TaxWise Getting Started Guide_TY 2012

Getting Started Guide
Version 27.0 For the 2012 Tax Year
Welcome to TaxWise! You can be confident that you’ve chosen the best software to meet your professional tax
preparation needs. Our staff is ready to help in any way to make this your most productive and profitable tax
season ever! Thank you for choosing TaxWise.
2
Before You Install
You will need two items:
• Your IRS-issued EFIN or, if you do not yet have your EFIN, the Customer ID
issued by TaxWise Customer Care. Your Customer ID can be found in the
starburst on the Fulfillment Confirmation Slip enclosed with this package.
• Your Registration Code (REG CODE) which can be found on the Fulfillment
Confirmation Slip enclosed with this package.
Also, verify that your computer/network meets the 2012 TaxWise software
minimum system requirements, which are available on page 5. For
recommended system requirements, visit www.taxwise.com/products/sys.html.
If you are installing on a network, see pages 6 and 7 before installing TaxWise.
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Table of contents
Minimum system requirements............................................. 5
Network installation tips......................................................... 6
Setting up additional workstations on a network.............. 7
Installing TaxWise......................................................................8
Starting TaxWise for the first time................................... 9-12
Registering your software...................................................... 13
The login page.......................................................................... 14
Logging in to TaxWise............................................................. 15
Selecting a tax package.......................................................... 16
Choosing a tax return............................................................. 17
The home page........................................................................ 17
Using the TaxWise Solution Center
and SFS University...........................................................18-23
4
Minimum system requirements
Minimum System Requirements for
most TaxWise Products for Tax Year
2012:
• Microsoft Windows XP (32-bit
only with the latest service
pack)
• 800 MHz processor
• 512 MB of RAM
• 1 GB of available hard drive
space (per tax year)
• 8X speed CD-ROM
• 800 X 600 color monitor with
16-bit color video card
• Microsoft Internet Explorer 7.0
(with the latest service pack)
• 56K Internet connection
(Internet access required)
• PCL6 compatible printer. A laser
printer is required for printing
W-2 and 1099 Forms with
TaxWise W-2/1099 and
Payroll Compliance Reporting
programs.
• Ethernet network card (required
for network installations only)
• Adobe® Reader (version 8.1 or
higher)
Notes:
InterviewPLUS® Online requires
a broadband Internet connection
(DSL, cable modem, or T1/T3).
PaperlessPLUS works with most
TWAIN- and WIA-compliant
scanners. For optimal efficiency,
we recommend a scanner with an
automatic document feeder.
• Minimum requirements
provide adequate performance
for many users depending
on computer configuration.
While TaxWise may run on
configurations with fewer
5
resources, we cannot guarantee
performance or capability.
The following products are
compatible with Windows 7:
TaxWise Desktop Tax Software,
PaperlessPLUS, TaxWise Fixed Asset
Manager, IntelliForms, TaxScripts,
Client Accounting Suite, Trial
Balance, Payroll.
The following products have unique
system requirements: TaxScripts –
Compatible with Vista 64-bit, but
not Vista 32-bit at this time.
For recommended system
requirements for TaxWise and
additional requirements for other
products, visit www.taxwise.com/
products/sys.html.
Network installation tips
• Make sure your network is functioning
properly before attempting to install.
• After installing to the server, start TaxWise on
that machine and enter the setup information.
Select the Save as Workstation Defaults
check box in the lower left corner if you
want this setup information to be used at all
workstations.
• If your network is peer-to-peer, select your
most powerful machine to act as the server.
• Install TaxWise on a shared drive and map
each workstation to this shared drive.
• After you have started TaxWise and filled in or
verified the Setup Options information, you
may set up additional workstations.
• TaxWise must be installed and run from the
root drive. Do not install to a folder if you
want the server to act as a workstation also.
The installation goes directly to workstation
setup, so you do not need to run workstation
setup separately on a server.
• If asked to enter a workstation number, enter
a three-digit number between 100 and 999,
making sure each number is unique on the
network.
6
Setting up additional workstations on a network
After you have completed Setup Options
on the server, you must set up additional
workstations where TaxWise will be used.
• Each workstation must have access to the
drive on which TaxWise is installed.
• Each user must have administrative rights
on this workstation. Additionally, users
must possess full read and write privileges
on the drive that contains the UTS12
directory.
• At each workstation, users must run
workstation setup at: X:\UTS12\TWTECH\
SETUP.EXE where X: is the network drive
letter.
• If asked for a workstation number, enter a
three-digit number between 100 and 999
as long as the number is unique on the
network.
