Accountants

File Sharing for Accountants: Collect, Sign, Send

Loop lets an accountant ask each client for documents on one link, get an engagement letter signed with a typed name, and send a finished return on a link, from a Mac for $49 once. It does not take the IRS e-file signature on Form 8879 and it is not a client portal: it has no client logins, identity checks, checklists, reminders for missing documents or tax-software links.

By The Loop TeamUpdated 9 November 202614 min read

Tax Season

A tax practice repeats four jobs: get the engagement letter signed, collect the client's papers, get the signature forms back, and send the finished return. This page goes through them in that order and says, for each, what Loop does and what it leaves to other software.

This page covers United States tax rules only. We did not look at HMRC or any other country's rules. We are not accountants or lawyers, and this is not legal or tax advice. Where the IRS or the FTC says something, we quote it and link the page, so you can read the same words.

Job	Loop	Section
Engagement letter	Yes, typed name	Engagement Letters
Tax papers in	Yes, one link each	Client Documents
8879 e-signature	No	Signature Forms
Hand-signed 8879	Possible, as a file	Signature Forms
Finished return out	Partly, as a link	Finished Returns

For the general version of asking for files and getting a PDF signed, see our post on document collection software. We do not repeat its steps here.

Engagement Letters

An engagement letter is the same document every time, with the client's name and the date changed. That is what a Loop template is for.

In the sidebar, under Templates, press Add Template and choose your letter. A PDF works, and so does a Word, Pages, Keynote or PowerPoint file, which Loop turns into pages.
Mark the blanks. A new template starts with Client Name, Company and Date, and takes up to 20 blanks of text or date.
A new template starts with one signing role, called Recipient. Rename it or add more, such as Client and You, and save.
For each new client press Use Template, type the client's details, and Loop prints them into a fresh copy and makes a tracked link.
Check that Require Signature is on and Signature Spots are where you want them, name the people who sign under Signatories, and send the link in your own email.

The client opens the letter in a web browser, with no account, and types their full name. The signed copy is a PDF of the document's pages ending in a record page. With one signer, the record page lists Document, Signed By, Email, When, Place, the page and a Fingerprint, and it says: "Signed by typing a name, a simple electronic signature. The email was typed by the signatory and was not checked." You can name up to 10 signers who sign in turn.

Loop's own record of a signature holds the typed name, the email the signer typed, the time, a rough place (city and country), the device and the description the browser gives of itself. It does not keep an IP address, a login name or the result of an identity check.

Whether a typed name is enough for your engagement letters is a question for your lawyer. We did not read any state board of accountancy or professional-body rule on engagement letters. On the law of electronic signatures in general, see are electronic signatures legally binding, and for a typed name in Loop see the document collection post.

Loop has no ready-made library of engagement letters. You bring your own document.

Client Documents

Make one request per client. In Loop that is New Request, and then the Create Request button.

Name and note. Put the client's name in Request Name, and list what you need in Note: "W-2s, 1099s, last year's return, photo ID". A list in the note is the only checklist Loop has.
Specific People. Switch it on and add the client's email. Only a typed address on your list can send. That is a typed address and not a login, so anyone who knows the address could type it.
Closes. Pick a closing day. The request closes at the end of that day in UTC time, and the page then tells the client it has closed.
Total Size. The default is 10 GB for the request, and a request takes up to 2,000 files. Only the total can be changed, to 1, 5, 10 or 50 GB or No Limit. We do not promise a maximum size for one file.

Then send the link in your own email. Your client opens it in a web browser, types Your Name and Your Email, chooses files of any type and sends. They need no account, so a client who finds logins hard needs only the link.

You get a Files Received notification on your Mac while Loop is running. The request lists each file with who sent it, its size and when it arrived, and you can open or save a file or delete it. Files are stored in your own Cloudflare account, and you can also open them from the Loop location in Finder.

Loop shows what arrived. It does not show what is missing: there is no list of who has not sent, no checklist per client, no reminders for requests (Loop never sends email) and no renaming or filing. Files keep the name the client gave them. Keep your own tracker and chase by email. For named signers Loop does more: after the number of days you choose, a Not Signed Yet notification appears on your Mac, and clicking it opens a ready email in your mail app.

Signature Forms

The IRS rules for signing an e-file authorization are strict, and they are the main place where Loop does not fit.

