• While in a return, the normal layout of your screen is a column on the left for navigation (including a search box), plus a main work area with either a menu or with fields for entering information. In addition, the taxpayer’s name shows in the upper right after Basic Information has been entered; this is important because a pull-down menu displays when you click on the taxpayer’s name, as discussed below. (See Pub 4012 page D-6 for an illustration; the taxpayer’s name is “Sample Taxpayer”.) 
  • On a menu page – such as Income, in the Federal Section – you can click anywhere on a line to select the action (“Begin” or “Edit”) for that line; you don’t need to directly click the “Begin” or “Edit” button.

Left Navigation Bar

Note: The left navigation bar is hidden if your screen or browser window is too narrow. In such cases, you can force it to appear by clicking the double right-arrows in the upper left of the browser window. 

  • Most of the items on the navigation bar are self-explanatory. Some brief notes:
    • “Enter the Form Number” is discussed in the section Getting to a Specific Page to Enter Information, page 6; note that text (like “INT” can also be entered).
    • The “E-file” section is the final section to be worked. It must be done for every return, even if that return will be paper filed. It is where bank account information is entered, and taxpayer demographic information is collected.
    • Summary/Print opens the Calculation Summary (Form 1040) page. The dollar amounts here are links; clicking on a dollar amount opens the specific TaxSlayer page where information can be entered or edited.
      • Tip: The Calculation Summary page, when initially opened, compresses the left navigation bar to a thin strip with only icons showing. Hovering the mouse over the visible icons automatically widens the navigation bar. 
      • Tip: Click the Summary View icon (green) to see an expandable view of the tax return, with links that similarly go to specific TaxSlayer pages. This may be easier than navigating Form 1040 and its schedules.
    • When clicked, three items on the left navigation bar - Basic Information, Federal Section, and Summary/Print –will show subsections; this can be a faster way to get to those subsections.
  • After information has been entered in a data entry page, a related item appears in the left navigation bar when it is fully expanded vertically. For example, entering a 1099-R in TaxSlayer causes “Retirement Income” to appear in the Income section of the left navigation bar. 
  • Warning: if you’re on a page where you’ve entered information, don’t click a left navigation link after you’ve finished entering data. Instead, click “Continue” to save what you’ve entered, then (from the menu page that you are now on) click to go elsewhere.

Taxpayer Name Drop-Down List

Clicking on the taxpayer’s name, or the downward-pointing symbol to its right, displays a drop-down list, which TaxSlayer calls Tools. [The taxpayer’s name will show only after all Basic Information has been entered.]

  • Clicking on “Your Office” exits the return, taking you to the screen where you can start a new return, or do a client search to find an existing return.
  • “Si hablo Espanol?”, when clicked, shows a pop-up window. If you select “Espanol”, TaxSlayer pages will be in Spanish, not English; similarly, tax forms will print in Spanish. 
    • This is a toggle – to return to English, click on this option, then, in the pop-up window, select “English.” 
    • If you select this option, then on the Personal Information page, you should also check the box “Taxpayer prefers to receive written communications from the IRS in a language other than English.” 
  • Clicking on “Notes” opens a pop-up where notes can be added, and existing notes can be seen. See the Notes section, page 8.
  • “Helpful Tools”, a pop-up window, has only three useful links:
  1. “IRS Publications” opens a new browser window with the IRS page to search for publications, instructions, and forms.
  2. “Prior Year Comparison” compares the current tax year return to any prior year tax return which has been done at the same site, or a 3-yr comparison--though it may not be a complete line-by-line match.
    • Note: This is also available from the Calculation Summary (Summary/Print) page.
  1. “Print or View Your Return” is a shortcut to display the PDF for the return. It is essentially the equivalent of clicking “Summary/Print” in the left navigation bar.
    • Note: Don’t use the “User Manual” link – it isn’t tailored for Tax-Aide, and isn’t updated. Use Pub 4012.
  • “Quick File” (not recommended) builds a list of pages that TaxSlayer sequentially displays for entering information.  At most Tax-Aide sites, many tax returns involve Carryforward from the prior year; thus, using Quick File is not useful, and this manual doesn’t discuss it.

Getting to a Specific Page to Enter Information 

  • In the Federal Section, a specific TaxSlayer page can be reached in three ways:
    • (1) Click on a specific section along the left navigation bar (such as, in the Federal Section, select “Deductions”). Then drill down as needed – for example, selecting “Credits Menu”, then “Child Care Credit (Form 2441)” takes you to F2441 - Child Care Credit - Page 1.
      • If information has already been entered for a type of income, expense, or credit, an individual item will appear in the left menu. 
      • Note: If you see the “Guide Me” option, have your LC correct the preparer setup for your username.
    • (2) In the left navigation bar, use the search box “Enter the Form Number.” Often, you’ll only need to enter a few characters.
      • You aren’t limited to just form numbers – for example, typing “SSA” (or “ssa”; capitalization is irrelevant) generates a list of five links, four leading to the Social Security SSA-1099 page.
      • Note: In this manual, the suggested text to be entered in the search box, to get to a specific page, is shown by the underlined text within the bolded name of a TaxSlayer page.
      • A few pages in the Federal Section are not reachable from the search box – the only way to get to them is via the menu structure. When that is the case, this manual says so.
      • Pub 4012 starting on page O-10 has a multi-page list of forms and topics for navigating TaxSlayer, showing the search keyword for each.
    • (3) Click “Summary/Print” in the left navigation bar, which displays Form 1040; then click any blue dollar figure (such as on Line 1, “Wages, salaries, tips, etc.”) to go to the related TaxSlayer page (in this example, that would be the W-2 page).
  • In the State Section, the only way to navigate is by the menu system (click the edit icon to start editing or reviewing information entered in this section).

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