Database Reports

Facts

Add three new sample clients (or you can use the sample clients you created in the Filters exercise).

Enter the following information for the first sample client:

Enter the following information for the second sample client:

Enter the following information for the third sample client:

For the sample clients, you will:

• Preview Mailing Labels.
• Print the Default Custom Letter.
• Print the Extended Client List.
• View the Client Summary Report.
• Preview the Status Report for all preparers, listed by status, for all statuses.
• Set up and print a Custom Report titled Wages. Use Client Number and Wages, salaries, tips for the print columns.

Program Considerations

• You can preview and print mailing labels for your tax clients from the Mail Labels tab. You can also add Custom Labels.
• From the Letters tab, you can print custom letters to send to clients. These are personalized form letters you design and can be used for any purpose. Common uses of these letters are notices to clients of estimate payment due dates or notification of tax law changes. You can create a variety of custom letters to address any group of clients for any situation, and you can use keywords to insert each client's specific information in the printed letter for personalization.
  
  

  Note: The tax program comes with a pre-installed Default Custom Letter. The text of the default letter contains a description of the editing capabilities and instructions on how to draft a letter.

• From the Client List tab, you can print lists for selected clients. You can print three types of lists:

  Client List - Name Only: includes the client number, client name and preparer number.

  Client List - Name and Phone #: includes the client number, client name, home phone number, and preparer number.

  Extended Client List: includes the client number, client name, client address, all contact numbers, and preparer number.

  Note: You can choose to include the dependents in each of these lists.
  

  Note: For any other type of list, use Custom Reports.

• From the Summary Reports tab, you can produce Client and Tax Practice Summary Reports . These reports are designed to provide you with summary information for returns processed. Two report types are available:
  
  

  Client Summary - a detailed, one page summary of each client's important tax information and the forms and schedules processed. It also lists total invoice fees, amounts received on account recorded through the program, the federal and state tax brackets, and the adjusted gross income.

  Tax Practice Summary - gives summary information about the returns processed. The report details information such as the total number of each form processed, the average income of clients, and a breakdown of return processing dates so that activity levels can be tracked. You can create these reports by firm or by preparer.

• From the Status tab, you can create reports on clients using three variables. You can create Status Reports that list clients with specific client statuses that are assigned to certain preparers in your firm. You can list these clients by status, preparer, or staff preparer.
• From the Custom tab, you can create custom tailored tax practice reports by selecting the contents of the report from over 400 database items. You choose all the criteria that comprise the report: report name, data and statistics to include, and presentation order within the report. The program prints these reports in landscape format.
  
  

  Note: Database items will not be included for database purposes until each return has been viewed, printed, or the database has been updated. Therefore, you may need to update the client database before database items will be reported for a newly added client.

How?

To update the database:

1. Highlight clients DBRPT1, DBRPT2, and DBRPT3 at the Clients tab.
2. On the Client menu, click Update Client Database.
   
   

To open Database Reports:

1. At the Clients tab, highlight clients DBRPT1, DBRPT2, and DBRPT3.
2. On the Print menu, click Database Reports.
   
   

To preview/print Mail Labels:

1. Open Database Reports.
2. Click the Mail Labels tab.
   
   
3. Set the desired Label Options.
4. Click Preview to preview the labels on-screen.
5. Click Print to print the mailing labels for the selected clients.

To create Custom Labels:

1. Open Database Reports.
2. Click the Mail Labels tab.
3. Select a label name for the label format to modify.
4. Click Add.
   
   
5. Enter the label name and adjust as desired.



6. Click Save.

To print a Custom Letter:

1. Open Database Reports.
2. Click the Letters tab.
3. Select a letter.
   
   
4. Click Print.

   For more information on creating letters, see the Client Letter exercise in the Before You Prepare a Return section.

To print a Client List:

1. Open Database Reports.
2. Click the Client Lists tab.
   
   
3. Select Extended Client List from the Client List Reports list.
4. Click Print.

To print a Summary Report:

1. Open Database Reports.
2. Click the Summary Reports tab.
   
   
3. Select Client Summary or Tax Practice Summary. The report will be displayed on screen. Use Previous and Next to advance through the pages of the report (if applicable).
4. Click Print.

To print a Status Report:

1. Open Database Reports.
2. Click the Status tab.
3. Modify Preparers, List By, and Status to print as needed.
   
   
4. Click Print.
   

   Note: Status Reports print for all clients, regardless of which clients are selected when you open Database Reports.

To create a Custom Report:

1. Open Database Reports.
2. Click the Custom tab.
3. Type "Wages" for the name of the report and click OK.
   
   
4. Double-click Client Information, then double-click Client Number in the Available list to move it to the Print Columns list.
   
   
5. Double-click Income, then double-click Wages, salaries, tips in the Available list to move it to the Print Columns list.
6. Click Print to print the report.
7. Click Close.
8. Click Yes to save the report.

   You can click the Group Select icon on the toolbar or press [F3] to group select clients.

   You can click the Generate Reports icon on the toolbar to access Database Reports.

Review

You should have used Database Reports to generate various reports that can be useful for practice management.

Troubleshooting

Problem: My report only includes information for one client.

Solution: Make sure you highlight all clients at the Clients tab to include in the report. Press and hold the [Ctrl] key while clicking to highlight multiple clients.

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