Returns are prepared in data entry mode. Access data entry screens from the Data Entry Menu.
Navigating the Data Entry Menu
The General tab displays when the Data Entry Menu screen is opened. The General tab contains the most often used Federal Forms. It also contains banking forms and forms for Itemized Deductions. When data is entered for a first time client, the number 1 title, Name and Address, is highlighted.
When in a data entry screen, press ESC to save your data, exit the open screen, and return to the Data Entry Menu. Pressing ESC from the Data Entry Menu returns you to the Home window. While in data entry, you can use the TAB key, and the UP ARROW ↑ and DOWN ARROW ↓ keys to move from field to field, and the PAGE UP and PAGE DOWN keys to move from screen to screen.
To exit a screen and return to a previous screen, press ESC. Data entry changes are saved when exiting a screen. If you want to exit a screen without saving the entered changes, press SHIFT+ESC.
To access State Forms, type the two letter state code, e.g., NC for North Carolina, in the field at the bottom of the data entry screen then press ENTER. If you do not know the abbreviation for a state, click the States tab. A list of states and their abbreviations displays. Click the desired state. The screen for the selected state opens listing the available screens and forms and the corresponding codes needed to access them directly from the data entry text box.
All State screens offer FAQs. These are updated each year and should answer the most commonly asked questions.
From the General tab, select EF > EF Selections or type EF in the Data Entry field and press ENTER. Entries on the EF Selection screen carry to the Transmit Detail screen. If the EF Selection screen is blank, the default e-filing options of the Setup Options instructions are used.