TY ‘16 TTFE Tips and Tricks Helpful tips on how to get through TY ‘16 TTFE quickly and accurately TY16 Updates: -Updated screenshots -Added sections about 1099-MISC and Sch C Business returns -”You don’t qualify” page I have set up this PPTX in such a way that it follows the general flow of TTFE, but also some areas that are specific to the low income tax payers we see at the events. This was written as a tools for the volunteers/Computer Assistant, highlighting navigation and information that will help them guide the user through the product. I’ve also called out any of the times that it they would need to call a tax expert over when the Taxpayer needs help outside of the scope of a Computer Assistant.

TTFE Basic Navigation 1- Federal Refund/Owed 2- State Refund/Owed 3- Main Topics 4- Sub Topics 5-Help Bar You can jump back to any topic or subtopic at any time Screenshots- Some say “Premier” in the corner. They are the same screens in both products. This highlights some things that you will see on every screen 1- Federal Refund, this will go up and down as the user inputs items. The user should note that it will change as each piece of data is entered and should be largely ignored until all of the data is in. 2 State- Same as fed. The State Refund may not show up until they get to the State Taxes section, so they have no need to worry if nothing comes up at first 3 Main Topics- These are constant and they can jump to them at anytime 4 These are specific to the Main topic you are in and can be jumped back to at anytime 5 Help Bar- This isn’t used at our events since we have helpers and tax experts, but its good to know about it. A taxpayer should know that in the future when they do this on their own they can get their questions answered via the help bar.

Personal Info Basic Info Filing Status/Marital Status Dependents Name, DOB, Address, SSN Filing Status/Marital Status If they are unsure what to pick, find a tax expert! If they want to choose “Married Filing Separate” Find a tax expert! Dependents This can be children, boy/girlfriends, grandparents, siblings If they think they can claim someone, but TTFE says they can’t, find a tax expert. You can go back and edit these at any time by clicking on the “Personal Info” Tab.

Income/Deductions Screens “Guide Me” takes users through every topic screen-by-screen Time consuming “I’ll choose what I work on” Still shows a list of ALL topics Taxpayer can choose what applies to them, and skip what does not. TIME SAVER!  This is shown at the beginning of Wages And Income and Deductions and Credits. Guide Me will take the user through EACH topic individually. It is very time consuming especially if a user only has 1 W-2 as all their income. As a Computer Assistant, suggest that they choose “ill choose what I work on” They will still see every topic (shown in next slide), but have the ability to skip sections they know don’t apply to them. Never force a taxpayer to choose something they are uncomfortable with. If they REALLY want “Guide Me” that’s fine. If they change their mind and want to see the list (or vice versa and want to see every question), click on the subtopic again and they will be able to choose the other option.

Income/Deduction Landing tables User can scroll through and choose topics that apply to them. User will return to this screen every time they finish a section User can return to this screen at any time Cant find a topic? Find a Tax Expert! This is the list, called the Summary screen. There is one for Wages & Income and another for Deductions & Credits. Here the user can pick each topic that applies to them (ie each form they have). If they user remembers something, or forgot about a form they can come directly here without having to click through every screen again If they don’t see what they are looking for, ask a tax expert

1099-Misc and ”Business” items Many taxpayers may have a 1099-MISC and/or get paid in cash. If this is the case the IRS considers them to have a business. If so, they will need to enter ALL of their income associated with that job and ALL of their deductions (mileage, supplies, etc…) If they don’t think they have any deductions, call over a tax expert!

Deductions and Credits: Itemized vs Standard Deduction Itemized deductions (charitable donations, medical expenses, mortgage insurance, property taxes) must add up to MORE than their Standard Deduction to be beneficial Single- $6300 HOH-$9300 MFJ- $12600 Unless the Taxpayer has a mortgage or an extreme amount of Medical Expenses it is unlikely they will benefit from entering these deductions TIME SAVER: If they are unsure, have a Tax Expert look over their deductions and decide if it is worth it to enter them into TTFE. This is a tax heavy slide, but is important for computer assistants to keep in mind. If they receive a specific question ALWAYS find a tax expert. The taxpayer should have had their questions answered about Itemized vs Standard in the interview before they come back, but in case they don’t…. If you notice that they have only a few charitable donations, or medical expenses, tell them they may not need to enter these and would they link to confirm that with a tax expert?. Adding these individual expenses is time consuming, and can be very defeating if they spend 20 min entering them in, only to find out they don’t make a difference (because they get the standard deduction) VERY FEW of our taxpayers at the events qualify for Itemized deductions, and I have watched people spend 45 min entering in all their deductions and they don’t make a difference on their taxes.

