User Settings Options for TaxWise Online



The information that follows in this instruction is similar to that of IRS Publication 3189, but tailored for our use. You should also refer to the Users Guide that is available on the TWO Home Page or on your TWO CD as well for additional discussion on setting up and operating with TaxWise Online.

User Settings.

While logged in as Administrator, select the User Settings icon on the taskbar.

The User Settings screen displays a listing of several options for your use. You will find that the first two entries, Tax Preparer and ERO do not need to be filled out for Tax-Aide use. However the third entry, Display, may be useful if you wish to change the color scheme.

High Contrast Color Scheme. You may find it desirable to change from the default color scheme to one with higher contrast. It is easy to try this out since one can always switch back if desired.

Click on the Display entry to reveal the Display Settings screen. In the case below we have already checked the box for using the high contrast color scheme.

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The next screenshot illustrates what your display will look like using the high contrast color scheme. You may ignore the yellow border since it displays only while in the template mode. Note how the required fields show up more clearly in this mode when compared to the standard mode.

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Custom Fields (for Preparer Use).

You may skip the Custom Field setup if you wish, since Tax-Aide counselors need most settings. If you wish to make a field required, “red,” or not required you can usually do it in the Main Info Form. The exception is if it is marked as required in the Custom Fields section, then you will have to go into the Custom Fields and edit that field to make it not required. Otherwise for instructions refer to the TaxWise Online User Guide available from the TWO Home Page or the CD that was shipped with the package.

User Defined Return Stages.

Assigning a Return Stage to each tax return provides a very handy tool; it is especially useful for the ERO. It is recommended that the Administrator generate Return Stage categories and that the Counselors be instructed to use them. Refer to the figure below to create User Defined Return Stages:

• Select Settings on the toolbar.

• Select Return Stages by clicking on Return Stages in the tree at left.

• The Return Stage screen will be blank initially.

• Decide on your desired stage descriptions and the desired order.

• Type in your first description in the bottom box.

• Click Add. This will move your text to the main box.

• The descriptions shown below are recommended, but you may choose your own.

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Print Sets.

You may find that printing the primary forms and signature forms works well for your site in which case you need only to check the two boxes shown below. However, we now have the ability to set up our own customized print set (Federal and State), in which case you should check “Edit My Print Set” and “Create my State Print Set” boxes. The procedure for selecting forms for these print set is identical to that of the desktop version. You will probably find this option more applicable to your use.

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The next entry under Administer Settings is Advanced. Clicking on this results in the below screen. If one has a suitable high-speed Internet connection then data is written to the CCH servers as it is entered, which is the preferred mode. In this case use of the Classic mode is not recommended.

On the other hand if the page refresh is noticeably slow then you may want to switch to Classic mode, which speeds up the data entry process. The data isn’t written to the servers until a Save command is received. Thus the below caution: You must select the Save Return icon to refresh the data on a page otherwise the entries will be lost. When using the Classic mode caution the counselors to save the date regularly and to make it a required procedure after finishing (or editing) a given form.

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The next entry after Advanced is “Send Settings.” This entry is not of any use to our program and can be bypassed. It is intended for professional organizations with sub offices.

The last entry on the Administrator Settings listing is for “Carry Forward Templates.” This entry is for EFINs that used TWO the previous season. At the time this instruction was prepared (December 2010) we cannot recommend the use of this option since it does not work properly.

Send suggestions on how to improve these instructions to taxaidetech@.

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