Create and send tax return delivery

Note

This article applies to firms in the US.

Tax return delivery is a convenient way to present your client’s tax return in a clear, structured format, request payment if needed, and obtain a signature. It allows you to answer key questions right away, so your client won’t need additional explanations or clarifications. It speeds up the process and reduces the chance of errors, making it easier to complete required steps.

Create tax return delivery

The tax return delivery is a tool that allows you to create an explanatory note for a tax return and send it to your client along with the document. It is part of TaxDome’s tax return intake and delivery workflow , which helps you collect documents, prepare and deliver completed tax returns to clients.

To create a tax return delivery, fill out the following parts:

a) Group pages for client delivery: A section where you can highlight the most important pages of the tax return for your client.

b) Intro: An introductory context and client-facing explanations that help review the document and reduce the need for additional follow-up questions.

c) Highlights: The section containing pages you’ve specified in the Group pages for client delivery section with key details for your clients: 1040 forms, special instructions, or anything else. Here you can add tax return summaries .

d) Signature requests: A section where you can place your signature and insert placeholders for the client’s signature.

e) Invoice: An attached invoice that locks the tax return delivery until paid.

f) Payment vouchers: The section containing pages with official IRS or state-issued payment vouchers you’ve specified in the Group pages for client delivery section. Here you can add tax return summaries .

g) Full document: The full tax return document.

Note

All sections are optional—you can skip any of them if there’s nothing to include.

Step 1. Choose documents

Info

Only the firm owner, admin, and team members with the manage documents permission can create and edit a tax return delivery.

First, you need to upload the tax return documents or choose existing ones. You can create the tax return delivery from a single document or combine multiple documents .

Also, you can create a tax return delivery directly from the Job card . This way, it will be automatically linked to the job.

Note

Upload your tax return documents into a folder with Client can view permission . Otherwise, you will not be able to share it with the client.

Start with the single document

To create a tax return delivery with a single document:

• Go to client’s Documents or Documents > Clients docs: Click the three dots near the document you need and select Prepare tax return delivery from the menu.

• Open the tax return document, click the three dots, and select Prepare tax return delivery.

Start with multiple documents

Note

The same document can be added to multiple delivery packages as needed. Attached invoices and signature requests won’t carry over—only the document itself will be included.

You can create a tax return delivery for multiple documents at once—TaxDome will automatically merge them into one file. To do this:

1. Go to client’s Documents or Documents > Clients docs.

2. Choose all the documents you need; only PDF files are supported.

3. Click Prepare tax return delivery.

4. Review your selection. You can add more documents if you have missed something.

5. Toggle on the Delete original files after creating tax return delivery if the tax return contains duplicate files from previously uploaded documents.

6. Click Continue.

7. Name the combined document and choose a folder to save.

8. Click Save and continue. The documents will be combined into a single PDF file.

Start without document selection

You can open the editor first, and then choose the documents for the tax return. To do so:

1. Open the editor in one of the following ways:

   • Click New > Tax return delivery

   • Go to the Tax return delivery section of the client’s docs and click New tax return delivery

   • Open the job card from your pipeline or Workflow > Jobs section, click New, and select Tax return delivery from the list

2. Add all the documents you need from TaxDome or from your computer; only PDF files are supported.

3. Click Continue.

4. If you’ve uploaded files from your computer, choose a folder to save files and click Save&Continue.

Step 2. Group pages

To help clients focus on what matters most, you can specify:

a) Highlights. The most important pages for your client: payment deadlines, special instructions, or anything else they should pay attention to before filing.

b) Signature requests. Pages that require the client’s signature.

c) Payment vouchers. Pages that contain official IRS or state-issued payment vouchers, that clients can download and print to make an offline payment.

You can enter page numbers one by one (e.g., 1, 2) or as a range (e.g., 3–5). Your clients will receive the chosen pages along with tax return summaries. The full tax return document will also be available.

Step 3. Add introduction

Add some introductory context and client-facing explanations in the Intro section to help your client better understand the tax return. You can write introduction from scratch or use a template

To improve client’s experience:

• Use formatting: different fonts, font sizes, lists, and links

• Upload images from your computer

• Embed videos via a Loom or YouTube link (other platforms are not supported)

Step 4. Fill out tax return summary

The tax return summary gives clients a quick overview of their taxes, penalties, and refunds without reviewing the full return. It highlights key amounts so clients can quickly see what they owe, what they’re getting back, how and when to pay. To add a tax return summary:

1. Go to Highlights or Payment vouchers section.

2. Click on the + next to the summary type you want to add:

   • Taxes owed
   • Estimated payments
   • Refunds

You can add multiple entries of the same type, even for Federal, State and City tax.

