The mini-guide and video for the Customer Portal is now Available on the blog. These are not available in the Practice Lab at this time.

Click Here for the video.

Click Here for the training guide.

The taxpayer is allowed to upload the following file types to their secured customer portal

• pdf
• png
• jpg
• tif
• doc
• docx
• xls
• xlsx

The size limitation is a max of 5 meg per file with a total max of 25 meg of files the taxpayer can upload.

The volunteer will have two options for sending the link to the taxpayer

1. Send the link to the taxpayer via email (The goal is to pull this from the return)
2. Send the link to the taxpayer via text

Please note that if both options have been completed, the application defaults to sending the link to the taxpayer via their email address

Below is a screenshot that demonstrates what the volunteer will see when they select customer portal

There will be three access points available to all users that have been granted access to use the customer portal feature after completing the Basic Information section:

1.  Taxpayer name dropdown

2.  Left Navigation Bar

3. Submission Page

Can another preparer complete the chat or only the preparer who started the chat?

Another preparer cannot complete the chat but if the have an active security template they can view the chat.  We have a feature request in to allow any user that can see the return to complete or start a chat, however at this time we do not have a commitment that this will completed for TY2021.

Can we send the 13614 and 14446 to the taxpayer to fill out through the portal? Are there questionnaires built into the portal?

No, The taxpayer information must already be available to you before you start a return cannot be sent to the taxpayer via the portal. We have a feature request submitted, but have not received commitment that it can be implemented this year.

We will not be adding built-in questionnaires as this feature can be used across all VITA/TCE Pro Online sites and is also used by our Pro customers.

Will VITA sites and their taxpayers have access to the TaxSlayer mobile app to utilize the portal?

No

Just to make sure I understand correctly: The volunteer must create a new return and complete the Basic Information before they can access the Client Portal and send the Link to the taxpayer. So, a taxpayer cannot create their own account on the client portal without the link and cannot complete the basic information on their own. Is that correct?

Yes, the client portal utilizes the return ID to establish the secured portal

Will the tax preparer get notified if a client uploads a document to the customer portal?

No, but if you have sent the link , the site can establish procedures to determine which returns are still in progress. The preparer can check for uploaded documents via the tools drop down menu from the client list. The sites can also use return tags to track this information.

Does the taxpayer need any special signing software to create a signature in the customer portal?

No.  The taxpayer creates a signature by signing with their mouse.  They can also sign with a stylus or their finger for touch screen enabled devices

What happens if the taxpayer initiates a chat message and the preparer is not logged into TaxSlayer Pro Online?

When the preparer logs in to TaxSlayer Pro Online, they will see the chat notification that they have an unread chat message.

What are the file size limitations?

5 meg maximum per file with a total limitation of 25 meg per return

Sometimes taxpayers take photos of their documents, but the file size is very large. They may not know how to reduce the file size. Do you anticipate this will be a problem with client portal size limits per taxpayer?

This has not been an issue on the Pro side of the house where they  have been using this feature for several years

Is video allowed in the chat feature or in the customer portal to check ID?

No, however a best practice is to have them take a photo with their ID and upload it to the customer portal

Will training be available for us to train our volunteers?

Yes.  we will be creating a mini guide and a training video that is specific to how to use the customer portal.  Craig will also be covering this during his enhancement webinars that are scheduled to be conducted in December.

What sites have access to the Customer Portal?

All sites that have a license to use TaxSlayer Pro Online will have the ability to use the Customer portal feature.

Will there be any requirements to delete the uploaded documents?

No.  TaxSlayer will automatically delete uploaded documents in November of each year.

Can the taxpayer access their customer portal and upload documents via their phone?

Yes, if their phone has the capability.

Will the customer portal be available in the Practice Lab?

No

When will volunteers have access to the Customer Portal feature?

Volunteers will have access to the Customer Portal when the “Start New Return” feature is turned on in January 2022.

Q:  What happens if the preparer is in a return and a chat comes in?

A:  When the preparer closes the return, they will see the chat notification that they have an unread message

Q:  If the return is open, can I open the taxpayer’s document from another computer?

A:  Yes.  The uploaded documents can be opened via Tools>>Scanned Documents from the client list on a totally separate computer/device.

Q:  Do I have to have dual monitors to utilize the feature?

A:  No, The uploaded documents can be opened via Tools>>Scanned Documents from the client list on a totally separate computer/device.

Q:  Is the client portal available in Spanish

A:  No, but we will log an enhancement request to allow the taxpayer to switch to Spanish for a future year (not this year)

A:  If the preparer changes the return to Spanish and then sends the tax document to the customer portal, the return will display the forms that we translate to Spanish