IRS Publication 1345, "Authorized IRS e-file Providers of Individual Income Tax Returns", is the IRS guide for firms that e-file returns. We read the edition marked Rev. 10-2026 on 4 November 2026; its page numbers are below. The IRS says on page 15 that "Taxpayers have the choice of using electronic signatures for Forms 8878 and 8879 if the software provides the electronic signature capability." A typed name is on the IRS list of acceptable methods on page 16: "A typed name (e.g., typed at the end of an electronic record or typed into a signature block on a website form by a signer)."

The list is not the whole rule. On page 16 the IRS says the software must record this data:

IRS says to record	Loop has	Equivalent in Loop
Signed form image	Signed PDF copy	Loop has one
Date and time	Time of signing	Loop has one
Method used to sign	Typed name	Loop has one
Computer IP address	No IP address	Loop has none
Login identification	No login name	Loop has none
Identity verification	No identity check	Loop has none

The IP address and login lines are marked "(Remote transaction only)". The identity line reads "taxpayer's passed results of knowledge-based authentication, and for in-person transactions, confirmation that government photo identification has been verified." On page 17, for a remote signature, the IRS also says the ERO must record the taxpayer's name, Social Security number, address and date of birth, and must check them "through record checks with the applicable agency or institution or through credit bureaus or similar databases." After three failed attempts at the knowledge-based questions, "the ERO must obtain a handwritten signature on Form 8878 or 8879." And on page 17: "After the electronic record has been signed, it must be tamper-proof." We have not tested Loop's record against that rule and do not claim it meets it.

So Loop cannot be where your clients e-sign Form 8879 or Form 8878. Use the signing in your tax software, which is built to take the identity checks. (ERO means Electronic Return Originator, the firm that sends the return to the IRS.)

A Hand-Signed Form

The IRS allows another route. On page 15 it says: "The taxpayer may return the completed Form 8878 or Form 8879 to the ERO by hand delivery, U.S. mail, private delivery service, fax, email or an Internet website." And the note on page 17 says an electronic signature via remote transaction "does not include handwritten signatures on Forms 8878 or 8879 sent to the ERO by" those routes.

A client can print the form, sign it by hand, photograph or scan it, and send the file. A Loop request page is a web page where a client drops a file, so it can receive that file. The signature is made on paper and not in Loop. The IRS page does not name Loop, and we did not ask the IRS whether a request page counts as an Internet website.

The IRS also says on page 15 that the ERO "must keep Forms 8878 and 8879 for three years from the return due date or the IRS received date, whichever is later." Loop applies no retention rules and has no index, so keep the signed form where your practice keeps its records.

Form 2848

For a power of attorney, the IRS page on submitting Forms 2848 and 8821 online (page dated 28-Jun-2026) lists "Typed name that is typed on a signature block" among the electronic signatures it accepts "for forms submitted online". It says "We don't accept electronically signature for forms by fax or mail." and "For security reasons, all forms mailed or faxed to the IRS must have a “wet” ink signature." It says you must authenticate a taxpayer's identity when you have no personal or business relationship with the taxpayer and the taxpayer signs electronically in a remote transaction. The instructions for Form 2848 (Revised 09/2021) say a form with an electronic signature image "may only be submitted to the IRS online at IRS.gov/Submit2848."

Loop submits nothing to the IRS and does not authenticate a signer, so it is not the route for Form 2848. The page also lists a "Signature created by a third-party software"; we could not confirm whether a signed PDF from a tool like Loop would count.

Finished Returns

Sending a return back is a plain file-sharing job, and a Loop link has several settings that help.

Password. Set a password and tell the client by phone or text. It is stored as a salted hash on the link. It does not encrypt the file. See how to password protect a PDF for the difference.
Allowed. List the client's email, or @company.com for a whole company. It checks that the typed address matches the list and checks nothing else.
Ask for Email and Watermark. Readers enter their email before viewing, and the watermark shows it on every page. The email is format-checked only.
Allow Downloads. Turn it on so the client can keep a copy. Turned off, the client can only read in the browser, which is a setting for readers and no guard against a screenshot.
Expires. The default is Never. Pick a day count if you want the link to stop working.
Opened. Loop shows you when the link was opened, once per reader's browser, as a Mac notification while Loop is running.

Publication 1345 says on page 20: "The ERO must provide a complete copy of the return to the taxpayer. EROs may provide this copy in any media, including electronic, that is acceptable to both the taxpayer and the ERO." A link with downloads on is one way to do that, if your client agrees to receive it that way.

Loop does not encrypt the file or send the link for you. Paste the link into your own email.

Safeguards

Two US sources say what a firm must do to protect client data, and both name steps Loop does not take.

