As a Guest User on SmartVault, you can download any files we share. Whether it's a tax form, a contract, or any other document, you can securely download it directly to your computer. This may be necessary when you want to work offline or keep a local copy of your files.

Click here to sign in to SmartVault Portal.

 

 

 

Dive into the tools and tips that’ll guide you every step of the way.

Need more info? Scroll down for troubleshooting help or explore the links below for handy PDF guides. Get started and navigate your tax journey with confidence!

Activating and Using Your SmartVault Guest Account

Downloading and Locating Your Files

Uploading Your Files

Viewing Your Files

 

Activating and Using your SmartVault Guest Account

GUEST USER

Welcome to SmartVault! As a guest user, you've been invited to securely access shared folders, files, or documents. This guide will help you activate your account and get started.

Wait for your Activation Invitation

Your accountant or document preparer initiates the process by inviting you to create a SmartVault guest account. To locate and identify the activation email, here are some key details to look out for:

    • Sender: The activation email will come from your SmartVault account manager, who invited you to create your guest account. 
    • Subject Line: Look for an email with the subject line "[Name of the SmartVault account manager] has shared the vault '[Your Name]' with you".

® Note

Please check your spam or junk mail folders if the activation email is not in your primary inbox. If you have not received your activation email, contact the person who invited you to resend the invitation. 

Activating your Guest Account

Once you have received the activation email from SmartVault:

  1. Open the activation email.

  1. Click the Activate button. (It will display the SmartVault logo.)

  1. On the activation page:

  • Enter your phone number.

  • Choose a secure password.

  • Your name and email will already be pre-filled.

  1. Click Create My User to complete the setup.

Signing In to your SmartVault Guest Account

Now that you've activated your account, you can start using SmartVault.

  1. Go to my.smartvault.com or open the SmartVault Connected Desktop.
  2. Enter the email address and password you used during activation.
  3. Click Sign In.

® Note

If you have forgotten your password, click Can't sign in? and follow the instructions to reset your password.

By following these steps, you can set up your SmartVault guest account and start using it.

Uploading Files as a Guest User

GUEST USER

As a Guest User on SmartVault, quickly and easily upload documents through the Upload Documents option on the left-hand navigation bar or via the Secure Document Upload box on the main panel. Your account manager (who invited you to create your guest account) can view and download any files you upload.

Important Considerations Before You Start

  • Please ensure you have an active SmartVault Guest Account and are logged in to the SmartVault Portal to upload documents.
  • Unsupported File Types: Before uploading, be aware of the unsupported file extensions. Attempting to upload files with these extensions will result in an error.
  • Deleting Uploaded Files: Remember, if you accidentally upload a file and don't have the necessary permissions to delete it, please contact your account manager for assistance. They can help you remove the file from your SmartVault account.
  • Creating Folders: As a Guest User, you cannot create new folders within SmartVault. If you need a new folder to upload your files, please contact your account manager for assistance.

Uploading your Files

Note

Depending on the SmartVault account plan your account manager uses, the upload process may vary slightly.

To upload a file:

  1. Accessing SmartVault:
    1. Sign in to the SmartVault Portal.
    2. Enter the email address and password you used to activate your guest account.
    3. Click Sign In.

Note

If you have forgotten your password, click Can't sign in? and follow the instructions to reset your password.

  1. Accessing Upload Documents:
    1. Choose either Upload Documents from the left-hand navigation bar or click Upload a Document from the Home page.
    • Your account manager chooses the folders you can access on the Upload Documents page. You will see only the folders where you can upload files.
    • If you don't see the folder you need to upload your files, please contact your account manager for assistance.

To upload a file:

  Important

  1. Select Upload file next to the folder where you would like to upload your file.
  2. In the Upload file here, drag and drop your file inside the drag-and-drop area.
    • To upload a file from your computer, click inside the drag and drop area, select the file(s) you want to upload, then click Open.
  3. Add more files as needed and click Save to finalize.
  4. A confirmation message appears. A green check mark shows you the uploaded files.
  5. Close the confirmation message.

Downloading and Locating Your Files as a Guest User

GUEST USER

As a Guest User on SmartVault, you can download any files your service provider shares. Whether it's a tax form, an organizer, a contract, or any other document, you can securely download it directly to your computer. Downloading your files may be necessary when you want to work offline or keep a local copy of your files.

This article guides you through downloading files and locating them on your device.

Important

Please ensure you have an active SmartVault Guest Account and are logged in to the SmartVault Portal to download files.

Downloading your Files

To download a file:

  1. Sign in to the SmartVault Portal.
  • Enter the email and password you used to activate your guest account and click Sign In.

  • If you have forgotten your password, click Can't sign in? and follow the instructions to reset your password.

  1. Navigate to Your Files:
  • Select View Files and Folders on the left-hand navigation bar or click the View Your Documents button in the "All Your Documents, One Place" box.

  • Click the folder with your name or company name (referred to as a "Vault"). Here is where files shared with you are stored.

  • Navigate to the specific folder containing the file(s) you want to download. For instance, if you're looking to download a tax organizer, you would go to Tax Returns > TYXX > Client Organizer. The same approach applies to other types of documents, such as tax returns and contracts.

    • Opening the folder
    • Selecting the files you want to download
    • Clicking the Download button at the top of the screen.

