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Working inside Drake Tax: what LedgerBPO does
LedgerBPO's Drake Tax bookkeeping services give firms a named dedicated accountant who keeps client books current and prepares returns in the firm's own Drake Tax installation: workpapers, data entry, diagnostics and e-file readiness. Your firm reviews, signs and e-files. We hold no PTIN and only work under IRS section 7216 written consent.
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Your subscription, your data
LedgerBPO's Drake Tax bookkeeping services give firms a named dedicated accountant who keeps client books current and prepares returns in the firm's own Drake Tax installation: workpapers, data entry, diagnostics and e-file readiness. Your firm reviews, signs and e-files. We hold no PTIN and only work under IRS section 7216 written consent.
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Inside your file
Tax preparation support in your Drake Tax: your firm reviews and signs
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Reconciled on a calendar
Client bookkeeping kept current so returns start from reconciled books
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Reviewed before you see it
Section 7216 consent obtained before any return data is shared
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A named accountant, a backup and a team lead
Inside your own software, on a fixed close calendar, with a reply from a person within 1 business day. Call +1-657-777-0006 or start a quote.
Get a custom quote 06 / 06
Why businesses on Drake Tax outsource
Drake Tax is priced for volume firms, and volume is the problem. A practice that prepares many 1040s and small business returns between January and April runs out of preparer hours long before it runs out of clients. Bookkeeping for write-up clients slips, source documents pile up, and returns leave the office with diagnostics nobody had time to read.
Outsourcing the preparation work inside the firm's Drake Tax keeps the firm's file structure, templates and e-file process untouched. A dedicated accountant enters data, prepares workpapers and clears diagnostics so the reviewer opens a return that is ready to review. The firm's signing preparer keeps every decision, every signature and the client relationship. Capacity is month-to-month and can drop back after the extension deadline.
What we do inside Drake Tax
Tax preparation support: your firm reviews and signs
We prepare workpapers, enter data into the return in Drake Tax and prepare the file for review. Your firm reviews, signs and e-files. We hold no PTIN and never sign or transmit a return.
Data entry and Drake Documents
We enter source documents into the return screens and file each document to Drake Documents against the client, so the reviewer can tie every figure back to its source.
Diagnostics review and e-file readiness
We clear the items on the MESSAGES page and the notes page, resolve missing data flagged by e-file diagnostics, and hand the firm a return that is ready for review and Form 8879 signature.
Client bookkeeping for write-up clients
We post, categorize and reconcile monthly in the client's QuickBooks Online or Xero file and prepare a year-end trial balance that maps to the return.
Section 7216 consent
Before any US tax-return information is shared with our team, the firm obtains IRS section 7216 written consent, which can be signed through Drake Portals. We log the consent date on the client file.
Firm books and Drake Accounting
Where the firm uses Drake Accounting for client write-up or payroll, we post entries and reconcile within it. We also reconcile the firm's own fee income and e-file fees to its general ledger.
Integrations we reconcile
- GruntWorxWe check GruntWorx-populated figures against the source documents and correct any misreads before the return goes to the reviewer.
- Drake PortalsWe send organizers and document requests through Drake Portals, follow up on unanswered items and file uploads into Drake Documents.
- TaxDomeReturns printed from Drake to TaxDome are matched to the pipeline job and the section 7216 consent on record.
- QuickBooks OnlineThe year-end trial balance from the client's QuickBooks Online file is mapped to the return and the tie-out kept in the workpapers.
- Drake AccountingClient write-up books and payroll kept in Drake Accounting are reconciled monthly and rolled into the return at year end.
Migration to and from Drake Tax
Moving to Drake Tax
Moving a firm onto Drake Tax is mostly a prior-year conversion job. We prepare the client list, run the conversion from the previous software, and check carryforward items such as depreciation schedules, NOLs and basis against the prior-year returns. Any conversion exceptions are listed for the firm to resolve. The firm's signing preparer approves the converted files before the first return is prepared in Drake.
Moving from Drake Tax
If the firm is leaving Drake Tax for Lacerte, UltraTax CS or ProConnect Tax, we export client data and prior-year returns, run the new vendor's conversion, and compare carryforward schedules line by line. Documents in Drake Documents are exported and filed in the new document system. A control list of converted clients is signed off by the firm before Drake is retired.
Common Drake Tax reconciliation problems we fix
Preparer hours run out in March
Volume firms cannot hire fast enough for a three-month peak. We add trained preparers inside your Drake installation for as long as the season lasts.
Returns leaving with open diagnostics
Unread MESSAGES page items mean rejected e-files and rework. We clear every diagnostic before the return reaches the reviewer.
Write-up clients with no books
Small business returns often start with a shoebox and a bank statement. We keep the books monthly so the return starts from a reconciled trial balance.
Source documents that cannot be traced
A reviewer who cannot see where a number came from has to redo the work. We file every document to Drake Documents and cross-reference it in the workpapers.
Consent paperwork forgotten in the rush
Sharing return data without section 7216 consent is a compliance failure. We confirm signed consent exists before we open any return data.
Other tax preparation platforms
Frequently asked questions
How much do Drake Tax bookkeeping services cost?
Pricing depends on volume and scope, so we send a custom quote within 1 business day. The quote reflects return counts by type, how many clients also need monthly bookkeeping, and whether you want year-round or seasonal capacity. As a market reference, offshore staffing for CPA firms typically runs $10 to $25 per hour against $40 to $75 US-based (Madras, Acculink, 2026).
Do you work inside my existing Drake Tax installation?
Yes. The firm provides access to its own Drake Tax, either on the firm's network or through Drake's hosted option, with a preparer login and the permissions you choose. Returns, client files and e-file history stay in your installation. We do not maintain a separate copy.
Will you sign or e-file returns from Drake?
No. We provide tax preparation support only: workpapers, data entry into the return, diagnostics and e-file readiness. Your firm reviews, signs and e-files every return. We hold no PTIN. Our tax preparation support page sets out the division of duties.
How is IRS section 7216 consent handled?
Before any US tax-return information is shared with our team, the firm obtains written section 7216 consent from the client. We record the consent date on the client file and will not open return data until consent is in place. This applies to every client, every year.
Can you keep our write-up clients' books as well?
Yes. We keep monthly books in the client's QuickBooks Online, Xero or Drake Accounting file and produce a year-end trial balance mapped to the return. The firm's reviewer sees one connected set of workpapers. Our back-office page for firms describes this service.
What happens after April 15?
Capacity drops to the level you need for extensions, quarterly bookkeeping and planning work. Engagements are month-to-month, so you are not paying for tax-season staffing in July. The same named accountant returns the following season and already knows your firm's files.
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