Publication 1345 says on page 3: "According to the FTC Safeguards Rule in Part 314 (16 C.F.R.), tax return preparers must create and enact security plans to protect client data." On page 4 it lists basic steps, including "Implement multi-factor authentication for anyone accessing taxpayer information. This is required under FTC Safeguards Rule Part 314, (16 C.F.R)." It names Publication 4557, "Safeguarding Taxpayer Data", and Publication 5708, "Creating a Written Information Security Plan for Your Tax & Accounting Practice", as helps.

The FTC's own guide, FTC Safeguards Rule: What Your Business Needs to Know (page dated December 2024; we read an archived copy of 17 October 2026, because the live page blocked our fetch) lists tax preparation firms among its examples of financial institutions under the Rule. It tells covered firms to "Encrypt customer information on your system and when it’s in transit." and to "Implement multi-factor authentication for anyone accessing customer information on your system." It says "Your information security program must be written". The guide's examples do not name accounting firms, so ask your own adviser whether the Rule covers you. We did not read the text of the Rule itself.

Set against those lines, this is what Loop has and lacks:

No multi-factor login for readers. A link has a password or a typed email, with no second factor.
No encryption added by Loop. The files sit in your own Cloudflare account. Cloudflare's page on R2 data security (last updated Apr 21, 2026) says: "All objects stored in R2, including their metadata, are encrypted at rest." That is Cloudflare's statement about its storage, and it is not something Loop adds.
No audit log of staff access, no data-location setting, and no compliance claims from Loop. Loop's History pane lists changes you made to a link, and only you see it.

Your written plan decides which tools you may use. We did not read the rules on Section 7216 consent forms, so we say nothing about whether Loop can carry one.

Limits

Loop does not fit when you need any of these:

E-signed IRS e-file authorizations. Form 8879 or 8878 signed on screen needs the records in the table above. Use your tax software.
Identity checks, multi-factor login for clients or end-to-end encryption. Loop has none.
A checklist of what each client owes, reminders for requests, or a view of who has not sent. Loop lists what arrived. For named signers, Loop notifies you and opens a ready email, as above.
A place where clients log in, message you, pay invoices or see their history. Loop gives each client a link and no account.
A link to Drake, ProConnect, a practice-management tool or a CRM. We found none.
A records system. Loop's Trash holds a deleted link for 30 days, and nothing applies the retention periods the IRS sets.
Windows. Loop's sender app is for Mac only. Readers open links in a web browser.

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Your own branded link, with notes on the exact second. $49 once.

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Options

These are the tools an accountant is likely to weigh. TaxDome, SmartVault and ShareFile are practice or portal products with logins, so the table compares them with a link tool on one basis only: cost.

Tool	Does	Cost, one person
Loop	Request, sign, send links	$49 once
TaxDome	Portal, organizers, practice software	$800 a year, solo
SmartVault	Portal and request lists	$1,560 a year, 2 users
ShareFile	Request lists, e-signature	$936 a year, 3 users
Content Snare	Checklists, automatic reminders	$420 a year
Dropbox	Free file requests	Free, or $180 a year

Prices are US dollars for one person, billed yearly except where noted, and we could not confirm whether tax is included. SmartVault and ShareFile have minimum users, so each figure is the smallest purchase. A firm of one pays for the minimum.

TaxDome. Essentials is "for solo users only" at $800 a year with a 1-year commitment, $750 with 2 years and $700 with 3, all "billed upfront". Its live page blocked our fetch, so this is an archived capture of 7 October 2026 (23:35 UTC). The Essentials card lists "an award-winning web portal and mobile app" and "unlimited document storage and e-signatures at no extra cost". The page's separate feature list names tax organizers, document request lists and engagement letters, and does not mark which of those come with Essentials. We could not confirm a trial length.
SmartVault. Accounting Pro is $65 per user a month billed annually with a 2-user minimum, which is $1,560 a year (2 x $65 x 12). "Request, track, and collect client documents" is included. "Request & send eSignatures" and "KBAs / ID verification" are add-ons on this plan. The page lists $15 per return and $750 for 50 requests for a different add-on, SmartRequestAI, and gives no price for the eSignature or ID-check add-ons. Read 4 November 2026.
ShareFile. Premium shows $26.00 per user a month on annual billing and $28.59 on monthly billing, with a 3-user minimum, and lists Request Lists and e-signature. The yearly figure is $936 a year (3 x $26 x 12). Read 4 November 2026.
Content Snare. Basic is $35 a month on annual billing, which is $420 a year, for 2 users and 20 active requests, with reminders and a 14-day trial. Prices are marked USD. The site menu lists Document Signing, and the pricing page does not say which plan includes it. Read 4 November 2026.
Dropbox. File requests are available on all plans and clients need no Dropbox account. The help page says a deadline can be set on Professional, Essentials, Business, Business Plus, Standard, Advanced and Enterprise (Plus is not named). For Standard, an archived copy of the plans page of 3 November 2026 shows $15 per user a month. The capture shows $15 per user a month without saying which billing toggle is selected, so $180 a year ($15 x 12) is our arithmetic and its billing basis is not confirmed. See file request links compared for the others.

