Setting up CCH® eSign Accounts and Users

CCH eSign allows you to securely send documents to your clients, employees, and other third parties to obtain their electronic signatures. CCH has collaborated with AssureSign® to provide you a secure eSign solution that is compliant with the ESIGN Act and the guidelines provided by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

The integration of CCH eSign with CCH Axcess™ Tax begins with setting up your eSign account, setting up AssureSign users, and activating the Send for eSign option. Authorization forms for federal and qualified states can then be sent from CCH Axcess Tax to CCH eSign for qualified Individual (1040) returns.

Setting up your eSign Account

The initial setup of CCH eSign is done in CCH Axcess Tax to establish the integration that is used for Form 8879 and state e-file signature authorization forms. The initial setup in Tax includes designating a CCH eSign Administrator. After the initial setup is complete, the CCH eSign Administrator can set up additional users, customize communications, and complete other tasks in AssureSign.

The initial setup steps are shown in three videos (each less than five minutes in length) available on the CCH eSign Support web page. The videos cover the following:

  • Configuring CCH eSign
  • Creating users
  • Managing branding

Complete the following procedure to set up an account with AssureSign. The account allows you to manage users, customize the user experience, and monitor eSign usage.

  1. Open Dashboard, click Application Links on the navigation panel, and then click Settings and defaults under Firm.
  2. Click eSign on the Firm navigation panel.
  3. Click Set up eSign Account. If an eSign account exists, it will automatically link to CCH Axcess; otherwise, continue to step 4.
  4. Enter the eSign administrator's information.
    1. Enter the username for the account, which is the administrator's email address.
    2. Enter the administrator's first name and last name.
    3. Click Create. The administrator user is also created.
  5. Accept the default template for each module type and click OK, or select a custom template from a list in the grid, and then click OK. eSign templates define the email notification content that is sent during the eSign process.

Note: The status changes to Setup is complete after the eSign account has been successfully setup.

Accessing your eSign Account and Setting up Users

The eSign administrator will receive an email with a temporary password and a URL to access the eSign account. After logging in to the eSign account, the eSign administrator can start sending documents for eSign. Your eSign administrator can also set up other users to access the eSign account.

Configuring Signers in Tax

CCH Axcess Tax signers are staff who are identified in the return, staff profile, or return configuration set to sign in the Paid Preparer portion of the return. Set up tax signers as users in the eSign account, entering the same email address used for the signer in CCH Axcess.

If your firm uses a centralized email address as the tax signer email address, use this email address to establish a user in your eSign account. If your firm uses multiple tax signers with separate email addresses, each tax signer must be set up as a user in your eSign account.

When uploading the return for eSign, CCH Axcess Tax will assign the tax signer email address as follows:

  1. Tax signer email address entered in the General > Return Options > Preparer Information-Override Office Manager > Preparer e-mail address field.
  2. If email address #1 is not provided, the email address entered on the Tax > Signer window of the staff profile for the signer code specified in the General > Electronic Filing > Electronic Return Originator Override > Individual preparer code field.
  3. If email addresses #1 and #2 is not provided, the tax signer address entered in the General > Electronic Filing > Electronic Return Originator Override > Preparer e-mail address field.
  4. If email addresses are not provided for # 1, #2 and #3, the email provided for the ERO on the Electronic Filing Options window of the return configuration set.

Warning! If the tax signer email is not set up in your eSign account, the return upload from CCH Axcess will not complete.

Tip: If you do not want tax signers to access other tax signer's returns, you can set up the tax signer as a limited user, or alternately modify the Document and Reporting permissions to prevent access to documents created by other users.

CCH eSign Workflow

  • Return is reviewed and prepared for electronic filing.
  • CCH eSign automatically does the following:
    • Generates an email to the taxpayer with reminders.
    • Asks the taxpayer to answer Knowledge Based Authentication (KBA) questions.
    • Collects taxpayer signatures.
    • Sends the signed documents to the firm and taxpayer.
    • Updates the Electronic Filing Status System.
  • Firm releases the return for electronic filing.

Additional References

Select from the following additional references for more information about the eSign process as it interfaces with Tax: