Canopy Reviews

Canopy takes the headaches out of client management by offering a way to keep client info organized.

Comments: Improved practice management and time management. As well as a simple way for clients to securely share their files with me.

Pros:

That all client info, files, communication, notes, and tasks are in one application. It has helped eliminate the need to jump around from application to application to find the info I need to manage all my clients accounts.

Cons:

The task feature can use some updates in simplification and added features. I still prefer Jetpack Workflow to help manage my tasks until Canopy improves this feature. I also get frustrated that there isn't a way to simply email a file stored in Canopy to a client that maybe isn't using the portal feature, rather than downloading and adding to an email as an atachment,

Best Software We've Found!

Comments: I've had nothing but good experiences with Canopy. The transition and set up was pretty easy, the support has always been helpful, it's easy to use and even our clients have mentioned liking the client portal much more compared to previous software we've used.

Pros:

It's easy to use and I love that it's continually updated and improved upon. Suggestions are actually considered and implemented which shows that they really care about providing the best product.

Cons:

I really don't have much to complain about but one thing that would be helpful is being able to automate due dates to avoid weekends or holidays if they're on a semi-monthly schedule.

This is the worst software! Buyers beware!

Comments: Onboarding was a nightmare. Total waste of money with very little communication with teh onboarding team.

Pros:

Nothing. The interface is messy. Nothing is automated.

Cons:

This is the messiest software. It is very un-user friendly. It is not automated and requires several manual steps to get to the finish line. Its just not efficient.

Canopy is Great for Small- and Mid-size Tax and Bookkeeping Firms

Pros:

The two features that my firm likes the most in Canopy is the Client Portal and Tax Resolution (IRS transcript delivery service). When purchasing the software, we knew we needed a Client Portal through which clients could exchange documents with us via their smartphone, and we've really liked that feature (being able to brand it as "ours" is a nice touch). What we didn't know - until we used it - was just how much time we save with pulling IRS transcripts through Canopy's Tax Resolution tool versus pulling transcripts through IRS e-services. Once your Form 2848 is on file with the IRS, you can pull every transcript for which you're authorized for a given client with the touch of a button. They download directly from the IRS in PDF format, and with one more button you can save every transcript to the client's file. The time savings is incredible, versus downloading individual transcripts one year and one form at a time.

Cons:

I personally feel that the e-signature process is a bit clunky, but that's probably just because I don't have much experience with IRS-approved e-signatures (which require knowledge-based authentication). But at least I know that Canopy is compliant with IRS regulations concerning e-signatures!

Best Tax Resolution Software Out There!

Comments: Love Canopy and can't imagine doing our jobs without it!! The support staff is outstanding both via chat and calling in. They have been open to new ideas, are positive and almost always help us to solve our problems.

Pros:

The software is intuitive and easy to use. I'm sure we under utilize it but it works great for our small office. The thing we like best is that it keeps us organized! There are so many great features though including allowing us to be paperless.

Cons:

I wish we could customize the text in the "Notes" section. We use Notes a lot. Would love to be able to use colored text - red for deadlines, green for amounts due, etc. Also wish we could search the contact list by phone numbers. We often receive incoming calls in which the name listed on the caller ID is not the name of the actual person. Currently, we have to enter the phone number into our cell phone to see if it is someone we have spoken with before or a current client.

Customer Service is Terribly - This Company is too new to meet deadlines

Comments: Purchased a license in order to use their Tax Prep software (NOT the tax management software - ability to track clients and manage the funnel of taxes). Was told everything would be ready in time, and I ensured they knew I was only buying now because the Tax Prep software was going to finally be ready. (They told me 4 different dates for when this would be ready as I've been working with their sales for 2 years, waiting for them to get things together). Jumped in and decided to make them our company for our tax prep business, and everything went wrong. Salesperson we worked with had quit, implementation team was slow, and then I got off the phone with a support person who casually mentioned that the tax software was tossed out for this year. We had no clue, completely SOL as we have 4 weeks until tax season started and had to rush to find another company. All done without an apology, just "oh that's funny, I thought everyone knew that we couldn't get the software ready", even though we were assured that it would be - for a quick sale I imagine. Lots of back and forth with different support team members. We had been paying for two months and getting everything switched to their platform - which took an enormous amount of time and effort from our people, just to be told they won't have it ready for us and we will not receive a refund. I told the support manager before about this review being posted and was told I "might get a call back" for help.

Pros:

The software is cloud based and therefore easy to access.

Cons:

The company consistantly made promises that they were unable to uphold. Pushbacks on product releases that we desperately needed, and no refund for their mistakes. Not the company you want to go with when you need something dependable. They're a tax company which makes it even more absurd that they mess around with deadlines.

