Data Mining overview

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Data Mining is a versatile feature that enables you to query your firm's UltraTax CS databases for specific data and client characteristics. When you use Data Mining, you can easily identify your client's tax accounting needs, pinpoint tax savings opportunities for your clients, prepare estimate reminder letters, and target communications with your clients.

To start, choose Utilities > Data Mining from within UltraTax CS. A wizard will guide you through the data mining search process.

First, you must decide what you want to produce from your search: reports and/or letters, mailing labels, or export reports. Then, you must select the criteria (such as values calculated by UltraTax CS, entries in specific input screens, statement dialog fields, and forms produced within the tax return) by which you want to search a specific application database. Then, Data Mining returns results that include all clients whose data meets the selected criteria.

After you review the search results, you can use the information in a variety of ways.

The complete Data Mining process

Use these key questions and examples to help as you plan your search.

Tip: Keep your searches simple, using as few criteria as possible to target the clients you want to find. Fewer clients will pass the search with each criterion you add. Also, very complex searches may yield results that are difficult to analyze.

After you select the client database in the Data Mining window and click the Continue (Step 2) button, you must decide what you want to produce from your search: reports and/or letters, mailing labels, or exported reports.

The reports and letters that are available in the Print Selection and Client Search dialog include the predefined reports and letters provided with Data Mining, as well as any custom reports and letters that you or someone in your firm created or proforma'd. If the reports or letters listed in the Print selection group box of the Print Selection and Client Search dialog do not meet your needs, you can add new reports or letters, or modify existing reports or letters. Data Mining can retain up to 99 letters and an unlimited number of reports at any one time.

After you select the search you want to perform and click the Continue (Step 3) button in the Print Selection and Client Search dialog, Data Mining performs the search and displays the Print dialog where you can review the results in the Search Results dialog. In addition, you can use the Print dialog to print the selected reports and/or letters for all clients who passed the search, create Web / eSignatures (for certain letters), or you can send the selected letters via email to all clients who passed the search.

Note: If no clients passed the search, the Search Results dialog opens. From here, you review the search results by criteria or client. Click Done to return to the Print Selection and Client Search dialog where you can select a different search or modify the last search.

When you are satisfied with the search results, you can choose to complete any of the following tasks.

Note: After your search is complete, you can also generate and print mailing labels, enter email addresses for client letters, edit the email greeting, and export client data to a file for use in another application, such as a word processing, spreadsheet, or database application.

Examples: UltraTax CS Data Mining Examples

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