Return types

Return types are the labels your firm uses on engagements — “1040 Individual,” “1120S Corporate,” “OR-40 Oregon Individual.” They drive engagement defaults, dashboard filters, billing analytics, and merge tags in your letters.

To open them, go to Settings → Return types in the sidebar. You’ll see a flat table with inline edit — click a row to change its label or description without opening a separate dialog.

What ships out of the box

Assure Pro includes five built-in return types:

Built-in types can be renamed and described but not deleted. If you don’t file one, toggle it inactive instead.

Adding a custom return type

Click + New return type in the top-right. A dialog opens:

Click Create. The new type lands at the bottom of the list with Active turned on.

[Screenshot: New return type dialog]

Reading the table

The table has these columns:

• Code — left side, monospaced, locked once saved.
• Label — middle, click to edit inline.
• Active — switch, flips immediately when you toggle.
• Actions — Edit (always available) and Delete (custom types only).
• A (system) badge replaces the Delete action on built-in types.

Editing inline

Click any row’s label or description cell. The cell becomes an input. Type, press Enter or click outside to save. Press Esc to cancel.

Filtering the table

Above the table:

• Search — by code or label.
• Show inactive — toggle to include inactive types in the view.

Inactivating vs deleting

Inactive keeps the type in your records but hides it from:

• The Return type dropdown on the new-engagement form.
• Dashboard filters.
• New engagement defaults.

Engagements that already used this type keep working — the badge still shows, and merge tags still resolve.

Delete (custom only) removes the type entirely. If any engagements still reference it, the delete is blocked with a message like “X engagements still use this return type.” Inactivate it first, then delete.

Where return types show up

Common patterns

Adding state return types

Most firms file state returns alongside federal. The typical pattern:

1. Add a custom return type per state you file (“OR-40”, “CA-540”, “NY-IT-201”, and so on).
2. When a client needs both federal and state, create two engagements under the same client — one per return type.

Specialty returns

If you file niche returns (1120-F for foreign corps, 5471 for foreign reporting), add them as custom types. Same flow.

Sub-categorizing 1040s

Some firms want to distinguish “1040 simple” from “1040 complex with K-1s” for billing. You can model that either as:

• Two custom return types (“1040-Simple”, “1040-Complex”), or
• A single 1040 type plus engagement tags for complexity.

Tags are more flexible since they can change as the engagement progresses.

Tips

• Keep all five built-in types active unless you genuinely don’t file them. They’re the most useful out of the box.
• Use uppercase codes with hyphens — “OR-40”, not “or40” — to match industry conventions.
• The description matters more than you think. When someone new on the team picks a return type, the description tells them what each one means.

What’s not here yet

Permissions

Next

• Engagements overview — where return types get assigned.
• Tags — for cross-cutting labels not tied to return type.
• Pipelines & automations — return type can be a filter on auto-advance rules.