Free CRM for accountants & bookkeepersFree for two months (60-day trial) · no per-user fees
Clients & onboarding
Secure Document Sharing for Accountants (Not Email)
Move sensitive client documents off email attachments and into a secure, trackable portal.
Built by a practising Chartered Accountant · Unlimited users · Free for 60 days
Client portal and document sharing
Share requests and documents securely, not by email.
- Premier Books Consultancy
- Cranleys Chartered Accountants
- CJM Accountants
- Towpath Accounting Solutions
- Auditax International
- RS
Quick answer
Secure document sharing means exchanging sensitive client documents through a protected portal rather than as email attachments, giving both sides a clear record of what was sent, received and outstanding, with less exposure than an unencrypted inbox.
What is secure document sharing and why does it matter for UK practices?
It replaces email attachments — which are easy to lose track of and expose sensitive data to inbox compromise — with a controlled, auditable way of exchanging documents.
Payslips, bank statements, passports and financial records routinely move between client and accountant. Sending these as email attachments means they sit in inboxes indefinitely, are easy to forward accidentally, and give no confirmation of receipt beyond a read notification, if that.
A secure portal gives both parties visibility of what's been requested, what's been uploaded, and what's still outstanding, in one place rather than buried in an email thread.
Why do firms still rely on email for sensitive documents?
It's the path of least resistance
Email is familiar to clients and staff, so it remains the default even when it's not the most secure or trackable option.
No visibility of outstanding requests
Once a document request is sent by email, there's no easy way to see who has and hasn't responded without manually checking each inbox.
Documents pile up unsorted
Attachments arrive in a personal inbox rather than being filed against the client, so they have to be manually saved and organised later.
Data protection risk
Sensitive personal and financial data sitting in email attachments for months or years increases exposure if an account is compromised.
What does relying on email for client documents cost a firm?
Time is lost chasing and filing documents manually, and the firm carries unnecessary data protection risk by holding sensitive files in inboxes rather than a controlled system.
Beyond the administrative cost of manually tracking and filing attachments, firms have data protection obligations under UK GDPR for how personal data is stored and secured. An inbox full of client passports and bank statements, accessible to anyone with the login, is harder to justify than data held in a controlled system with access logging.
How do you move to secure document sharing? Step by step
- 1
List what you currently receive by email
Identify the documents most commonly sent as attachments — ID, bank statements, payroll data — as the priority to move.
- 2
Choose a secure sharing method
Set up a client portal or secure upload link that both staff and clients can access without needing new accounts for every document.
- 3
Set expectations with clients
Explain clearly why the change is happening and how to use the new method, ideally with a short guide.
- 4
Request documents through the portal by default
Make the portal the standard route for requests, only falling back to email for genuinely low-risk items.
- 5
Track outstanding requests centrally
Review what's outstanding weekly rather than relying on remembering who hasn't replied.
- 6
Clear old attachments from inboxes
Once documents are safely stored elsewhere, remove sensitive attachments from personal email as a matter of housekeeping.
How does Remindoo help with secure document sharing?
The client portal gives clients a secure place to upload and receive documents, rather than sending sensitive files as email attachments. Requests and responses sit against the client record, so both the firm and the client can see what's outstanding without digging through an inbox. Centralised client information keeps documents filed against the right client automatically, cutting out the manual step of saving and organising attachments after the fact. Automated reminders chase outstanding document requests so the team isn't manually tracking who has and hasn't responded, and roles and permissions control who on your team can see and access sensitive client documents.
Client portal and document sharing
Share requests and documents securely, not by email.
See featureCentralised client information
Services, documents and notes in one record.
See featureAutomated reminders
Timely prompts before work becomes urgent.
See featureRoles and permissions
Control who sees and edits client data.
See featureSpreadsheets vs Remindoo: what changes?
| Area | Spreadsheets & email | With Remindoo |
|---|---|---|
| Sending sensitive documents | Email attachments | Secure client portal |
| Tracking outstanding requests | Manually checking inboxes | Visible at a glance on the client record |
| Filing received documents | Manually saved from email | Filed against the client automatically |
| Access control | Whoever has the email login | Controlled by roles and permissions |
| Client experience | Multiple email threads | One place to upload everything requested |
See it with your own clients
A 30-minute walkthrough using your services and deadlines.
“Managing deadlines and tasks is much easier.”
Frequently asked questions
Is a client portal more secure than email for documents?
A portal designed for document exchange typically offers more control over access and a clearer audit trail than email, which relies on the security of individual inboxes and forwarding habits.
Do clients need to create an account to use a portal?
Most portals are designed to be simple for clients to use, usually via a secure link, without needing to remember separate login credentials for every document exchange.
Does Remindoo encrypt or certify document storage to a specific standard?
[VERIFY] — check current security documentation for specific technical certifications; Remindoo's client portal is built to keep document exchange off email and centralised against the client record.
How do I get clients to actually use the portal instead of email?
Explain the change clearly, make the portal the default route for all document requests, and only use email as a fallback for low-risk correspondence.
Is there a free trial to test the client portal?
Yes, the client portal is included in Remindoo's 60-day free trial, so you can test document sharing with a handful of clients before rolling it out fully.
Ready to run a calmer practice?
See Remindoo with your own clients, or start free for 60 days with unlimited users.
Sources
Comparing options? Read our guide to crm for accountants.
Last updated: . General guidance, not regulatory advice. Check with your professional body.
Why a single client record matters
When client details, deadlines, documents and conversations are spread across inboxes and spreadsheets, time goes on searching instead of on client work.
One version of the truth
Everyone sees the same services, contacts, deadlines and notes for each client.
Accurate deadlines
Companies House sync brings in company details and filing dates, reducing manual errors.
Better client service
A full timeline means anyone can answer a client question with the history in front of them.
Secure document sharing
A client portal is safer than sending financial documents as email attachments.
Practical tips from UK practice
- Import companies from Companies House rather than typing details by hand.
- Record every service a client takes, so recurring work is created automatically.
- Add a short note after every important client call.
- Ask clients to upload documents through the portal rather than by email.
Related Remindoo features
Written and reviewed by Waqas Sagar ACA FCCA FMAAT, Chartered Accountant with 18+ years in practice. Founder and MD of Accotax, an ICAEW, ACCA and AAT regulated London practice that has served over 5,000 clients, and founder of Remindoo. Guidance is general; check current GOV.UK and professional body guidance for your firm.
What UK practices say about Remindoo
Read all reviews on Trustpilot“With Remindoo, everything from the first enquiry to onboarding and ongoing client management is tracked in one place… It saves us hours and gives me, as a practice owner, complete visibility of where the firm stands.”
“The biggest benefit is having clients, tasks, deadlines, workflows, proposals and communication all organised in one place.”
“During my trial, the team were absolutely amazing. They helped onboard my clients, set up my settings and made sure everything was ready for me to use… they made the whole process completely stress-free.”
“It brings client information, tasks, recurring deadlines, workflows and reminders together in one place, giving us much better visibility across the team.”
