Adding Custom Letter Templates

You can create custom letter templates in the Word pane for your firm's tax correspondence.

The larger the number of paragraphs you change in a letter template, the longer the length of time the system requires saving the changes. If you change 250 or more paragraphs, the system displays a message advising the process can take an extended amount of time to complete.

Important: New paragraphs can be added to Correspondence Manager with any software release. These new paragraphs are not automatically added to pre-existing custom letter templates that were created from any of the updated standard letter templates. New paragraphs must be added manually to pre-existing custom letter templates.

Tip: Instead of saving font changes to a large number of paragraphs in a letter template, you can save stationery settings in a return configuration set to apply to your standard and custom letters when rendered inside returns.

Adding a User-defined (Pure) Custom Letter Template

1. Select the tax year and return type from the available lists in the left pane of the Correspondence Manager window, and then click.
2. If the library section is not expanded, click the Letter Template Library navigation bar in the left pane.
3. Select a letter type in the Letter Template Library and do one of the following:
• Click New,, on the Letters tab.
• Right-click and select New Custom Letter Template from the menu.
4. Enter text into the blank letter in the Word pane or select and drag paragraphs, paragraph sections, or keywords from the libraries to construct your letter template. You enter content within tags called content controls. For more information and examples, see Working with Content Controls. Keywords must be inserted within free flow text content controls.

   Note: Content controls enclose the text in a letter or paragraph and are visible in the Word pane when you select text. See Working with Content Controls for more information.

5. When you complete the content, do the following to save the custom letter template:
   1. Click on the Letters tab.
   2. If you have edited a standard paragraph, you are prompted to click Override on the Paragraphs tab to select the return configuration sets that should use the custom paragraph in place of the default paragraph in custom letter templates for the selected tax year and return type when the letter is generated. See Overriding the Default Paragraph for more information. Click OK to display the Save Custom Letter Template window.

      Important: The paragraph in standard letter templates will not be updated; however, letters rendered inside the return from the standard letter template generate the custom paragraph and not the standard paragraph.

   3. Accept or select a different letter type on the Save Custom Letter Template window.
   4. Accept the default template name or enter a unique alphanumeric template name.
   5. Select Repeat custom letter template if you want the system to evaluate the letter template for all tax authorities of the letter type when it is rendered in a tax return. For example, a return includes multiple states or cities and you want the letter to be rendered for each jurisdiction.
   6. Click Save. The custom letter template displays in the Letter Template Library under the selected letter type. Any standard paragraphs that are modified are saved as custom paragraphs in the Paragraph Library.
6. If you want to set the template to generate or render in tax returns for selected return configuration sets, do the following:
   1. Right-click your new custom letter template in the library and select Enable Letter Template from the menu.
   2. Select return configuration sets for the letter template. You can also select Enable from the column header to select all return configuration sets.
   3. Click Save.

Adding a Custom Letter Template from a Standard Letter Template

1. Select the tax year and return type from the available lists in the left pane of the Correspondence Manager window, and then click.
2. If the library section is not expanded, click the Letter Template Library navigation bar in the left pane.
3. Select the standard letter you want to use to create your custom letter and do one of the following:
• Click on the Letters tab.
• Right-click and select Edit Letter Template from the menu.
4. Edit the text in the standard letter in the Word pane, or select and drag paragraphs, paragraph sections, or keywords from the libraries. You enter content within tags called content controls. For more information and examples, see Working with Content Controls. Keywords must be inserted within free flow text content controls.

   Note: Content controls enclose the text in a letter or paragraph and are visible in the Word pane when you select text. See Working with Content Controls for more information.

5. When you complete the content, do the following to create a custom letter template:
   1. Click on the Letters tab.
   2. If you have edited a standard paragraph, you are prompted to click Override on the Paragraphs tab to select the return configuration sets that should use the custom paragraph in place of the default paragraph in custom letter templates for the selected tax year and return type when the letter is generated. See Overriding the Default Paragraph for more information. Click OK to display the Save Custom Letter Template window.

      Important: The paragraph in standard letter templates will not be updated; however, letters rendered inside the return from the standard letter template generate the custom paragraph and not the standard paragraph.

   3. Accept or select a different letter type.
   4. Accept the default template name or enter a unique alphanumeric template name.
   5. Select Repeat custom letter template if you want the system to evaluate the letter template for all tax authorities of the letter type when it is rendered in a tax return. For example, a return includes multiple states or cities and you want the letter to be rendered for each jurisdiction.
   6. Click Save. The custom letter template displays in the Letter Template Library under the selected letter type.
6. If you want to set the template to generate or render in tax returns for selected return configuration sets, do the following:
   1. Right-click your new custom letter template in the library and select Enable Letter Template from the menu.
   2. Select return configuration sets for the letter template. You can also select Enable from the column header to select all return configuration sets.
   3. Click Save.

Warning! If you enable multiple K-1 letter templates, the performance of previewing and editing letters may be impacted in returns with large numbers of K-1 letters.