New User Training

Welcome to our summarized user training for SafeSend Returns. 

Visit our SafeSend Customer Training dashboard to sign up for live webinars. 

Upload, Process, and Deliver

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. 

92 STEPS

1. Welcome to Processing a Return in SafeSend!

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2. If you use an integration with your tax software, visit the Integrations section of our Help Center for upload steps. To manually upload a return, click your tax software button in the top right hand corner.

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3. Click the upload box to open a file browser or drag and drop the appropriate document to upload.

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4. Edit the Client ID as needed. If the return is part of a group, you can enter a Group Name but this is not a required field.

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5. Click Submit.

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6. The return is now in your In-Process dashboard. Click the Process icon to begin.

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7. The return opens on the Client Info Tab. During processing, you can ensure that all client information, amounts due, refunds and signature pages are correct.

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8. In the left panel, Refunds are shown in green, and Payments Due are shown in red. Estimated Payments are not displayed in this tab, but can be viewed in the Transmittals or Vouchers tab.

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9. Click the authority in the left panel to view the page the refund was calculated from and open the Refunds & Payments due panel on the right.

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10. You can edit the overpayment or applied amounts to adjust the total refund amount. Click Update to save any changes made.

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11. You can also add refunds manually by clicking the green and white plus button in the left panel.

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12. Select an Authority from the drop-down, enter an Overpayment and Applied amount, then click Add.

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13. In the right panel you'll see the Return Information.

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14. If the ERO/Signer and Office Location are not auto-populated, you will be prompted to select from the drop-down.

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15. Taxpayer information can be viewed and edited. For Married Filing Joint returns you can scroll down to see Spouse information. Any changes to taxpayer or spouse information are only reflected in SafeSend and do not edit the uploaded PDF.

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16. The Date of Birth and Mobile Number are not required and can be left blank.

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17. An Email address is required. This will either auto-populate from Client Management, or you may need to enter it manually if this is your client's first year using SafeSend.

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18. For joint returns, the taxpayer and spouse are required to authenticate through separate email notifications, but they can share an email address.

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19. Marking a taxpayer or spouse Deceased removes them from the signing process. If there is no spouse, the return is set to a manual signing process. See our Client Info Tab article for more information.

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20. The Group tab provides an overview of the pages and sections of the return.

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21. Click on any of the folders here to isolate pages in a specific category.

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22. You can move or delete pages by using the Move To drop down in the center of the page.

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23. You can restore deleted items from the Deleted section. See our Group Tab article for more information.

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24. The Transmittals Tab is where you’ll review all Filing Instructions and Transmittals. You can also compare your transmittal letters to the vouchers in the return.

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25. The left panel displays recognized vouchers and estimated payments.

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26. Click a voucher on the left to open the editing panel on the right.

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27. You can edit Voucher Details as needed. We recommend you double-check that the amounts due and due dates are correct.

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28. Click Update to save any changes.

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29. To add a voucher manually, click the green and white plus button.

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30. Select the taxing Authority.

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31. Enter the Form Name.

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32. Enter the Amount due.

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33. Select a Watermark option. Online Payment Required will allow the taxpayer to pay online.

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34. Alternatively, you can choose DO NOT PAY if the voucher is scheduled for automatic withdrawal or Add Custom to write custom instructions for your taxpayer.

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35. When finished, click Add.

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36. The voucher is now listed on the left-hand side with the Form Name that was entered.

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37. The manually added voucher appears in the Vouchers tab as well. The watermark image here is what the client will see on their end. See our Transmittals Tab article for more information.

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38. The Tax Returns tab stores any unrecognized pages and does not require any action. See our Tax Returns Tab article for more information.

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39. The E-File tab displays all e-file forms, including FBARS.

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40. Select a taxpayer name from the drop-down to highlight or place signature controls for the selected signer.

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41. You can drag-and-drop any of the additional fields if needed. For more information see our E-File Tab article.

