The Karbon integration connects your Karbon practice-management account to Tallyfor so you can move clients and work into Tallyfor without re-keying data. It covers three areas:
Client Synchronization — import your Karbon organizations into Tallyfor as clients, with the right tax return type detected for you.
Workflow Integration — link Karbon work items to Tallyfor binders and keep Karbon updated automatically as work progresses.
Document Management — every Karbon work item is connected to a Tallyfor binder (the tax file), reachable from Karbon with an Open in Balance link.
Note: The Karbon integration is currently in BETA.
What you'll need before starting
A Tallyfor account with Admin permissions (configuring or removing the connection requires admin access).
The Karbon Integration feature enabled for your firm. If the Karbon page says the feature isn't enabled, contact your administrator or Tallyfor support.
A Karbon account with API access, so you can copy your Access Key.
1. Set up and configure the connection
All configuration happens at app.tallyfor.com/integrations → Karbon. Setup has two parts: copy your Access Key from Karbon, then paste it into Tallyfor.
Step 1: Get your Access Key from Karbon
In Karbon, go to Settings → Connected Apps → API Applications.
Open your API Application and copy the Access Key. It's a long value that starts with
eyJ…Keep this value private — treat it like a password.
Don't see API Applications? Karbon API access may need to be enabled on your account first. Check with your Karbon administrator or Karbon support.
[Screenshot: Karbon → Settings → Connected Apps → API Applications, with the Access Key field highlighted]
Step 2: Open the Karbon integration in Tallyfor
Go to app.tallyfor.com/integrations.
Select Karbon.
Under Connection Settings, click Configure Karbon.
Step 3: Save your credentials
In the Configure Karbon Credentials dialog, paste your key into the Access Key field.
Click Save.
Tallyfor encrypts and stores the key, checks it against Karbon, and automatically registers the workflow webhook (used for Workflow Integration, below).
Connection status and tools
Once saved, the Karbon page shows your connection status and a few controls:
Connected (green) appears when your key is valid.
Test Connection re-checks that Karbon is reachable and reports API reachable.
Connection details list the State, Access, Created, and Updated values.
Update Credentials lets you paste a new key; Delete Credentials disconnects Karbon.
Updating, rotating, or removing your key
Update / rotate: If you rotate your Access Key in Karbon (Settings → Connected Apps → API Applications → Manage → Rotate), the old key stops working immediately. Come back to Tallyfor, click Update Credentials, and paste the new key.
Delete: Delete Credentials disconnects Tallyfor from Karbon, removes your stored key, and unregisters the workflow webhook.
Security: Your Access Key is stored encrypted and is never displayed back in full.
2. Client Synchronization
Client Synchronization imports your Karbon organizations into Tallyfor as clients. Tallyfor inspects each organization's work items to detect the correct tax return type for you.
Importing clients from Karbon
Go to the Clients page and click Import from Karbon. (This option appears once Karbon is configured.)
Tallyfor fetches your Karbon organizations and detects each one's return type. Organizations with a confidently detected type are pre-selected.
Review the list, adjust your selection, and click Import Selected.
Reviewing and adjusting before import
Search by name, and use Select All / Deselect All (or shift-click) to build your selection.
Organizations you've already imported are flagged Already imported so you don't create duplicates.
The Return Type column is editable. Any selected organization without a return type must be set before you can import. Choices: 1065 Partnership, 1120 Corporation, 1120S Corporation, 1040 Schedule C, 1040 Schedule E.
Tallyfor maps Karbon work types to return types as follows:
Karbon Work Type | Tallyfor Return Type |
Tax: 1040 | 1040 Schedule C |
Tax: 1065 | 1065 Partnership |
Tax: 1120 | 1120 Corporation |
Tax: 1120S (S-Corp) | 1120S Corporation |
Batch size: Import up to 50 organizations at a time for best performance (100 maximum). Bring in large client lists across several batches.
Import history and batch management
Each import is recorded as a batch. You can review batches on the Karbon integration page under Import History, and in Settings. Each batch shows the date and number of clients.
Deleting a batch removes every client that was created in that batch, along with their binders. This is permanent and cannot be undone. It's a quick way to clean up a test import or an accidental one.
3. Workflow Integration
Workflow Integration links a Karbon work item to a Tallyfor binder and keeps Karbon updated automatically — so a work item in Karbon and the matching tax file in Tallyfor stay connected without manual exporting.
How it works
When you connect Karbon, Tallyfor automatically registers a webhook for Karbon IntegrationTask events.
In Karbon, add the Tallyfor integration task to a work item or to a work template (for example, your tax-prep template).
When that task runs, Karbon notifies Tallyfor.
Tallyfor then automatically finds or creates the matching client, creates a binder for the work item's tax year and type, writes an Open in Balance link back onto the Karbon task, and sets the task to Ready to start.
Running the same task again won't create a duplicate — a given work item always maps to the same binder.
Note: Automatic binder creation requires the work item's client to be an Organization in Karbon.
Webhooks panel
On the Karbon page, the Webhooks section shows the status of the IntegrationTask subscription:
Registered or Not registered, whether a signing key is present, and the target URL Karbon sends to.
Refresh re-checks the status. Unregister stops Karbon notifications.
The webhook is registered automatically when you connect and unregistered when you delete the connection, so most firms never need to touch this panel.
Integration Tasks panel
The Integration Tasks section is a live log of the tasks Karbon has sent, newest first. Each row shows a Status — Pending, Processing, Completed, or Error — plus the received and processed times.
Expand a row to see the task key, work item, client key, client ID, binder ID, and any error message. Use this to confirm a work item produced a binder, or to diagnose a failure.
4. Document Management
Document Management keeps your Karbon work and your Tallyfor tax files connected.
Each Karbon work item is linked to a single Tallyfor binder — the workpaper set and tax file for that engagement and year.
The Open in Balance button on the Karbon work item opens that exact binder, so your team can jump straight from Karbon to the right file in Tallyfor.
Each binder records where it came from (the Karbon work item and work type) for traceability.
Because the link is one-to-one, you won't end up with duplicate files for the same work item.
Work in Tallyfor as you normally would — import the trial balance, map accounts, build workpapers, and finalize. The Karbon link is the jump-off point between the two systems, so the work item in Karbon always points to the current tax file in Tallyfor.
Permissions and availability
Configuring or deleting the Karbon connection requires Admin access.
The Karbon integration is an advanced feature that must be enabled for your firm. If the Karbon page shows that it requires admin permissions and the feature enabled, contact your administrator or Tallyfor support.
The integration is currently in BETA.
Troubleshooting
"Import from Karbon" isn't showing.
Karbon isn't configured yet, or you don't have permission. Confirm your credentials are saved and that you have access to imported clients.
I can't open the Karbon settings.
Configuration needs Admin rights and the Karbon Integration feature enabled. Ask an admin to enable it.
Connection shows an error, or I get a 401.
The Access Key is incorrect, expired, or was rotated in Karbon. Copy the current Access Key from Karbon (Settings → Connected Apps → API Applications) and use Update Credentials.
The webhook shows "Not registered."
Delete and re-add your credentials to re-trigger registration. If it still doesn't register, contact support.
A Karbon work item didn't create a binder.
Open the Integration Tasks log and look for an Error row. Make sure the work item's client is an Organization and that the Tallyfor integration task is attached to the work item in Karbon.
I imported duplicates.
Re-importing an organization that's already in Tallyfor can create duplicates. Watch for the Already imported flag, and use Import History to delete an unwanted batch.