It Is Often Beneficial for New Or Less Seasoned Volunteers to Have Access to Taxwise On

CONFIGURING TAXWISE FOR TRAINING AND PRACTICE

August 19, 2011

SUMMARY: This document provides general guidelines for configuring TaxWise desktop for training if TaxWise Online is not used or not available because there is no Internet connection.

It is often beneficial for new or less seasoned volunteers to have access to TaxWise for training and practice. The easiest way to allow this access is to provide them with a TaxWise Online (TWO) training site account. They do not have to work at a TWO site to use the TWO training site. For instructions, refer to the “Using TWO With a Desktop EFIN,” document in the Technology Software tab, TaxWise Online group, on the Tax-Aide Extranet: taxaide/

However, it is also possible to set up TaxWise on volunteers home or AARP computers. Care must be taken when setting up TaxWise for such a purpose. The rest of this document describes the setup of TaxWise desktop for training. This is considerably more complex and time consuming than using TWO.

These guidelines are written assuming TaxWise 2010 is the Prior Year software.

1. The prior year software MUST be used.
2. The TaxWise standard EFIN for prior year returns, 070743, should be used if the Registration Code is available. This standard Registration (Reg) Code isn’t available for the previous year until October. The EFIN and associated standard Reg Code can be obtained from the TaxWise Knowledge Base – search for “prior year EFIN.” The document, “Prior-year TaxWise registration codes” gives the EFIN and Reg Code for all prior years.

Otherwise, if training is started prior to the release by CCH of the standard Registration Code, then TaxWise should be registered using a regular “live” EFIN and Registration Code for the District concerned.

1. TaxWise must be configured such that the user cannot transmit returns to the ElectronicFilingCenter.
2. The TaxWise ADMIN user must be password protected and the password not revealed to volunteers.

Each TaxWise username is assigned to a group which is defined in the TaxWise Security Manager. The default groups are:

Administrator

SuperUser

Training

Demo

InterviewUsers

ReturnManager

SuperUser, or a custom group, is most generally used by Tax-Aide for work during tax season. A user belonging to the SuperUser Group can do everything in TaxWise except some of the functions that are reserved solely for the Admin user.

The above group capabilities are locked in place and cannot be changed. However custom groups can be created.

The default Traininggroup has special restrictions. Specifically it forces the use of the EFIN as a part of the SSN used for a return, and it provides the capability to transmit returns to the TrainingElectronicFilingCenter. The Training group is helpful for training Transmitters (EROs) but may be confusing for general TaxWise users.

Alternatively, a custom group can be established for training general TaxWise users. The name can be whatever you choose, however TATRAIN is suggested.

If you use TATRAIN, it should be set up in the TaxWise Security Manager as follows:

1. Start TaxWise and log in as ADMIN
2. Go to the Security Manager
3. Click on Groups, then on New.
4. Enter TATRAIN as the GROUP name.
5. Enter “Group for Tax-Aide Training” as a description (Optional)
6. Follow the table below and move“Available Actions” into the right column of the Group window.

1. Create a user in Security Manager (suggested name TAXAIDE) and assign that user to the new TATRAIN Group.

When/if the time comes for the computer to be used for production work all that is needed is to change the group assignment of the TAXAIDEuser from TATRAIN to SuperUser

1. Finally, the ERO or the person acting as Admin user must set up TaxWise and create the defaults and print packets.
   

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