The tax preparer's workflow for taking a single client engagement from "Docs Received" through "Filed" — distinct from SOP-001 (which covers full client onboarding). Use this when an engagement is already past the organizer phase and ready for prep.

- Tax engagement at "Docs Received" or "Missing Info Q&A" stage - Internal client (firm doing accounting too) reaches "Import File Ready" via accounting completion - Re-prep after client provides corrected documents

- Primary owner: Tax Preparer assigned to engagement - Reviewer: Tax Manager - Engagement Partner: signs off on final return - Client: responds to Q&A, signs 8879

- Engagement past organizer phase (Organizer 100% complete OR internal client with accounting close finished) - All required source documents received in client folder (W-2s, 1099s, K-1s, 1098s, prior-year return) - Tax software access for chosen target (Drake / Lacerte / UltraTax / ProConnect / CCH Axcess / ProSeries) - AI Brain connected (M-022) if using AI Tax Preparation

1. Open engagement → engagement detail tabs (Organizer / Docs / Q&A / Import / Binder / 8879 / E-File) 2. Verify Docs tab — all source documents present in binder (M-012); for each W-2, 1099, K-1, 1098 visible + categorized 3. If at "Missing Info Q&A" stage: open per-form Q&A modal (M-011); 1040 has 10 questions, business returns have entity-specific question sets 4. Walk through Q&A — per-form: 1040 (prior year AGI, stimulus, K-1s, crypto, SALT, gifts, passive losses, at-risk, foreign tax credits, QBI); 1120-S (officers/SSNs/W-2 wages, stock basis, distributions); 1065 (partner SSNs/capital%, guaranteed payments); 1120 (shareholders, NOL, estimated payments) 5. Q&A 100% complete → Generate Import File button enables (M-013); export to chosen tax software (.TAX for Drake, .ut2 for UltraTax; OAuth push for ProConnect/CCH); fallback "Copy CSV" available 6. Optional: click Prepare with AI (M-012) for first-pass return draft — streams line-by-line return into binder; uses 14 auto-rules (W-2, 1099 various, crypto, §199A QBI, schedules) + IRS Tax Code DB context (13 IRC sections, FY-current limits) 7. Import generated file into tax software; preparer reviews + adjusts in software 8. Engagement moves to "Manager Review" stage; manager runs through binder + return draft; review notes added inline as Comments 9. Optional: click 🤖 AI Binder Review (M-012) — partner-level AI review of completeness, arithmetic, large-deduction comparison vs prior year, AMT exposure, state requirements 10. Resolve all manager review notes before sending 8879 11. Send 8879 for e-signature (M-026) — engagement moves to "Awaiting 8879"; KBA optional (per IRS Rev. Proc. 2021-47, KBA NOT required for 8879) 12. 8879 signed → 8879 auto-archived in binder + notification to preparer 13. Click Submit E-File (M-014) — engagement moves to FILED stage placeholder while ack awaited 14. IRS ack pulled within 24-48 hours: ACK = "Filed" stage; REJ = follow SOP-007 15. Filed → Create Invoice (M-010) auto-populates from time log or flat fee; client pays via portal 16. Payment confirmed → engagement to "Completed" (read-only; binder still accessible)

- If AI Tax Preparation output looks unreliable: don't blindly use — preparer always reviews; consider running on a different AI provider via Brain fan-out - If state e-file required: tracked separately via Module 14 fields; transmission via firm's tax software (ProDeskCPA monitors acks but doesn't transmit state) - If extension filing only: set extFiled=true + extDueDate; do NOT change main eFileStatus until actual return filed later - If MFJ with separate signers: 8879 needs 4 fields (2 sets of signature+date); sequential signing default

- AI output streaming partially fails (network glitch): retry; output is non-destructive - Tax software import file format mismatch: regenerate after fixing source data; do NOT manually edit the import file - Preparer leaves mid-engagement: re-assign via Settings; current state preserved - Client provides corrected K-1 after preparer started prep: re-import binder doc; re-run Q&A if affected; re-generate import file - Override-by-design: preparer can manually drag stage in Kanban regardless of completion gating; log reason if doing this

- All manager review notes resolved before 8879 sent (zero open at gate) - AI auto-rules coverage: 14 of 14 fired for relevant return types - E-file acceptance on first transmit: >98% - Time from "Docs Received" → "Filed": target 5-15 business days for 1040 (depends on complexity)

- Modules: M-011 Tax Pipeline · M-012 AI Tax Prep · M-013 Tax Software Export · M-014 E-File · M-026 E-Sign · M-007 Client Portal · M-010 Billing · M-031 Time Tracking - SOPs: SOP-001 (full new client onboarding — predecessor) · SOP-007 (e-file rejection handling) · SOP-008 (portal lock if invoice unpaid)

- Click on a task → timer auto-starts (M-031); preparer time auto-tracked against engagement for billing - IRS Tax Code DB has 13 IRC sections pre-loaded (401k, IRA, HSA, §179, §199A, §25C, §30D, §24, SALT, gift tax, home sale, §1031, SE tax) — auto-fed to AI as context - "Sync Codes" updates limits to current year — verify after each tax season starts - AI never auto-files — preparer always in the loop