There's no single right way to hand work to a desk — it depends on how much, how often, and how visible you want the arrangement to be. We run three models. Most firms start with one and grow into another.
Overflow — for the spike
The lightest touch. You send returns you can't fit, priced per return, with no commitment and no minimum. It's the right starting point when you're not sure of your volume, or when a single deadline week is the only time you run short. Use it once, use it for one return, or use it every April — there's nothing to sign up for.
- Best when: demand is unpredictable or seasonal.
- Commitment: none — per-return, on demand.
- Risk: you keep full control; we're a release valve.
White-label — for the invisible back office
We prepare under your brand and EFIN, and your client never sees TaxSQR. This is the model for firms that want to offer expat or complex work as their own service without building the bench for it. The client experience is entirely yours; the preparation is entirely ours.
- Best when: you want to offer a service you don't want to staff.
- Commitment: ongoing, but flexible by volume.
- Risk: low — the relationship and the brand stay yours.
Co-source — for the named partnership
The deepest model. We become your named desk for a whole category — say, every expat return your firm takes — at volume pricing, as an ongoing partnership. You stop thinking of it as outsourcing and start thinking of it as a department that happens to sit elsewhere.
- Best when: a category is a permanent part of your book.
- Commitment: a season or a year, with volume tiers.
- Risk: managed through one relationship and one audit log.
Start with overflow. Move to white-label when it becomes a service. Co-source when it becomes a department.
Whichever you choose, the mechanics are the same: every return runs on TaxSQR, every action is on the audit log you can read, and an IRS-licensed EA signs behind your firm. The depth is a business decision, not a technical one — and you can change it next season.