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42. Use the Paper File tab for your clients that have local returns that cannot be electronically signed. This option may or may not be available based on your firm's settings.

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43. Click the green and white plus button to upload your paper file returns.

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44. Click the upload box to open a file browser or drag and drop the appropriate document to upload.

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45. Select the Authority and add the mailing address.

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46. Click Submit.

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47. You can edit the Form Name, Authority, or Mailing Address in the right panel. See our Paper File Returns article for more information.

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48. The Additional E-Sign Documents tab allows you to upload additional documents that require signature fields.

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49. Click the green and white plus button.

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50. Click the upload box to open a file browser or drag and drop the appropriate document to upload.

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51. Select the appropriate document type from the drop-down.

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52. Click Submit.

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53. Locate the page that needs signature controls using the navigation options at the top of the section.

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54. Now drag and drop a signature block onto the page.

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55. Double check that the fields are assigned to the appropriate signer. Use the signer drop-down to select a different signer. See our Additional E-Sign Documents Tab article for more information.

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56. The Vouchers tab displays all payment and estimated vouchers included in the return. Click a voucher in the left panel to open the editing panel on the right. These options are the same as those in the Transmittals tab.

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57. If there are $0.00 vouchers, you'll see an orange box on the Vouchers Tab.

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58. Click the box to remove them. See our Vouchers Tab article for more information.

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59. Entity returns will have a K-1s tab that displays all pages in the return that were recognized as K-1s.

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60. The K-1 packages are separated and displayed in the left panel. Click a K-1 recipient name to open the Partner Information panel on the right.

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61. If the SSN or EIN was not printed on the K-1, you will be prompted to select a Partner Type from the drop-down and enter an SSN or EIN.

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62. You can add a mobile number and email address for the K-1 recipient, but this is not required. The taxpayer can enter this information when they distribute the packages.

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63. Depending on your firm's settings, you can turn SSN and EIN masking on or off using the toggle button. This masks the information on the PDF as well as in SafeSend. See our K-1s Tab article for more information.

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64. The Invoices tab displays any pages that were recognized as invoices. This section may or may not be available based on your firm's settings.

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65. Enter the amount due in the Invoice Amount box.

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66. If an Invoice was printed, but you do not want it sent with the return, simply mark the 'Do not send' box.

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67. The Require payment checkbox is only available for firms using the Stripe integration. For more information see our Stripe Integration for Client Invoicing article.

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68. Click the Replace Invoice button to replace the existing one.

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69. Add a Bookmark Name and Amount, then click Save. See our Invoices Tab article for more information.

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70. The Attachments tab is used to manually add forms that were not included in the original return PDF, like source documents.

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71. Click the upload box to open a file browser or drag and drop the appropriate document to upload.

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72. You can add a note for the taxpayer or View templated Instructions. See our Attachments Tab article for more information.

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73. The Delivery Options are default settings pulled from the firm settings or your My Settings menu.

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74. Taxpayer Preview opens a new tab and allows you to view the return as the taxpayer will see it.

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75. Choose a Contact Person who appears for the taxpayer. You may select any user in the drop-down.

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76. Message From Preparer allows you to add a message that appears to the taxpayer after authentication.

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77. The Email Notifications area allows you to choose who the return is delivered to first, what Sender Name appears on the client emails, and who will be notified once the return is signed.

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78. In the SMS Text Notifications section, you can enable or disable text based signing reminder notifications for clients.

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79. You can adjust the Voucher and Signing reminders frequency or turn the reminders on or off.

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80. If your firm settings permit, this section allows you to modify how long SafeSend stores a return.

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81. In the Signature Options section, you can choose whether the taxpayer will e-sign or manually sign. Depending on your firm settings, you can also disable KBA, allow signer delegation, and enable KBA for delegated signers.

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82. This is the Mailing Address and fax number your client sees when they go through the manual signing process. You can choose a different office location from the drop-down.

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83. Click the bull horn icon to report the return to our Support team if you experience any issues during processing.

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84. Congratulations! You're ready to deliver the return. Click Finish.

