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Article #: 12613
The various help functions on the Home window, in data entry, and in View/Print mode
Help is available in the software at many locations, which are described below.
Help Menu on the Home Window
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Drake Software Program Help opens the internal software manual. You can search for terms, review the index, or look through the contents.
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Email opens the email inbox. The menus at the top (File, Message, Folder, and Setup) provide other email options.
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Tutorial links to the Support website to access training tutorials available online.
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Support Info links to system requirements and the Support website, as well as other support information.
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Drake Chat Support links to online chat support.
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License Agreement opens a copy of the license agreement for the software.
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Show Setup is used for administrative purposes only and requires an access code to make any changes.
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Show Users displays a list of all users currently logged in to the software.
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Setup Assistant opens the Drake Software Setup Assistant, where you can check to be sure all required setup items (printers, firms, ERO, preparers) and optional setup items (letterhead, status, options, pricing, DDM, letters) have been completed.
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Software Manual & Online Resources links to the Support website to view additional education resources, such as manuals, pubs, and practice returns.
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Drake Status Page links to the Drake Software Status page, where you will find performance information about electronic filing and banking, IRS transmissions and acknowledgement processing, the Support call center and website, the email server, the online EF database, and other online services. The legend is shown at the bottom of the site.
The Support Icon on the Toolbar
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What’s New for Drake Tax 20YY opens the What’s New at Drake 20YY which includes important IRS changes, new and modified forms, new products, and program updates.
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Drake Software Knowledge Base links to the online Drake Knowledge Base (KB), where you can search for articles containing keywords that interest you or browse articles by category.
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Drake Software Program Help opens the internal software manual. You can search for terms, review the index, or look through the contents.
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Drake Software Support Website links to the online Support website login page.
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Drake Software Video Tutorials links to an online Drake training site where you can watch explanatory videos covering a variety of software functions.
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Drake Software Chat Support links to online chat support.
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Drake Software Manual & Online Resources links to the Support website to view additional education resources, such as manuals, pubs, and practice returns.
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Custom Web Search allows you to search for tax research information using a customize web search.
Help in Data Entry
The Help Icon on the Toolbar
In the main data entry screen of a return, the Help icon on the toolbar offers five selections:
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Drake Software Program Help opens the internal software manual. You can search for terms, review the index, or look through the contents.
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Navigation Help provides basic navigation advice and a link to a list of hot keys. You can also watch the video Data Entry Navigation for a walk-through.
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Support Website links to the online Support website login page.
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Drake Software Knowledge Base has a sub-menu: you can open the online Home KB tab to search or browse, or you can open a specific article from the list.
Help in a Data Entry Screen
On any data entry screen in Drake, a right-click on the screen produces a drop menu which covers a variety of functions, including Help and, if available, Screen Help.
Help has a sub-menu:
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Program Help opens the internal software manual. You can search for terms, review the index, or look through the contents.
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Navigation Help provides basic navigation advice and a link to a list of hot keys.
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Support Website links to the online Support website login page.
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Drake Software Knowledge Base has a sub-menu: you can open the online Home KB tab to search or browse, or you can open a specific article from the list.
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Screen Help is not available on all screens. Where it is offered, it provides important advice about entering data on the screen (Screen Help may be available also as a button in the upper-right corner of the screen).
Help on Home Window Tabs
On the Home Window, are several tabs. Selections off these tabs also have their own Help button. For example, if you go to Reports > Reports Manager, a Help button is available at the bottom left of the window.
Help in a Data Entry Field
Right-click in a data entry field to display a drop list of various functions. Select Help to display a help drop menu.
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Program Help opens the internal software manual. You can search for terms, review the index, or look through the contents.
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Navigation Help provides basic navigation advice and a link to a list of hot keys. You can also watch Data Entry Navigation for a walk-through.
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Support Website links to the online Support website login page.
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Drake Software Knowledge Base has a sub-menu: you can open the online Home KB tab to search or browse, or you can open a specific article from the list.
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Help for this Field displays information about what is expected for data entry in this field. Note the F1 shortcut. You can click in a field and press F1 to open Help for this Field.
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Screen Help is not available on all screens. Where it is offered, it provides important advice about entering data on the screen.
Help in View/Print Mode
In View/Print mode in a return, the Help icon on the toolbar offers Help and Video Tutorial links. Help opens the internal software manual to a page that covers a variety of View mode functions, including archiving, emailing and printing returns. The video tutorial links offer online training tutorials for the stated subjects.
Enhanced Help Resources
Other help options are available when you click the Help button on the Data Entry Menu toolbar or right-click any data entry field within a Drake Tax screen.
Click the Help button from the Data Entry Menu toolbar for a list of help options.
- Navigation Help — Offers a short explanation of how to navigate in Drake Tax and includes a link to a list of keyboard shortcuts that help make data entry easier and faster.
- Support Website — Opens Support.DrakeSoftware.com. (You need your username and password to sign in.)
- Drake Software Knowledge Base – Opens links to the Knowledge Base Home.
Right-click in any data entry field on any data entry screen and, in addition to the five options just mentioned, you can also choose either:
- Help for this Field — Opens the field help for the clicked-in field.
- Screen Help — Opens the screen help for this screen.
Customer Resource Center
On the opening page of the Drake Software Support website is the Customer Resource Center. There you will find the details of your account, including the contact information for your office, links to Drake Software program downloads, links to training resources, links to such tools as Drake Pay, Drake Portals, Protection Plus audit assistance, and GruntWorx to help build your practice, and contact information for Drake Software’s various offices.
The blue menu box on the left of the page contains links to the resources you are familiar with, laid out in an intuitive and easy-to-understand list.
Firm Account Information
Click the arrow to the left of Account to see links to pages where you can edit your personal and business information, retrieve passwords, serial numbers, and account information, complete bank applications, view your EF Database, and check on your DIY
Referrals (following).
Adding and Managing Users and EFINs
To give employees access to online support resources, account information, reports, and other Drake Software ancillary programs, you must first set them up with a Drake Software user account using either Drake Hub or the Drake User Manager.
To allow employees who have their own EFINs access to your firm’s information via the Support site, add them to your office as “sub-EFINs.” From Support.DrakeSoftware.com, click Account > Manage EFINs. In order to register the employee’s EFIN as a sub-office to your EFIN, you must submit your IRS e-file Application Summary to Drake Software’s Accounting office. For information on obtaining this summary, click the How to get a copy of your IRS e-file Application Summary link, located under Add an EFIN. Once you have obtained your application summary, follow the on-screen steps to submit the document to Drake Software for validation.
Once you have sub-offices added to your EFIN, a link to Sub-Offices becomes available from the Support website. (From the blue menu bar, click Accounting > Sub-Offices.)
DIY Referrals
The 1040.com referral program is available to any Drake Tax customer. When you provide your customers a referral link to 1040.com, and the customer files their taxes with 1040.com, you can earn a referral fee. (Customer returns are e-filed under Drake Software’s EFIN, and Drake Software assumes the applicable preparer liability.) The 1040.com referral program uses a simple flat fee structure:
- The preparation price is $25 for all returns.
- The price includes state return preparation for as many states as are needed. There is no
separate charge per state return. - Extensions are free.
Under Affiliate Reports, click a tax-year link to review the accumulated referral fees you have earned.