Case Study: Streamlining tax workflows with CCH Axcess™ Tax APIs

Challenge: Manual data entry slowed down tax preparation

Grassi’s tax professionals were spending considerable time manually entering data from Excel workbooks into CCH Axcess Tax. While import functions were available, many found it more practical to key in small data sets manually. This approach, however, was inefficient and prone to errors.

The underlying issue was inconsistent data. Like many firms, Grassi faced challenges maintaining standardized processes across teams and locations. Without a consistent approach to data management, duplicate entries and mismatched structures were common—especially when multiple professionals worked on the same client or added new entities under parent organizations.

Solution: Standardized workbooks and Tax Transfer API integration

To overcome these challenges, the Director of Innovation and Technology collaborated with tax teams across the firm to identify commonly used data points for each return type. After gathering input from multiple stakeholders, the team developed a unified set of standardized Excel templates that supported a wide range of tax scenarios.

These templates enabled consistent data formatting and simplified the process of mapping information between systems. Staff could continue using familiar workbooks, but instead of manually entering data into CCH Axcess Tax, they could now push it directly into the return with a single click, thanks to the Tax Transfer API.

The impact was immediate. Tax professionals began saving between 30 to 90 minutes per return, depending on complexity.

Results: Significant time savings and improved accuracy

• 30–90 minutes saved per return, depending on complexity
• Improved data quality through automated validation checks
• Firm-wide adoption after just one busy season
• Enhanced consistency across tax returns and preparers

Expanding automation beyond tax

Building on the success of tax workflow automation, Grassi extended its use of APIs to other areas of the firm. One key initiative focused on client onboarding, a process that traditionally involved repetitive data entry and posed a high risk of duplication and inconsistency.

By automating the creation of new clients in CCH Axcess, the firm ensured that client records were accurate and aligned across systems from the outset. This centralized approach to data management helped establish a single source of truth, reducing errors and streamlining operations across departments.

Advice for other firms

Grassi’s experience demonstrates that successful automation is not just about implementing technology, it’s about empowering people. The firm’s Director of Innovation and Technology emphasized that the most impactful solutions emerged from close collaboration with tax professionals who deeply understood the data and processes. By listening to their needs and designing tools that fit seamlessly into existing workflows, the firm unlocked meaningful efficiencies and laid the foundation for long-term innovation.

Note:
This case study was developed based on insights shared during a 2024 interview for the API Spotlight podcast, hosted by Wolters Kluwer Tax & Accounting U.S. The original conversation, titled “Realized Benefits of the Tax Transfer API,” features Grassi’s former Director of Innovation and Technology and was published in 2024.