I have both local and virtual clients I do bookkeeping for. One of my virtual clients sends me invoices, copies of checks, statements via fax or priority mail. A lot of the information I am able to access online through their accounts; such as banks and vendors. Most clients are not going to give you access to their accounts if you are just starting with them, but once you have gained their trust this may be a possibility for you. My other virtual client sends everything through fax and occasionally via email.

One has QuickBooks online and the other I access her QuickBooks 2008 via GoToMyPC. So far it works good and I have no complaints. It really depends on your preference and the client's preference. Some don't want to have the added expense of faxing all the time. Another option would be for them to scan and email the documents. For my one client that mainly faxes, I got an efax number that is local to her and it comes right to my email. I use the expense as a write-off for the business because I use it for other things too, but if you are using it exclusively for one client you may want to consider charging the cost back to them.

I hope this helps!