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85. You may receive a pop-up window with a prompt to either add this client to your Client Management records, or update any changed data. We recommend you click Yes, to add it.

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86. Internal Routing allows you to send a return for review or approve it before it is delivered to the client.

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87. To Send for Review, select the Reviewer from the drop-down, and click Send.

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88. Use the Send to ERO / Signer option to send the return for review to the Signer whose PTIN is on the return.

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89. Use the Approve for Delivery option to mark the return as approved.

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90. To send the return to the client, click Deliver to Client.

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91. For joint returns, select who will receive the return first and click Send. See our Delivery Options Tab article for more information.

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92. This concludes our tutorial. Thank you for watching!

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** Best experienced in Full Screen (click the icon in the top right corner before you begin) **

https://www.iorad.com/player/2410433/Processing-a-Return?iframeHash=watchsteps-1

View Processing a Return for a step-by-step guide on how to process and deliver a return.

We suggest viewing our Recommended Print Settings which provides our best practices for printing returns from your tax software. 

Client Experience

1040 Client Experience

1. Welcome to the 1040 client experience as seen on a desktop.

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2. You will receive an email from noreply@safesendreturns.com.

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3. Click Let’s Get Started to open the return.

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4. Click Get Started to continue.

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5. Enter the first or last four digits of your Social Security number.

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6. Click Confirm.

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7. Click Send Code to generate an access code. This code is sent to your email address or mobile device, depending on your firm's settings. The code is valid for 20 minutes, until you use it, or until you generate a new code.

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8. Retrieve the code from your email inbox or mobile device.

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9. Enter the code and click Confirm.

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10. Depending on your firm's settings, you may see an SMS Consent window. If you would like to recieve text reminders to sign your return, enter your mobile number and click Yes. If you do not want to receive text message reminders, click No.

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11. This is the landing page for your return. A summary of your refunds and payments due is available in the left panel.

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12. Click the contact button to see the contact information for someone at your tax firm.

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13. Click your name to edit your profile or logout.

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14. You can also preview the steps required to complete your return.

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15. Click Get Started to begin.

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16. Review the message from your tax firm and click Next.

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17. If an invoice was included with your return, it is displayed at the beginning of the review step. You may see an option to Pay Now, which directs you to your tax firm's payment site. You may be required to pay before continuing.

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18. Once the invoice has been reviewed or paid, click Next.

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19. You can review each section of your return by clicking the section name in the left panel. Within the section, you can scroll down, use the navigation arrows at the top, or use the bookmark panel on the right to move through the pages.

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20. If attachments were included with your return, you are re-directed to a new page. Click Notes to see instructions from your firm.

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21. Click Download or Download All to retrieve the documents.

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22. You can also Forward or Download documents in the Review section.

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23. To forward, select one or more documents, enter one or more recipient email addresses and optional mobile numbers, and click Send. They recieve only a PDF copy of the selected documents and are not prompted to sign, pay, or perform any other action.

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24. To download, select one or more documents and click OK, or click Download All.

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25. Click Next to continue.

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26. Depending on your firm's settings, you may see options to e-sign, manually sign, or delegate signing. This video demonstrates the e-signing process. Click e-Sign to continue.

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27. Enter or confirm your Date of Birth.

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28. Click the consent to e-Sign checkbox.

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29. If there is a spouse on the return, enter or confirm their email address, and click Next.

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30. You are prompted to answer Knowledge-Based Authentication questions before signing your return. Answer 3 of 5 questions correctly to continue.

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31. Click the Start flag to begin.

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32. Click the green Signature block.

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33. You can choose to type or draw your signature, then click Apply to sign the form.

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34. Click the Next flag to be guided to the next signature field.

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35. Click the green Signature block to apply your previously chosen signature.

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36. As the pages are signed, they are checked off in the left panel.

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37. Continue to click the Next flag to be guided to any additional fields.

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38. Once all fields are completed, click Next to continue.

