A solo tax preparer in Phoenix handles 200 returns during tax season. Her document collection process: email clients a checklist, wait for them to email back documents (often the wrong ones), chase missing documents via phone, and eventually receive a Dropbox folder with 47 unsorted files named 'scan001.pdf.' She spends 20% of tax season just organizing client documents — time that should be spent preparing returns.
Tax preparation is document-intensive. Each return requires W-2s, 1099s, mortgage statements, property tax records, prior returns, and various other forms. Most solo preparers handle this via email, which creates a nightmare of scattered documents, version confusion, and security concerns (sending SSNs via email is bad practice but common). TaxDome ($50-100+/mo) dominates the market with a full practice management suite, but it's complex for solo preparers who just want simple document collection.
The gap is a focused client portal at $19-29/mo for solo tax preparers: branded portal for each client, document request checklist with reminders, secure upload with auto-organization by document type, e-signature for engagement letters, and simple messaging. Not CRM, not workflow automation, not scheduling — just document collection done right. ShareFile ($16-55/mo) is generic file sharing. SmartVault ($20+/mo) is close but lacks tax-specific workflows. A tax-focused portal could capture the hundreds of thousands of solo preparers who find TaxDome overwhelming.
What People Are Saying
Real voices expressing this pain point
With TaxDome I am able to prepare so many more tax returns, as my admin time has been reduced to a bare minimum
💰 Revenue Blueprint
Three-tier value ladder to monetize from day one
50 clients, branded portal, document requests, secure upload, basic messaging
200 clients, e-signature, auto-reminders, document organization, prior year access
Unlimited clients, team accounts, custom branding, API, priority support
📊 Market Evidence
🏆 Competitor Landscape
How existing players stack up in this market
| Competitor | Pricing | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| TaxDome | $50-100+/mo | Market leader. Feature-heavy. CRM + portal + automation. Complex for solo use. |
| Karbon | $59+/mo | Practice management. Broader than just tax. Workflow focus. |
| Canopy | $40+/mo | Tax practice management. Growing player. |
| ShareFile | $16-55/mo | Generic file sharing. Not tax-specific. |
| SmartVault | $20+/mo | Document management for accountants. |
Market leader. Feature-heavy. CRM + portal + automation. Complex for solo use.
Practice management. Broader than just tax. Workflow focus.
Tax practice management. Growing player.
Generic file sharing. Not tax-specific.
Document management for accountants.
🛠️ Recommended Tech Stack
Suggested tools and technologies to build this idea
Why this stack: Simple, focused tool. Secure document handling (encryption at rest). Tax-specific document type recognition. E-signature for engagement letters.
Score Breakdown
Good market signals with room for growth
Market (20%) + Revenue (20%) + Trend (15%) + Competition (15%) + Build (15%) + Pricing (15%)
🚀 Start Building
Copy a prompt into your favorite AI coding tool and start building this idea right now.
Build a SaaS product called "Tax Practice Client Portal". ## Product Overview Simple client portal for solo tax preparers and small CPA firms to collect documents, send secure messages, and manage tax season workflow ## Problem Tax preparers need client portals for document collection but TaxDome is complex and expensive. Solo preparers want simple document upload + messaging. ## Solution Build Tax Practice Client Portal ## Target Audience indie hackers, small businesses, and solopreneurs ## Tech Stack - Next.js 15 (App Router) with TypeScript - Tailwind CSS v4 for styling - Supabase for auth, database, and storage - Vercel for deployment - shadcn/ui for UI components - Framer Motion for animations ## MVP Features to Build 1. Landing page with clear value proposition 2. User authentication (sign up, sign in, forgot password) 3. Core product functionality based on the solution above 4. Dashboard for users to manage their data 5. Pricing page with at least 2 tiers (free + paid) 6. Basic settings/profile page ## Known Competitors TaxDome, Karbon, Canopy, ShareFile, SmartVault ## Key Risks to Address Standard market entry risks ## Deployment 1. Set up Supabase project and configure environment variables 2. Deploy to Vercel with `npx vercel --prod` 3. Set up custom domain 4. Configure Supabase RLS policies for security ## Instructions Start by creating the project structure, then build the landing page first. Use server components where possible. Make it mobile-responsive from the start. Focus on getting the core value loop working before adding polish.