• Follow the on-screen instructions through
the rest of the process.
Workstation setup places a TaxWise shortcut
icon on the desktop and checks the hard drive
for Adobe Reader and Microsoft Internet
Explorer. You must install these programs if
they are not already installed.
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Installing TaxWise
1. Close any programs you have open. Insert the CD
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
in your CD drive.
If the program does NOT start automatically,
browse to My Computer (or Computer on
Windows Vista and Windows 7), double-click the
drive where the CD is located and double-click
the startup application.
On the window that opens, click Install
TaxWise. If the operating system is Windows
Vista or Windows 7, a User Account Control
dialog box will display. You have to click
Continue to give permission for TaxWise to be
installed.
In the Select Language window, select either
English or Spanish, and click OK.
In the TaxWise 2012 – InstallShield Wizard
window, click Next to proceed.
Read the license agreement carefully. You may
print the license agreement by clicking Print. To
continue the installation, click the radio button
8
indicating that you accept the terms of the
license agreement, then click Next.
7. In the drop-down box, select the drive to which
you are installing TaxWise. If you are installing
TaxWise to a network drive or server, answer Yes
to the question “Are you installing to a network
drive or server?” If prompted, enter a workstation
number (any number between 100 and 999).
8. You will be asked to confirm the drive designated
for this installation. Confirm and proceed by
clicking Install. If you want to review or change
any of your installation settings, click Back. Click
Cancel to exit without installing TaxWise.
9. The installation program will install TaxWise 2012
to the drive you selected. When the installation is
complete, click Finish.
10. If prompted, you must restart your computer
before running TaxWise. Please note: If you
attempt to run TaxWise before restarting your
computer, you will receive an error message and
Starting TaxWise for the first time
If TaxWise for Tax Year 2011 is installed on your computer,
you may choose to “carry forward” certain information to
TaxWise for Tax Year 2012.
1. If you want to use last year’s Setup Options, answer
Yes, to the question shown at right.
2. If you answer Yes to the previous question, you have
the option to bring forward client letters you created
last year.
3. If you want to bring forward user names and groups
from last year, answer Yes to the next question.
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4. If you do not bring forward last year’s users
and groups, you are given the option to bring
forward settings, including screen color
preferences, for the default users Admin,
Guest and Training.
5. If you want to bring forward last year’s EIN
database, answer Yes to the next question.
The EIN database is information about
employers entered in last year’s program on
Forms W-2, 1099-R, and 2441.
10
6. The Setup Options screen opens.
If you did not bring forward the setup files
from last year’s program, you must enter
your company EFIN, name, address, and
other applicable information on this screen.
If you have multiple EFINs, enter your main
office EFIN. Do not change the EFIN during
tax season. Select the Save as Workstation
Defaults check box to use the setup
information at all workstations on a network.
Important! If you do not have an EFIN,
use the Customer ID found in the starburst
on the Fulfillment Confirmation Slip
included in your CD package.
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7. Click the Next button until you
are on the Color Setup page.
8.Click Finish. This saves your
setup information.
12
Registering your software
Important! If you have already installed
and registered another TaxWise product
such as PaperlessPLUS version 12.0.0 or
Fixed Asset Manager version 12.0.0, your
Registration Code will be filled in for you
when you go to the first field.
In the Register Software window, enter the
20-character Registration Code (REG CODE)
found on the starburst on your Fulfillment
Confirmation Slip. Click OK.
13
The login page
You will see the following links on
the TaxWise Login page:
Click Show Release
Notes to view
information about this
release of TaxWise.
14
Logging in to TaxWise
You must log in to TaxWise using one of the default
user names or a user name that you brought forward
from last year. No password is needed on default user
names.
Log in as Admin to perform global office setup
procedures such as adding more user names and
setting defaults that apply to all users.
When you are logged in as Admin, you cannot
start new returns.
Log in as Training to preview the program and prepare
practice returns that can be transmitted to the Training
Electronic Filing Center.
Some administrative features are not available to the
Training user. To see those features, you must log in as
Guest, Admin, or a user name you created.
15
Selecting a tax package
All federal TaxWise packages have been
installed. Select a package based on the type
of tax return you want to prepare. You must
have purchased a package in order to start
a return in that package. To quickly select a
package, type the first letter of the package
name.
16
Choosing a tax return
After you select the tax package, TaxWise opens the
Return List screen. This allows you to quickly select a
return or start a new return. However, if you are logged
in as the Admin user, you cannot start a new return. To
close this screen, click Cancel.
