Processing a Return

Before a return is delivered to the taxpayer, it must be uploaded and processed. We recommend that you double-check that the client information, overpayment and applied amounts, and voucher amounts are correct before delivery. The steps below outline how to upload, process, edit and deliver a return.

Uploading a Return

Uploading Returns

Note:

For CCH® Axcess and ProSystem fx®, you can upload up to 30 returns at once. For GoSystem Tax RS®, Lacerte®, and UltraTax CS® each return must be uploaded individually alongside separate PDF copies of any K-1 packages.

To manually upload a return PDF(s), follow the steps outlined below. If you are using integration to upload returns, please see the following articles: 

UltraTax CS Integration

GoSystem Integration 

  1. Click Send Tax Returns.
  2. Click on the corresponding tax software button.
  3. Drag the Client Copy to Drag files here or click to upload
  4. Verify or enter Client ID.
  5. View the Upload Progress bar; turns green when the upload is complete. 
  6. Click Submit. 

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Begin Processing

Newly uploaded returns appear in the Tax Returns In-Process dashboard. The return will move from a UPLOADED status to a READY status. See Tax Returns In-Process Statuses for more information. 

Please note:

The ERO will automatically populate based on the assigned user's default ERO or the matching PTIN once the return is opened. 

  1. Locate the return to be opened. 
  2. Click the purple rocket ship icon in the Action menu to open the return. 

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General Navigation Information

During processing, there are several tabs that you can navigate to by clicking them. The navigation features of these tabs are outlined below. 

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Move and Zoom

  1. Adjust the zoom level using the Adjust Zoom drop-down list or +/- icons.
  2. Navigate through the pages of that tab by using the arrow icons or text box
  3. Click Move To to move the selected page to a different tab. 

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Scroll Bars

  1. Scroll through the bookmark panel.
  2. Scroll down through page that is currently displayed.

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Additional Options

  1. Click Previous to navigate to the previous tab.
  2. Click Next to navigate to the next tab.
  3. Click Save & Close to save any changes that have been made to the return and close it. 
  4. Click Finish to view delivery options.

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Client Info

The Client Info tab displays the first page of the federal return, refunds, vouchers, and client information. The client's email address (required) and mobile number (optional) can be added here. All other information in the right panel is automatically filled or not required for delivery. 

  1. Click the page name under Client Details to view that page of the return and open the editing panel on the right (E). 
  2. Click the taxing authority under Refunds & Payments Due to view that page of the return and open the editing panel on the right (F). 
  3. Click the Add Refund button to manually add a refund amount to the return. 
  4. Click the taxing authority under OverPayments to view that page of the return and open the editing panel on the right (F). 
  5. Click Return Information to open the editing panel for this information. 
  6. Click Company to open the editing panel for this information (entity returns only). 
  7. Click Taxpayer to open the editing panel for this information (1040 returns only).
  8. Click Spouse to open the editing panel for this information (married filing jointly 1040 returns only). 
  9. Click Refunds & Payments Due to open the editing panel for this information. Note: Click the taxing authority in the left panel to open the editing panel for a specific refund/payment. 

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Return Information

  1. Type into the Client ID field to edit it.
  2. Click the drop-down to edit the ERO / Signer assigned to the return. 
  3. Engagement Type cannot be edited; this information is automatically recognized.
  4. Tax Year cannot be edited; this information is automatically recognized.
  5. Office Location can be changed if additional options exist for your user profile. 
  6. Click the Married Filing Joint box to add/remove a spouse from the return (1040 returns only).  Processing 2.png

Client Details

Company

  1. Type into the Name field to edit the company name. 
  2. Type into the EIN field to edit it. 
  3. Type into the Mobile field to add or edit a mobile number. See Enabling Multi-Factor Authentication for Taxpayers for more information. 
  4. Type into the Email field to add or edit the email address for the return recipient (required). 

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Taxpayer and Spouse

The Taxpayer and Spouse information panels are identical. One contains the taxpayer's information and the other contains the spouse's information. 

