A tax organizer collects the facts and documents a preparer needs. It asks about life changes, such as marriage, a new dependent, a home purchase, or a business start, and lists the forms the client should provide, such as W-2s, 1099s, and mortgage interest statements. A good organizer is tailored to the client based on last year's return.
Paper and PDF organizers often come back incomplete, and supporting documents arrive separately by email. Portal-based organizers tie each question and requested document to the engagement, so the firm can see what has been answered, what has been uploaded, and what is still missing.