If you do not want to see this screen every time you
change to a different user name, select the Do Not
Auto Show check box at the lower left of the screen.
Then click Cancel.
The home page
Next you will see the home page. The home page is
your home base in TaxWise and provides easy access to
tasks you do frequently, such as starting new returns.
The tabs on the home page lead to useful websites,
including www.irs.gov, TaxWise Blog, TaxWise Solution
Center and www.taxwise.com.
17
TaxWise Solution Center and
SFS University
The TaxWise Solution Center and SFS University
share user login information for the default
user name. Admin is the default user name for
Administrator on the TaxWise Solution Center
and Student Manager for SFS University.
Once you have set up your password on either
the TaxWise Solution Center or SFS University, it
can then be used for both sites.
Important! If you plan to set up members of
your staff both as students in SFS University
and as users on the TaxWise Solution Center
website, then set them up as students in SFS
University first. This automatically creates a
user account on the TaxWise Solution Center
site. Your staff can then use the same login
information to access both sites.
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Logging in as a Student Manager
for the first time on SFS
University
You will need your Client ID and the
Registration Code (REG CODE) both found
on the Fulfillment Confirmation Slip included
in your software package.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Go to http://training.cchsfs.com.
Click Log in as Student Manager.
Enter your Client ID.
Enter the user name admin.
Enter your REG CODE as the password.
Click Log in.
Click Change password.
Type a new password and follow the
prompts.
After you have selected a security question
and entered other account information as
prompted, the SFS University home page will
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Managing students on SFS University
In order for you or your employees to take courses, you must set up each person as a student. For detailed
instructions, see the SFS University User Guide, available from the home page as a PDF file.
To set up a new student:
1. Click the Log in as Student Manager
link in the middle of the page.
2. Log in to Student Manager using the
steps discussed on page 19.
3. Click the New Student link in the
navigation bar on the left side of the
home page.
4. Enter the information to create a
student and click Create.
5. If you have purchased courses, click
the Assign Content link in the left
navigation bar. Select the course and
click the Assign link next to the student
who needs the course assigned.
6. Click View Student Info to add
student’s address, phone number, PTIN,
credentials, CPE hours allocated, and more.
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Logging in as a student on SFS University
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Go to http://training.cchsfs.com.
Click Log in as Student.
Enter your company’s Client ID.
In the User Name field, enter the name that your student manager or administrator set up for you.
In the Password field, enter your user name again. This field is case-sensitive.
Click Log in.
Click Change password.
Type a new password and follow the prompts.
After you have selected a security question and entered other account information as prompted, SFS
University will open.
Important! If a staff member has already been
set up as a student in SFS University, that person
can log in to the TaxWise Solution Center website
using the same user name and password.
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Logging in as Administrator for the
first time on the TaxWise Solution
Center
Managing users on the TaxWise
Solution Center
(Before setting up users, see the Important note on
page 21).
You’ll need your Client ID and the Registration
Code (REG CODE), found on the Fulfillment
Confirmation Slip in your software package.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
On the TaxWise Solution Center, click Manage
Users to set up members of your staff as users.
You can now assign the role of “Administrator,”
“Manager” or “User” to members of your staff
who log in to the TaxWise Solution Center. Only
Administrators can view and change company
information. Make sure you safeguard the
password for the user name with Administrator
rights.
Go to http://support.taxwise.com.
Click Log in.
Enter your Client ID.
Enter the user name admin.
Enter your REG CODE as the password.
Click Log in.
Click Change password.
Type a new password and follow the
prompts.
After you have selected a security question and
entered other account information as prompted,
the TaxWise Solution Center home page will open.
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NOTE: Much information on the TaxWise Solutions Center
can be accessed without logging in. See the Solution Center
Quick Reference Guide in your software shipment for details.
Resetting passwords and accounts on
SFS University and the TaxWise
Solution Center
Forgot your password?
On the login page, click the Need Help?
link in the Password Requirements box
and follow the on-screen instructions.
You must be able to correctly answer your
security question. Students and users who
cannot answer the security question after
three attempts must ask their Administrator
to reset their password by going to the
Manage Users page of the TaxWise
Solution Center.
Admin users/Student Managers who cannot
correctly answer their security question can
still reset their password by entering the
e-mail address on file for the Admin user
when prompted.
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v27-012
Contact Us
E-mail: customer.support@cchsfs.com
Web: https://support.taxwise.com
CCH Small Firm Services
225 Chastain Meadows Court NW | Suite 200 | Kennesaw, Georgia 30144 | USA | www.taxwise.com
©2012 CCH Small Firm Services. All rights reserved.