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39. Double-check or update your spouse information.

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40. Click Next to finalize signing.

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41. If paper file returns were included with your return, you will see another message from your tax firm. Review the message and click Next to continue.

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42. Click to print or download your paper file return.

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43. Click I Consent to access the forms. Click Skip to move to the next step without printing or downloading your paper file returns.

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44. This is the pay section. You'll see any payment vouchers that were included with the return.

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45. Adjust your automated reminder settings as needed.

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46. Click Pay.

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47. You have the option to pay online or download the voucher and filing instructions.

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48. Click Add Payment Details.

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49. This is for record keeping purposes only! This does not initiate or confirm that any payment has been made to the taxing authority. Click Done to continue.

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50. Enter payment details and click Add Payment to save any changes.

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51. The voucher is marked as Paid. You can edit this anytime by clicking the Edit Payment Details button.

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52. You can download all your vouchers and filing instructions here. Click Next.

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53. This section has your Estimated Tax Payments, broken up by date in the left panel. You have the same payment options available.

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54. Click Done after reviewing or paying your vouchers.

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55. You are directed back to your return dashbhoard where you can go back to your vouchers section, review or distribute your K-1s, or view or download your documents. Click the Contact button if you have any questions or concerns about your return.

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56. That concludes our tutorial. Thank you for watching!

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** Best experienced in Full Screen (click the icon in the top right corner before you begin) **

https://www.iorad.com/player/2404499/1040-Client-Experience?iframeHash=watchsteps-1

Entity with K-1 Distribution

1. Welcome to the client experience for entity returns with K-1 distribution as seen on a desktop.

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2. You will receive an email from noreply@safesendreturns.com. Click Let's Get Started to open your return.

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3. Click Get Started to begin.

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4. Click Send Code to generate an access code. This code is sent to your email address or mobile device, depending on your firm's settings. The code is valid for 20 minutes, until you use it, or until you generate a new code.

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5. Retrieve the code from your email or mobile device.

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6. Enter the code and click Confirm.

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7. Depending on your firm's settings, you may see an SMS Consent window. If you would like to recieve text reminders to sign your return, enter your mobile number and click Yes. If you do not want to receive text message reminders, click No.

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8. This is the landing page for your return. A summary of your refunds and payments due is available in the left panel.

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9. Click the contact button to see the contact information for someone at your tax firm.

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10. Click your company name to edit your profile or logout.

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11. You can also preview the steps required to complete your return.

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12. Click Get Started to begin.

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13. Review the message from your tax firm and click Next.

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14. If an invoice was included with your return, it is displayed at the beginning of the review step. You may see an option to Pay Now, which directs you to your tax firm's payment site. You may be required to pay before continuing.

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15. Once the invoice has been reviewed or paid, click Next.

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16. You can review each section of your return by clicking the section name in the left panel. Within the section, you can scroll down, use the navigation arrows at the top, or use the bookmark panel on the right to move through the pages.

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17. If attachments were included with your return, you are re-directed to a new page. Click Notes to see instructions from your firm.

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18. Click Download or Download All to retrieve the documents.

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19. You can also Forward or Download documents in the Review section.

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20. To forward, select one or more documents, enter one or more recipient email addresses and optional mobile numbers, and click Send. They recieve only a PDF copy of the selected documents and are not prompted to sign, pay, or perform any other action.

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21. To download, select one or more documents and click OK, or click Download All.

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22. Click Next to continue.

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23. You may see the option to e-sign, manually sign, or delegate signing depending on your firm's settings. For this tutorial we will go through e-signing. Click e-Sign to get started.

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24. Click the Start flag to begin.

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25. Click the green Signature block.

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26. You can choose to type or draw your signature, then click Apply to sign the form.

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27. Click the Next flag to be guided to the next signature field.

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28. Click the green Signature block to apply your previously chosen signature.

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29. Continue to click the Next flag to be guided to the next signature field.

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30. Some fields prompt you to check a box or enter information. In this example, the client is prompted to type a Title into the box.

