In this article we’ll walk you through how to get started with Reviewer. You’ll learn best practices and how to integrate Reviewer into your firm’s processes.
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What is Reviewer?
Reviewer offers a wide range of functionality for firms to streamline their review process. Within the Reviewer tab you’ll find two products:
Reviewer - keep reading for more details on using Reviewer
Binder - The Juno Binder product allows you and your team to mark up the binder Juno generates of all your client’s documents. For more details on how to use the Binder check out our Getting Started with Binder article
How and When To Use Reviewer?
After exporting your data from Juno to your tax software and preparing the return, generate a draft return in PDF format. Then return to Juno, open the Reviewer tab and upload that draft.
Step 1: Reviewer Dashboard
The Reviewer Dashboard reflects all your in progress preparations. After completing Preparer and exporting the data to your tax software you can search in the Reviewer Dashboard for the client.
You can also assign a review to a member of your team using the “Assigned To” column. Additionally, the filters allow you to refine your search across several variables.
Once you are ready to get started, click “Reviewer” on your desired preparation.
Step 2: Adding Documents for Review
The first step of Reviewer is uploading documents for Juno to conduct its analysis. Reviewer will analyze three different documents, two of which are optional.
Current Year Draft 1040 (required) - After completing Preparer generate a draft return of your client’s 1040 and upload it on the below page.
Prior Year 1040 (optional but recommended) - Juno will conduct a YoY analysis using the prior year 1040 if you choose to upload it.
Organizer (optional but recommended) - Upload your client organizer/questionnaire in PDF or CSV format. This will allow Juno to analyze your clients responses and compare them to what is present on the draft 1040.
After uploading your documents ensure that each document is classified correctly via the dropdown menu. Once they are click “Continue”
Important Note: If you uploaded your client’s organizer in Preparer you’ll see that organizer display in the “Uploaded Documents” section. No need to upload it twice.
Step 3: Document Processing
After hitting “Continue” you’ll see Reviewer update to show your documents processing. Reviewer is analyzing a lot of data which takes a few minutes to complete. You can leave Reviewer or do other work while the documents are processing.
Once all documents are “Processed” you select “Proceed to Reviewer” to see the results.
Step 4: Understanding Reviewer’s Analysis
Upon entering Reviewer you’ll see that there are 5 tabs available to you. The goal of these tabs is not to automate review, but rather streamline your review process.
If you uploaded all three documents you’ll see analysis in each tab. Below is a quick explanation of each tab and how to use it as part of your review process.
Review Plan - The Review Plan tab gives you a summary of what Reviewer found across all tabs, what it already checked, and what still needs your judgment, so you know where to focus before you open the file.
Key findings up front. What Reviewer caught, what it verified, and what still needs you.
Action items, not just flags. Each item tells you what to look at and why. Marking Action Items done on the "Review Plan" tab also update your Preparation Checklist.
Downloadable PDF. One click and you have a review plan you can hand to your reviewer or keep in your files.
Source to Return - The Source to Return tab compares the data that was extracted and validated in Preparer to the data on the current year draft return you’ve uploaded. This tab is useful to catch any disparities between source document data and the return. Upskill your Preparers by having them upload a draft return and look at the "Source to Return" tab to catch any disparities.
Gotcha Checks - Ever wish you had a Reviewer that knew exactly what to check for each document within a tax return? Meet the “Gotcha Checks” tab. The checks outlined on this tab are thorough mix of review checks for each section with of the return. Check out our “What are Gotcha Checks” article for more details.
YoY Analysis (prior year return required) - Any Reviewer will tell you that year-over-year context is critical in identifying mistakes in a return. If you upload the prior year return (or if the prior year return is already stored in Juno) you’ll see an analysis and explanation of what has changed YoY.
YoY Documents (prior year return required) - Similar to the YoY Analysis tab its important to know what source documents are present year to year. See a brokerage statement present last year that isn’t this year? Did the client forget to send it or close the account? That is what this tab is for.
How to Use Reviewer With Your Team
Whether you are upskilling preparers to do the first pass of review, or have a multi-step review process, Reviewer allows you to collaborate with your team.
The following columns in Reviewer allow you and your team to work together:
Notes - The Notes field allows you and your team to communicate and share updates on a field. A common use case here is communicating to the rest of the team or as a note to yourself that the field has been updated in the tax software.
Mark as Reviewed - Use the Mark as Reviewed field as either your own personal checklist or a way to communicate with your team which fields pass Review.
Reviewed By - After you click “Mark as Reviewed” you’ll notice your profile icon will display in the “Reviewed By” channel. This communicates to your team who has completed a review and when they did so.
Common Reviewer Questions
Q: If I make changes in Reviewer does it update the return in my tax software?
A: No, Reviewer purely streamlines your reviewer process and identifies items that you might need to review. In order to apply any changes that Reviewer identifies you will need to make the changes in your tax software.
Q: Once I make the changes in my tax software that Reviewer identifies, can I run Reviewer again to see the updates?
A: Yes! Once you have made updates in your tax software, generate a new draft return and in Reviewer click “Upload Return” and upload the updated draft return. Reviewer will process the new return and update the analysis to reflect your changes.