  1. Type into the Name field to edit the taxpayer or spouse name. 
  2. Type into the SSN field to edit it. 
  3. Type into the Address field to edit it. 
  4. Type into the City field to edit it.
  5. Click the State drop-down to edit it.
  6. Type into the Zip field to edit it. 
  7. Click the DOB field to edit it or leave it blank; the taxpayer can enter their DOB. 
  8. Type into the Mobile field to add or edit a mobile number. See Enabling Multi-Factor Authentication for Taxpayers for more information. 
  9. Type into the Email field to add or edit the email address for the return recipient (required). 
  10. Click the Deceased checkbox to mark the spouse or taxpayer as deceased. See Deceased Taxpayer Option for more information.  PR10.png

Added Refunds

  1. Click the green and white Add Refund button to manually add a refund amount. 
  2. Click the Authority drop-down to select a taxing authority for the refund. 
  3. Type into the Overpayment field to add an overpayment amount. 
  4. Type into the Applied field to add an applied amount. 
  5. The Refund is automatically calculated by subtracting the applied amount from the overpayment amount. 
  6. Click Add to save the refund. 

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Payments Due

Vouchers can be changed into refund amounts in the Client Info tab. For additional voucher editing options, see the Vouchers section below. 

Please note:

Only payment vouchers appear in the Client Info tab. Estimated vouchers appear in the Transmittals and Vouchers tabs.

  1. Click the Authority name next to the amount due to be edited. 
  2. Click the Authority drop-down to change the taxing for that amount due. 
  3. Click the Refund radio button to change the Payment Due into a refund. 
  4. Type into the Amount field to edit the amount due. 
  5. Click Update to save any changes made. 

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Refunds

  1. Click the Authority name next to the refund to be edited. 
  2. Click the Authority drop-down to change the taxing for that refund. 
  3. Click the Payment Due radio button to change the Refund into an amount due. 
  4. Type into the Overpayment field to edit that amount. 
  5. Type into the Applied field to edit that amount. 
  6. The Refund is automatically calculated by subtracting the applied amount from the overpayment amount. 
  7. Click Update to save any changes made. 

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Group Tab

The group tab displays all pages included in the return and can be used to move, delete, and restore pages. 

Move Individual Pages

  1. Click a section in the left panel to locate pages to be moved. 
  2. Click the checkbox in the top right corner of the page(s). 
  3. Click Move To. 
  4. Click the appropriate section.

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Move Groups of Pages

  1. Click a section in the left panel to locate pages to be moved. 
  2. Click Select All.  
  3. Click Move To. 
  4. Click the appropriate section.

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Restore Pages

  1. Navigate to the Deleted section in the left-hand panel. 
  2. Click Select All or choose specific pages. 
  3. Click Move To. 
  4. Click the appropriate section.

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Important

If SafeSend Returns fails to properly categorize a page of the return, please report a problem from within the return to notify our support team for assistance. This will also provide them with the needed information regarding the return.  

Transmittals

The Transmittals tab displays all transmittal letters and filing instructions included in the return, as well as all vouchers due. Transmittals are displayed in the center so they can be compared to the amounts due listed in the left panel. 

  1. Click a Transmittal bookmark to display that page of the PDF. 
  2. Click the green and white Add Multiple Voucher button to add vouchers. See Adding Voucher Payments Manually for more information. 
  3. Click the Taxing Authority for a voucher to open the editing panel on the right. See the Vouchers section below for information about editing options. 
  4. Select an ERO stamp to apply to the return. 
  5. Drag/drop an ERO stamp onto the selected page. 

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Tax Returns

The Tax Returns tab displays all pages in the return that were not recognized as Transmittals, E-file forms, Vouchers, or K-1s. 

  1. Click a Tax Returns bookmark to display that page of the PDF. 
  2. Click the orange Move To button to move the selected page to a different section. 
  3. Select an ERO stamp to apply to the return. 
  4. Drag/drop an ERO stamp onto the selected page. 
  5. Select or deselect the Do not add watermark to this page checkbox to add/remove a watermark from the selected page.

Please note:

Option E is only available if the Watermark feature is enabled in the Delivery Options tab. 

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E-File

The E-File tab displays all pages in the return that were recognized as e-file forms that require a signature. 