Canopy Tax Practice Management Software

Comments: My overall experience is positive, the customer support is top notch and the product development team are listening to customer and continuously bring out new and updated enhancements to the software.

Pros:

The software is fairly easy to use and it is constantly being updated with new features.

Cons:

There is a lack of good reports around tasks and the software is built to be a little bit generic. We would find it even more useful if there were more features implemented specifically for tracking tax return tasks. I also wish the pricing was less module based. I wish that we could have access to more features for a straight forward monthly per user fee. I also wish that we could only pay for seasonal accounts during the busy months when we have extra help that needs access. Also, it would be nice if Canopy expanded their integrations to more than just contact information. Being able to integrate with other software based on tasks would be amazing.

Put All Of Your Practice Managements Tasks Under This Canopy

Comments: My overall experience with Canopy has been extremely positive.

Pros:

Easy to implement and use. Our clients love it!

Cons:

The tax organizers are not very robust and cannot be customized.

A fit for my business and my Clients

Comments: Canopy allows me peace of mind when working remotely with Clients who are spread out nationwide as well as globally; it doesn't hurt that I can also work from anywhere that has an internet connection.

Pros:

Bringing Canopy into our organization was easy, with individualized invitations on a mass e-mail template sent out to Clients old and new!

Cons:

We are still working to make use of every area that Canopy offers, so there is nothing negative to say at the present time.

Managing financial operations with Canopy

Comments: Overall the pricing may be a bit high for some, but the software's excellent customer support and ease of use make it a recommended option for businesses looking for a comprehensive accounting solution.

Pros:

One of the best aspects of the software is its ability to automate many time-consuming tasks, such as data entry and bank reconciliation, which helps save time and increase efficiency.

Cons:

One potential drawback of Canopy is that it may not be as feature-rich as other accounting software options.

My critic on a CRM System that I believe in.

Comments: There are a few things that can be better, but overall a great product.

Pros:

As a person that needs everything organized, I am happy to see that Canopy fulfills my OCD.

Cons:

Takes a too long for the requested changes to take place.

Love Canopy, worth every penny

Comments: Overall wonderful

Pros:

I love that everything is all in one place. Document storage, document sharing with clients, timer, invoicing, reports, task management, procedures (we use sub-tasks to lay out the steps in a task with notes on how to do each step), transcripts etc. I have recently started to use the letter templates to respond to IRS letters and they make my life so much easier. I also really love the client request feature that automatically reminds my client that I am waiting on something.

Cons:

Small things, like I can lose track of tasks if I fail to assign them to someone. This could be easily avoided by looking at the task list in its entirety, but I find it most useful on a day to day basis to look at only tasks that belong to me, or only tax returns that need to be done, or only tasks that belong to the bookkeeper etc. I have to remember to occasionally look at all the tasks and then I realize that I missed something. I also find that the software is not as keyboard friendly as I would like, I have to do a lot of clicking to accomplish things.

Canopy Tax

Comments: Very good experience. Tech Support has been very helpful. Our clients like the portal too.

Pros:

Document sharing, obtaining electronic signatures is simple for us and our clients. Communication tab is also very helpful. This feature keeps communications from clients from getting siloed in individual team member's inbox. Being able to share files with clients and their other trusted advisors is also very helpful. Clients like that they can access data on their computer, their phone or their tablet.

Cons:

Each module has a separate cost. However, to use certain features you have to have a specific module even if we aren't using all the module features. Also, access cannot currently be given to 3rd parties on a file by file and contact basis. Currently, if we allow access to a client and their advisor to the portal, all files that have access turned on in the portal allow all these parties to view. It would be nice if we could pick and choose which client/important contact has access to which folder. For example, a client would have access to all their tax returns, estimates, and source documents. Their financial advisor could have access to only the tax returns.

Solve many jobs in a short time with Canopy...

Comments: I've been using Canopy for a 1 year now and I absolutely love it. The software is amazing, it works perfectly for my needs and it integrates well with the rest of our system. It's very easy to use, has a great interface and a huge range of features.

Pros:

I had been looking for a simple accounting solution to help me manage my clients' invoices, and discovered this product. It is simple, easy to use, and has a ton of features. Within a few months, I was able to set up my clients' invoices in a matter of minutes, and start using it. I also turned it into a project management tool.

Cons:

Canopy has proven to be a robust and reliable solution that has helped streamline our document management processes, and it works well with our accounting software. The interface is very easy to use, the adaptation time to the software is very short, and it worked smoothly.

