Welcome to TaxLogistics, LLC ("Company," "we," "us," or "our"). This Service Bureau & ERO Agreement ("Agreement") governs the relationship between TaxLogistics, LLC and authorized Electronic Return Originators, tax preparation offices, and sub-site operators ("ERO," "Bureau Partner," or "You") utilizing our tax software licensing, Service Bureau fee management, client management CRM, and onboarding services.
By enrolling in our Service Bureau program, signing your onboarding contract, or accessing our tax software platforms, you agree to be legally bound by all terms outlined herein. This Agreement is incorporated by reference into your ERO Onboarding Contract and constitutes part of the binding agreement between you and TaxLogistics, LLC.
By enrolling in our Service Bureau program, signing your onboarding contract, or accessing our tax software platforms, you agree to be legally bound by all terms outlined herein. This Agreement is incorporated by reference into your ERO Onboarding Contract and constitutes part of the binding agreement between you and TaxLogistics, LLC.
Section 01
IRS Compliance & EFIN Verification
1.1
Active EFIN Requirement
- You represent and warrant that you maintain an active, valid Electronic Filing Identification Number (EFIN) issued by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in good standing at all times during this Agreement.
- EROs must immediately notify TaxLogistics in writing if their EFIN is placed under IRS review, suspended, or revoked for any reason.
- Sharing, borrowing, or operating under another entity's EFIN is strictly prohibited and constitutes grounds for immediate termination of this Agreement.
1.2
IRS Publication Compliance
- IRS Publication 3112: Bureau Partners agree to operate in full accordance with IRS Publication 3112 (IRS e-file Application and Requirements) at all times.
- IRS Publication 1345: All electronic filing activities must comply with Publication 1345 (Handbook for Authorized IRS e-file Providers of Individual Income Tax Returns).
- IRS Publication 4557: EROs must maintain written information security plans that satisfy IRS Publication 4557 (Safeguarding Taxpayer Data) requirements.
1.3
EFIN Verification & Annual Audits
- TaxLogistics reserves the right to request proof of IRS EFIN acceptance letters and copies of the IRS e-file application summary prior to software activation or transmitter access.
- Annual compliance audits may be conducted at the start of each tax season. Failure to provide verification documentation within 5 business days of request may result in access suspension.
- PTIN (Preparer Tax Identification Number) verification may be required for designated signing preparers within your office.
Section 02
Software Licensing & Account Usage
2.1
License Grant
- Subject to timely fee payments and continued compliance, TaxLogistics grants you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to access and use assigned tax preparation software (including OLT Pro.com and any other platforms provisioned through TaxLogistics) and TaxLogi CRM seats allocated to your plan tier.
- This license is personal to your registered EFIN and ERO office and may not be sublicensed, transferred, or shared with any third-party preparers outside of your registered office without prior written approval.
- Software access is provided on an "as-is" basis subject to the terms of any applicable end-user license agreement (EULA) from the software publisher.
2.2
Credentials & Security Obligations
- EROs are solely responsible for securing all user credentials, enforcing Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) where available, and restricting software access to authorized personnel only.
- You must not share login credentials between preparers. Each preparer must use their own assigned user account.
- In the event of a suspected credential breach or unauthorized access, you must notify TaxLogistics immediately at [email protected].
- TaxLogistics reserves the right to suspend or terminate access if security obligations are not maintained.
2.3
Intellectual Property
- All software, platforms, training materials, templates, and CRM configurations provided by TaxLogistics remain the exclusive intellectual property of TaxLogistics, LLC and/or its licensors.
- EROs may not reverse engineer, copy, resell, or redistribute any software, platform access, or proprietary materials provided under this Agreement.
- Upon termination of this Agreement, all access to TaxLogistics platforms and software shall immediately cease and any downloaded materials must be destroyed.
Section 03
Service Bureau Fees & Bank Product Settlement
3.1
Service Bureau Fee Authorization
- ERO authorizes TaxLogistics to configure and collect agreed-upon Service Bureau fees, technology fees, and software add-on fees directly through authorized bank product settlement channels, including Refundo and other approved banking partners.
- Fees are deducted from refund transfer disbursements prior to release of remaining proceeds to the ERO's designated disbursement account.
- The applicable fee schedule is established during onboarding and set forth in your Bureau Partner enrollment documentation.
3.2
Fee Schedules & Adjustments
- Service Bureau fee schedules must be established and agreed upon prior to tax season activation dates and cannot be altered mid-season without express written bureau approval from TaxLogistics.
- Annual fee adjustments for the upcoming tax season will be communicated no later than October 31 of the preceding year.
