Important Information about Ordering...

The following information applies to 2009 Editions of Tax Preparer (for preparing and filing returns in 2009 for tax year 2008 returns). For information on 2008 Editions (for extension returns and amended returns for tax year 2007), click here instead.

Delivery Schedule. To ensure the fastest delivery you must order early because tax products are shipped in the order that paid orders are received (First-In/First-Out). Normal schedule is:

• Pre-release shipped late-December to early-January. Available only for the 1040 programs, with all the features needed to file returns that don’t require forms not yet ready at that time. Pre-release contains no manuals, IRS documents, nor e-file.
• Regular release shipped mid-January. The regular release is complete with all forms and documents included except for items delayed by the IRS.
• Paper manuals shipped after all software products are delivered. On-screen manuals are shipped with the software product, but paper manuals (which are purchased separately) are shipped later due to the extra time required for printing and shipping.

On-screen documents. Manuals and IRS documents are supplied in PDF format for easy on-screen viewing and printing. (See the Order Form for list of on-screen documents included in each product.) To view these documents you must use Adobe Acrobat Reader, available free on the Internet and included on HowardSoft CD-ROMs. All HowardSoft manuals take full advantage of two important Adobe Acrobat capabilities:

• Bookmarks. The Bookmark tab (F5 key on early versions of Adobe Reader) gives you a clickable Table of Contents in the left pane of a split screen.
• Search. The ctrl-F key gives you the ability to search and find any word or phrase like an index.

Graphic printing. Graphic printing of all supported forms is included in all Standard Level and Premium Level updates. Graphic printing requires only a Windows-compatible printer capable of printing a 7.5 by 10-inch image on an 8.5 by 11-inch page. Note that the Standard Level supports the traditional set of forms that HowardSoft has included for years plus a few others, but the Premium Level contains twice as many forms. See the separate Comparison Chart for details. (An option for HP laser printing is also included for those who have a laser printer that supports HP's PCL printing language, is connected to an LPT port, and supports compatible tax fonts. This option may be advantageous for those who experience slow Windows printing because of limited memory or low processing speed.)

Professional e-file. Professional e-file is included with all Standard Level and Premium Level CD-ROMs. It provides you with the capability to transmit most returns prepared by Tax Preparer for a nominal per return transmission fee. However, to use professional e-file you must:

• Meet hardware requirements. You must have Internet access and a hard disk with at least 75 MB of free space. We also recommend at least 64MB of free computer memory (32MB min.).
• Get an EFIN from the IRS. That’s the IRS Electronic Filing Identification Number. If you already have one, you’re already set; you don’t need to get a new one each year. Otherwise you must file IRS Form 8633 to apply for the number. Click here to download IRS Form 8633 (in PDF fill-in format, for easy on-screen viewing, fill-in by computer, and printing to paper).
• Register your transmission software. The software is already included on your CD-ROM, but you must register with us to activate it. Click here for more information on registration and available options.

Also see our Comparison Chart for more detail on the differences among the three levels of software we offer.