3. Fill out the required details.

For estimated payments and taxes owed:

• Authority: Federal, State, or City
• Due date
• Payment method
• Tax owed or voucher amount
• Credit from the prior year (for payments due only)
• Penalties and interest (for payments due only)

For Refunds:

• Authority: Federal, State, or City
• Overpayment
• Penalties and interest
• Applied to next year’s tax

Note

The amount to pay and refunds to be received will be calculated automatically.

4. Add a comment with payment instructions to each summary type if needed.

5. Click Save.

6. Add other summary type if needed.

You will still be able to review the section and make changes . To delete the summary, click Remove section or Remove all.

Payment methods available

The payment method tells clients how to complete each payment. There are five payment methods to choose from:

1. Authority portal. Payment is made directly on the tax authority’s website. When you select an authority (like a state), TaxDome automatically provides clients with a link to that authority’s payment portal .

Note

We include payment portal links for federal and most state tax authorities. Local authority links are not available yet.

2. Auto-withdrawal scheduled. Payment will be automatically withdrawn from the client’s account on the scheduled date. No manual payment is needed from the client.

3. Firm will handle. You are going to process the payment on behalf of the client.

4. Online payment only. The client needs to pay through an online system, but not necessarily through a tax authority’s website.

5. EFTPS only. Payment must be made through the IRS’s official system for electronic tax payments (EFTPS).

Step 5. Set up payment reminders

If you want your client to receive a notification about pending payments, turn on Send automatic payment reminders toggle after creating a tax summary .

Your client will receive a reminder 14 days before the payment deadline. If the payment due date is fewer than two weeks, the reminder will be sent immediately after you send the tax return.

You can check the reminder status on the Tax return delivery page within the sent document.

Step 6. Request signature

To provide your clients with an smooth end-to-end experience, include your signature and add signature placeholders directly in the tax return. To do this:

1. Click Signature requests. For your convenience, this section will only display the pages you specified in the Group pages for client delivery section.

2. Choose signers. You can select contacts linked to the account who have access to the portal.

3. Drag and drop the signature field. If needed, hover over one of the field corners and resize the field. You can also request KBA.

Note

If you decide to use KBA, you are charged for each signer’s attempt to complete a signature field with KBA. Learn more about KBA pricing .

Note

Tax return delivery doesn’t send automatic signature reminders. To notify clients about pending actions, set up reminders for the entire delivery package when sending it.

Step 7. Link tax return to invoice

You can attach invoices directly to your tax return delivery to ensure clients pay before accessing the document. This creates a seamless experience where clients pay, review, and sign in one flow, helping you receive payments faster.

Note

If you have linked a tax return delivery to an invoice, the client cannot review or download it until they complete the payment. Learn more about locking documents to invoices .

To add an invoice to your tax return delivery:

1. Go to the Invoice section.

2. Click Link invoice.

3. Choose an invoice from those you have already sent to the client or create a new one .

4. Click Save.

Review delivery package and send to client

Once you have created a tax return delivery , the document is visible under the Docs tab in the Tax return delivery section. You’ll be able to review it and make changes. However, the tax return delivery will not be visible to the client until you send it. Here’s how:

1. Click Send to client on any page of the tax return delivery creation process.

2. Review the included sections.

3. Set up automatic reminder emails for the entire delivery package to nudge clients to review the package: select the number of reminders and the interval between them. You can review and edit reminders at any time.

4. Add a message if you’d like. The client will receive it as an email.

5. Click Send to client again to confirm.

Client view

Once you send the tax return delivery, clients can review the delivery package and find all their tax payments in the Tax Summary section.

Tax return delivery package

The client will see the tax return delivery in their To-do list on the homepage. If you have linked the document to an invoice , they will see an Awaiting payment card.

After payment (if required), clients can review their tax return step by step:

1. Read the introduction (if available).

2. Review the tax return summary along with the specific pages you selected in the Group pages for client delivery section.

3. Sign the document.

Tax Summary

Clients see all filed returns in the Tax Summary section of their portal. Inside each return, they’ll find payment amounts with key details, links to authority portals for online payment, and the specific voucher pages you selected for offline or bank payments. Clients can mark payments as paid and refunds as received, and download signed tax returns when available.

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