SafeSend Returns
We are pleased to offer SafeSend Returns to our clients as a secure, electronic tax return delivery system. The user-friendly interface walks you through a guided process that includes an on-screen review of your return, collecting IRS-compliant e-signatures on e-file authorization forms, and options for making tax payments. Then, SafeSend Returns automatically sends the form(s) back to SC&H. SafeSend Organizers offers a guided process for individuals to complete their tax organizer and upload their tax documents online.
How SafeSend Works
- You will receive an email from SC&H with a “from” address of noreply@safesendreturns.com with a safe link for you to access your tax return.
- SafeSend will email or text you an access code to further verify your identity.
- For emailed codes, check your spam or junk folders if you do not receive the code in your inbox.
- You must enter the code within 20 minutes of receipt. If not, you will need to request another code.
- Once you have signed the e-file authorization form(s), SC&H will be notified and will complete the rest of the e-filing process.
Helpful Video Tutorials
Tax Organizer Step-By-Step Guide
The initial email will come from SC&H with a “from” address of noreply@safesendreturns.com.
1. Click on Let’s Get Started to open the Organizer.
1. Click Contact Person to reach out to the firm if you have any questions.
2. Click Get Started to proceed to Authentication.
1. Click the Request Access Code button. An access code is sent to the same email address to which the initial email was sent.
2. Enter the 6- or 8-digit access code in the code field.
3. Click Continue to proceed to the Welcome Page.
This is the main dashboard for your organizer.
1. The title line displays:
– Contact Person link for you to reach out to the firm.
– Settings panel where you can log out.
2. A message from your tax firm is displayed.
3. Select Click Here to Continue to move to the first step.
Please note: The Custom Questionnaire must be filled out before you complete your Organizer.
- Answer the questions provided by your tax preparer.
- You may see the following question types:
- Yes/No – These may have follow-up questions as well.
- Short Answer
- You may see the following question types:
- Click Save & Close to close the questionnaire and continue later.
- Click Finish when you are complete and ready to submit your responses to your tax preparer.
- The questionnaire cannot be re-opened if this option is selected.
You can also view the following:
- View a message from your tax preparer.
- View the completion status of the organizer.
After finishing the custom questionnaire, you will be directed back to the Welcome Page.
- Click Complete Organizer.
Follow the steps below to fill out your organizer.
- Click a bookmark name in the Bookmarks Panel to move to a specific page.
- Navigation
- Click the navigation arrows to move through the organizer pages OR
- Click the Blue Arrows at the bottom
- Type into the Notes to Preparer to enter any notes you need to provide to your CPA.
- Type into the green fillable fields of the organizer.
- Text can be entered over the original text
- If your organizer is sent to you and your Spouse, edits made will be identified with color coding to distinguish who completed it.
- Click Click Here to Upload to upload source documents. You can drag/drop files or click to open your file explorer.
- Note: This option only appears on certain pages.
- In the Bookmark Panel, icons are added to those pages that may require source documents.
- Note: This option only appears on certain pages.
- Click Save & Continue Later to be directed back to the Welcome Page.
- Click Finish to mark the organizer as complete.
After you click the Finish button, you will receive a pop-up notification to confirm you are done.
If a spouse was not included on the Organizer, the following steps will appear.
- Click Review Missing Information if the organizer is not completed.
- This option will bring you back to the organizer to continue filling out.
- Click Organizer Complete if the organizer is completed.
If a spouse was included on the Organizer, the following steps will appear.
- Click Send to My Spouse if you would like to send the organizer to your spouse for review.
- Click Finish if the Organizer is completed. Please note that if you click Finish, the Organizer will be marked as complete, preventing further changes by you or your spouse.
You have the ability to upload tax source documents within your organizer. You will receive an email confirming the firm has received your documents after upload.
Please note:
- Supported file types include PDF, DOC, Excel, PNG, and JPEG. Other file types cannot be uploaded.
- File names must be 200 characters or less.
- Encrypted or password-protected documents should not be uploaded and cannot be previewed.
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- Drag/drop into the box OR select Click to Upload.
- Upload one or more documents.
- Click Download to download the documents you have already uploaded.
- Click the Eye icon to preview your document.
- Click the Delete icon to remove the document.
- Click Continue Later to save your document uploads and send an email to the firm.
- This will allow you to upload more documents at a later time.
- Click Finish when you have uploaded all tax source documents.
- This will remove the upload option from your organizer.
