The first step is to set up your Checklist Templates, either creating your own or starting with the ones available in the Aero Library. Below is an example of what a 1040 return checklist might look like. Note that it is intended to be worked on by more than one team member, each person Saving & Deferring the Aero in sequence. 
Once you have your templates set up, you can schedule the tax client tasks in one of three different ways.
Option 1: Schedule all returns as Recurring Aeros, set to show up on users' dashboard on a specific date each year.
The advantages of this option are:
- Users can see clearly what their workload is during tax season
- Managers have a clear picture of each team member's workload and the status of client work
- The user is clearly aware if a client has contacted the firm about preparing their return
Disadvantages include:
- A user's dashboard can be overwhelmed with client tax work
- At the beginning of tax season, users will have a lot of tasks on their dashboard that they can't work on because clients haven't provided their documents yet.
- Because the Start Date and Due Date are set automatically, it's hard to work on returns on a "First in, First out" basis (although you can edit the Start & Due Dates at the point you start working on the return)
Resources:
Option 2: Set up a 'dummy' user then schedule all returns as Recurring Aeros, set to show up on the dummy user's dashboard on a specific date each year.
The dummy user is usually called something like "Holding Tank" or "Unassigned". Then when the client is ready for the firm to begin work on their return, an admin or manager will grab the correct task from "Holding Tank" and reassign it to a specific user.
The advantages of this option are:
- Users' dashboards are not overwhelmed with tasks they really can't work on yet
- Managers still have a clear picture of each team member's workload and the status of client work, and they can see by looking at the "Holding Tank" how many client returns are still waiting on clients
Disadvantages include:
- Users don't have as good a feel for how much work is down the road
- Because the Start Date and Due Date are set automatically, it's hard to work on returns on a "First in, First out" basis (although you can edit the Start & Due Dates at the point you reassign the return)
Resources:
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- How to create Recurring Aeros
- How to get your tax Recurring Aeros imported all at once
- If you don't have enough users to create a "Holding Tank" user, you can create an inactive user and then assign work to that user.
Option 3: Don't set up Recurring Aeros for tax returns, but wait until client send their information to create a one-time Aero using the appropriate Checklist Template
The advantages of this option are:
- Users' dashboards are not overwhelmed with tasks they really can't work on yet
- The Start Date and Due Date are set at the point the Aero is created so it's easy to operate on a "first-in, first-out" basis
- Managers have a clear picture of the firm's throughput
Disadvantages include:
- Users don't have as good a feel for how much work is down the road
- Managers don't have a clear picture of client returns that are waiting on client information to start
Resources:
Of course, these are not all or nothing options. We often see firms using two or even all three different options when setting up their tax client tasks. For example, a firm may schedule and assign their business client returns while assigning all 1040s to the "Holding Tank.
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