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31. Complete the field and click the Next flag.

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32. Once all fields are completed, click Next to continue.

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33. Click Next to finalize signing.

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34. If paper file returns were included with your return, you will see another message from your tax firm. Review the message and click Next to continue.

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35. Click to print or download your paper file return.

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36. Click I Consent to access the forms. Click Skip to move to the next step without printing or downloading your paper file returns.

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37. You can distribute your K-1s electronically or download the packages to print and mail them. To deliver them securely via email, Click Send Electronically.

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38. Click Edit to enter the K-1 recipient email address or edit other profile information.

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39. Use the fields in the K-1 Partners Details window to make changes.

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40. Uncheck the update notification checkbox if you do not want to send an information update notification to your firm.

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41. Click Save to apply any changes made.

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42. Check the box to the left of the K-1s to be distributed, or use the select all checkbox to check all K-1s.

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43. Click Email Documents to deliver the packages.

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44. Come back and review the Status column at any time to see if the K-1s have been downloaded. The statuses here have updated to Sent because the packages have been delivered.

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45. Click Download All K-1s to download all packages into 1 PDF. Click Download Selected K-1s to download selected packages as separate PDFs.

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46. Large downloads are sent to your My Downloads folder in your profile menu.

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47. Click the Download arrow to complete the download.

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48. This is the pay section. You'll see any payment vouchers that were included with the return.

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49. Adjust your automated reminder settings as needed.

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50. Click Pay.

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51. You have the option to pay online or download the voucher and filing instructions.

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52. Click Add Payment Details.

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53. This is for record keeping purposes only! This does not initiate or confirm that any payment has been made to the taxing authority. Click Done to continue.

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54. Enter payment details and click Add Payment to save any changes.

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55. The voucher is marked as Paid. You can edit this anytime by clicking the Edit Payment Details button.

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56. You can download all your vouchers and filing instructions here. Click Next.

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57. This section has your Estimated Tax Payments, broken up by date in the left panel. You have the same payment options available.

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58. Click Done after reviewing or paying your vouchers.

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59. You are directed back to your return dashbhoard where you can go back to your vouchers section, review or distribute your K-1s, or view or download your documents. Click the Contact button if you have any questions or concerns about your return.

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60. That concludes our tutorial. Thank you for watching!

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** Best experienced in Full Screen (click the icon in the top right corner before you begin) **

https://www.iorad.com/player/2409909/Entity-Client-Experience-with-K-1-Distribution?iframeHash=watchsteps-1

 

Once the return is delivered, the client will have a variety of options such as downloading their return, paying vouchers, and forwarding their return to other recipients.

View the Client Experience article for a step-by-step guide on the taxpayer experience. 

Delivered Report

60 STEPS

1. Welcome to the Delivered Returns Report guide!

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2. Once a return is delivered to a client, it moves to the Delivered Returns section. All of the options available here can also be managed in the Archive Returns area. Let's begin with a summary of the dashboard layout.

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3. The Status column reflects where the return is in the signing process.

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4. These icons can be used to refresh the report, generate quick reports, customize your column display, adjust your filters, and export this report to Excel.

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5. One or more returns can be edited at the same time using the Bulk Action buttons. Click the checkbox to the left of the return to select it, then click the appropriate Bulk Action button.

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6. Use the column headers to search or filter the report. Click the column header to sort the report in ascending or descending order.

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7. Sort by Standard or Grouped returns in the Group Name column.

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8. Click the More (...) button in the action column to see additional actions available for that return.

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9. The return Status column reflects whether the delivery was successful or where the return is in the signing process.

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10. AWAITING E-SIGN and AWAITING UPLOAD mean you are waiting for the client to sign the return.

PARTIALLY SIGNED is for married filing joint returns and means only one of the two signers have signed.

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11. Click the PARTIALLY SIGNED status to see which client has signed and when. Any report item that is blue can be clicked to reveal more information.