- The firm that prepared the organizer can unlock the upload option for you.
- You must click Confirm to complete.
Tax Return Step-By-Step Guide
You will receive an email from noreply@safesendreturns.com with a link to your designated tax return
- Click the access link to get started
- Click Contact to reach out to the firm if you have any questions.
- Click Get Started.
Social Security Number Authentication (personal returns only)
- Enter the requested 4 digits of your Social Security Number.
- Click Confirm
Access Code Verification (all return types)
- Click Send Code. A code will be sent to your email address.
- Enter the 6- or 8-digit access code in the code field.
- Click Confirm
This is the main dashboard for your tax return.
- The title line has 3 options:
- View the Tax Year for the return.
- Click Contact Person to display a contact at the firm in case you have any questions.
- Click Client Panel to change your mobile number or edit your spouse’s information.
- The progress bar shows the step the return is currently in.
- Total refunds and payments for the return are displayed on the left.
- Click the Print icon to print the summary.
- Use the bottom arrows to open the panel to view more.
- A quick overview of the steps required to complete your return is displayed.
- Depending on what was included in the return by your tax preparer, these steps may appear differently. These additional steps are outlined below.
- Click Get Started to continue.
This page displays any instructions or messages included by the tax firm.
- View the message from your tax preparer.
- Click Print if you would like to print the message.
- Click Next to continue.
- Click the Return Section you want to review.
- Click Download to download and save documents to your device.
- Click Forward to forward all available documents to an external email address.
- Click Next to continue.
There may be up to 3 options to sign depending on your firm’s settings.
- Click e-Sign to sign electronically.
- Click Manually Sign to print, sign, and upload the forms.
- Click Delegate Signing to send tax forms to partners or shareholders for signatures.
Identity Verification (Personal Returns Only)
- Enter or verify Your Date of Birth for verification.
- Check the box to consent to e-signing.
- Enter your spouse’s email address (if applicable).
- Enter your spouse’s mobile number to prompt access codes to go to their cell phone (optional).
- Click Next to continue to:
- Knowledge-based authentication for individual returns.
- E-sign Your Documents for entity returns.
Knowledge-Based Authentication (Personal Returns Only)
- Select the correct answer.
- Answer 3 of 5 questions correctly to pass.
- If you pass, continue to the E-Sign Your Documents section.
- If you fail, you are directed to Manually Sign your documents.
- Answer 3 of 5 questions correctly to pass.
- Click Next.
E-Sign Your Documents (All Return Types)
A list of all pages that require your signature is listed in the left panel. A green check appears next to the page after it is signed.
- Click the Start arrow to be led to your first signature line.
- Click the green Signature block to open the Add Signature window.
- Continue to click the Next arrow as you proceed through each signature.
- Click Type OR Draw to choose your signature type.
- Click Apply.
- Click Next to continue
Please Note: If there is a spouse on the return the confirmation screen below appears. Here you can update the spouse’s email and add a phone number (optional). Click Next to finalize signing.
- Click Download to download documents requiring a signature.
- Drag and drop the documents OR click Choose File to open a file browser to upload the signed documents.
- View the alternative sending methods if you are unable to upload the signed documents electronically:
- Send by Mail
- Send by Fax
- Click Next.
When the Managing Member of the Grouped Return reaches the signing section of the Client Experience, they can e-Sign the return or delegate the signing of the tax return to another user. The Controller can reach this page by going into the return on their dashboard.
- Click Delegate Signing.
- Complete fields in the Send for Signature dialog box as noted below (all fields required).
- First Name
- Last Name
- Confirm Email
- Message to Signer
- Click Send.
After the return is sent for Signer Delegation and the delegate completes e-signing, the controller or client receives an email notification that e-signing has been completed and the e-file forms are ready for download.
After a return is sent for Signer Delegation, the controller or client can update or cancel the delegation. To update these details, they must click on their access link and authenticate to access the Summary Page.
- Click Update Delegatee.
- Update delegatee details.
- Click Send.
- Click Update Delegatee.
- Click Cancel Delegation.
- Enter the Reason for the cancellation (required field).
- Click Submit.
- Click Resume to complete signing.
The Paper File Returns section only appears if your delivered return includes a paper file return. You must consent to the terms of the Paper File Return before you are allowed to print the documents.
- By clicking I Consent, you agree to file the Paper File Return with the respective tax authority.
- If you choose to Skip you can access your Paper File Returns from the summary page and receive the Consent to Paper File Returns pop-up again.
