Custom fieldviews overview

Show expandable text

New (tax) year, new help!

Fixed Assets and UltraTax CS 2023 help is now on Help and Support. We're still moving articles, but you can find most content for the 2023 tax year there. Continue using the Help & How-To Center for tax years 2022 and older.

Some input screen fields have a drop-down menu that lists valid entries for the field. This is called a fieldview and is indicated by an arrow Fieldview button to the right of the field. Some fieldviews, called custom fieldviews, can be customized and can be linked or not linked.

Note: Custom fieldview items are available to all users.

Custom fieldviews

Custom fieldviews are similar to regular fieldviews except that you determine the entries that appear in the fieldview. An arrow and the green line to the right of a field Custom fieldview indicates the presence of a custom fieldview.

Using custom fieldviews can speed up data entry and assist you in providing a consistent look and standard spelling for all tax returns that leave your office. Use custom fieldviews where data might be repetitive for new clients and when you have local or regional common items. Examples include banks (in interest income and itemized deductions for interest) and colleges, churches, and synagogues (in the charitable deductions area). You can also enter non-statement information, such as employer names, for the Input Screen Wages. View an example.

If the Automatically save and suggest data on custom fieldview fields checkbox is marked on the Setup > User Preferences > Data Entry tab and you want to quickly add items to a custom fieldview, simply enter the item directly in the field. UltraTax CS automatically saves the information you enter, but the information will not automatically display in the drop-down list. However, UltraTax CS auto-completes these fields when you begin to enter text that matches a previous entry. (If the Automatically save and suggest data on custom fieldview fields checkbox is not marked marked, you can enter the item in the fieldview and press CTRL+S to save the entry.)

  • To view all items that you enter in the drop-down list, choose Setup > User Preferences, click the Data Entry tab, and mark the Display all custom fieldview items in drop-down list checkbox.
  • To view only some items that you enter in the drop-down list, enter the information and press CTRL+S or open the Custom Fieldview dialog and mark the Display in drop-down checkbox for each item you want to view in the drop-down list.
  • To add more entries or edit an existing entry, choose Edit > Custom Fieldview. To delete an entry, remove the entry and press ENTER.

Notes

  • For regular and custom fieldviews, click the arrow or press F4 while the cursor is located in that field to open the drop-down list.
  • When the cursor is located in a field with an attached custom fieldview, click the Custom Fieldview Custom Fieldview button button to open a dialog in which you can enter the fieldview items.
  • You can add an unlimited number of items to a custom fieldview in any client, but you must be in input screen view to add them.
  • If you are on a network, the fieldview items you add will be available to all UltraTax CS users.
  • Custom fieldviews that were set up in the prior-year version of UltraTax CS will proforma into the current-year application.
  • Custom fieldviews are available for all clients of the same entity.
  • To back up custom fieldviews, choose File > Backup > Product Settings > Preparer Views.

Linked custom fieldviews

With Linked custom fieldviews, you can link multiple related custom fieldviews. You can enter all related data for the linked custom fieldview in the Custom Fieldview dialog. When you select the linked custom fieldview during data entry, the related fields are automatically completed. View an example.

To access the Custom Fieldview dialog, choose Edit > Custom Fieldview or click the arrow next to a field, and then click the Edit Custom Fieldview or Edit Multi-Field Custom Fieldview text.

Note: Only data that is saved as part of the Linked Custom fieldview for a particular group of fields will be updated when you make a custom fieldview selection.

Non-linked custom fieldviews

With Non-linked custom fieldviews, you can enter information once and then select your customized items from a drop-down list that is associated with a particular field. This saves time and, also, allows you to have standard spelling and a consistent look for a specific input field on all tax returns. View an example.

Was this article helpful?

Thank you for the feedback!