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Sign documents as a taxpayer user

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When your tax professional needs you to sign a document, their request appears in the list of your requested items. Signing a document through TaxCaddy can help organize documents that signing, eliminating the need to sign and deliver documents to your tax professional manually. Documents that require your spouse's signature can also be signed using TaxCaddy.
TaxCaddy.com on PC, Mac, or tablet
Follow these steps to sign a document using TaxCaddy.com on your PC, Mac, or tablet.
  1. Sign in to TaxCaddy.com.
  2. On the
    Overview
     screen, you will see a
    Task List
    , with your
    Sign
     requests listed under
    Sign Documents
    .
    note
    Your progress in completing your
    Sign
     tasks will be denoted with the
    Progress
     icon. Once you've completed all your tasks, you will see the
    Completed
     icon.
    Select a Sign request
    If your tax professional has enabled 1041 tax return profiles on your account for trust/estate, select
    SWITCH TAX RETURN
     to select the correct tax return profile.
    Select SWITCH TAX RETURN
  3. Select a tile to view the
    Sign
     request.
    Select a signature request
  4. Your
    Sign
     request will appear in the
    Overview
     screen's document viewer.
    Selected signature request open in the task list
    note
    You can message your tax professional regarding this document using the
    Message
     icon.
    Select the Message icon
    If the document uploaded by your tax professional is password-protected, you'll need to enter the password. Contact your tax professional if you don’t have the password.
    When prompted, enter the document password
  5. You will see
    START SIGNATURE PROCESS
    ,
    SIGN & ACCEPT
    , or
    LET MY SPOUSE SIGN
     as options to fulfill this signature request. To sign the document, select whichever option you see.
    note
    If the document you are signing has incorrect information, you and your spouse can select
    Decline
     to remove the signature request. You can also use the
    Messages
     panel to send your tax professional a question regarding the document.
    START SIGNATURE PROCESS
    The
    START SIGNATURE PROCESS
     button only appears under the following conditions:
    • The document requires your spouse’s signature.
    • You haven’t added a spouse as an additional user or selected
      I don't have a spouse
      .
    Select START SIGNATURE PROCESS
    SIGN & ACCEPT
    The
    SIGN & ACCEPT
    button only appears under the following conditions:
    • The document hasn’t been signed
    • The
      Start Signature Process
       button is not visible
    Select SIGN & ACCEPT
    LET MY SPOUSE SIGN
    If your tax professional has indicated that only your spouse is required to sign this document, then your spousal signature request will be opened next to your
    Task List
    .
    Select LET MY SPOUSE SIGN
  6. If you select
    START SIGNATURE PROCESS
     due to your marital status being unknown, select 1 of 2 options to confirm whether or not you have a spouse:
    • Select
      I Do Not Have a Spouse
      if you are single.
    • Select
      I Have a Spouse
      if you are married.
    Start Signature Process window
    If you've previously indicated that you don’t have a spouse, the
    Sign Document
     window will appear after you select
    START SIGNATURE PROCESS
    . Here, you have the option to either:
    • Select
      FILE JOINTLY WITH YOUR SPOUSE
       to update your marital status and give your spouse the option to sign the request.
    • Select
      DECLINE SIGNATURE
       to fulfill the signature request by marking it as
      DECLINED
      .
    Sign Document window
  7. Select
    CONTINUE
    .
    Make your signature method then select CONTINUE
    If you selected
    I Do Not Have a Spouse
     for a spouse-only signature request, the
    Sign Document
     window will indicate that there are no actions left for this request. Select
    DECLINE SIGNATURE
     to mark the request as
    DECLINED
     and fulfill this request.
    Sign Document window
  8. Enter your first name as it appears on your profile page then select
    Submit
    .
    note
    You can update your user information from
    Settings
    .
    Enter your name then select Submit
    If the document has fillable fields, mark the checkbox to confirm you have verified those fields. You will no longer be able to edit them.
    Enter your name, select the confirmation checkbox, then select Submit
    Select
    SUBMIT
     to sign the document. Select
    CANCEL
     to close without saving.
  9. The
    Knowledge-Based Authentication
     window appears if you are required to verify your identity at the time of signing the document. Enter the required information then select
    Submit
    .
    note
    If the document requires your spouse's signature, your spouse needs to sign the document by verifying their identity using their own TaxCaddy account or using the taxpayer's account. If either the taxpayer or spouse fails the identity verification, both will need to sign the document manually.
    Knowledge-Based Authentication window
    important
    If we can't locate an identity record associated with your information (in this case, you will see the following error message), you should download the document and sign it manually.
