Adding Custom Paragraphs

You can create custom paragraphs for your firm's tax correspondence and save them to a single location or multiple locations.

You can enter letter template text in the Word pane without creating a paragraph in the Paragraph Library; however, if the paragraph is one that would likely be used often in other templates, it is recommended you create a paragraph in the Paragraph Library. Paragraphs that are made up of free flow text in a letter template cannot have a condition, unless you save it in the Paragraph Library as a custom paragraph.

A custom paragraph that is created from a standard paragraph in the Paragraph Library can be set to override the default paragraph in custom letter templates. You can restore the standard paragraph in a custom letter template. See Restoring a Standard Paragraph for more information.

Important: If you select to use a custom paragraph created from a standard paragraph as the default, 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 content and not the standard content.

Custom paragraphs in the Paragraph Library are color-coded as follows:

• Pink text. Custom paragraph created from a standard paragraph
• Blue text. User-defined custom paragraph, also referred to as pure custom paragraph

Adding a User-defined (Pure) Custom Paragraph

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 is not expanded, click the Paragraph Library navigation bar in the left pane.
3. Expand a letter type.
4. Do one of the following:
• Select a paragraph section and click New on the Paragraphs tab.
• Right-click a paragraph section and select New Custom Paragraph from the menu.
5. Enter text into the blank paragraph in the Word pane. You enter content within tags called content controls. For more information and examples, see Working with Content Controls.
6. When you complete the content, do the following to save the custom paragraph:
   1. On the Paragraphs tab, click Save. The Save Custom Paragraph window displays.
   2. Select the sections where you want to save the paragraph. You can save the paragraph to multiple locations in the Paragraph Library.
   3. Select Repeat Custom Paragraph, if needed, to indicate whether the custom paragraph should be evaluated for multiple state or city tax authorities of the letter type when it is rendered in a tax return.
   4. Click Save. The user-defined custom paragraph displays in blue text in the specified Paragraph Library sections.

Adding a Custom Paragraph from a Standard Paragraph

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 is not expanded, click the Paragraph Library navigation bar in the left pane.
3. Expand a letter type, and then a paragraph section.
4. Do one of the following:
• Select a standard paragraph and click Edit on the Paragraphs tab.
• Right-click a standard paragraph and select Edit Paragraph from the menu.
5. Update the paragraph text in the Word pane. You enter content within tags called content controls. For more information and examples, see Working with Content Controls.
6. When you complete the content, do the following to save the custom paragraph:
   1. On the Paragraphs tab, click . The Save As Custom Paragraph from a Standard window displays.
   2. If the standard paragraph is in the same section in multiple letter types, those locations are selected by default for your new custom paragraph. The custom may be saved in the same letter types and in the same sections. Verify the sections where you want to save the paragraph.

   Note: In the case of multiple locations, you can choose not to save the custom paragraph to an associated letter type. However, the link to each section you clear will be broken. Cleared sections will not be selected by default when saving future updates.
   

   3. Click Save. The custom paragraph created from a standard paragraph displays in pink text in the Paragraph Library below the standard paragraph from which it was created. If you cleared any multiple sections on the Save As Custom Paragraph from a Standard window, you will be prompted to confirm your selection.

Notes:

• 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.
• If you create a custom paragraph from a standard paragraph that has already been replaced in letter templates by another custom paragraph, you must update the templates manually if you want to use the new custom paragraph.