You may be required to include additional files with your return. If you are, you’ll be prompted to attach those files during the e-filing process. Check the Federal and State sections of the TaxAct program to make sure you’ve added any necessary attachments.

You can attach a PDF document to your Federal return for the following situations:

• Form 8949 Sales and Other Dispositions of Capital Assets summary totals entered for stock transactions.
• Form 2210 Underpayment of Estimated Tax by Individuals, Estates, and Trusts, Part II, Boxes A or B selected (optional attachments).
• Child was born and died in the tax year and did not have a Social Security Number (SSN) issued. If the child did have an SSN, there would be no need to attach a copy of the child’s birth certificate, death certificate, or hospital records showing a live birth.
• You can attach a PDF copy of other state(s) returns to your tax return in order to claim a credit for taxes paid to another state or jurisdiction.

Many states allow or require taxpayers to attach a PDF of supporting documentation to an electronically filed state return. If any of these situations apply to your return, you will be prompted to attach the documentation.

Adding an Attachment

To access the Attachment Manager in the TaxAct program:

1. From within your Online TaxAct return, click Filing to expand, then click E-file My Return. On smaller devices, click in the upper left-hand corner, then click Filing.
2. Select the return(s) you would like to submit, then click Continue.
3. Click I Agree, then click Continue.
4. On the screen titled E-Filing – Attachments to Return, click Attach Documents.
5. In the window that appears, click Add on the attachment(s) you want to include with your return.
6. Make the appropriate selections on the next screen, then click Browse.
7. Locate the PDF within your computer files, then click Open which should bring you back to the Attachment Manager.
8. Click Finish, then click Close when you are done attaching the documents (If you need to delete a document you’ve already attached, there will be an option within the Attachment Manager to do so.)
9. Continue through the rest of the e-filing steps to submit your return.

NOTE: The Attachment Manager is not available in the TaxAct mobile application. If you need to attach supporting documentation to your return, please complete the Filing steps from within your TaxAct Online account.

Viewing or Deleting an Attachment

Click View to see the attachment or click Delete to remove it. If you upload a new version of an attachment, delete any copies you previously attached.

Converting an E-file Attachment to a PDF

Only PDFs can be attached to your return. If you have a paper copy of your attachment, you will need to use a scanner to create a PDF version. If your document is a different file format, you may be able to convert the document to a PDF.

To convert a document to a PDF:

Adobe Acrobat Reader

1. Open Acrobat, click File, then click Open.
2. Find and open the file you wish to convert. You may need to change the Files of Type drop-down to “All Files (*.*)” at the bottom of this screen.
3. The file will be converted to PDF when it is opened. Save this file and upload it in the TaxAct Attachment Manager.

Microsoft Word

1. Open your document in Microsoft Word.
2. Click File, then click Print.
3. Under the printer options, select “Adobe PDF” as your printer
4. Click Print to convert the file to PDF. Save this file and upload it in the TaxAct Attachment Manager.

Common Issues

If your attachment is invalid for any reason, you will see a red, invalid attachment warning and an alert in the filing steps. Remove the invalid attachment before filing.

Why do I get an error message when I try to upload a document?

Only PDFs can be attached to your return. An error message will appear if you attempt to upload other file types.

To help prevent malicious uploads, we have strict requirements for our PDF standards. If you receive an error when trying to upload your PDF, it most likely does not meet the standard, or the file is too large, there is a size limitation of 3 MB total for attachments in the TaxAct Online program (2 MB for the Desktop program).

There are different types of PDFs, including image only and with text. An image only PDF is much larger than a PDF with text.

If you scan a document to make a PDF or create a PDF on the computer, use any settings available to change the setting to make the file smaller and make a PDF with text. If you can, choose the print to PDF option to make the PDF smaller, and reduce the number of pages as much as possible.

You can download the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to edit files and convert files to PDFs that match our standards. You can also use the settings in Adobe Acrobat Reader to change the settings to make the file smaller. If you need help, go to the Adobe Acrobat Reader Learn & Support webpage.