This article explains how accounting and tax firms can use Bunkor as a secure client portal for accountants to safely share sensitive client documents—such as tax returns, financial records, and identification—without relying on email attachments or consumer file-sharing tools.

Why Use a Secure Client Portal for Accountants?

Accounting firms routinely handle highly sensitive data, which is why many firms are moving to a secure client portal for accountants instead of email or generic file-sharing tools. Traditional tools like email attachments, unencrypted cloud storage, or consumer file-sharing platforms introduce unnecessary security and compliance risks.

Bunkor is designed to help firms:

• Keep client documents encrypted and access-controlled
• Share large files securely (hundreds of MBs to multiple GBs)
• Avoid documents sitting in inboxes or unsecured links
• Maintain clear ownership and control over client data

Two Ways a Secure Client Portal for Accountants Shares Files

Bunkor offers two primary methods for securely exchanging files with clients. The right option depends on whether you need ongoing access or one-time sharing.

Option 1: Vaults (Secure Client Portals for Accountants)

Best for: Ongoing client relationships and long-term document storage

Vaults function like secure client portals for accountants, allowing firms to manage ongoing access to client documents in a controlled, encrypted environment. Many accounting firms create one Vault per client to store current and prior-year tax documents.

How Vaults Work

• Each Vault can be dedicated to a single client
• Files remain available until you remove access or delete them
• If a file is deleted, it is no longer accessible to anyone
• Access does not expire automatically, making Vaults ideal for long-term records

Sharing a Vault

You can share a Vault in two ways:

1. Invite by Email

• Share the Vault with a specific email address
• Assign a role (e.g., Viewer or Uploader)
• The client creates a Bunkor account and accesses the Vault under “Shared with me”

2. Secure Share Link

• Share a private URL to the Vault
• For security, enable password protection in the Vault settings
• Passwords cannot be reset, so firms often use client-specific information they already manage rather than storing passwords separately

Receiving Documents from Clients

Vaults also support two secure ways for clients to send files back to you:

• Assign the client the Uploader role in the Vault
• Create a File Drop page and connect it to the client’s Vault

File Drop pages can be branded with your firm’s logo, and any files uploaded through the link are automatically saved to the correct Vault.

Option 2: Secure Email (Time-Limited Access for One-Off Sharing)

Best for: One-off file delivery

Secure email allows you to send files as protected attachments with built-in expiration controls.

How Secure Email Works

• Files are sent as encrypted secure attachments
• You choose when access expires (after download, or 1–14 days)
• Once expired, the recipient can no longer access the file
• The file and its audit record remain visible in your sent folder

Secure email is ideal when you do not want ongoing client access.

Recommended Secure Client Portal Setup for Accountants

For most accounting and tax practices looking for a secure client portal for accountants:

• Use Vaults as client portals for ongoing access to current and prior-year documents
• Pair Vaults with File Drop pages so clients can securely upload documents
• Use Secure Email for one-off file delivery when long-term access isn’t needed

This approach provides strong security today while scaling easily as your firm grows or adds staff.

Get Help Setting Up a Secure Client Portal for Accountants

If you’d like assistance:

• Structuring client Vaults
• Setting up File Drop pages
• Deciding which sharing method fits your workflow

Our team is happy to help you get started.

Bunkor
A secure client portal for accountants built to protect sensitive financial and tax data

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