1. Authenticating on a New Computer
When you log in from a new computer (one from which you have not logged in to TaxSlayer Pro Online previously), TaxSlayer Pro Online displays the Verify Account page: TaxSlayer verifies your identity this way to ensure that all users are authorized and to ensure taxpayer and preparer security against identity theft.
To verify your account, use the following steps:
1. Select the delivery option. You can receive your code through or text, if your site administrator entered both of these during preparer setup.
2. Click Send Code.
3. Check your or text messages to find the code.
4. Type the code in the Enter Your Security Code box.
5. Click Submit.
TaxSlayer Pro Online verifies the code and displays the Welcome page.

2. DUE DILIGENCE
Quality Site Requirement 2 – Intake/Interview & Quality Review Process, states:
All IRS tax law-certified volunteers are required to exercise due diligence. This means, as a volunteer, you are required to do your part when preparing or quality reviewing a tax return to ensure the information on the tax return is correct and complete. Doing your part includes: confirming a taxpayer’s (and spouse, if applicable) identity and providing top-quality service by helping them understand and meet their tax responsibilities. Generally, as an IRS tax law-certified volunteer, you can rely in good faith on information from a taxpayer without requiring documentation as verification. However, part of due diligence requires asking a taxpayer to clarify information that may appear to be inconsistent or incomplete. When reviewing information for its accuracy, you need to ask yourself if the information is unusual or questionable.
The AARP 4012 update and the IRS 4012 update do not align so additional guidance is expected.

3. WHAT’S NEW Form 1098-T Requirement
For tax years beginning after June 29, 2015, generally tax year 2016 returns for most taxpayers, the law requires a taxpayer (or a dependent) to have received a Form 1098-T from an eligible educational institution in order to claim the Tuition and Fees deduction, American Opportunity Credit, or the Lifetime Learning Credit.
For tax year 2016, a taxpayer may claim one of these education benefits if the student does not receive a Form 1098-T because the student’s educational institution is not required to send a Form 1098-T to the student under existing.
If a student’s educational institution is not required to provide a Form 1098-T to the student, a taxpayer may claim one of these education benefits without a Form 1098-T if the taxpayer otherwise qualifies, can demonstrate that the taxpayer (or a dependent) was enrolled at an eligible educational institution, and can substantiate the payment of qualified tuition and related expenses.

4. WHAT’S NEW Form 1098-T Instructions
Educational Institution does not have to file Form 1098-T or furnish a statement for:
Courses for which no academic credit is offered, even if the student is otherwise enrolled in a degree program;
Nonresident alien students, unless requested by the student;
Students whose qualified tuition and related expenses are entirely waived or paid entirely with scholarships; and
Students for whom you do not maintain a separate financial account and whose qualified tuition and related expenses are covered by a formal billing arrangement between an institution and the student's employer or a governmental entity.

5. WHAT’S NEW Miscellaneous
Federal Return Due Date: April 18, 2017
Note: NPL Closes April 14, 2017
Delayed Refunds: Due to changes in the law, the IRS can't issue refunds before February 15, 2017, for returns that claim the earned income credit or the additional child tax credit. This delay applies to the entire refund, not just the portion associated with these credits.

6. WHAT’S NEW Educator Expenses
An eligible educator in 2016 can deduct up to $250 of qualified expenses paid in 2016 as an adjustment to gross income on Form 1040, line 23, rather than as a miscellaneous itemized deduction.
Eligible Educator. An eligible educator is a kindergarten through grade 12 teacher, instructor, counselor, principal, or aide in school for at least 900 hours during a school year.
Qualified Expenses. Qualified expenses include ordinary and necessary expenses paid in connection with books, supplies, equipment (including computer equipment, software, and services), and other materials used in the classroom. An ordinary expense is one that is common and accepted in the educational field. A necessary expense is one that is helpful and appropriate for an educator. An expense doesn’t have to be required to be considered necessary.
Beginning in 2016, qualified expenses also include those expenses incurred while participating in professional development courses related to the curriculum taught. It also includes those expenses related to those students provided that instruction.
Educator Expenses Exceeding the $250 Limit. Qualified expenses that can’t be taken as an adjustment to gross income, can be deduct as an itemized deduction subject to the 2% limit.

7. Public Safety Officer Early Distribution Exception

8. Public Safety Officer DEFINED
Qualified public safety employees
Effective for distributions after December 31, 2015, the exception for pubic safety employees who are age 50 or over is expanded to include specified federal law enforcement officers, customs and border protection officers, federal firefighters and air traffic controllers.
Also, the restriction that only defined benefit plans qualify for the exemption is eliminated. Thus, an exemption is allowed for distributions from defined contribution plans or other types of governmental plans, such as the TSP.

9. NOTES
Within a return, TaxSlayer has one place to record free-form information: notes.
After the Basic Information section of a return is completed, the name of the taxpayer will appear at the
upper left of the screen.
Clicking on the taxpayer name, or the downward-pointing symbol to its right, displays the Tools dropdown
list, which includes “Notes”.
Clicking on “Notes” opens a pop-up where notes can be added, and existing notes can be seen.
Notes will carry forward to the next year’s return.