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- Print or Download the Paper File returns individually under the Action column for each return.
- Click Print to print all the returns into 1 PDF.
- Click Download All to download a ZIP File with all paper file returns.
- Click Skip to skip this step OR
- Click Next to continue.
This option is only available for entity returns.
Send Electronically
- Click Send Electronically on the K-1 distribution dashboard.
- Click the Edit Partner Details button in the Action column.
- Enter the Shareholder’s email address in the Update K-1 Partner Details window.
- An email address is required before a K-1 package can be delivered.
- If a mobile number is added, the Access Codes are sent by text.
- Click Save to save any changes made.
- Select one or more K-1 packages to be distributed.
- If you Select All, the K-1s on the current page and any additional pages are selected.
- Click the Email Documents button.
- View the Status of delivered K-1s.
- Click Mail Hard Copies on the K-1 distribution dashboard.
- Documents can be downloaded individually or in bulk.
Download Individual K-1s
The K-1 is downloaded as a single PDF to your browser’s default location.
- Locate the K-1 to be downloaded.
- Click the Download option in the Action column.
Download Multiple K-1 Packages
The K-1(s) are downloaded to your browser’s default location.
- Check the box next to the K-1 package(s) to be downloaded.
- Click Download to select how you would like to download the K-1s.
- Click Download All K-1s to download all K-1s for each shareholder into 1 PDF.
- Click Download Selected K-1s to download each checked K-1 as a separate PDF in a ZIP file.
IMPORTANT
When K-1s are downloaded, the document(s) either go directly to the default download location on your PC or go to the My Downloads folders inside of SafeSend. If there are many files or very large files, they go to the My Downloads folder in SafeSend.
- Click on your entity name.
- Click My Downloads.
- Click on the download icon to save the document to your computer.
IMPORTANT
Estimated payments appear when you click Next. The options are the same for Tax Payment and Estimated Payments.
- Click the Due date to view the payments due.
- Check or uncheck the Email me reminder… to adjust reminder settings.
- If checked, you can adjust the number of days before the due date that you receive the reminder.
- Click Payment Voucher to download all vouchers.
- Click Filing Instructions to download all filing instructions.
- Click Next.
Pay Vouchers
- Click Pay.
- Click Pay Now to open a new tab for the taxing authorities website to pay online.
- Click Get Voucher to download the payment voucher.
- Click Add Payment Details to mark the voucher as Paid.
- This step is optional and for record-keeping only.
- Review the pop-up warning and click Done.
- Enter the details for the payment made — check number is optional.
- Click Add Payment when done.
- Click Next to complete all steps.
Once the return is completed you are directed back to the Welcome Page, but different options are now available. It is also what populates when you re-enter the return at a later date.
- Summary Panel — Click the Print icon to print the summary.
- Click Make Tax Payments to be directed back to the Pay section.
- Click Download Tax Documents to see a list of documents included in the return.
- Click View Tax or Forward Tax Documents to be taken back to the review step.
- Click View or Download Signed Documents to download the signed e-file forms.
- Click Print and Mail Paper File Returns to access your Paper File returns.
INFO
Any signed documents downloaded from SafeSend are password-protected and cannot be edited. The audit report printed with the signed document is used as a security standard to track document history events. Allowing the report to be edited would make it unviable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. You can download and print your return from a computer. If you’re using a smartphone or tablet, you can review and e-sign your return package but may not be able to print it. Please use a laptop or desktop computer for the best printing experience.
Yes! Email notifications regarding your return will come from noreply@safesendreturns.com or noreply@safesend.com.
For spouses filing jointly, there are a few ways to sign via SafeSend Returns:
- If both spouses have an email address on file, both will receive an email with a link to view the return and sign the e-file authorization form(s). First, one spouse will receive the link with identity verification questions specific to him/her. He or she will sign the e-file authorization form(s) and confirm or input the spouse’s email address, which will send an email link to the second spouse. The second spouse will answer identity verification questions specific to him or her and then sign the form(s).
- If only one spouse has an email address on file, that spouse will first receive the link with identity verification questions specific to him/her. He or she will sign the e-file authorization form(s) and then enter an email address for the second spouse. The second spouse will then receive the email link with identity verification questions specific to him/her.
- If a couple shares an email address, the primary signer will first receive a link with identity verification questions specific to him/her. After the primary signer signs the e-file authorization form(s), he/she can then enter the shared email address again. A new link will be sent with identity verification questions specific to the second spouse.
