Requests and reminders
Ask once. Usual follows up.
Send a checklist to one client or your whole list. Reminders go out by email on your schedule, and stop the moment everything's in.
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Every document.
Without the chase.
Every month, Usual asks each client for their statements, receipts and payroll, reminds them until it's all in, and files it in the right folder. Built for bookkeepers who close the books monthly. Tax season too.
From $17 a month · 14 days free
See how it works · 53 seconds
Everything your firm asks clients for, in one checklist
- Bank statements
- W-2s
- 1099s
- K-1s
- Payroll registers
- Brokerage statements
- Receipts
- EIN letters
- Prior-year returns
- W-9s
Time back for the work
Clients forget. Usual remembers for them, on your schedule, so you can do the accounting.
Explore use cases
Everything between asking and filing
Client portal
So easy, clients actually finish.
A link from your email opens on any phone. No password, no app: one item at a time, in English or Spanish, and it saves as they go.
See what clients see
Review and filing
Review, send back, file.
Accept what's right and send back just the one file that's wrong, with a note. Accepted files go into each client's folders by year.
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Built for every kind of practice
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Statements in by the 10th, every month. Set a client up once and their checklist goes out on the 3rd, with reminders until it's all in.
- Bank and credit card statements
- Payroll register
- Receipts over $75
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The 1040 organizer asks a few yes/no questions first, then only for the documents that apply. Send it to your whole list over the days you choose.
- W-2s, 1099s and K-1s
- Brokerage statements
- Estimated tax payments
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Everything you need before you start, from one checklist instead of a weeks-long email chain. Clients can stop and come back without losing anything.
- Articles of organization and EIN letter
- Prior-year returns
- Bank and card accounts
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Vendor payments, missing W-9s and payroll wrap-up from every business client, early enough to file by January 31.
- Vendor list with amounts paid
- W-9s for new contractors
- Year-end payroll reports
Start with the checklist
Free, printable lists for the work your firm already does. Use one as a reference, or send it to a client in Usual.
Monthly
Bookkeeping
The statements, payroll and receipts to collect before you close the month
See the checklist1040
Tax season
The documents an individual client gathers for a Form 1040 return
See the checklist1099
Year end
Vendor totals, W-9s and payroll records to collect before January 31
See the checklistDownload the Month-End Field Guide (PDF) for a worked Stripe reconciliation, a client email and a close note you can reuse.
Browse the full checklist library, see the solutions for your type of firm, compare Usual with other tools, check alternatives to those tools, read the guides, copy an email template, look up a term in the glossary, or try a free tool.
Why firms switch to Usual
Chasing paperwork is the unpaid job nobody wants. Usual does the asking, politely and on your schedule, and stops the moment everything's in.
What's new
Try it freeSend to many
Send your organizer to every client, a few each working day
Your domain
Reminders now come from your firm's own email address
File library
Every client's folders, with versions and a recycle bin
Priced by clients, never by requests
Unlimited requests on every plan. 14 days free, no credit card.
Practice fits: $57 a month, about $1.27 per client.
Starter
$17/ month
$170/ year
Or $170 billed yearly
Or $17 month to month
20 active clients · 1 person
- Every checklist and bulk send
- Recurring requests
- Email reminders
- Your branding
Practice · Most firms
$57/ month
$570/ year
Or $570 billed yearly
Or $57 month to month
100 active clients · 5 people
- Everything in Starter
- Close tracker and escalation steps
- Send from your own domain
- Copy to Google Drive or OneDrive
Growth
$147/ month
$1,470/ year
Or $1,470 billed yearly
Or $147 month to month
300 active clients · unlimited team
- Everything in Practice
- Unlimited team
- Priority support
- Audit export
Active clients are the clients you haven't archived; archive one any time. Over 300? Email support@usual.so and we'll set up a plan.
Client data, protected properly
Tax documents and account numbers deserve more than an email attachment. Every file is encrypted under its own key, and each firm is kept apart in the database itself. How Usual protects documents
- A key for every file
- Virus-scanned uploads
- Two-step sign-in
- A log of every view
- Each firm kept apart
Frequently asked questions
What is Usual?
Software for accounting firms to collect documents and answers from clients. You send a checklist; clients open a secure link, upload files and answer questions at their own pace; Usual reminds them until it's done and files what you accept.
Who is it for?
Bookkeeping and CPA firms of 1 to 15 people who do monthly bookkeeping, tax returns, or both, and spend too much time chasing clients for paperwork.
Do my clients need an account?
No. Each client gets a personal link. You can add a one-time code by email for extra safety.
Can I use it to onboard new clients?
Yes. Build an onboarding checklist once and send it to every new client, with reminders, instead of a weeks-long email chain.
Is client data secure?
Sensitive numbers are encrypted and masked, uploads are virus-checked before anyone opens them, staff sign in with two-step verification, and every view and download is logged.
Does it replace my practice management software?
No. Usual does the collecting and chasing, and works alongside the tools you already use.
What documents should I ask a bookkeeping client for each month?
Start with a statement for every bank and card account, the payroll register, the sales reports behind the deposits, and receipts for larger purchases. The monthly bookkeeping checklist lists the full set, with a note on what to send for each item.
Can I use Usual for a tax organizer?
Yes. Usual has an individual tax organizer and a business organizer. Clients answer a few yes or no questions first, then see only the documents that apply. The 1040 organizer checklist shows the full document list.
Is there a checklist I can use before I sign up?
Yes. Every checklist is free to read and print. Browse the checklist library and use one as a reference, or start a trial and send it to a client.