  1. Click an E-File Forms bookmark to display that page of the PDF. 
  2. Click the Edit Authority button to change the taxing authority associated with that form. 
  3. Click the Signer drop-down to select the taxpayer or spouse (only available for 1040 returns). Signature blocks associated with that signer are highlighted in yellow. 
  4. Drag/drop a Signature Block onto the selected page. The block will be assigned to the selected taxpayer. 
  5. Select an ERO stamp to apply to the return. 
  6. Drag/drop an ERO stamp onto the selected page. 
  7. Select or deselect the Do not insert dates on the E-file forms checkbox to add/remove Date signature blocks from all the forms in the tab. 

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Paper File

The Paper File tab is used to manually add paper file returns for the taxpayer.

Please note:

This tab will only appear if the Paper File Returns setting is enabled by an Administrator under Settings > General. 

  1. Click the green and white Add Paper File button. 
  2. Drag the Paper File PDF to Drag files here or click to upload
  3. Type into the Form Name field to edit it. 
  4. View the Upload Progress bar; turns green when the upload is complete. 
  5. Select a taxing authority from the Authority drop-down menu. 
  6. Type a mailing address into the Mailing Address field. 
  7. Click Submit
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After upload, additional editing options appear. 

  1. Select an ERO stamp to apply to the return. 
  2. Drag/drop an ERO stamp onto the selected page. 
  3. Type into the Form Name box to edit it. 
  4. Click the Authority drop-down to select a different taxing authority. 
  5. Type into the Mailing Address field to edit it. 
  6. Click the red x icon to delete the uploaded paper file return. 

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Additional E-Sign Documents

The Additional E-Sign Documents tab is used to manually add e-file forms that were not included in the original return PDF. This tab functions the same way as the E-File tab after documents are uploaded. 

  1.  Click the green and white Add Document button. 
  2. Drag the Paper File PDF to Drag files here or click to upload
  3. View the Upload Progress bar; turns green when the upload is complete. 
  4. Select a document type from the Document Type drop-down menu. 
  5. Click Submit

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After upload, additional editing options appear. 

  1. Click the Modify Added Document button to edit the document type. 
  2. Select a Document Type from the drop-down. 
  3. Click Save to save any edits made. 
  4. Add signature blocks as outlined in the E-File section above.

Important

Signature blocks are not automatically added to additional e-sign documents. They must be added manually.

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Vouchers

The Vouchers tab displays all pages in the return that were recognized as payment or estimated vouchers. 

  1. Click Add Multiple Vouchers to add vouchers to the return. See Adding Voucher Payments Manually for more information. 
  2. Click Remove all $0 vouchers to delete all $0 vouchers from the return. 
  3. Click the Taxing Authority in the left panel to display the voucher PDF and open the editing panel for that voucher in the right panel. 
  4. View or edit Voucher Details.

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Editing Options

  1. Click the Taxing Authority in the left panel to open the editing panel for that voucher in the right panel. 
  2. Click the Authority drop-down to change the taxing authority for the voucher. 
  3. Click the Payment Type drop-down to change the payment type for that voucher. 
  4. Click the Select Due date from drop-down to choose how the due date is determined. See the Voucher Due Date Policy article for more information about due dates. 
  5. Click the DueDate field to edit the voucher due date. 
  6. Type into the Voucher Amount field to edit the amount due. 
  7. Type into the Form Name field to edit the voucher form name. 
  8. Click the Select drop-down to designate the payment method for the voucher. 
    • Select: Taxpayers will have the option to pay online or download the voucher to pay by check or money order. 
    • DO NOT PAY: Scheduled for automatic withdrawal: Taxpayers will not have a payment option. 
    • Online Payment Required: Taxpayers will have the option to pay online but will not have a manual payment option. 
    • Add Custom: The taxpayer will not have a payment option. The processor can add custom instructions/notes to the voucher. 
  9. Click Update to save any changes made. 

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K-1s

The K-1s tab displays all pages in the return that were recognized as K-1s. The K-1 packages are separated and displayed in the left panel. 