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12. The following statuses indicate the return has been signed.
E-SIGNED means the return was electronically signed by the client.
UPLOADED means the return was manually signed and uploaded by the client.

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13. SIGNED AND E-SIGNED means the first signer e-signed but the second signer signed outside of SafeSend and the status was changed by a user.
MANUALLY SIGNED means the return was signed outside of SafeSend and the status was changed by a user.

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14. The E-SIGNED - IN OFFICE status indicates the return is complete and was e-signed in your office.

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15. Next we will demonstrate how to use the Bulk Action buttons. Change Status allows users to manually change the status of one or more returns.

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16. The return status must be AWAITING UPLOAD, AWAITING E-SIGN, or PARTIALLY SIGNED to use this feature.

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17. Click the checkbox to the left of one or more returns, then click the Change Status button.

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18. In the drop-down, select Manually Signed.

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19. Click Save, then click Yes to confirm.

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20. The return status is then updated to Manually Signed.

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21. Set Access allows users to select who can and cannot see the returns. System Admins will still see all returns regardless of the Set Access setting.

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22. Send Reminder allows you to send a manual reminder to sign immediately, or adjust automated reminder settings.

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23. Moving signed and downloaded returns to the Archive keeps your delivered returns dashboard clean, leaving only the returns the firm is still waiting on.

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24. Download e-file Forms allows you to download signed documents in bulk to a .ZIP file. Only returns in an UPLOADED, E-SIGNED, SIGNED & E-SIGNED, or ALTERNATE & UPLOADED status can be downloaded in bulk.

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25. Delete allows you to move returns from the Delivered Returns section to the Recycle Bin section.

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26. Deleted returns can be restored or permanently deleted. Permanent deletion is not recommended.

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27. Change Office Location allows you to change the assigned Office Location for the return. You can only view returns assigned to Office Locations you have permission to use.

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28. Clicking the Refresh icon ensures your report is up to date and any recent changes are reflected.

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29. There are two Quick Report options. You can generate a report showing what return links have not been accessed by the client, and which clients have failed knowledge based authentication.

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30. Column Options allow each user to customize the columns they would like displayed in their Delivered Returns Report.

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31. The Filter option allows the logged in user to apply recent filters, save their own custom filters and set a default filter. You can also use the Clear Filter option to remove all filters and display all returns you have permission to view.

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32. The Export to Excel option allows you to export the filtered report to Excel. This report also displays client email addresses.

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33. The green Edit Client Info button allows users to update client information.

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34. Click the card to open the edit window and Save any changes.

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35. Click the ellipsis to expand the Action menu for that return.

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36. You can Download the e-file Forms individually rather than in bulk.

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37. Clients can become locked out of their tax return by entering an incorrect or expired access code or an incorrect social security number. Click Unlock Return to allow the client to attempt to authenticate again.

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38. The Resend Access Link option is only available for returns in an E-Signed, Uploaded, or Manually Signed status. The Send Reminder option can be used for unsigned returns.

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39. Click the arrow to resend the access link to the client, or click the paper icon to copy their access link to your clipboard.

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40. Client View opens a new browser tab, and allows you to see a static view of what the client sees. You can see what progress the client has made and if they have done things like mark vouchers as PAID.

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41. Recall a Return if any changes need to be made after delivery. This moves the return to your Send Tax Returns dashboard where it can be reprocessed, or deleted if a new return needs to be uploaded.

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42. Send Reminder allows you to edit the automated reminder settings for that return or send a reminder to sign immediately.

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43. Upload Estimates allows you to upload updated estimated vouchers to the return. See our Voucher Management article for more information.

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44. You can generate an Access Code for the taxpayer and provide it via email or phone. This option should be selected after the client clicks the Send Code button. Any codes generated before this step will be rendered invalid.

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45. Click Generate Access Code.

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46. View and provide the new code. This code is valid for 20 minutes, until it is used, or until a new code is generated.

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47. The Retention Policy is set by the firm, but, if your settings allow, it can be adjusted here.

