• On Main Menu page, go to the “Start New Tax Return” line and click “Select.” 
  • Screenshots and other information about starting a return begin on Pub 4012 page B-11.

Taxpayer Profile 

  • If a taxpayer profile other than “Basic (no Profile)” is selected, TaxSlayer will, after the Basic Information section has been completed, sequentially open each TaxSlayer page in that profile, in the sequence listed in the profile, for you to enter information.  Your LC can change your taxpayer profile back to “Basic”.
  • Many tax returns involve Carryforward from the prior year; in such cases, a taxpayer profile is not useful. For that reason, and because the related TaxSlayer function, Quick File, has not been fully developed, this manual omits any further discussion of the taxpayer profile functionality. 

Social Security Number 

  • If the return is for a married couple, one of whom is deceased, the Social Security number of the surviving spouse should be placed first on the tax return, as the primary taxpayer, regardless of whether that person was listed first on a prior year return. But:
    • Note: If Carryforward data is available from the prior year, and the deceased taxpayer was the primary taxpayer in that prior year, consider entering the SSN of the deceased taxpayer when starting a return, and then changing the information on the Filing Status page so that the surviving taxpayer is listed first. This option is desirable when the joint return has a lot of Carryforward data that otherwise would be lost.
      • If you choose this option, you must change names and Social Security numbers on the Personal Information page: the survivor becomes the primary taxpayer (is listed first) and the deceased person is listed as the spouse. 
      • For this option, you also need to switch identification on various pages (“Whose W-2 is this?”; “Recipient” for 1099-Rs, and so on), as you enter dollar information. (If you’re unable to switch identification, then delete the page and create it again with the correct taxpayer name.)
    1. Last year’s prepared and filed return, unless self-prepared.
    2. Social Security card (a copy or photo is acceptable)
      • Note: The Social Security Administration (SSA) may issue a card with the notation “VALID FOR WORK ONLY WITH DHS AUTHORIZATION” – this is a valid Social Security number.
    3. Social Security Benefit Statement, Form SSA-1099 or RRB-1099
      • Note: SSA documents which show only a partial (truncated) SSN (such as ***-**-1234) are acceptable for Social Security number verification if the number is consistent with other taxpayer documents, at least one of which must show the full SSN, and the taxpayer presents acceptable photo identification. 
    4. A letter from the SSA showing name and Social Security number, or other documents from the SSA.
    5. An IRS letter or card assigning an ITIN.
  • For privacy reasons, don’t ask a taxpayer to state their SSN aloud or say it aloud yourself.
  • If a tax form, such as a W-2, has an incorrect SSN, the return cannot be e-filed.
    • Rather than paper file, the taxpayer may, as an alternative, contact the payer to get a corrected tax form and then return to the site with that corrected form. If the taxpayer wants to do this, complete the return as far as possible, then mark it with a note and a return tag indicating that more information (the corrected form) is needed.
  • If the taxpayer has a nine-digit number beginning with 9 and a fourth digit of 7 or 8, this is an ITIN , not a SSN. [See the section Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN), page 141.]
    • The taxpayer should bring the IRS letter which assigned their ITIN.
      • If a tax form has an incorrect ITIN, the return cannot be e-filed. However, if a tax form has a (bogus) SSN, this does not affect the ability to e-file the return.
      • TaxSlayer assigns a non-duplicative SSN for such returns for your site, starting with 000-00-0001, and incrementing by 1.
    • The return must be paper filed. (After the Basic Information section is completed, create a note (page 8) saying that, and include the reason.)
    • See instructions in the section Paper Returns that Include a Form W-7, page 130.

Carryforward Information from the Prior Year Return  

  • If TaxSlayer finds the previous-year tax return for the SSN that you entered, and Carryforward is possible to the current return, it displays a Pull Data to Current Return page.
    • Carryforward is possible in two situations:

      • The previous return was done at the site where the tax return is being done.
      • The previous return was done at a Tax-Aide, other TCE, or VITA site, and the taxpayer agreed to the first consent, which authorizes Carryforward to any Tax-Aide/TCE/VITA site.
    • Before clicking “Continue” to accept the default of carrying forward all prior year data:
      • Compare the current year tax documents provided by the taxpayer against what is listed on the TaxSlayer page, to identify missing documents for the current year.
      • Uncheck the “Pull Item?” box for any document, such as a 1099-R or 1099-INT, where the taxpayer is certain there was no withdrawal, or the account was closed, or other reasons why there is no current year document.
        • Warning: If the prior year return was MFJ, but the current year return is not (most commonly because the spouse died during the prior year), make sure all Carryforward items for the person no longer on the return are removed before telling TaxSlayer to continue. Else, the only way to remove an erroneous spousal Carryforward item, such as a 1099-R, is to add the spouse back to the return, delete the item, then delete the spouse.
        • Otherwise, when in doubt, leave a document in.  The taxpayer may be mistaken and the paper document may turn up.
      • Likewise, review dependents.  When in doubt, leave dependents in.  They are easy to remove later, but difficult to add (e.g., taxpayer may not have brought dependent Social Security cards); re-entering dependent information incorrectly can easily cause an e-file reject.
      • Similarly, review the Carryforward notes – delete those that are not relevant to the current or a future return.
        • When in doubt, leave the note, but edit it to make clear that it is from a prior year. (Deleting a note from the current return does not remove it from the prior return.)

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