault the way you like it. However keep in mind "a simple design is easier to manage than a more complex one". Start small and organically grow your structure.
Considerations
This method is NOT for use with Tax Plan users. As a Tax Plan user, you create and provide access to vaults by inviting your employees and your tax clients. Instead, see:
Creating Vaults and Folders:
Import Clients from Lacerte or ProSeries
Granting Access to Vaults and Folders:
See the Getting Started Guide for Lacerte and ProSeries for help with setting up your account as a tax professional