How do I insert a paragraph tab in a Word for iPad document?

If you hold down on the screen and drag your cursor to where you want the tab, a pop up appears that gives you the options of "select," "select all," "paste," or "insert."  Choose "insert."  Another pop up appears that let's you insert a "tab" or a "line break."

Another way to do tabs that I found on accident is by choosing "view" in the ribbon.  Then turn the ruler on. You can slide the indent tabs to automatically create intentions in new paragraphs. You can also double tab anywhere on the ruler to create a tab stop. You can create multiple tab stops and slide them where you want them.  If you double tap a tab stop, it will toggle between left, center, right, (etc) justify.

The simplest way is a third party keyboard that has a dedicated tab key, but this woks pretty well.

Perhaps I should have said indent. For example, I begin a new paragraph in a document and want to indent the first line of the paragraph five spaces. On a computer I'd just hit the tab key and that would automatically do it. But, so far I haven't been able to figure out how to do that on the iPad app.

I will continue to use Pages as this has a tab key

Hi there, there is a funny reverse P in the right hand corner next to the A with the paint brush, this has the tab key in it.

Perhaps I should have said indent. For example, I begin a new paragraph in a document and want to indent the first line of the paragraph five spaces. On a computer I'd just hit the tab key and that would automatically do it. But, so far I haven't been able to figure out how to do that on the iPad app. 

The best way, on the computer, and perhaps the only way on an IPad, is to use a Style which has a first-line indent as part of the paragraph formatting.

Understanding Styles in Microsoft Word

The dialog box shown below is accessed for direct formatting by clicking on (touching) the dialog launcher (green circle) in the paragraph group of the home tab.

Again, using a Style is preferable to direct formatting.