Onboard new clients

Path 1 of 2 · Spreadsheet Import

Import from Client List Spreadsheet (CSV / Excel)

Upload a CSV or Excel export from your tax software (Drake, Lacerte, UltraTax, ProSeries) or client roster with columns: name, ssn, phone, email, state. Names formatted as Last, First are automatically normalized, in-file duplicate rows are skipped, and SSNs are encrypted immediately.

⬇ Download the template Two example rows show the accepted formats. Delete them before uploading.

Recent Imports & 1-Click Undo Import Batch

Uploaded the wrong CSV or test roster? Undo an entire spreadsheet import batch in one click instead of archiving clients one by one.

Step 2: Attach each client's prior tax return

Any row without a document attached will simply be skipped for now, and you can always add it individually later from New Engagement.

Client	State	SSN	Document	Result

Step 3: Review and confirm

Matched documents suggest an entity type below. Review and correct anything that looks wrong, then press Create on each client you want to set up.

The clients themselves already exist, because they were created when the spreadsheet was read, because a return can only be matched to a client that is already there. This step creates their engagement, their checklist, and the businesses their return names. Use the × on a row to remove a client you did not want.

Client	Suggested entity type	Tax year

Path 2 of 2 · Direct Document & Return Intake

Start Directly from Prior-Year Returns or Document Pile

No spreadsheet? Drop prior-year tax returns, W-2s, 1099s, or a folder of client PDFs in any order. We read each document, match or create the client, and file it against the right checklist row.

Tax year these belong to

Create a client if we do not have one. Only when nothing on file matches at all. A document that nearly matches one of your clients is never turned into a second one, and a company is never created without a person above it. Add the checklist row if there is not one. The row is created already satisfied and marked as having arrived, so nobody is chased for something they have already sent.

Folder utilities: Match a folder of prior returns or build a CSV from returns

Match a folder of prior returns to existing clients

Every PDF is read and matched to the client whose taxpayer number it carries.

Tax year these engagements are for

Choose the folder

Build a starter CSV spreadsheet from a folder of prior returns

Reads each return locally for the client's name, taxpayer number, and state, and downloads a CSV with blank phone/email columns for you to fill in.

Choose the folder of returns

Firm Acquisition & Practice Merge

Import / Merge a Full Firm Archive (.zip)

Acquiring or merging another practice that exported a Full Firm Archive (ledgerly-firm-archive-*.zip)? Upload the archive ZIP below to preview or import their book of clients and engagements.

What a merge imports vs. retains offline: Imports clients.csv (deduplicated by legal name/alias) and engagements.csv (with checklists generated automatically). Source documents/, signed engagement-letters/, invoices-and-payments.csv, and tickets-and-messages.json carry the exporting firm's signatures and billing ledger and remain in the ZIP for offline reference.