  1. Click the K-1 Recipient Name in the left panel to open the editing panel for that package in the right panel. 
  2. Click the green and white Add K-1 Attachments button to add attachments to one or more K-1s. See Attachments on K-1s for more information. 
  3. Click the Replace button to upload a custom instruction sheet for the K-1 recipients. 
  4. Type into the Name field to edit it. 
  5. Click the Partner Type drop-down to change or select the partner type.
  6. Type into the SSN/EIN field to edit it. 
  7. Type into the Mobile field to add or update the K-1 recipient's mobile number. 
  8. Type into the Email Address field to add or update the K-1 recipient's email address. 
  9. Type into the Partner's Address field to add or update the K-1 recipient's address. 
  10. Click the Year End field to update the client year-end for that K-1 package. 
  11. Toggle Mask SSN/EIN on to mask SSN/EINs on shareholder documents. 

Invoices

The Invoices tab displays any pages that were recognized as invoices. Users can also add or replace invoices here.

Please note:

This tab will only appear if the Invoices setting is enabled by an Administrator under Settings > Vouchers & Invoices.

  1. The bookmark name is displayed in the left panel. 
  2. Type into the Invoice Amount box to add or edit the total amount due.
    • Note: This step is required. The amount is not automatically recognized. 
  3. Select or deselect Do not send an invoice with this return to include or suppress the invoice.
  4. Click Require taxpayer to pay invoice with this return to force the taxpayer to pay their invoice before they sign. See Stripe Integration for Client Invoicing for more information. 
  5. Click Replace Invoice to add an invoice or to replace the existing one. 
  6. Select an ERO stamp to apply to the return. 
  7. Drag/drop an ERO stamp onto the selected page. 

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Replace Invoice 

Add an invoice if none exists, or replace the existing one. 

  1. Click Replace invoice
  2. Drag the Invoice PDF to Drag files here or click to upload
  3. Type into the Bookmark Name field. 
  4. Type the amount due into the Amount Due field. 
  5. Click Save to save the changes. 

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Attachments

The Attachments tab is used to manually add forms that were not included in the original return PDF. 

  1. Drag the file(s) to Drag files here or click to upload
  2. View file information including file type, document name, file size, upload date, and uploader. 
  3. Click View Instruction to view, add or edit document instructions for the taxpayer. 
  4. Click the Download icon to download the file. 
  5. Click the red x icon to Delete the file. 

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Add Instructions 

  1. Drag the file(s) to Drag files here or click to upload
  2. Click View Instruction to view, add or edit document instructions for the taxpayer. 
  3. Click the Saved Message drop-down to select a pre-made template to apply. See the Saved Messages section of the Settings Menu article for more information. 
  4. Click the editing tools provided to use them. 
  5. Type into the message box to add or edit the message to the taxpayer. 
  6. Click the Show Variables list to show all available variables that can be placed into the body to automatically fill with the listed information. See the Saved Messages section of the Settings Menu article for more information. 
  7. Click Save to save the changes. 

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Delivery Options

The Delivery Options tab is used to review and edit the default settings for the return. Review our Delivery Options article for more details. 

Finish Options

The Finish button allows the user to send the return to another internal user for review, or deliver the return to the client. 

Internal Routing

Send for Review

  1. Click Finish
  2. Click Send for Review to assign the review to another user. 
  3. Click the Select drop-down to choose a user to assign the return to. 
  4. Click Send to send the return to the selected user. 

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Approve for Delivery 

  1. Click Finish
  2. Click Approve for Delivery to change the status of the return to Approved for Delivery.
  3. Click the Select drop-down to choose a user to assign the return to. 
  4. Click Send to send the return to the selected user. 

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Delivery 

Deliver to Client

  1. Click Finish
  2. Click Deliver to Client to deliver the return to the taxpayer. 
  3. Select the Taxpayer or Spouse radio button to determine which will receive the return first (for joint 1040 returns only). 
  4. Click Send to deliver the return. 

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Download PDF

  1. Click Finish
  2. Click Download PDF to deliver a PDF copy of the return to your Delivered Returns section (only available if the setting is enabled). See Finish Option - Download PDF for more information. 
  3. Select Download Multiple PDF files to separate the PDF download into individual files OR
  4. Select Download Single PDF file to download all of the sections prepared by SafeSend into one document.
  5. Check Notify me by Email when the file(s) are available for Download to receive an email when the client has downloaded the return.
  6. Click Prepare PDF File(s) For Printing to start the download process.

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