Step 1: Identity
The first phase collects taxpayer identity and household information.
Personal info: First name, last name, SSN, date of birth, blindness status.
Household: Filing status (Single, MFJ, MFS, HOH, QSS). For MFJ or MFS, you also enter spouse details. If the taxpayer has dependents, enter how many and provide each dependent's name, SSN, date of birth, and relationship.
Income profiles: A series of yes/no questions about income types, investments, education, retirement, property, and energy credits. These answers tell PaisaTax which forms to expect — but forms only appear when actual data arrives.
Tip
Profiles are suggestions, not data creators. Answering "yes" to "Has W-2 income?" tells the system to expect a W-2, but the W-2 form only appears when you upload or manually add one.
Step 2: Source Documents
Upload the documents your client brought — W-2s, 1099s, 1098s, and other receivable forms.
Upload flow:
- Drag and drop files (PDF or image)
- AI classifies each document (W-2, 1099-NEC, 1098, etc.)
- OCR extracts field values into the correct form slots
- Review extracted data and correct any misreads
Auto-creation chains: Some documents trigger related forms automatically:
- Adding a 1099-NEC or 1099-K auto-creates a Schedule C slot
- Adding a 1099-B auto-creates a mirrored Form 8949 slot
- W-2 Box 12 Code W triggers Form 8889 (HSA)
- W-2 Box 10 with a value triggers Form 2441 (Dependent Care)
- W-2 Box 13 "Statutory Employee" checked auto-creates Schedule C
Step 3: Additional Situations
This step covers forms that require preparer knowledge rather than uploaded documents — Schedule C business expenses, Schedule E rental details, Schedule A itemized deductions, charitable contributions, and other preparer-input forms.
Only forms relevant to this client appear. If no additional situations apply, this step can be skipped entirely.
Step 4: Prep View
The main workspace. A split-screen layout with the PDF on the left and the wizard on the right.
What you can do here:
- Click any PDF field to jump to its wizard question
- Answer wizard questions and watch the PDF update live
- Switch between forms using the tab bar above the PDF
- Review color-coded fields to verify data sources
- Use the AI chat to ask questions, fill fields with natural language, or add forms
Form auto-enablement: As you enter data, computed forms appear automatically. Enter self-employment income and Schedule SE, Schedule 1, and Form 8995 (QBI) activate. Enter mortgage interest and Schedule A becomes available. You never need to manually toggle form visibility.