Watch List & Diagnostics

Facts

Start the Tax Planner and open the plan you saved for A Sample, Planner (A Sample.pl5). Remove the following rows from the Watch List:

• Alternative Minimum Tax
• Credits
• Tax After Credits

Add the following rows:

• Payments
• Net balance due (or refund)

Enter $2,000 in the Interest Income worksheet, and then enter $2,500 for Interest on the US Total Income worksheet. Note the placement of the override graphic and the creation of an informative diagnostic on the Diagnostics tab. Return to the Main Summary worksheet and use the interactive Diagnostics to jump to the input where the override was entered. Remove the override, then save and close the plan.

Program Considerations

• The Watch List allows you to see the immediate effects that your data entry and adjustments have on certain items. Any numeric row can be added to the Watch List. Items in the Select Rows to Add to Watch List box depend on which worksheet or summary your cursor is on. For example, when you add a row while you are in the Credits worksheet, rows from that worksheet appear in the list. Also, rows already included in the Watch List will not appear in the Select Rows to Add to Watch List box.
• The Tax Planner Diagnostics work very much like that of the Tax Program's Interactive Diagnostics - when you click a warning, the program "jumps" you to the input generating it.

How?

To delete a row in the Watch List:

1. Start the 2005 Tax Planner program and open the sample plan (A Sample.pl5).
2. In the Watch List, click the item(s) from the Facts list above to delete.
3. On the Edit menu, click Remove Row from Watch List.
   

1. On the Edit menu, click Add Row to Watch List.
   
2. In the Select Rows to Add to Watch List box, click the item(s) from the Facts list above to add.
3. Click OK.

To override an entry:

1. Click the Income tab.
2. Click Interest Income in the Worksheets list.
3. Enter 2000 in the Ordinary Interest field (in the "Full Time" 2005 column).
4. Press [Enter]. Note the override indicator.
   
5. Click US Total Income in the Worksheets list.
6. Enter 2500 in the Interest field (in the "Full Time" 2005 column).
7. Press [Enter]. Again, note the override indicator.
8. Click the Summary tab to return back to the US Main Summary.

To use the Diagnostics:

1. At the bottom of the worksheet, click the Diagnostics tab.
   
2. Click the first override Warning Diagnostic in the list to "jump to" the field containing the override.
   
3. Remove the override entry by pressing [Delete] on the keyboard (the original value will be restored). Note that the override indicator is gone.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 for the next override Warning Diagnostic.

To close the plan and save changes:

1. Click Close on the File menu.
2. When prompted to save, click Yes.

Tips & Shortcuts

• You can drag rows from the worksheet grid and drop them into the Watch List.
  
• You can also use the icons in the center toolbar to add rows, delete rows, or rearrange rows.
  
• Other shortcuts can be found by right-clicking on the Watch List:
  

Review

You should have been able to use the Watch List to display selected rows as well as use the Diagnostics to locate and correct an override.

Troubleshooting

Problem: When I changed the rows in the Watch List, the program did not save my changes when I opened another plan.

Solution: The Watch List is unique to each plan. However, to set up a default Watch List, right-click on the Watch List and select Set As Default Watch List. This saves your current settings and applies the current Watch List to all plans.

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