Three ways to create your signature

Draw it with a finger on a phone or tablet, a stylus, or the mouse. Faster strokes come out thinner, like a real pen.
Type it, and pick one of three handwriting styles. Quick and always legible.
Upload it: sign a sheet of white paper, take a photo or scan it, and upload it. The paper is made transparent so only the ink sits on the document.

Documents bookkeepers sign every week

Engagement letters with new clients, and the client's counter-signature on the same file.
Form W-9 requested by customers, and vendor W-9s you collect before filing 1099s.
Authorization forms: IRS Form 8821 or 2848, state tax POAs, payroll and bank authorizations. Check whether the agency accepts electronic signatures for that form before sending.
Invoices, receipts and expense reports that need an approval signature.

Before you send it back

Read the whole document, including pages you didn't need to sign.
Date it correctly: the Date button uses today's date in MM/DD/YYYY format; select it to change it.
Keep a copy of what you signed, filed with the client or vendor.
Several documents? Sign each one, then combine them with Merge PDF if the recipient wants a single file.

Frequently asked questions

Is an electronic signature legally valid?

In the United States, the federal ESIGN Act and the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA), adopted by nearly every state, give electronic signatures the same legal effect as handwritten ones for most business documents, provided everyone agreed to sign electronically. Some documents are excluded, such as wills and certain court and family law papers. When in doubt, ask the person who sent you the document or your attorney.

Is my document uploaded?

No. The PDF is displayed and signed in your browser, and the signed copy is created on your device. Nothing is sent to BookkeepKit or anyone else.

Is my signature saved?

Only if you choose to: with Remember my signature ticked, it's kept in this browser so you don't have to draw it again. Untick it to forget it. It's never sent to us.

Can I add initials to every page?

Yes. Place your initials once, select them, and choose Add to every page. Each copy can then be moved on its own page.

Can someone remove my signature from the signed PDF?

The signature is drawn into the page itself, not added as a separate layer or form field, so it can't be dragged off or edited in a PDF reader.

Is this the same as a digital signature with a certificate?

No. This adds your handwritten-style signature to the document, which is what most contracts, forms and letters ask for. Certificate-based digital signatures (used by some government and banking forms) prove who signed through a security certificate. If the PDF already has one, adding anything to it makes that signature show as invalid, and the tool warns you.

Can I fill in form fields?

Add text anywhere with the Text, Date and Name buttons, sized to fit the form's blanks. Text and checkmarks are written into the page, like your signature.