If you are a TaxSlayer Pro Premium subscriber, you can use a handheld 2D barcode scanner to capture data from and take photos of taxpayer documents. TaxSlayer Pro supports the Motorola / Symbol model DS6707 handheld scanner. It is available from many online vendors.
The first time you insert the scanner's USB plug into your PC you may be prompted to install additional software, so follow the prompts to update your computer's Windows installation.
IMPORTANT: Never stare into the laser beam.
***The Scanner only takes a picture and does not autofill out or carry the information into the return. It just takes a photo and saves it in the return and papercut.
Premium Configuration
To enable use of a handheld scanner in TaxSlayer Pro, from the Quick Menu select:
- Configuration
- Configure Premium Options
- Add an Option to Scan Form W-2 2D Barcodes - Change from NO to YES.
Scanning Modes
The DS6707 scanner has two modes: one for taking pictures and one for scanning barcodes. The PDF document "Snapshot-Mode" attached to this article can be printed and used to toggle between the two modes:
- Scan the "Document Scan Mode" barcode to use the scanner to take pictures of documents.
- Scan the "Barcode Scan Mode" barcode to scan the barcode on a W-2.
To toggle between modes, point the scanner at the barcode and press and release the trigger to scan the code. The code you scan will switch the scanner to that mode.
Scanning a W-2 (Barcode Scan Mode)
To scan a W-2 barcode into a tax return, from the Main Menu of the tax return select:
- Income
- Wages, Salaries, Tips (W-2)
- Other button
- Scan Form W-2 2D Barcode - Scan the barcode, then click Ok.
A sample W-2 for testing purposes is attached to this article.
Scanning Documents (Document Scan Mode)
Select the PaperCut icon in the toolbar at the top of the TaxSlayer Pro window.
Under the Tax Returns tab, locate and click the taxpayer whose documents you wish to scan.
Click the blue Scan button.
In the "Select Scanner" window, click Motorola Scanner
In the PaperCut Scanner window, ensure the scanner is listed as available. In this example, the scanner hasn't yet been found (note nothing listed under "Available Scanners"):
If the scanner hasn't been found, click "Rediscover Scanners". You may need to click more than once.
When the scanner is found you will see "1 SNAPI" in the Available Scanners drop down menu.
If the program is having trouble finding the scanner, scan the "Document Scan Mode" barcode on the Snapshot-Mode page, then click "Rediscover Scanners" again.
Once the scanner has been found, select the type of document you will be taking a picture of:
The type of document is for the purpose of naming the image so you'll know what it is. The type you select will be included in the image file's name along with a timestamp of when the picture was taken. For example, a scan of a 1099-MISC will be called "1099_Misc-xxx, where xxx is the 14-digit timestamp (YYYYMMDDhhmmss).
When you've indicated the file type and are ready to scan, click the Scan button:
The scanner will sound four tones and display a laser frame. Center the document within the frame, and click and release the trigger. The scanner will take a picture of the document.
The document is automatically saved to Paper Cut. If you're happy with the result, you can close the scan window, or scan another document. If you're not happy with the result, click Scan again and take another picture.
In Paper Cut, to see the documents you have scanned you will need to refresh the taxpayer's information in the Paper Cut window. Reselect their name to refresh the list of scanned documents.
Scanning and viewing documents within the return
You can also scan a document using the same procedures as above but from within the client's tax return. From the Main Menu of the tax return select:
- Personal Information
- Scan Documents - Follow the same steps above.
To view the documents in a return, from the Main Menu of the tax return select:
- Personal Information
- View Current Year Tax Return PDF(s) - Double-click the image or PDF you wish to view, or single-click the eye symbol to the right of the document.
Note: A barcode on a W-2 should contain the same information on the form, but they aren't always printed correctly. Always double-check the information pulled from the barcode to ensure it matches your client's W-2. TaxSlayer Pro is not liable for any returns sent with incorrect information.