Use the Condition Editor to set a condition for a letter template, paragraph section, or paragraph. Conditions specify the criteria when an element (letter template, paragraph section, or paragraph) should be generated in rendered letters for the return configuration set. If no condition is set for an element, it will always be generated in rendered letters for the return configuration set. Letter template conditions are evaluated before paragraph conditions when letters are rendered.
Standard letter template and paragraph conditions cannot be displayed in the editor; however, you can override or append to the conditions by saving the standard template or paragraph as a custom.
Whether a paragraph is generated in rendered letters can depend on how the paragraph was created:
Custom paragraphs created from standard paragraphs. Custom paragraphs created from a standard paragraph include system conditions. You can append to the system conditions by adding conditions of your own. You also have the option of not including system conditions.
If you choose not to include system conditions, you must add a condition in the Condition Editor or the paragraph will never generate in rendered letters.
User-defined custom paragraphs. User-defined custom paragraphs do not include system conditions. You can add conditions if you want them to be generated in rendered letters according to the condition criteria. If you do not add a condition to user-defined custom paragraphs, they will always generate in rendered letters.
To manage custom conditions, do the following:
Right-click a custom letter template, a custom paragraph in a template in the Word pane, or a custom paragraph in the Paragraph Library, and select Edit Condition from the menu. The Condition Editor displays. The tax year and return type are populated by Correspondence Manager and cannot be edited in the editor.
Begin by dragging a keyword, form, or pre-built condition or expression from the left navigation panel to the Condition Builder grid. Click the up and down arrows to expand and collapse sections on the navigation panel.
Keywords are variable blocks of text that are changed to return-specific data when letters are rendered in returns. Only keywords matching the year and return type display in the list.
Keyword Search
You can enter a full name to display an exact match or a partial name to display all possible matches.
Forms
Forms are filtered by tax authority (for example, Federal or California) with Federal as the default. To change the filter criteria, select another tax authority. The forms in the list are according to the government Full Window Forms List in Tax. The forms list contains both short and long government form names.
Tax authority
Federal and state tax authorities that, when selected, lists the applicable government forms.
Pre-built Conditions and Expressions
Pre-built conditions and expressions are system-defined rules that can be used in the Condition Builder. Pre-built conditions and expressions are not editable. See the note at the end of this topic for more information.
Preview Pre-built Conditions and Expressions
Click the down arrows to expand the section, if needed, and preview the selected pre-built condition or expression.
In the Forms section, select a tax authority from the list.
Set the expression for the condition using the available operators and commands. The available operators depend on the type of keyword, form, and pre-built condition or expression entered in the grid row. You may need to enter a specific value or select a value from the Lookup Value window.
When editing paragraph conditions, the paragraph hierarchy displays in the upper-right pane along with the letter type and paragraph section. When editing letter template conditions, the template name displays in the upper-right pane.
Include system condition
Above Condition Builder grid
Available for custom transmittal, extension, and K-1 paragraphs created from standard paragraphs. Select to include the system-defined conditions. You can append to system conditions using the AND/OR logical operators. System conditions are always evaluated before custom conditions. Important: If you do not select this option, you must add a condition to the paragraph or it will not generate in rendered letters.
And (option button)
Above Condition Builder grid
Available for custom transmittal, extension, and K-1 paragraphs created from standard paragraphs. Select this option to append a custom condition to the system-defined condition. And requires that both the custom and system criteria be met for the paragraph to generate in rendered letters. Note: This option is only available if Include system condition is selected.
Or (option button)
Above Condition Builder grid
Available for custom transmittal, extension, and K-1 paragraphs created from standard paragraphs. Select this option to append a custom condition to the system-defined condition. Or requires that either the custom or system criteria be met for the paragraph to generate in rendered letters. Note: This option is only available if Include system condition is selected.
Parentheses
( )
Condition Builder grid
Parentheses are used in compound conditions to group lines of criteria. They define the sequence or priority in which criteria is evaluated. Criteria in parentheses are evaluated before criteria outside of parentheses.
Click in the Parentheses column to insert a single parenthesis. To use multiple parentheses, (( )), double-click inside the Parentheses column.
Keyword / Form / Pre-built Condition / Expression
Condition Builder grid
Displays the element selected from the navigation panel in step 2.
Expression Button
Line in the Keyword/Form/Pre-built Condition/Expression column
Creates a mathematical expression between multiple keywords or between a keyword and a numeric value. To add multiple keywords or a number and a keyword together, you must set up an expression. Select a criteria line and click the Expression button in the Keyword/Form/Pre-built Condition/Expression column to display the Expression Builder window.
Operators
Condition Builder grid
<
Less than
>
Greater than
=
Equal to
<>
Not equal to
<=
Less than or equal to
>=
Greater than or equal to
IN
Use IN when an identifier can have multiple conditions requiring the same set of coding to be performed. The multiple conditions are enclosed in parentheses and each condition is separated with a comma.
NOT IN
The logical NOT IN is used to check for the opposite of the condition following it.
Present
Present (form prints with return). Form expressions must be followed by Present or Not Present.
Not Present
Not present (form does not print with return). Form expressions must be followed by Present or Not Present.
Blank
No data exists in the selected field. Blank is not available when Expression Builder is used.
Not Blank
Data exists in the selected field. Not Blank is not available when Expression Builder is used.
Variable / Date / Keyword / Expression
Condition Builder grid
Depending on the type of keyword, you can enter data, drag a keyword, add an expression, or select data, such as a date, from a calendar.
If Blank, Not Blank, Present, or Not Present is selected as an operator, no data is allowed in this field.
Lookup Button
Selected line in the Variable / Date / Keyword / Expression column
Displays a list of applicable values when a selected keyword requires specific data. For example, filing status has a numeric value assigned to each status type (1 - single and 2 - married filing jointly). In this case, the applicable data displays in a list.
Logical Connectors
Condition Builder grid
AND
The logical AND is used in combining multiple criteria to form one complex condition. AND requires that both lines of criteria be met.
OR
The logical OR is used to evaluate different alternatives in a complex condition. OR requires that either line of criteria be met.
Insert Line
Below Condition Builder grid
Adds a line above the selected or current line in the grid.
Delete Line
Below Condition Builder grid
Removes the selected or current line from the grid.
Delete Condition
Below Condition Builder grid
Removes all conditions in the grid.
Warning! Be sure you want to remove all lines of conditions in the grid before pressing Delete Condition.
Preview Condition
Bottom pane
Displays a preview of the condition and is not editable. The preview is updated as the condition is built.
Click Save to save your changes. When you save your changes, the Cancel button changes to Close.
Click Close to return to the Correspondence Manager window.
Keyword Library path. The information within brackets shows the full path to the keyword in the Keyword Library. The last item in quotations within each pair of brackets is the keyword.
X and Y variables. The Y variable requires electronic filing to be selected. The X variable requires either federal estimate vouchers or state estimates to be present.
Parentheses and connectors. Parentheses group the last two lines of the condition. In this example, electronic filing must be selected AND because the last two lines are grouped, either federal estimate vouchers OR state estimates must be present.
You can edit conditions for custom paragraphs for all letter types except transmittal, extension, and K-1 letters. These letter types have internal conditions that do not display in the Condition Editor when saved as a custom. However, you can append conditions to custom paragraphs of these letter types.
.
A list of similar keywords
Variable blocks of text in correspondence paragraphs that are defined by the system. Keywords are changed to return-specific data when letter templates are rendered in returns. displays.