Developing a Hierarchy

• Tax forms and electronic filing

• Included fields that need data entered

• Included data only once

• Exceptions: key fields and placeholders

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Tax forms and electronic filing

• Analyzed forms and flow, and reviewed the electronic filing specs

• Looked for ways to logically group data, rather than just reiterate the forms

• Looked for ways to economize the amount of data by avoiding duplication

• Used descriptive tag names

Included entry fields

• Entered fields on forms are included in the hierarchy

• Subtotals and non-significant computed fields are not included

• Included fields that would be computed on a worksheet or a form not supported for this version. These are placeholders for a group of fields that would be entered later.

Included data only once

• If data appeared in more than one place, only included data at its source entry point.

• For example, advance EIC is entered on the W-2 and then carried to the 1040. In our model, the field only shows on the W-2.

Exceptions: key fields and placeholders

• Used key field designation for check totals. For example, AGI is a computed amount but is so integral to making sense of the return that it is included in the hierarchy.