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48. Report a Problem allows you to send a report from a specific return to our Support team. This provides them with additional return details that may be useful for troubleshooting.

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49. User Tracking allows you to view certain firm and client events. Tracked events include things like return delivery, signing, and downloading.

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50. Download Returns provides users a place to download specific items from the return.

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51. The Screen Share option allows you to work with clients remotely by viewing their screen in real time. See our Screen Share article for more information.

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52. You can Archive returns individually from the Action menu.

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53. Lastly, you can delete a delivered return to move it to your Recycle Bin.

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54. A return becomes locked when a user opens a return for processing or exits it without saving and closing. If another user tries to access the locked return, they will get a Return In-Use error. It can be unlocked from the Locked Returns dashboard.

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55. The K-1 Delivered Status report provides a breakdown of the percentages of K-1s delivered and downloaded. You can view and export K-1 status data as well. Users can also deliver K-1s on behalf of clients if their firm settings allow.

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56. The blue eye icon allows users to go into Client View to distribute K1s if needed.
The green person icon displays K1 Partner Update statuses.

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57. The Reminder Management dashboard allows you to run a report showing delivered and scheduled voucher reminder emails.

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58. Enter a date range and click Filter to generate a report.

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59. You can also export the generated report to Excel.

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60. This concludes our tutorial. Thank you for watching!

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** Best experienced in Full Screen (click the icon in the top right corner before you begin) **

https://www.iorad.com/player/2452475/Delivered-Returns-Report-Guide?iframeHash=watchsteps-1

View our Delivered & Archived Returns webpage for all our links related to managing your Delivered Returns. 

Grouped Returns

View our Grouped Returns: Uploading, Processing, and Delivery article for more information on how to process and deliver a group.

Grouped Returns FAQ

The video below shows you the typical experience for the Controller.

 

71 STEPS

1. Welcome to the Grouped Returns Controller Experience as seen on a desktop.

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2. You will receive an email from noreply@safesendreturns.com. Click Let’s Get Started to open the group of returns.

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3. Click Get Started to continue.

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4. Click Send Code to generate an access code. This code is sent to your email address or mobile device, depending on your firm's settings. The code is valid for 20 minutes, until you use it, or until you generate a new code.

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5. Retrieve the code from your email inbox or mobile device.

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6. Enter the code and click Confirm.

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7. This is the landing page for your returns. Click the contact button to see the contact information for someone at your tax firm.

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8. Click your name to edit your profile or logout.

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9. Use the column headers to search or filter your returns.

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10. Review the Signature Status, Next Payment Due, and K-1 Distribution Status columns to determine which returns require action.

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11. Click the Action menu, then Email Documents to forward part or all of the return to a third party.

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12. Select one or more documents, enter one or more recipient email addresses and optional mobile numbers, and click Send. They recieve only a PDF copy of the selected documents and are not prompted to sign, pay, or perform any other action.

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13. Click Open to begin the client experience for that return. From here, the process is the same as it is for the standard 1040 Client Experience or Entity Client Experience.

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14. This is the landing page for your return. A summary of your refunds and payments due is available in the left panel.

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15. Click the contact button to see the contact information for someone at your tax firm.

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16. Click your name to edit your profile or logout.

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17. You can also preview the steps required to complete your return. For entity returns, you will also see a K-1 distribution step.

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18. Click Get Started to begin.

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19. Review the message from your tax firm and click Next.

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20. If an invoice was included with your return, it is displayed at the beginning of the review step. You may see an option to Pay Now, which directs you to your tax firm's payment site. You may be required to pay before continuing.

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21. Once the invoice has been reviewed or paid, click Next.

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22. You can review each section of your return by clicking the section name in the left panel. Within the section, you can scroll down, use the navigation arrows at the top, or use the bookmark panel on the right to move through the pages.

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23. If attachments were included with your return, you are re-directed to a new page. Click Notes to see instructions from your firm.

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24. Click Download or Download All to retrieve the documents.

