$9 secure client file sharing
Secure file sharing for solo accountants with item-by-item status
Give clients one private upload link while you keep every file tied to the exact document your one-person practice requested.
Updated August 25, 2026 · Product facts and official IRS/FTC guidance reviewed
Secure client file sharing is more than choosing an upload box.
For a one-person practice, the useful question is whether the tool protects the handoff and makes missing-file status obvious without forcing clients into a broad portal.
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Shared folders receive files but do not show whether the request is complete.
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Clients may upload duplicates or send replacements without context.
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A product feature list does not replace the practice's own security plan, access decisions, retention policy, or vendor review.
What is secure file sharing for a solo accountant?
Secure file sharing is a controlled way for a one-person practice to request and receive client files without relying on email attachments. RequestFlow combines private checklist links, optional PIN protection, configured upload security checks, and item-by-item status in one defined document request.
How is RequestFlow different from a shared folder?
A shared folder organizes files by location. RequestFlow organizes the handoff by what the firm requested, so clients can see what remains and the firm can review, approve, or request a replacement for each item.
What should accountants look for in file sharing software?
For client document collection, look beyond storage and encryption. A useful accounting file-sharing workflow should let clients upload without creating an account, connect each file to a requested item, confirm receipt, show what is still missing, and let the firm request a replacement without restarting the email thread.
Is RequestFlow a good fit for a solo accountant?
RequestFlow fits a one-person accounting, bookkeeping, or tax practice that needs document collection rather than a full practice-management suite. The Solo plan is $9 per month or $90 per year for one internal user, 25 active requests, 10 GB of storage, and unlimited external clients, with a 30-day free trial that does not require a card.
What should an independent tax preparer verify before choosing file-sharing software?
Verify how the product handles access, transmission, storage, malware scanning, audit history, retention, deletion, and vendor oversight against your own written security program. The IRS says tax professionals must maintain an information security plan regardless of firm size, and its Publication 4557 points preparers to the FTC Safeguards Rule. RequestFlow can support the document handoff, but it cannot determine or guarantee compliance for your practice.
A focused file-sharing workflow for one practitioner.
RequestFlow handles the defined client-document handoff: what you asked for, what arrived, what you accepted, and what still needs attention.
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Send a private checklist link for a defined request.
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Let the client upload without creating a RequestFlow account.
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Review each item as missing, received, accepted, or needing replacement.
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Use receipts, reminders, and audit history to keep the handoff clear.
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Export the completed packet into the system where your practice keeps working records.
Choose the tool by the job your Solo practice needs done
File sharing, document collection, document management, and practice management overlap, but they are not the same purchase.
- Collect a defined client packet
- Use focused document collectionChoose a checklist link when missing-item visibility and a low-friction client upload are the main jobs.
- Give clients an ongoing workspace
- Use a full client portalChoose a broader portal when clients also need messaging, billing, signatures, or long-term access.
- Keep permanent working records
- Use your records systemMove accepted files into the storage and retention process your practice has selected.
- Prepare returns or obtain signatures
- Use specialist softwareRequestFlow does not prepare tax returns or provide e-signature workflows.
A Solo buyer's secure file-sharing checklist
- Can external clients upload without buying a seat or creating an account?
- Can the practitioner add optional PIN and expiry controls to a private request link?
- Are uploads scanned for malware before firm download is available?
- Does each requested item show missing, received, accepted, and replacement status?
- Are upload receipts, reminders, audit logs, and exports part of the handoff?
- Does the vendor's scope fit the practice's written security program and retention process?
Where RequestFlow fits—and where it does not
- Use RequestFlow when one practitioner needs private checklist links, no-account uploads, item-level review, receipts, reminders, and exports for defined document requests.
- Use a full portal or practice suite when clients need ongoing messaging, billing, e-signatures, CRM, or several staff members working in one system.
- Use a document management or storage system for permanent records; RequestFlow is a collection handoff, not a permanent archive.
- For tax work, evaluate RequestFlow as one control within your written security program—not as proof of IRS, FTC, GLBA, or other legal compliance.
Common questions
Does RequestFlow replace a written information security plan?
No. RequestFlow supports a defined document-collection workflow, while the practice remains responsible for its written security program, risk assessment, policies, training, vendor oversight, and applicable requirements.
Does RequestFlow make external certification claims?
RequestFlow describes its actual document-collection controls and does not claim certifications that are not in place.
Why not just use a shared folder?
A shared folder can be appropriate for storage, but it usually does not tell a solo practitioner which requested items are missing, received, accepted, or waiting for replacement.
Try RequestFlow with one real client request.
Start with a client request you already send. Preview the client upload flow before inviting clients.