Canopy - our new best friend

Comments: Our experience with Canopy has been a very positive one. Their customer support is excellent. I have appreciated them reaching out to us to see how we are doing certain tasks and we are able to give them suggestions for change. I would recommend this product to other firms outside our demographic. I don't want the competition to have the advantage we have with Canopy!

Pros:

We switched from Office Tools to Canopy over 2 years ago. The implementation and data transfer was almost seamless. The mobile app and client portal have been invaluable to our client base. We were implementing Canopy before COVID so when the shut downs hit we were already ahead of the game for being digital for everything with a portal and app that worked and was easy for our client base to use.

Cons:

I wish the reporting was more accurate so our utilization rates were a better reflection. It would nice to customize reports for what the firm values with certain items.

Canopy is a great all in one!

Pros:

I really enjoy the fact that my CRM, billing, and document management is on one platform.

Cons:

I'm still getting used to the features. I do wish that it had some additional options for payment syncing, link sharing outside of the portal, and the option to add further correspondence to a task.

Better than Great

Comments: Canopy has helped me improve the remote part of my business, so I can serve Clients around the world, even when I am not in the US.

Pros:

The better-than-bank security made the choice a no-brainer.

Cons:

The instant access to files that a Client uploaded wasted precious seconds every time I accessed a Client's folder.

Constant Improvements

Comments: Canopy is very useful as it is, but this company seems dead set on always improving its operation & structure. At least monthly, I get an opportunity to view what is new on Canopy and what they are working on next. I can keep my finger on the pulse of my clients so I can quickly respond to their expectations.

Pros:

When my client's upload documents to the portal, Canopy lists that activity, I click on it, and I am able to take action on it right away.

Cons:

I would like to be able to adjust the timekeeper when I start it or while it is running.

GREAT PRODUCT- Depth of Use

Comments: Record keeping is great. I will look into how I can expand use for our firm since we use primarily as a client portal with work flow management and document storage.

Pros:

Canopy is great to use to keep client information safe and secure. With such advancements in technology, it is imperative to have a platform like this where the information can be conveniently accessed by both the users and clients, active or archived... it's just great.

Cons:

No difficulty at all... I just wish all clients will utilize this platform... I may have to require them to do so!

Great software - even for those in a solo practice.

Comments: I have tired other softwares and this one has been a great fit and easy to adopt.

Pros:

The document storage and communication tools.

Cons:

A little pricey for all the bells and whistles.

EA Support

Comments: I love it

Pros:

Ease of use make it so it does not take alot of time to set up and follow

Cons:

Not always designed to assist tax resolution out side norm

CPA Firm review of Canopy

Pros:

I like the client portal because I am able to communicate with the client, request documents from the client, and share documents securely through the portal.

Cons:

I do not like that the projects regenerate as soon as you indicate that the current project is completed. I would like to be able to specify when a recurring project regenerates. For example, I do not want a tax return project to regenerate and appear on my dashboard as something that needs to be worked on as soon as I finish the tax return project for the current year. It would not need to regenerate until the following year.

Great Product! Such a Time Saver!

Comments: Love it! I would recommend it to anyone who regularly deals with IRS transcripts! Has saved us so much time!

Pros:

Pulling IRS transcripts using this software is a dream. When you get transcripts through the IRS website you have to pull them one at a time, and if they aren't ready yet you have to repeat this process everyday. With Canopy, you enter the taxpayer's information and then all you have to do to refresh the information is click the refresh button. So much easier to use! Plus you can setup multiple client at one time and let the software run in the background until it has checked them all with the IRS, meanwhile you can move on to other work.

Cons:

It would be easier if you didn't have to reestablish the link to the IRS everyday, and wait for the IRS code to come through. However, for security reason I understand why this is necessary.

Canopy - Firm Saving

Comments: Love Canopy! Decreases the time I am spending on administrative task.

Pros:

Canopy allowed us to flex during the pandemic by offering our clients an easy client portal to use. The clients were able to share their documents for tax preparation. Our firm was then able to upload tax returns for their review. And the e-sign function for the 8879 was amazing. My favorite part is the transcript function to pull clients data from IRS. The transcript report package a professional document to provide to the client that is branded to our firm.

Cons:

Haven't discovered any cons with the package. They seem to always be one step ahead of my needs.

Client Management Solution

Comments: Very easy process in signing up. Went a long time without the need for upgrade so I was able to fully try the system before buying.

Pros:

My clients enjoy the portal and state it is very user-friendly and easy to navigate. I also enjoy the transcript service as it makes pulling new transcripts very fast.

Cons:

I wish the software allowed for integration with Outlook. I would like to be able to send an email through Outlook and have the email automatically posted to my client's account. I use the software for case management so this is necessary to outline steps in the case so I do a lot of copy and pasting.