We did not check which of these tools record the IRS items in the Form 8879 table. If you need that, ask the vendor in writing. We did not price Financial Cents, Canopy, Karbon, Liscio, Moxo or Clustdoc.

Cost

Loop is $49 once for one person. TaxDome Essentials is $800 a year, SmartVault Accounting Pro $1,560, ShareFile Premium $936, Content Snare Basic $420, and Dropbox Standard $180 (billing basis not confirmed) or nothing for plain file requests. The yearly prices come back every year, while Loop has no renewal.

You can try Loop on your own clients before paying: the 14 days begin when you first open it, with no payment up front. Until you buy the $49 licence, a small "Shared with Loop" badge sits on the request and delivery pages your clients open.

Client documents and finished returns pile up in your own Cloudflare account, which holds 10 GB at no charge and bills you for anything beyond. Cloudflare's pricing page, updated 30 October 2026, lists $0.015 per GB-month, and clients downloading a return cost nothing extra in transfer fees. Cloudflare can ask you for a card when you turn storage on.

FAQ

File sharing for accountants, answered.

No. Loop gives each client a link, not a login. There is no place for a client to see history, message you, pay an invoice or see what is outstanding. If you need that, TaxDome, SmartVault or ShareFile are built for it.

Make one request per client, list the items you need in its note, and send the link in your own email. The client types a name and an email, drops the files and sends, with no account. Loop shows what arrived and who sent it. It does not show what is missing and sends no reminders for requests, so keep your own list and chase by email.

Yes. Keep the letter as a template with blanks for the client's name and the date, send it with Require Signature on, and the client types their full name. The signed PDF ends with a record page that says it is a simple electronic signature and that the email was not checked. Whether that is enough for your letters is a question for your lawyer.

Not as an electronic signature. IRS Publication 1345 (Rev. 10-2026) says software that takes an electronic signature on Form 8879 must record the signer's IP address and login name (for a remote signature) and the result of an identity check, and Loop records none of the three. The IRS does allow a client to sign by hand and return the form by email or an Internet website, so a request link can receive the hand-signed file, though we did not ask the IRS whether a request page counts as an Internet website.

Yes, with limits. You can set a password, list the clients who may open it, turn downloads on or off, set an expiry day and see when it was opened. The password does not encrypt the file, and the email check only confirms the address looks like an email. Publication 1345 says the copy of the return may be given "in any media, including electronic, that is acceptable to both the taxpayer and the ERO."

We cannot say it does. The FTC's guide asks covered firms to encrypt customer information and to use multi-factor authentication, and says the security program "must be written". Loop adds no encryption of its own, has no multi-factor login for clients and makes no compliance claims. Your written plan decides which tools you can use.

In your own Cloudflare account, listed in Loop under the request with who sent each one. You can open a file from the Loop location in Finder or save it anywhere. Loop does not file, rename or back up your Mac.

Loop is $49 once for one person. For one person for a year: TaxDome Essentials $800, SmartVault Accounting Pro $1,560 with 2 users, ShareFile Premium $936 with 3 users, Content Snare Basic $420, and Dropbox free or $180 (billing basis not confirmed).

The IRS and FTC quotes come from IRS Publication 1345 (Rev. 10-2026), the IRS pages on Forms 2848 and 8821 and Form 2848 instructions, the FTC guide (page dated December 2024, read from an archived copy of 17 October 2026 on 4 November 2026) and Cloudflare's R2 page, the others read on 4 November 2026. Prices come from each vendor's own page, read on 4 November 2026, except TaxDome (an archived capture of 7 October 2026) and Dropbox (an archived capture of 3 November 2026). Loop's facts come from the app.

We could not confirm TaxDome's trial or which features Essentials includes, SmartVault's eSignature and ID-check add-on prices, or any rival's multi-factor or data-location details. We did not read the text of the FTC Safeguards Rule, the Section 7216 consent rules, any state board rule, or any rule outside the United States. We could not confirm whether any price includes tax.

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