TTFE Tips and Tricks Helpful tips on how to get through TTFE quickly and accurately

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

Personal Info Basic Info – 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, grandchildren, 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

Income/Deductions Screens Guide Me – takes users through every topic screen-by-screen – Time consuming I’ll Choose what I work on – Still shows all topics – Taxpayer can choose what applies to them, and skip what does not. – TIME SAVER!

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!

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- $6200 HOH-$9100 MFJ- $12400 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.

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: – 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.

HEALTH INSURANCE Covered all Year – 1095-A(Marketplace) – Medicaid – Employer – Private Insurance Confused about their coverage?.... You guessed it, find a tax expert!

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.

State Taxes State Taxes is usually the fastest section All appropriate Federal Info will be automatically transferred to their State Return

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

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

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 2014 return If they cannot get either, they can still file but they will have to mail it

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

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! 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

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