General options
To select options in the General section of the Options dialog box:
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The Options dialog box appears, and General is selected.
From here, you can set the following ProSeries options:
HomeBase Settings
These options affect your use of HomeBase.
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Prompt to Save HomeBase View Changes
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You want the program to prompt you to save the revised HomeBase view whenever you change a HomeBase view.
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Missing Client Information Dialog
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Show when opening clients with missing information
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You want to see the Missing Client Information dialog box when you open a client file that has entries in the Missing Client Information dialog box.
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You want to see the Missing Client Information dialog box when you start the Final Review of a return for which there are entries in the Missing Client Information dialog box.
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Missing Client Information dialog box. The two options in the Missing Client Information dialog box, which are titled Show this dialog when opening clients with missing information and Show this dialog during Final Review, are “linked” to the corresponding options in the Missing Client Information Dialog area of the General section of the Options dialog box. For more information, see “Tracking information that clients haven’t provided yet” on page 595.
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Field Navigation
When you finish entering data in a field on a form, you press ENTER or TAB and the insertion point moves to another field on the form. The Field Navigation options determine where the insertion point moves when you press ENTER or TAB.
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The insertion point skips over data fields calculated by the program and advances to the next field that is available for data entry.
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All Fields (Including Calculated)
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The insertion point advances to the next field, regardless of whether it is a field available for data entry, or a field calculated by the program.
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Field Background Color
The Show field color option determines whether data entry fields on forms, schedules, worksheets, and other items have a background color.
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Data fields that are available for data entry or contain valid data are shaded light yellow, and data fields that require data or contain invalid data are shaded light red.
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Dialog boxes. The Show field color option also affects the background color of data entry fields in certain dialog boxes, such as the Firm/Preparer Info and the Global Billing Options sections of the Options dialog box.
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Data Entry
The options in the Data Entry section affect the way you enter data in certain fields on the tax forms.
Pick Lists
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A pick list field is a data field that includes a short list of the valid entries for the field. The program won’t let you enter “invalid” data into a pick list data field.
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When you select a pick list data field on a form, you see a small triangle in the field. (The small triangle appears only when the field is selected.)
Following is an example of a pick list data field with the associated pick list for a Type of Interest field in the Interest Income Smart Worksheet on Schedule B for Form 1040 returns.
Show Pick Lists — Select this option if you want the program to display the pick list automatically when you select a pick list data field.
If Show Pick Lists isn’t selected, the program doesn’t display pick lists automatically. You must click a pick list data field to see it’s pick list.
AutoFill
If you want the program to help you complete data entry for certain fields, select the Use AutoFill option.
If the Use AutoFill option is selected, when you begin typing information such as a city, bank name, or company name in certain data fields on specific forms, the program helps you complete the data field suggesting similar information that you previously entered.
The AutoFill system is based on the first few characters that you type as follows:
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One matching item. If only one previously-entered item shares the same first letters that you type, the program will enter that previously-entered item in the data field.
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If the information that the program enters is correct, you can move on to the next data field.
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If the information that the program enters isn’t correct, continue typing the correct information, then move on to the next data field.
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More than one matching item. If more than one previously-entered item shares the same first letters that you type, the program will show those previously-entered items in a pick list below the data field.
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If one of the items in the pick list is correct, you can select it then move on to the next data field.
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If none of the items in the pick list is correct, continue typing the correct information, then move on to the next data field.
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If the Use AutoFill option isn’t selected, the program doesn’t suggest ways to complete the entry of data in a data field.
ZIP Code Automation
If you want the program to fill in the City and State fields after you enter a ZIP code in the corresponding ZIP Code field, select the ZIP Code Automation option.
If the ZIP Code Automation option is selected:
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When you press the TAB or ENTER key on a form such as the Information Worksheet, the program selects the ZIP Code field before the corresponding City or State fields.
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When you enter a ZIP code in a ZIP Code field, the program fills in the corresponding City and State fields if they are blank.
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If the corresponding City or State field isn’t blank, the program changes the name in that field if it doesn’t match the information in the ZIP Code database.
If necessary, you can edit the city or state name that the program enters in a City or State field.
If the ZIP Code Automation option isn’t selected, the program doesn’t:
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Go to the ZIP Code field before the corresponding City and State fields.
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Fill in the City and State fields after you enter a ZIP code in the corresponding ZIP Code field.
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Change the name in the City and State fields after you enter a ZIP code in the corresponding ZIP Code field even though the city and/or state doesn’t match the information in the ZIP Code database.
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Form Indicators
The options in the Form Indicators section concern the fields on the tax forms.
Field Icons
Show Field Icons — If you select this option, the following icons appear when the insertion point is in a QuickZoom field or a Supporting Statement field:
See “Using QuickZoom to open a form or QuickEntry sheet” on page 560 for more information about QuickZoom fields.
See “Entering detailed information on a supporting statement” on page 588 for more information about Supporting Statement fields.
Taxpayer/Spouse/Joint Indicators
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A Taxpayer/Spouse/Joint field is a field in which you can assign data to the taxpayer, the spouse, or both. A Taxpayer/Spouse/Joint field is also known as a T/S/J field.
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You can activate Taxpayer/Spouse/Joint fields and T/S/J indicators for your individual return clients whose filing status is Married Filing Joint.
Show T/S/J Indicators — If you select this option:
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The letter T appears in each T/S/J field, unless you assign the amount to the spouse or jointly, in which case S or J appear instead.
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A T/S/J indicator appears when the insertion point is in a T/S/J field. The indicator is a T, an S, a J, or an icon that represents the split statement that you created to assign the data for that field to the taxpayer, the spouse, or both.
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See “Assigning data to the taxpayer, spouse, or both” on page 577 for more information about Taxpayer/Spouse/Joint fields.
MFJ Split Warning
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You want the program to remind you that it’s your responsibility to review the Married Filing Separate returns that are created by the Split MFJ Return command.
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Program Startup
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You want the Live Community.panel to be open on the right side of the ProSeries window when you start the program.
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QuickEntry Sheets
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QuickEntry sheets provide a fast way to enter your clients’ data. Most ProSeries tax products offer QuickEntry sheets as a data entry alternative to the tax forms, schedules, and worksheets. For details, see “QuickEntry mode” on page 543.
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You want the program to open new returns in QuickEntry mode instead of Forms mode.
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You want the program to open existing returns in QuickEntry mode instead of Forms mode.
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File Save
As you work on a client’s returns, the ProSeries program can save the client’s data at regular intervals to a temporary recovery file. If there’s a computer problem or power failure, you can recover the data that the program saved in the temporary recovery file.
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You want the program to save the active client’s data to the temporary recovery file.
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Customer Information
Click the Customer Information button to see the Customer Number and ZIP code that you entered in the Connected Customer Wizard.
Manual Product Update Check
If you aren’t using Task Scheduler to get product updates, the ProSeries program prompts you to check for product updates according to the time interval shown here.
If you want to change the frequency that the program prompts you to check for product updates, select a time interval from 1 to 31 days here.
Client Status
The ProSeries program can prompt you to update the information on the Client Status summary when you exit a client file.
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You want the program to prompt you to update the information on the Client File summary when you exit a client file.
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