- Additional software modules, seat upgrades, or add-on services requested mid-season are subject to separate fee agreements.
3.3
Audit & Fee Withholding
- In cases of flagged fraudulent activity, invalid or suspended EFIN status, disputed refund settlements, or banking partner compliance holds, TaxLogistics reserves the right to temporarily withhold Bureau fee payouts pending resolution with banking partners or the IRS.
- TaxLogistics will notify the ERO within 2 business days of initiating any fee withholding action, stating the reason and estimated resolution timeline.
- EROs may not initiate chargebacks or payment disputes against TaxLogistics during an active compliance review without prior written notice.
Section 04
Data Safeguards & FTC Compliance
4.1
Taxpayer Data Protection
- EROs must implement and maintain a Written Information Security Plan (WISP) compliant with the FTC Safeguards Rule and IRS Publication 4557 (Safeguarding Taxpayer Data).
- Taxpayer personally identifiable information (PII) and tax return data must be stored, transmitted, and disposed of in accordance with federal data security standards.
- EROs must conduct annual security awareness training for all staff with access to taxpayer data and tax preparation software.
- Any data breach involving taxpayer information must be reported to TaxLogistics and the IRS within 24 hours of discovery.
4.2
IRC Section 7216 Disclosures
- EROs are required to obtain proper IRC Section 7216 taxpayer consent forms before sharing or using tax return information for any non-tax preparation purpose, including bank products, financial services, or marketing purposes.
- Violations of Section 7216 may result in criminal penalties and constitute grounds for immediate termination of this Agreement.
4.3
Confidentiality Obligations
- Both parties agree to maintain strict confidentiality of all proprietary business information, fee structures, software access credentials, client data, and onboarding materials shared under this Agreement.
- These confidentiality obligations survive the termination of this Agreement for a period of three (3) years.
- EROs may not disclose TaxLogistics' fee schedules, software configurations, or bureau operational details to any competing tax service bureau or software provider.
Section 05
Onboarding, Training & Support Scope
5.1
ERO Onboarding Obligations
- EROs must complete all mandatory onboarding steps including bureau enrollment forms, bank product applications (Refundo), EFIN/PTIN verification, and software configuration training provided by TaxLogistics before the start of each tax season.
- Incomplete onboarding by the designated activation deadline may result in delayed software access and is not grounds for a fee refund or credit.
- EROs are responsible for ensuring all preparers in their office complete required training modules before using the tax software or CRM platform.
5.2
Technical Support Scope
- TaxLogistics provides software setup assistance, login troubleshooting, sub-site configuration support, CRM access management, and first-tier software issue escalation to publishers (e.g., OLT Pro.com).
- EROs remain solely responsible for verifying the accuracy, completeness, and compliance of all tax returns prepared and transmitted under their EFIN.
- TaxLogistics does not prepare, review, or file tax returns on behalf of ERO end-clients. Any return preparation errors are the sole responsibility of the ERO.
- Support is provided during business hours (Mon–Fri 8AM–5PM ET) via the TaxLogi CRM support ticketing system, email, and designated communication channels.
Section 06
Termination & Account Suspension
6.1
Grounds for Immediate Suspension or Termination
- EFIN Revocation: The ERO's EFIN is revoked, suspended, or placed under IRS investigation.
- Fraudulent Activity: Fraudulent return activity, identity theft facilitation, or falsified taxpayer information is detected or suspected.
- Banking Partner Breach: Violation of banking partner agreements (Refundo or other authorized bank partners) including unauthorized chargebacks or settlement disputes.
- Non-Payment: Failure to satisfy agreed-upon software licensing fees, bureau fees, or outstanding balances within 10 business days of the due date.
- Material Breach: Any material breach of this Agreement that remains uncured for more than 5 business days after written notice.
6.2
Effect of Termination
- Upon termination, all software access, CRM credentials, sub-site configurations, and transmitter access will be revoked immediately.
- Outstanding bureau fees, software licensing fees, or bank product settlement obligations that accrued prior to termination remain due and payable.
- TaxLogistics is not liable for any business loss, revenue loss, or client impact resulting from a suspension or termination initiated due to ERO non-compliance.
6.3
Amendments to This Agreement
- TaxLogistics reserves the right to amend these terms at any time. Material amendments will be communicated via email to the ERO's registered email address with at least 14 days' advance notice.
- Continued use of TaxLogistics software or services following the effective date of any amendment constitutes acceptance of the revised terms.
- EROs who do not accept a material amendment may terminate this Agreement without penalty within the 14-day notice period by submitting written notice to TaxLogistics.