  10. On the questionnaire step, select the correct answer, then
    Next
    . Repeat this step until you have answered all 4 knowledge-based authentication questions.
    Answer your knowledge-based authentication questions
  11. You have 3 attempts to answer a set of 4 questions correctly, after which the document is moved to the
    Uploaded Documents
     tab and the status is updated to
    Manual Signature Required
    .
    Knowledge-Based Authentication window notifying you of a failed authentication
    To resolve this, you can download the document and sign it manually. You can upload the signed document by taking a photo using the TaxCaddy mobile app, or upload it from your PC.
    Select the Documents quick access tile
  12. Once TaxCaddy confirms you signed the document, select
    Done
     to return to your Task List where you can go to a new request to fulfill.
    Signature completed
  13. After you've finished completing the signature requests required of you but there are still pending spousal signature requests, the
    Sign Document
     window will appear providing you with options on completing these spousal requests.
    If the document requires your spouse's signature, your spouse can sign the document using your sign in session or sign using their TaxCaddy account.
    • MY SPOUSE WILL SIGN NOW
       - This option lets your spouse sign a document in this session from your device without creating an account.
    • MY SPOUSE WILL SIGN LATER
       - This option lets you send your spouse an invite to join TaxCaddy. Once they join TaxCaddy, they can sign the document after logging into their account on their own device.
    Spousal signature prompt
    MY SPOUSE WILL SIGN NOW
    If you select
    MY SPOUSE WILL SIGN NOW
    , enter your spouse's verification details, then select
    SEND VERIFICATION CODE
    . Your spouse's phone number must be different than your phone number.
    note
    You will only see the
    Spouse's Phone Number
     window if your spouse doesn’t have a TaxCaddy account and this is your first time entering your spouse's information. If your spouse already has a TaxCaddy account, make sure your spouse is connected to you as a spouse and not as an additional user.
    Enter your spouse's information then select SEND VERIFICATION CODE
    If your spouse already has a TaxCaddy account, or their spouse information was already entered previously, then your spouse will automatically receive a text verification code on their device when signing from your TaxCaddy account.
    This will only be required of your spouse once per session. Once this account is logged out, they’ll be required to verify their mobile number once again.
    Enter your verification code
    MY SPOUSE WILL SIGN LATER
    If you previously selected
    MY SPOUSE WILL SIGN LATER
    , you'll need to enter your spouse's account information, letting you send your spouse an invite to join TaxCaddy. Once they join TaxCaddy, they can sign the document by signing into their account.
    Enter your spousal information to send them an invite
  14. The signed document is moved to
    Uploaded Documents
     tab in the
    Letters
     category and your tax professional is notified that you have signed the document.
    Signed document appearing in the Uploaded Documents section
  15. Sign other documents that require ID verification in the same sign-in session to skip the knowledge-based authentication steps.
    note
    Once your spouse completes the ID verification process once, their ID verification will continue to be valid for the remainder of the session.
iOS mobile app
Follow these steps to sign a document using the iPhone mobile phone app.
  1. Sign in to the TaxCaddy mobile app.
  2. Signature requests that your tax professional has uploaded to your account will appear on the
    Overview
     screen. select the
    Sign
     request you'd like to fulfill to view it.
    note
    Your progress in completing your
    Sign
     tasks will be denoted with the
    Progress
     icon. Once you've completed all your tasks, you will see the
    Completed
     icon.
    Select a signature request from your task list
    If your tax professional has enabled 1041 tax return profiles on your account, you can select the
    SELECT TAX RETURNS
     dropdown to view your available tax return profiles.
    Select SELECT TAX RETURN
    If the document uploaded by your tax professional is password-protected, you'll need to enter the password. Contact your tax professional if you don’t have the password.
  3. The document opens in the
    Document Viewer
    . If the document has fillable forms, select a field and enter data. As soon as you select out of the field, the document will automatically save your data.
    note
    You can message your tax professional regarding this document using the message panel.
    Selected signature request in the document viewer
    If you'd like to download this signature request document, select the
    Menu
     icon then,
    Download
    .
    note
    You can access the downloaded file from the
    Files
     app on your device.
    Select the document menu then Download
  4. Select the
    Sign
     icon to open the signature menu.
    note
    Once you've fulfilled a signature request, you will no longer be able to modify the contents of the signed document. Review the information before providing your signature.
    Select the Sign icon
  5. To sign the document, select
    Start Signature Process
     or
    Sign & Accept
    .
    note
    You will either see the
    Start Signature Process
     button or the
    Sign & Accept
     button.
