How to use XyloDocs with Intuit Lacerte: zip export integration

XyloDocs now exports client-uploaded documents — W-2s, IDs, receipts, and supporting schedules — as zip files structured for direct import into Intuit Lacerte. If your firm collects documents through XyloDocs' AI-powered intake (SMS, WhatsApp, email-to-upload, or client portal) and prepares returns in Lacerte's desktop tax engine, this integration eliminates the manual file-sorting step between intake and preparation.

The problem this solves

Lacerte is Intuit's enterprise-grade desktop tax engine, trusted by thousands of CPA firms for complex individual and business returns. But Lacerte's strength is return preparation — not client-facing document collection or multi-channel communication. Most Lacerte firms rely on email, portals, or phone calls to gather source documents, then manually download, rename, and organize files before importing them into the tax engine.

That manual bridge between "client sent a W-2" and "preparer has it in Lacerte" is where hours disappear every season. The zip export feature replaces that bridge with a structured, two-click export.

How the zip export works

1. Collect documents through any XyloDocs channel. Clients upload W-2s, 1099s, IDs, receipts, and other supporting documents via SMS, WhatsApp, email-to-upload, secure links, or the client portal. XyloDocs' AI auto-categorizes each file as it arrives.
2. Open the client profile in XyloDocs. Navigate to the client whose documents you need to export for return preparation.
3. Click Export and choose Lacerte format. XyloDocs packages all collected documents into a zip file organized to match Lacerte's expected import structure — correct folder hierarchy, file naming conventions, and document grouping that Lacerte recognizes on import.
4. Download the zip and import into Lacerte. Open Lacerte, use the standard document import workflow, and point it at the zip. Files land in the right places without manual renaming or reorganizing.

What gets exported

The zip includes client-uploaded documents collected through XyloDocs:

• W-2s and wage statements
• 1099 series forms (1099-NEC, 1099-INT, 1099-DIV, 1099-MISC, etc.)
• Government-issued IDs and identity documents
• Receipts and expense documentation
• Prior-year returns and supporting schedules
• K-1s and partnership/S-corp documents
• Any other files the client uploaded during intake

Documents are organized into Lacerte's expected folder structure. The import recognizes them without manual intervention — the same file organization Lacerte users expect when importing from other Intuit tools.

Why Lacerte firms need a better intake layer

Lacerte handles complex returns well, but it was built for desktop preparation — not for client-facing document collection across SMS, WhatsApp, and voice. Most Lacerte firms solve intake with one of these workarounds:

• Email attachments — insecure, unstructured, and buried in inboxes (why email isn't secure for tax documents)
• Generic portals — require client training and don't support SMS/WhatsApp intake
• Phone calls and in-person drop-offs — don't scale during peak season

XyloDocs replaces those workarounds with AI-powered multi-channel intake. Clients send documents however they prefer — text a photo of a W-2, WhatsApp a receipt, email a PDF — and XyloDocs auto-categorizes everything into the client profile. The Lacerte zip export then moves those organized documents into the tax engine with zero manual steps in between.

The full workflow: intake to return prep

For a Lacerte firm using XyloDocs, the document lifecycle looks like this:

1. Client receives an automated document request via SMS or WhatsApp (in English or Spanish)
2. Client replies with photos or PDFs of their tax documents
3. XyloDocs AI auto-categorizes each document (W-2, 1099, ID, receipt, etc.)
4. Preparer reviews the client profile — all documents organized and ready
5. Preparer clicks Export → Lacerte format → downloads the zip
6. Imports the zip into Lacerte → starts the return

No downloading individual files. No renaming. No folder shuffling. The AI handled categorization on intake; the zip export handles the Lacerte-specific structure on output.

How it fits with the rest of XyloDocs

The Lacerte zip export is one piece of a broader AI client communication workflow. XyloDocs also handles:

• Automated status updates — proactive SMS and WhatsApp messages that reduce "where's my return?" calls by up to 50% (Alianza Tax case study)
• Bilingual communication — real-time auto-translation across voice, SMS, and WhatsApp so monolingual staff can serve Spanish-speaking clients (bilingual software guide)
• AI voice calling — AI agents that answer status calls and collect documents in English or Spanish (AI calling guide)
• E-signatures and secure document exchange — built into the same platform

Lacerte stays your tax engine. XyloDocs handles everything before and after the return: intake, communication, client updates, document delivery, and now the structured handoff into Lacerte itself.

Getting started

The Lacerte zip export is available on all XyloDocs plans. If you already use XyloDocs for client communication, the export option appears on each client profile. No additional setup, Intuit account linking, or API keys required.

If you're evaluating XyloDocs for the first time, see pricing for per-agent costs and included features, or request a demo to see the Lacerte export workflow live. For firms also comparing practice management tools, the XyloDocs vs TaxDome comparison covers how XyloDocs' communication layer complements a broader tax prep stack.