Yes. AI can handle the data entry for a homeowner's return in Drake Desktop. SmartWiz's assistant, Wizzy, reads the client's W-2 and their 1098 mortgage interest statement, enters the data into the return in Drake Desktop through the SmartWiz desktop app, and the preparer reviews every figure against the source documents before filing. The video below shows the full return: W-2, 1098, and the due diligence checklist, start to finish.
The homeowner with a W-2 and a mortgage is bread-and-butter work in any tax office, which is exactly why the keying adds up. It is not one hard return; it is forty easy ones in a week, each with a W-2 to enter, a 1098 to enter, and the standard-versus-itemized picture to evaluate. Drake Desktop offices have also historically been left out of automation entirely, because installed software cannot be reached by browser tools. The SmartWiz desktop app is built for exactly that gap.
How SmartWiz works
Upload a client's documents into SmartWiz however you have them: one combined PDF or a stack of separate files (PDFs, photos, scans, Excel, or CSV). SmartWiz also takes your intake forms and client organizers, plus data from your favorite intake tools like Jotform, Cognito Forms, and GoHighLevel. Wizzy reads every page, splits a combined PDF into individual documents while keeping the original together, and sorts and renames each one by taxpayer, form type, issuer, and tax year. It reads source documents like W-2s, 1099s, and K-1s, as well as Schedule C and Schedule E intake forms, and builds a client profile you review and edit before export. Before export, Wizzy flags things you may want to fix, like a W-2 address that differs from the driver's license, so you pick the right one. For returning clients whose info is carried forward, Wizzy never overwrites existing data—it only adds the new information. Then One-Click Return exports it into Drake in about 3–5 minutes, where you review side by side and file.
How this return runs in Drake Desktop with Wizzy
- Collect the client's documents as usual: the W-2, the 1098, and anything else, as PDFs, photos, or scans.
- Wizzy processes the documents and builds the client profile, about 3–5 minutes.
- With Drake Desktop and the SmartWiz desktop app running, open the return and run One-Click Return. Wizzy enters the wage and mortgage interest data into the return.
- Review against the source documents. The mortgage interest, points, and property figures from the 1098 sit next to the form for verification, and anything Wizzy was not confident about is flagged first.
- Complete the due diligence checklist, evaluate itemizing versus the standard deduction as you normally would, finish the return, and file it in Drake yourself. Wizzy does not e-file and does not make the deduction call; that judgment is yours.
The desktop app installs from smartwiz.ai/download and runs on Windows alongside Drake Desktop. Your Drake installation and configuration stay exactly as they are.
FAQ
Does Wizzy decide whether the client should itemize?
No. Wizzy enters what the documents show, including the 1098 figures. Whether itemizing beats the standard deduction is the preparer's evaluation, made with the data already entered instead of after twenty minutes of keying.
Does this need a browser or a Chrome extension?
No. Drake Desktop is installed software, so SmartWiz works with it through the SmartWiz desktop app rather than the browser. Same Wizzy, same review workflow, different delivery.
What else can come in with the W-2 and 1098?
Anything on the supported forms list: 1099s, 1098-E student loan interest, 1098-T tuition, charitable contributions for Schedule A, and more, all processed together into the same return.
Does Wizzy answer the due diligence questions?
The export fills due diligence information from the client profile, and you review and confirm it before filing.
Is client data safe?
Yes. SmartWiz is audited to SOC 2 Type I, client data is encrypted in transit and at rest, and SmartWiz does not train AI models on your client data. Details at smartwiz.ai/security.
Does this work in Drake Online too?
Yes. Drake Online runs in the browser and is fully supported. SmartWiz is an AI assistant that automates tax return data entry inside professional tax software, including TaxSlayer Pro Web, Drake Online, Drake Desktop, and OLT Pro.
Does processing use a credit every time?
One credit unlocks a client. Re-running that client is free, and adding a forgotten document does not use another credit. Only a separate tax year uses another credit.
See it on your own homeowner clients: book a demo at smartwiz.ai/demo.