    Start Signature Process
    : This button only appears under the following conditions:
    • The document requires your spouse’s signature.
    • You haven’t added a spouse as an additional user or selected
      I don't have a spouse
    Select Start Signature Process
    Sign & Accept
    : This button only appears under the following conditions:
    • The document hasn’t been signed
    • The
      Start Signature Process
       button is not visible
    Select SIGN & ACCEPT
    note
    If the document you are signing has incorrect information, you and your spouse can select
    Decline
     to remove the signature request. You can also use the
    Messages
     panel to send your tax professional a question regarding the document.
    You will see a
    Sign Document
     window if the document is password-protected. Enter the password in the
    Document Password
     field and select
    Submit
    . If you don’t have the document password, contact your tax professional to request the document password.
  6. If you see the
    Do You Have a Spouse
     window, select one of 2 options:
    • Select
      I DO NOT HAVE A SPOUSE
      if you are single.
    • Select
      I HAVE A SPOUSE
      if you are married.
    Select your spousal signature fulfillment option
  7. After you've made your selection, select
    CONTINUE
    .
    Select CONTINUE
  8. Enter your first name as it appears on your profile page and select
    Submit
    Enter your first name into the field
    .
    If the document has fillable fields, mark the checkbox to confirm you have verified those fields. You'll no longer be able to edit them.
    Select the confirmation checkbox when applicable
    Select
    Submit
     to sign the document. Select
    Cancel
     to close without saving.
  9. The
    Knowledge-Based Authentication
     window appears if you are required to verify your identity at the time of signing the document. Enter the required information and select
    Submit
    .
    note
    If the document requires your spouse's signature, your spouse will need to sign the document by verifying their identity using their own TaxCaddy account or the taxpayer's account. If either the taxpayer or spouse fails the identity verification, both will need to sign the document manually.
    Enter your name and other requested information then select Submit
    note
    If we can't locate an identity record associated with your information (in this case, you will see the following error message), you should download the document and sign it manually.
    If you or your tax professional have previously provided your personal information to TaxCaddy, we will automatically populate your records with the information we have on file. Take a moment to review the information and make any corrections.
    Notification that some fields may be prepopulated
  10. If a
    Knowledge-Based Authentication
     question appears next, select the correct answer then
    Next
    . Repeat this step until you have answered all 4 knowledge-based authentication questions.
    Answer the knowledge-based authentication questions
  11. You may skip this step if you have signed the document successfully. You have 3 attempts to answer a set of 4 questions correctly, after which the document is moved to the
    Uploaded Documents
     tab and the status is updated to
    Manual Signature Required
    .
    Failed knowledge-based authentication
    To resolve this, you can download the document and sign it manually. Once you have signed the document, you can upload the document by taking a photo or uploading the file.
    Select Take a Photo
  12. Once TaxCaddy confirms you signed the document, select
    Done
    .
    Successfully completed signature request
    After you've finished completing the signature requests, but there are still pending spousal signature requests, the
    Document Signed Successfully
     window will appear with options for completing these spousal requests.
    note
    TaxCaddy will finish collecting the taxpayer's signatures before prompting your spouse to complete their signature requests.
    If there are signature requests requiring your spouse's signature, your spouse can sign the document using your current sign in session, or their own TaxCaddy account.
    • My spouse will sign later
       - This option lets you send your spouse an invite to join TaxCaddy. Once they join TaxCaddy, they can sign the document after singing in to their account on their own device.
    • My spouse will sign now
       - This option lets your spouse sign a document in this session from your device without creating an account.
    Select a fulfillment option for your spousal signature request
    If you selected
    My spouse will sign now
    , you will need to enter your spouse's verification details and select
    SEND VERIFICATION CODE
    . Your spouse's phone number must be different than your phone number.
    note
    You will only enter your spouse's details if your spouse doesn’t have a TaxCaddy account and this is your first time entering your spouse's information. If your spouse already has a TaxCaddy account, make sure your spouse is connected to you as a spouse and not as an additional user.
    Enter the mobile number then select SEND VERIFICATION CODE
    If your spouse already has a TaxCaddy account or their spouse information was entered previously, your spouse will automatically receive a text verification code on their device when signing from your TaxCaddy account. This will only be required of your spouse once per session. Once this account is signed out, they’ll need to verify their mobile number again.