Deductions and Credits: Earned Income Tax Credit (EIC) Many of the taxpayers that come to our events will receive EIC, and many are counting on it EIC is a refundable credit (cash in pocket) If the user is expecting EIC, but doesn’t qualify or receives less than they expected: Have them review their dependent info in “Personal Info” Find a tax expert! If you suspect ANY fraudulent activity around dependents they want to claim, their filing status, or EIC answers, find a tax expert and have them review this area. Refundable Credit means that the amount of this credit will go straight towards their refund without any tax liability limits, which is why this credit is so popular. For the most part this credit is automatically calculated after they answer a couple questions in this section. Note about fraud: We are not the IRS , the police, nor are we preparing their taxes. If you suspect someone is lying about their filing status or income because of EIC, bring up your concerns (quietly) to a Tax Expert. If the believe it is a real concern a tax expert can talk to the taxpayer. For ANY case, we cannot force the taxpayer to change their taxes we can only inform them of the rules for that specific topic and the possible repercussions of putting false information on their return.

HEALTH INSURANCE Covered all Year 1095-A(Marketplace) Medicaid/MediCal Employer Private Insurance Confused about their coverage?.... You guessed it, find a tax expert! Everyone’s favorite! Most people will be able to check that they had Heath Insurance all year via work for Medical and be Done. -Medical is NOT considered a “less common plan” (image 2). Some people may have gone through Covered California and ended up with Medical. Make sure we get the true answer. If they didn’t have insurance all year and are unsure what to put, always find a tax expert. If they have a 1095-A they will need to input it. They may not have it with them and need to get it off the state marketplace website. Those details will be available, if applicable the day of the event.

Other Taxes It is UNLIKELY that our users will need anything on this screen. IP PIN- “Identity Protection PIN” If a user mentions that they have a 6-digit PIN from the IRS, they will enter it here. 99% of the time there is nothing on this screen that our users need to worry about. The IP PIN is different than the e-file PIN which is why I called this screen out. If the user get to the end and says “My PIN is 6 digits, not 5” This is where you need to return to to enter that PIN.

State Taxes State Taxes is usually the fastest section All appropriate Federal Info will be automatically transferred to their State Return Keep an eye out for the Renter’s Credit! 99% of the time the user can breeze through this section. None of the special credits and allocations are applicable to them For CA, there is a renters credit that they will need to answer a couple questions on

“You don’t qualify” If a screen asks you to Select Federal Free, Deluxe, or any other TurboTax product, find a Tax Expert or Site Coordinator! Because we pre-screen this is unlikely to happen, but it does happen. If so just find a Site Coordinator and we will find out why they saw this screen and get it taken care of. Because of Absolute Zero, even if they have to bump up to Fed Free they should pay nothing for Fed or State (as long as its before 3/16)

File: Review Your Order If the taxpayer truly qualifies for TTFE, this page should total $0 If for any reason it does not, find a Tax Expert or a Site Coordinator to resolve the issue Sometimes a user falls just out of the lines of the TTFE product and they may be asked to pay for their State Return. Even rarer, they have to bump up to Deluxe or another paid product. If this happens find a Site coordinator to handle this. Because of Absolute Zero, even if they have to bump up to Fed Free they should pay nothing for Fed or State (as long as its before 3/16)

Refund or Balance Due Refunds: The taxpayer can choose to have their Refund(s) Directly Deposited into their bank account (Recommended) or mailed to them via paper check. Balance Due: If a user owes a Federal or State refund they have the choice to have it Debited out of their account or they can pay it via paper check. They will receive all the necessary vouchers and addresses. A Tax Expert will go over with them what they owe and when, as well as the fees and penalties associated with not paying their tax bill AT CCIA events we provide everything but a stamp. We have all the necessary envelopes already addressed for the user to take with them if they need to mail a balance or their return. If a taxpayer is confused about why they owe or why their refund is not what they expected, bring a tax expert over then, or tell them that they can ask a tax expert that question when they review their return BEOFRE they file.

E-File PIN or AGI To E-file, the Taxpayer MUST have their E-File PIN or last year’s AGI(found on last year’s return) If they do not have either, they can go to the link : “Click here to get this year’s IRS e-filing PIN” On the IRS site they must enter their info EXACTLY as it was found on their previous year’s return (Ex: If they moved they will need to put their previous address that was on their 2015 return If they cannot get either, they can still file but they will have to mail it This is why we ask people to bring in last year’s return. It makes this process much easier if we can just enter their last year’s AGI. If they did NOT file a return last year they will not see this screen

Help Links (Almost) Any blue link you see in the product is a Help Link If the user seems unsure, look for a link to help them answer their question If they are still unsure, find a tax expert ***Considering moving this to the front of presentation after Personal Info

Tax Expert Review When you see this  page. STOP. Be sure to print their return and have a tax expert review it along with their tax documents they brought with them They cannot file their return with us until they have had it reviewed

TRANSMIT THE RETURN!  This big green transmit button is what files their return to the IRS They have NOT filed until they click this button If they File by Mail they will not see this screen After they submit their return, make sure they have a copy of their return and documents, fill out any surveys, and help guide them to the Exit Coordinator There are more details about what to do after you file that will be shared the day of an event. -What do do if their return is rejected -Help line to call if they have any questions

You helped someone get their biggest paycheck of the year! HOORAY! YOU DID IT! You helped someone get their biggest paycheck of the year!