Important Note

Guest users cannot download entire folders. However, you can download all the files within a folder by:

  1. Download the File:
  • Click Actions   on the file you wish to download and select Download.

  • The downloaded file should appear in the browser’s Downloads Bar at the bottom of your screen. Click the file to open it.

If the downloaded file doesn't appear on the browser's Downloads Bar, you can find it by following these steps.

Previewing and Downloading a File

To preview the file before downloading:

  1. Click the document to open a preview.
  2. Click Download to download the tax return to your computer, or click Back to close the preview page.

Locating your Downloaded Files

After downloading, you may wonder where to find the file on your computer. By default, most web browsers like Google Chrome, Firefox, and Microsoft Edge store downloaded files in a preset "Downloads" folder unless you've changed the default settings.

To find your downloaded file:

  1. Open your computer's "File Explorer." You can find it on your taskbar—typically represented by a yellow folder icon—or by searching for "File Explorer" in your start menu.
  2. You should see a folder labeled Downloads on the left-hand side. Click on it.
  3. Your most recent downloads should appear at the top of the list in this folder. 

Remember, if you need further assistance or have other questions, please visit our Help Center or contact our Support Team.

Uploading Files as a Guest User

GUEST USER

As a Guest User on SmartVault, quickly and easily upload documents through the Upload Documents option on the left-hand navigation bar or via the Secure Document Upload box on the main panel. Your account manager (who invited you to create your guest account) can view and download any files you upload.

Important Considerations Before You Start

  • Please ensure you have an active SmartVault Guest Account and are logged in to the SmartVault Portal to upload documents.
  • Unsupported File Types: Before uploading, be aware of the unsupported file extensions. Attempting to upload files with these extensions will result in an error.
  • Deleting Uploaded Files: Remember, if you accidentally upload a file and don't have the necessary permissions to delete it, please contact your account manager for assistance. They can help you remove the file from your SmartVault account.
  • Creating Folders: As a Guest User, you cannot create new folders within SmartVault. If you need a new folder to upload your files, please contact your account manager for assistance.

Uploading your Files

Note

Depending on the SmartVault account plan your account manager uses, the upload process may vary slightly.

To upload a file:

  1. Accessing SmartVault:
    1. Sign in to the SmartVault Portal.
    2. Enter the email address and password you used to activate your guest account.
    3. Click Sign In.

Note

If you have forgotten your password, click Can't sign in? and follow the instructions to reset your password.

  1. Accessing Upload Documents:
    1. Choose either Upload Documents from the left-hand navigation bar or click Upload a Document from the Home page.
    • Your account manager chooses the folders you can access on the Upload Documents page. You will see only the folders where you can upload files.
    • If you don't see the folder you need to upload your files, please contact your account manager for assistance.

To upload a file:

  Important

  1. Select Upload file next to the folder where you would like to upload your file.
  2. In the Upload file here, drag and drop your file inside the drag-and-drop area.
    • To upload a file from your computer, click inside the drag and drop area, select the file(s) you want to upload, then click Open.
  3. Add more files as needed and click Save to finalize.
  4. A confirmation message appears. A green check mark shows you the uploaded files.
  5. Close the confirmation message.

Viewing Your Files as a SmartVault Guest User

GUEST USER

As a Guest User, you can view and manage specific folders and files your account administrator (who invited you to create your account) has shared with you. Let's dive into how you can quickly access and manage your files.

Caution: Deleting Files

if you accidentally upload a file and don't have the necessary permissions to delete it, please contact your account administrator for assistance. They can help you remove the file from your SmartVault account.

Accessing Your Files

To access your files:

  1. Sign in to the SmartVault Portal.
  2. Select View Files and Folders on the left-hand navigation bar or click the View Your Documents button in the "All your Documents, One Place" box.
  3. You'll see a list of Vaults (these are like storage boxes for your files) you can access.

Understanding Your Vaults

  • Public Documents Vault - This is a general area where the account administrator uploads forms and information that all clients can see.
  • Personal or Company Name Vault - This area, named after you or your company, holds your personal documents. Here is where you'll typically find the files that are specific to you.

Finding Your Documents

If you're looking for specific files, such as tax returns, here's how to find them:

  1. Click on the vault with your name or your company's name.
  2. Navigate to the "Tax Year" folder. Inside it, you'll find the Client Tax Returns folder.
  3. Click the folder to open it and view the available files.

You can also customize your account with shortcuts.

Important

If necessary documents are missing, contact your account administrator.

Previewing, Downloading, and Copying Your Documents

You can preview a document without having to download it first:

  1. Navigate to the folder containing the file you want to preview.
  2. Click on the document to open a preview.

From the preview page, you can manage your documents quickly:

  1. Click Download to save the file to your device.
  2. Click Actions A white square with blue dots

Description automatically generated and select Open or Print PDF to open the file on your PDF reader or to print it.
  3. To make a copy of the document in a different folder, select Copy from the Actions menu.

Simplifying Your Search and Sort

Using the search bar, you can find a specific file or document quickly within a vault or folder.

The "View Files and Folders" page automatically displays your files alphabetically. Clicking the column headers (Name and Last Modified) will sort your files and folders in ascending or descending order. 

Creating a Copy of a Document

  1. Select the document you want to copy and click Actions .
  2. Select Copy from the Actions menu.
  3. In Manage Files, select the checkbox for the folder where you want to place the copy and click Save changes.

As a guest user, you never alter the original documents; you access copies. So feel free to download, print, or copy what you need! If you need further assistance, don't hesitate to contact our Support Team.