10. NOTES CONTINUED
Notes don’t automatically identify the author, or include a date stamp. Preparers and Quality Reviewers must include this information, as, for example, “EF: 2/15/2017”
You can paste the contents of a group of spreadsheet cells to a note (for example, where you’ve added some dollar amounts together), but only the cell values will be copied, not the cell structure. So, for example, information in second and subsequent columns won’t be aligned.
You can change the color of the notes, but any change is made to all notes.
If you want to look at existing notes when within a return, follow the same process for creating a
note; you’ll then see a pop-up window, “Found notes”, which will list the title of each existing note.
To view the content of a note, double-click on the title of that note.
On the Office Client List page, tax returns which have notes will have a blue flag, rather than a grayed-out flag, in the column to the right of the STATUS column. Notes can also be added when at this page.

11. NOTES CONTINUED – PRINTING NOTES
Notes can be included as part of a print package if the Local Coordinator or or another admin, in the Advanced Print Setup Menu, selects “Print Supporting Notes with Tax Return” (DECISION PENDING)
If notes exist for a return, and aren’t included in the print packet, the notes can be printed from the Office Client List page: once notes are opened, click on the “Print PDF” button to create a PDF for all notes.
In general, do not delete a note that reminds the preparer of something that needs to be done. Instead, the note should be changed to indicate something was DONE.
Retaining notes can be very helpful to the person doing the quality review.

12. Publication 4012
NTTC issued a 178 page update and a cut and tape version of 23 pages plus
Additional changes may be required
NPL will place an updated Pub 4012 on each tax preparation table

13. Miscellaneous Information
Calculations not generated by the software must be documented.
Enter calculation on Intake/Interview Sheet
Bogart calculators, when used, must include a printout of the calculation
Record issues and resolutions in the Lessons Learned notebook to be located on each tax table – especially important for Quality Reviewers, Shift Coordinators

14. ACA Exemptions See page ACA-7, Pub 4012
Filing Threshold Exemption – See pages ACA- 9 & 9 , Pub 4012
Affordability Exemption – See pages ACA – 10 & 11 , Pub 4012
Aggregate Affordability Exemption – Employer Offer Only
Use the Bogart Affordability Calculator & Print the Result

15. ACA Exemptions Household Exemptions
ACA Household Exemptions - These options are for taxpayers who have a filing requirement but may have income below the amount that requires them to file.
On Form 8965, part II, there are two choices (do not claim both):
[7a] Household income is below the filing threshold
Household income includes all income of persons included on the tax return who have a filing requirement. Household income is AGI (Form 1040 line 37) plus:
Tax-free interest
Any reduction in wages for medical premiums
[7b] Gross income is below the filing threshold
Gross income is only the income of TP & SP before adjustments (Form 1040 line 22) plus:
Business expenses taken on Schedule C
Losses reported on Form 8949 or Schedule D (including sale of home exclusion)
If the taxpayer does not qualify for a household exemption, the individuals may qualify for exemption code “A”.  Use the Affordability Calculator to see if they qualify.

16. ACA Exemptions Affordability Tests
1. Individual insurance from employer
If the employer provides individual insurance for the taxpayer (or spouse), this must be tested first to determine affordability.
If not affordable, use code A for the taxpayer (or spouse) alone.
If affordable, no exemption is available for the taxpayer, unless 2a below applies.
2. Family insurance from employer
If the employer offers a family insurance for the taxpayer (or spouse), this must be tested next to determine affordability for family members not offered individual insurance.
If not affordable, use code A for all family members not offered individual insurance by their employer and not already covered by insurance (e.g. Medicaid, Medicare, etc).
If affordable, no exemption is available.
If both taxpayer’s employers offer family insurance, use the least expensive one.
2a. Special case
If both taxpayers are offered individual insurance by their respective employers and both are affordable but the cost of both together (not a family policy) is unaffordable, and no affordable family insurance is offered, then use code G for the entire family.

17. ACA Exemptions Affordability Tests
3. Marketplace insurance
If the employer does not offer insurance, it must be purchased from the marketplace. The cost is that for the Lowest Cost Bronze Plan (LCBP) available less any PTC for which the taxpayer qualifies.
LCBP is the cost of one or more policies that includes any family member not offered insurance from an employer and who does not already have another exemption.
PTC is determined by a percentage of the difference in cost between the LCBP and the Second Lowest Cost Silver Plan (SLCSP).
The percentage is based on household income.
SLCSP is the cost of one or more policies that include any family member not otherwise covered by insurance. Medicare, Medicaid and CHIP recipients are not included!
If not affordable, use code A for each family member for which other insurance is not available.
If affordable, no exemption is available to those family members.
Use the Affordability Calculator to make this calculation manageable.

18. Nashua District Tax-Aide Website
Single source information and link site
Built and Maintained by Tom Gebro
Looking for Feedback on:
Ease of Use/Layout
Content/Adds and Deletes
Make It as Useful as Possible

19. Closing Comment
Until the final version of the production software is released, changes are possible
We intend to have additional training in late January as the full production software with State return capability is scheduled to deploy January 20th
DO NOT GET FRUSTRATED; ALL WILL GO WELL IN THE END; APRIL 14TH IS FAST APPROACHING