# Before You Start Checklist

**Audience:** Tax preparers and reviewers\
**Purpose:** Use this page as a reference to confirm that clients and documents are ready before beginning tax preparation in Filed.

## Client Readiness

**Client Setup for the Current Tax Year**

Before beginning tax prep in Filed, each client must exist as a 2025 client in the tax software. Clients can either be rolled forward from the prior year or created as new 2025 clients.

Filed cannot prepare returns for clients who are not active in the current tax year.

**New Client Requirements**

For brand-new clients, the client record must be created in the tax software before anything is sent to Filed.

At a minimum, the following information must be present in the client record: the taxpayer’s name, Social Security number, date of birth, and filing status.

## Prior-Year Returns

**Prior-Year Returns**

A 2024 tax return must be uploaded for every client sent to Filed, even if your firm has a tax software integration.

Filed’s AI uses the prior-year return to understand the client’s tax history and prepare an accurate draft. Without a 2024 return, tax preparation cannot be completed.

## Keeping Client Information Consistent

Client names should match across all systems used by your firm, including tax software, practice management systems, and document management systems.

Even small differences in spelling or formatting can prevent Filed from matching records correctly and may delay preparation.

## Document Handling Expectations

If documents are uploaded directly into Filed and your firm uses a practice management or document management system, those documents will not automatically sync back to those systems.

If documents need to be stored in a PMS or DMS for firm workflows or record keeping, they must be uploaded there separately.

## Reviewing Filed’s Output

Filed produces draft tax returns to save time, but it does not replace professional judgment.

All returns must be reviewed carefully and will require some level of manual adjustment before filing. Preparers are always responsible for reviewing calculations, confirming client-specific details, and making final changes in the tax software.

## Getting Help

* If something looks wrong, open the in-app chat from the page where the issue appears. This helps support resolve issues faster and ensure the Filed team can see more information about the page or client you are having an issue with.

> ⭐ **Reminder** ⭐\
> Filed accelerates tax prep — professional judgment completes it.


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