    Enter the verification code
    If you selected
    My spouse will sign later
    , you'll need to enter your spouse's account information, letting you send your spouse an invite to join TaxCaddy. Once they join TaxCaddy, they can sign the document by signing in to their account. A notification will appear indicating that a TaxCaddy invitation was sent to your spouse at the email provided. Your spouse can then create their TaxCaddy account to fulfill their signature requests.
    Provide the requested information for the spousal invite
  13. After completing your signature request and selecting
    Done
     in the
    Signature Completed
     window, you may be prompted to go to the next pending signature task if one exists.
    • Select
      NEXT TASK
       to open your next signature task in the
      Document Viewer
       to complete.
    • Select
      CANCEL
       to remain on the
      Overview
       screen.
    Select NEXT TASK to navigate to your next task
  14. Signed documents will move to the
    Uploaded
     tab in the
    Letters
     category. Your tax professional will be notified that you have signed the document.
  15. Sign other documents that require ID verification in the same session to skip the knowledge-based authentication steps.
    note
    After your spouse completes the ID verification process once, their ID verification is valid for the remainder of the session.
    Proceed to your next knowledge-based authentication task
Android mobile app
Follow these steps to sign a document using the Android mobile phone app.
  1. Sign in to the TaxCaddy mobile app.
  2. Signature requests that your tax professional has uploaded to your account will appear on the
    Overview
     screen. Select the
    Sign
     request you'd like to fulfill.
    note
    Your progress in completing your
    Sign
     tasks will be denoted with the
    Progress
     icon. Once you've completed all your tasks, you will see the
    Completed
     icon.
    Select the signature request task
    If your tax professional has enabled 1041 tax return profiles on your account, select the
    SELECT TAX RETURN
     dropdown to view your available tax return profiles.
    Select SELECT TAX RETURN
    If the document uploaded by your tax professional is password-protected, you'll need to enter the password. Contact your tax professional if you don’t have the password.
    Enter the document password when applicable
  3. The document opens in the
    Document Viewer
    . If the document has fillable forms, select a field and enter data. As soon as you select out of the field, the document will automatically save your data.
    note
    You can message your tax professional regarding this document using the message panel.
    Signature request in the document viewer
    If you'd like to download this signature request document, select the
    Menu
     icon, then
    Download
    .
    note
    You can access the downloaded file from the
    My Files
     app on your device.
    Select Download to download the signature request
  4. Select the
    Sign
     icon to open the signature menu.
    note
    Once you've fulfilled a signature request, you can no longer modify the contents of the signed document. Review the information before providing your signature.
    Select the signature icon
  5. To sign the document, select
    Start Signature Process
     or
    Sign & Accept
    .
    note
    You will see
    Start Signature Process
    ,
    Sign & Accept
    , or the
    Let My Spouse Sign
    .
    Start Signature Process
    : This button only appears under the following conditions:
    • The document requires your spouse’s signature.
    • You haven’t added a spouse as an additional user or selected
      I don't have a spouse
      .
    Select Start Signature Process
    Sign & Accept
    : This button only appears under the following conditions:
    • The document hasn’t been signed by you.
    • The
      Start Signature Process
       button is not visible.
    Select Sign and Accept
    note
    If the document you are signing has incorrect information, you and your spouse can select
    Decline
     to remove the signature request. You can also use the
    Messages
     panel to send your tax professional a question regarding the document.
    Let My Spouse Sign
    Your tax professional has indicated that only your spouse is required to sign this document.
    Select Let My Spouse Sign
  6. If you see the
    Start Signature Process
     window, select 1 of 2 options:
    • Select
      I Do Not Have a Spouse
      if you are single.
    • Select
      I Have a Spouse
      if you are married.
    Select I Have a Spouse
  7. Select
    CONTINUE
    .
    Select CONTINUE
  8. Enter your first name as it appears on your profile page and select
    Submit
    .
    Enter your first name in the provided field
    If the document has fillable fields, mark the checkbox to confirm you have verified those fields. You'll no longer be able to edit them.
    Select the signature checkbox
    Select
    Submit
     to sign the document. Select
    Cancel
     to close without saving.
  9. The
    Knowledge-Based Authentication
     window appears if you need to verify your identity at the time of signing the document. Enter the required information and select
    Submit
    .
    note
    If the document requires your spouse's signature, your spouse will be required to sign the document by verifying their identity using their own TaxCaddy account or the taxpayer's account. If either the taxpayer or spouse fails the identity verification, both will need to sign the document manually.
    Enter the information in the Knowledge Based Authentication window
    important
    If we can't locate an identity record associated with your information (in this case, you will see the following error message), you should download the document and sign it manually.
