Screen Sharing for Tax Preparers and Accountants

Which client tasks slow a tax practice down?

In a tax practice, the work that slows down filing season is rarely the return itself. It is the client who cannot find the upload button in the client portal, photographs a W-2 with the box numbers cut off, uploads last year's 1099 instead of this year's, or stalls on the identity questions before e-signing Form 8879, the IRS e-file Signature Authorization. Each of those becomes a phone call where the preparer asks the client to describe a screen the preparer has never seen on that device. GuidedView lets the preparer see the client's actual phone or computer screen during that call. The client approves sharing, can pause before anything private, and does every tap while the preparer explains where to go. Because the client shares their own screen, it works with whichever portal, e-signature service or accounting app the firm already uses.

Typical reasons clients call:

Activating a client portal account from the welcome email
Uploading W-2s, 1099s, K-1s and 1098s from a phone camera or a downloads folder
Finding and completing the e-signature request for Form 8879 or an engagement letter
Creating an IRS online account or approving an authorization request inside it
Connecting a bank feed or approving bills in bookkeeping software

How do you walk a client through a portal upload?

Send the invitation on the call
From the GuidedView portal, text the client's cell phone or email them the one-time link while you are talking. Unused links expire after 30 minutes.
Have them open your portal
Once sharing starts, the client opens your portal app or website. You can see whether they are in the right account and the right tax year folder.
Check each photo before upload
Watch as they photograph each form, and ask for a retake if a corner, a box number or the payer's details are cut off.
Pause while searching
If the client needs to dig through email or a photo library to find a document, suggest they pause first so you are not looking at unrelated messages or photos.
Confirm what landed
Before you end the session, look at the uploaded file list together so nothing is missing or duplicated.

Which IRS steps should a client complete with sharing paused?

Several IRS steps involve identity verification or secrets that should stay with the client. You can watch the client get to the right place, then have them pause for the sensitive part:

Step	What you can help with	When the client should pause
Form 8879 e-signature	Finding the signing request and the pages to review	During the identity verification questions and the signature. The IRS requires identity verification each time a taxpayer e-signs Form 8879 remotely.
IRS online account setup	Getting to the IRS sign-in page and choosing a sign-in option	During sign-in and identity verification, which the IRS handles through ID.me or Login.gov and which requires a government-issued photo ID
Approving a Tax Pro Account request	Finding the Authorizations section after sign-in	During sign-in. The client then reviews and approves the power of attorney or tax information authorization request.
Retrieving an IP PIN	Finding the IP PIN section of the online account profile	During sign-in and while the IP PIN is displayed, until you are ready to file
Forms 2848 or 8821 signed electronically	Opening the form in your e-signature tool	During signing. The IRS requires you to authenticate a remote signer you have no personal or business relationship with.

IP PINs and scams

The IRS says an IP PIN should be known only to the taxpayer's tax professional, and only when the taxpayer is ready to sign and submit the return, and that the IRS will never call, email or text to ask for it. Remind clients that you only send a GuidedView invitation while you are already on a call with them.

Does GuidedView change a preparer's IRS or data security obligations?

No. GuidedView is a screen sharing tool, not an e-signature, identity verification or document storage system. It does not satisfy the IRS identity verification rules for remote e-signatures, does not authenticate taxpayers for Forms 2848 or 8821, and keeps no record of what was shown. Your firm's own data security plan still applies; IRS Publication 4557 covers safeguarding taxpayer data, including the FTC Safeguards Rule. Confirm how screen sharing fits your own policies before you use it with clients.

What GuidedView does contribute is restraint by design. The client approves each session, sees when sharing is on, can pause at any time, and each invitation works once. There are no recordings to protect afterward. Details are on the security page.

How do bookkeepers use it with small business clients?

Bookkeepers spend their calls on a different set of screens: connecting a bank or card feed in accounting software, categorizing transactions, approving bills, finding a report, or setting up a receipt capture app on the owner's phone. Because GuidedView shows whatever is on the client's screen, it works with any accounting product without an integration.

Have the client pause before signing in to their bank on a bank feed connection screen.
On a computer, ask the client to share a single browser window instead of the whole desktop when payroll or banking is open in other windows.
Show the owner where to find something once, then let them repeat it while you watch, so they can do it alone next month.

What does it cost for a seasonal practice?

GuidedView is $29.99 a month per account, billed monthly, with every feature included and no annual plan. Clients pay nothing and never create an account. Because billing is monthly and you can cancel anytime from the portal, a practice is not locked into a year of service for a tool it may mostly need during filing season.

To try it, create an account, send an invitation to your own phone, and walk through what your clients will see. The customer safety page is a good link to include in your client welcome email.

Questions

Can I see my client's IRS online account?

Only the parts the client chooses to show while sharing. The client should pause before signing in and during identity verification, then resume once they are in. You never need their password, and they should never read it to you.

Is GuidedView approved by the IRS?

No. GuidedView is not an IRS e-signature method, identity verification provider or authorized e-file product. It shows you the client's screen so you can explain the steps. The IRS rules for e-signatures, authorizations and identity verification still apply to the tools you use for those steps.

Can clients send me documents through GuidedView?

No. GuidedView does not transfer or store files. Clients keep uploading documents through your secure client portal; GuidedView simply lets you watch them do it, so the right file ends up in the right place the first time.

Will my client know I am watching?

Yes. The client opens your invitation, confirms they are on a call with you, and approves sharing before anything appears. On iPhone, Apple's recording or broadcast indicator is visible while sharing. The client can pause or stop whenever they want.

Can several preparers in the firm use it?

Yes, each with their own GuidedView account at $29.99 a month. Only the person who sent an invitation can view that session, so a preparer cannot hand an active session to a colleague. The colleague sends a fresh invitation instead.

Sources

Third-party details were checked against these pages as of November 2, 2026. Products change, so confirm current pricing and features with each vendor.