Firm360 launches AutoPrep for tax return automation

Firm360 has launched AutoPrep, a tax preparation automation tool built with Juno. The product links documents held in Firm360 with tax software used by accounting firms.

AutoPrep moves information from client tax documents into tax return systems without manual rekeying. It uses documents already uploaded to Firm360 and sends extracted and validated data to tax platforms, including Drake, Lacerte, ProConnect, CCH Axcess, and UltraTax.

The launch expands Firm360's role in accounting firms' workflows beyond practice management and document collection into tax return preparation. The tool is aimed at firms that process enough tax work through Firm360 for manual document handling and data entry to become a major drain on staff time during tax season.

How it works

Staff can select files stored in Firm360 and send them to Juno in a single action, either individually or in bulk. Juno then reads the material, extracts relevant figures and fields, checks the output against the source documents and prepares the data for entry into the firm's tax software.

The system is designed to work across more than 100 document types, including W-2s, 1099s, K-1s, Schedules C and E, as well as balance sheets and profit and loss statements. It can also process lower-quality files, such as mobile phone photos submitted by clients.

Juno also creates a review workpaper and flags differences between source documents and return data. When a prior-year return is available, the software can generate a checklist of expected documents, helping firms identify missing items before a return is sent for review or filing.

Workflow focus

Firm360 framed the launch around a long-standing problem in tax preparation: staff often collect and organise client documents in one system, then manually enter the same information into a separate tax package. That process can consume significant time for preparers, particularly during the busiest months of filing season.

The aim is to reduce that duplication by keeping Firm360 as the central system for document management while using Juno to bridge the gap to tax software. In practice, preparers would begin at the review stage rather than with a blank input screen.

Firm360 also highlighted the effect on labour use inside firms. Manual entry hours could instead be redirected to client communication and other work requiring professional judgment.

Why Juno

The partnership gives Juno wider distribution among accounting firms already using Firm360 for practice management. Firm360 presented Juno as the preferred partner because of its focus on tax workflows and on validating extracted data rather than simply pulling values from documents.

According to Firm360, Juno automates about 90% of data entry in the tax preparation process. The system also performs validation checks on source documents and tax rules to identify issues before they lead to errors on completed returns.

The companies are also emphasising support as part of the offering. Both operate support teams in the United States and share a focus on helping firms use the systems in day-to-day tax work.

Access model

AutoPrep is available to firms using Firm360 Premium and an active Juno account. The feature is being introduced first through early access for existing Firm360 customers.

The launch comes as accounting software providers compete to reduce manual work in tax preparation through automation and artificial intelligence tools. Much of that effort has focused on document ingestion and extraction, but vendors are increasingly trying to connect those functions more closely with review processes, workflow management and the tax systems where returns are completed.

For Firm360, AutoPrep is a push to make tax preparation a more direct part of its software ecosystem rather than a handoff to external tools and manual processes. The objective is to cut time spent on repetitive entry work at the start of a return and leave more room for the judgment work handled by tax professionals.