    If you or your tax professional have previously provided your personal information to TaxCaddy, your records will populate automatically with the information we have on file. Take a moment to review the information and make any corrections.
    Notification that some fields may be prepopulated
  10. If a
    Knowledge-Based Authentication
     question appears next, select the correct answer then
    Next
    . Repeat this step until you have answered all 4 knowledge-based authentication questions.
    Answer the knowledge-based authentication question
  11. You may skip this step if you have signed the document successfully. You have 3 attempts to answer a set of 4 questions correctly, after which the document moves to the
    Uploaded Documents
     tab and the status updates to
    Manual Signature Required
    .
    Notification that you've failed to complete the knowledge-based authentication
    To resolve this, you can download the document then sign it manually. After signing the document, upload it by taking a photo or uploading the file.
    Select Take a Photo
  12. Once TaxCaddy confirms you signed the document, select
    Done
    .
    Notification that you've completed the signature request
    If you've finished completing the signature requests and there are still pending spousal signature requests, the
    Document Signed Successfully
     window will appear with options for completing them.
    note
    TaxCaddy will finish collecting the taxpayer's signatures before prompting your spouse to complete their signature requests.
    If there are signature requests requiring your spouse's signature, your spouse can sign the document using your current sign in session, or sign using their TaxCaddy account.
    • My spouse will sign later
       - This option lets you send your spouse an invite to join TaxCaddy. Once they join TaxCaddy, they can sign the document after logging into their account on their own device.
    • My spouse will sign now
       - This option lets your spouse sign a document in this session from your device without creating an account.
    Select your spousal signature method
    If you select
    My spouse will sign now
    , you will need to enter your spouse's verification details, then select
    Send Verification Code
    . Your spouse's phone number must be different than your phone number.
    note
    Only enter your spouse's details if your spouse doesn’t have a TaxCaddy account and this is your first time entering your spouse's information. If your spouse already has a TaxCaddy account, make sure they're connected to you as a spouse and not as an additional user.
    Select SEND VERIFICATION CODE
    If your spouse already has a TaxCaddy account, or their spouse information has already been entered previously, your spouse will automatically receive a text verification code on their device when signing from your TaxCaddy account. This will only be required of your spouse once per session. Once they sign out of the account, they’ll need to verify their mobile number once again.
    Enter the verification code sent to your mobile device
    If you select
    My spouse will sign later
    , you'll need to enter your spouse's account information, letting you send your spouse an invite to join TaxCaddy. Once they join TaxCaddy they can sign the document by signing into their account.
    Enter your spousal information for the invitation
    A notification will appear indicating that a TaxCaddy invitation has been sent to your spouse at the email provided. Your spouse can then create their TaxCaddy account to begin fulfilling their signature requests.
    Notification that the invitation has been sent to your spouse
  13. Once you've completed your signature request and selected
    Done
     in the
    Signature Completed
     window, you may be prompted to go to the next pending signature task if one exists.
    • Select
      NEXT TASK
       to open your next signature task in the
      Document Viewer
       to complete.
    • Select
      CANCEL
       to remain on the
      Overview
       screen.
    Select NEXT TASK
  14. The signed document moves to the
    Uploaded
     tab in the
    Letters
     category. Your tax professional will be notified that you have signed the document.
    Select the UPLOADED tab
  15. You can sign other documents that require ID verification in the same sign in session to skip the knowledge-based authentication steps.
    note
    When a spouse completes the ID verification process once, their ID verification will continue to be valid for the remainder of the session.
    Select a new knowledge-based authentication request
Additional Notes:
  • Living Outside the U.S.
    • Try using a former U.S. address. When TaxCaddy searches for a
      Knowledge-Based Authentication
       (KBA) record, a U.S. credit history is required to find a match. Using a former U.S. address can work in some instances. If none is available, use your current residence and indicate "District of Columbia" for the state.
  • Unable to verify your identity on the
    Knowledge-Based Authentication
     step
    • Some individuals may not have a sufficient U.S. credit history record on file and will need to sign manually. The easiest way to do this is to download and print the document. Sign the printed copy and scan the document into TaxCaddy using the TaxCaddy mobile app.
  • The IRS requires e-signed records to be tamper-proof once they’ve been signed and reviewed. To ensure a document is legally binding, TaxCaddy will secure the document in read-only mode. This is a cautionary measure to ensure that digitally signed/reviewed documents can't be tampered with or additional pages are not attached to the signed/reviewed document at a later .
    These signed/reviewed documents can still be viewed in read-only mode.

This article applies to:

  • PRODUCT: TaxCaddy

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