Our last blog looked at engagement letters and why they are important for our clients (and for us!). The final part of the process when creating an engagement letter for clients is the signing of the document. The client needs to sign the letter and we also need to sign it. In days gone by, we would draft the letter, send it via email to the client and request signature. The client would then have to print out the letter, sign it, scan it and then email or mail it back to us. We would then do the same and email/mail back to the client for record-keeping purposes. This process was both time consuming and convoluted. You’ll be glad to hear that we don’t do this any more! We use a much better system which is completely cloud-based. We use Adobe Sign. No more paper and no more scanning (and no more snail mail). Here’s how it works.
What is Adobe Sign?
Adobe Sign is part of a suite of products known as Adobe Document Cloud. As the name suggests, these products are completely cloud-based. Adobe Sign allows its users to send documents to others to be signed digitally on any device (you can even use your finger!). The signatures are legally valid and the system is completely secure. Once a document is signed by the recipient, it is immediately returned to the sender via email for filing. No more paper, no more scanning, no more mailing, no more waiting. Perfect.
How does Adobe Sign work?
The easiest way to explain how it works is by showing you so sit back, watch this video and learn!
Other documents we could ask you to sign
Here at e-BAS Accounts we could ask you to sign a myriad of forms depending on how you connect with us. Obviously, there is the engagement letter but you could also be asked to sign any or all of the following:
- Business Activity Statement lodgement authority form
- Instalment Activity Statement lodgement authority form
- Authority to add your entity to the BAS Agent Portal
- Authority to lodge super guarantee contributions on your behalf
- Changes to our engagement
- Cessation of our engagement
- Authority to speak to your accountant on your behalf
- Authority to speak to the ATO on your behalf
- Authority to lodge the annual payment summary annual report
- Authority to send payslips via email to employees
- Authority to send payment summaries to employees
- Authority to lodge data with your workers compensation insurance fund
and yes, there are others but this list gives you an idea of what is involved!
What do we like most about Adobe Sign?
What’s not to like?? We love that it allows us to be paperless which fits perfectly with our no-paper policy; we love that signing is no longer an arduous process for us or our clients – it simple and immediate; we love that both parties get a copy of the signed document as soon as both sign it; we love that the app is secure and documents can be password-protected if required; we love that there is a “paper trail” of who signed what and when for audit purposes; we love that the app is completely cloud-based which is good because that’s what e-BAS Accounts is all about and, AND, AND, I could go on! All you need to know is that as a client of e-BAS Accounts, you’ll never have to print, sign, scan and email back anything to us EVER! God forbid that we be old-school!
