The main AI tool built to automate data entry into Drake Desktop is SmartWiz. Because Drake Desktop is installed software, SmartWiz works with it through the SmartWiz desktop app on Windows rather than the browser. Wizzy reads client documents, builds the client profile, and enters the data directly into the return in Drake Desktop while you review every figure before filing.
Onboarding is white-glove: the SmartWiz team sets up Drake Desktop and the desktop app together with your office and makes sure your first returns run clean. Drake Desktop offices have 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. You can also import from Drake Documents. 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 SmartWiz works with Drake Desktop
The workflow:
- Download and install the SmartWiz desktop app from smartwiz.ai/download on the Windows workstation where Drake Desktop runs.
- Complete onboarding with the SmartWiz team so Drake Desktop and the desktop app are configured together.
- Client documents arrive as they do today: uploads, photos, scans, or organizers. JotForm, Cognito Forms, and GoHighLevel connect for intake on the browser side.
- Wizzy processes documents and builds the client profile, typically 3–5 minutes depending on document count.
- With Drake Desktop and the SmartWiz desktop app running, open the client's return and run One-Click Return. Wizzy enters the data into the return.
- Review against source documents, finish, and file in Drake Desktop. Wizzy does not e-file.
Forms Wizzy enters in Drake Desktop
- Main Information
- Personal Information
- ID Document
- Dependent Information
- W-2 Wage and Tax Statement
- W-2G Certain Gambling Winnings
- 1099-INT Interest Income
- 1099-DIV Dividends and Distributions
- 1099-R Distributions From Pensions
- 1099-NEC Nonemployee Compensation
- 1099-MISC Miscellaneous Income
- 1099-G Certain Government Payments
- 1098 Mortgage Interest Statement
- 1098-E Student Loan Interest
- 1099-SA HSA/MSA Distributions
- 1095-A Health Insurance Marketplace Statement
- Form 2441 Child and Dependent Care
Returns run in parallel, and the same credit rules apply as elsewhere in SmartWiz: re-running the same return is free, a forgotten document can be added and exported alone, and only a separate tax year uses another credit.
FAQ
How is this different from the browser version of SmartWiz?
Same Wizzy document processing and review mindset. Delivery differs: browser software uses the SmartWiz browser experience; Drake Desktop uses the Windows desktop app because installed software is not reachable from a browser.
Where do I get the SmartWiz desktop app?
Download the Windows installer at smartwiz.ai/download. The SmartWiz team walks you through running it alongside Drake Desktop during onboarding.
Which returns does it handle?
Individual 1040 federal and state returns, covering the Drake Desktop form list above. See the supported forms page for the full picture across every software Wizzy runs in.
Is my 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.
We also use Drake Online for some preparers. Does that work too?
Yes. Drake Online is supported in the browser. See the Drake Online guide.
What does it cost?
Pay as you go: a 20% deposit reserves your plan, then you pay based on actual usage through weekly invoices to your card or through bank products. It is not a payment plan or financing. Details at smartwiz.ai/pricing.
See it on your own returns: book a demo at smartwiz.ai/demo.