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25. You can also Forward or Download documents in the Review section.

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26. To forward, select one or more documents, enter one or more recipient email addresses and optional mobile numbers, and click Send. They recieve only a PDF copy of the selected documents and are not prompted to sign, pay, or perform any other action.

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27. To download, select one or more documents and click OK, or click Download All.

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28. Click Next to continue.

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29. Depending on your firm's settings, you may see options to e-sign, manually sign, or delegate signing. This video demonstrates the e-signing process. Click e-Sign to continue.

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30. Enter or confirm your Date of Birth for 1040 returns.

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31. Click the consent to e-Sign checkbox.

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32. If there is a spouse on the return, enter or confirm their email address, and click Next.

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33. For some 1040 returns, you are prompted to answer Knowledge-Based Authentication questions before signing your return. Answer 3 of 5 questions correctly to continue.

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34. Click the Start flag to begin.

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35. Click the green Signature block.

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36. You can choose to type or draw your signature, then click Apply to sign the form.

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37. Click the Next flag to be guided to the next signature field.

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38. Click the green Signature block to apply your previously chosen signature.

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39. As the pages are signed, they are checked off in the left panel.

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40. Continue to click the Next flag to be guided to any additional fields.

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41. Once all fields are completed, click Next to continue.

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42. Double-check or update your spouse information if applicable.

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43. Click Next to finalize signing.

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44. If paper file returns were included with your return, you will see another message from your tax firm. Review the message and click Next to continue.

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45. Click to print or download your paper file return.

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46. Click I Consent to access the forms. Click Skip to move to the next step without printing or downloading your paper file returns.

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47. For entity returns, you can distribute your K-1s electronically or download the packages to print and mail them. To deliver them securely via email, Click Send Electronically.

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48. Click Edit to enter the K-1 recipient email address or edit other profile information.

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49. Use the fields in the K-1 Partners Details window to make changes.

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50. Uncheck the update notification checkbox if you do not want to send an information update notification to your firm.

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51. Click Save to apply any changes made.

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52. Check the box to the left of the K-1s to be distributed, or use the select all checkbox to check all K-1s.

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53. Click Email Documents to deliver the packages.

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54. Come back and review the Status column at any time to see if the K-1s have been downloaded. The statuses here have updated to Sent because the packages have been delivered.

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55. Click Download All K-1s to download all packages into 1 PDF. Click Download Selected K-1s to download selected packages as separate PDFs.

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56. Large downloads are sent to your My Downloads folder in your profile menu.

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57. Click the Download arrow to complete the download.

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58. Click Next to continue.

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59. This is the pay section. You'll see any payment vouchers that were included with the return.

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60. Adjust your automated reminder settings as needed.

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61. Click Pay.

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62. You have the option to pay online or download the voucher and filing instructions. Click Pay Now to be directed to the taxing authorities website.

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63. Click Add Payment Details.

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64. This is for record keeping purposes only! This does not initiate or confirm that any payment has been made to the taxing authority. Click Done to continue.

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65. Enter payment details and click Add Payment to save any changes.

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66. The voucher is marked as Paid. You can edit this anytime by clicking the Edit Payment Details button.

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67. You can download all your vouchers and filing instructions here. Click Next.

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68. This section has your Estimated Tax Payments, broken up by date in the left panel. You have the same payment options available.

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69. Click Done after reviewing or paying your vouchers.

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70. You are directed back to your return dashbhoard where you can go back to your vouchers section, review or distribute your K-1s, or view or download your documents. Click the Contact button if you have any questions or concerns about your return.

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71. That concludes our tutorial. Thank you for watching!

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** Best experienced in Full Screen (click the icon in the top right corner before you begin) **

https://www.iorad.com/player/2420321/Grouped-Returns-Controller-Experience?iframeHash=watchsteps-1

Settings
View the Firm Set-up Guide for more information on each global setting in the account.  View My Settings for more information on individual user settings. 

Related Articles

Best Practices Guide

Worksheets

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