We're excited to introduce a new and improved way to connect with your Tax Pro: video chat!
What is it?
Previously, consultations were conducted via phone calls at a scheduled time, but now, you can enjoy the added flexibility and convenience of video consultations directly through our platform. This upgrade allows for better document sharing and more personalized communication.
Getting Started
Booking a Consultation
The process for booking a consultation remains easy and seamless. First, you’ll fill out a brief questionnaire to what you’d like the consultation to cover. Then, select the length of your session — 15 min, 30 min, or an hour.
After checkout, you’ll be prompted to choose your availability for the consultation.
This lets your Tax Pro select a time that fits their schedule for you both to connect.
New Feature💡: You can add the consultation directly to your Google Calendar, Outlook, or Apple Calendar by clicking “Add to calendar.”
If you need to update your availability after booking, simply click the “Update Availability” button to choose a new time.
Note 💡: The “Update Availability” button is only available up to 24 hours before the scheduled call. If it’s unavailable and you need to reschedule, please coordinate directly with your Tax Pro via the job chat.
Joining a Consultation
Before the call, feel free to message your Tax Pro in the job chat to provide any additional context or upload relevant documents they should review prior to the consultation.
Reminder 💡: You’ll receive an email reminder an hour before the scheduled call to ensure you're ready to join the meeting room.
To join the consultation, click the “Join Call” button to open the meeting room in the portal. You’ll be prompted to grant camera and microphone access (these will be off by default when the call starts).
In the meeting room, you’ll have access to:
- Toggle camera and microphone on/off
- Share your screen
- View the list of participants
- Leave the call when it’s over
Once you and the Pro have both joined, a live transcript will begin which will automatically get saved in the Documents section of the job after the session.
Note💡 The video call will not be recorded, but the transcript will be available after the call.
You can adjust video/audio settings, such as applying a virtual background, by clicking the gear icon in the upper-right corner of the meeting room. Be sure to test your settings ahead of time for a smooth experience.
To track the duration of the call, you can enable the “Meeting Timer” by clicking the three dots in the upper right corner. The timer will display in the upper left of the screen.
Ending the call
When the consultation ends, click the “Leave” button at the bottom of the screen. The system will update the chat with a message confirming that the video session has ended along with the duration of the call. Shortly after, the transcript will be available in the Documents section for your future reference.
Consultations with tax jobs
If you’d like to request a video chat as part of an ongoing tax job, you can ask your Tax Pro to update your order to include it. Once your Pro submits the update, it will be reviewed by Taxfyle Support. After approval, you’ll be prompted to review the update and approve any additional fees (if applicable) before the video consultation is added.
After you accept the update, a new “Appointment” tab will appear on your job page, where you’ll have the option to join the meeting room for the video call. Be sure to coordinate with your Pro through the job chat to agree on a time for the video call.
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Note: When a consultation is added to your order, the scheduling feature is not available. You’ll need to arrange the time for the video call directly with your Pro through the job chat to join at the agreed upon time.
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