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.
Click the links below to learn more about conventions that will help you efficiently enter data in the input screens.
These questions can be answered with Y or 1 for yes and N or 2 for no.
To enter a negative amount, enter the amount and then press either the hyphen key or the minus key on the numeric key pad. If an amount is normally negative or if it is normally subtracted, you need not enter the negative sign because UltraTax CS will automatically treat the amount as negative.
Press the spacebar to mark checkboxes. Note that pressing the spacebar repeatedly will toggle between marking and clearing the checkbox.
UltraTax CS input screens include specific "Force" fields that can be used to override calculated amounts. They are indicated by the word "(Force)" next to the field. The data entered in a "Force" field is red and italicized. The amount entered in a field marked with this notation will be used in the calculation and will override the calculated amount. If this field is left blank, the calculated amount will be used.
Enter all dates in MMDDYY format unless otherwise noted. For example, enter June 8, 2009 as 60809. UltraTax CS does not allow you to enter an invalid calendar date such as 113809 (November 38, 2009). When "various" is an appropriate response for a date field, UltraTax CS allows you to enter V in the first character position of the date field to print the word "Various." Note that some fields will automatically add the default year after you've entered the month and day.
If you have multiple units of an input screen, the descriptions you enter in these fields are used as the input screen unit description. Entering a description in these fields aids you in selecting the desired unit for the current input screen. In some cases, what you enter in these fields is also used as the description on the form.
Unless specifically noted otherwise, enter all percentages as ###.##. For example, enter 96.5 for 96.5%. UltraTax CS displays the amount as 96.50 and performs calculations using the amount .965.
Enter the two-character state postal code of the appropriate state in the postal code fields. If you are processing a multiple-state return, be sure to enter the appropriate state postal code. Otherwise, the income, deductions, and other amounts may not be attributed to the correct state.
If a field in an input screen is left blank, the corresponding line on the tax form will also be left blank unless otherwise noted in the field help. With the cursor in the field, press F1 to view the field help.
Depending on the filing status, enter T, S, or J where applicable. Note that some fields do not allow you to enter J for joint. If you leave a T/S/J field blank, UltraTax/1040 defaults to T for taxpayer. If you enter J, amounts will be divided in half with the rounding dollar assigned to the taxpayer. Filing status information is used by the Filing Status Optimization Utility as well as for various state applications. In addition, UltraTax/1040 uses filing status information in some federal calculations.
To blank out a text or numeric field, position the cursor in the field and press the spacebar.
Note: Use the Delete or Backspace keys to remove text from a line in a statement dialog. Using the spacebar will cause a blank line to appear in the statement dialog.
For your convenience, fieldviews are attached to the city code fields. Simply select the state and the city, and the city name will appear in the applicable field. City code information is used by state applications only.
Note: These fields are applicable to part-year or nonresidents only.
Use the F/S fields in the federal input screens and the related statement dialogs when the federal and state amounts are not the same. Enter F if the amounts apply only to the federal return, and enter S if the amounts apply only to the state return. Leave the F/S fields blank if the amounts apply to both returns. If the federal and state amounts are different, enter the transactions twice on separate lines or input screens, and indicate whether the amounts are federal or state using the F/S fields.