Selecting Worksheets

You can open worksheets from the Worksheets Tree or from the Forms List, depending on your preference.

Worksheets Tree

Click WS Form on the View ribbon to display the last accessed worksheet and the Worksheets Tree.

Note: The User Options > Tax > Miscellaneous window includes an option to always show the Forms List to display worksheets when opening returns. If you select to this option, the Forms List/WS Form ribbon button is not available until you first open any worksheet.

The navigation panel appears on the left of the window to display the available worksheets for the open return. The panel contains the following elements:

  • Worksheets Tree. Information on the tree is organized into four hierarchies:
    • Federal and state tax authorities
    • Federal category, such as General and Income / Deductions, or state name
    • Worksheet
    • Worksheet numbered section (used for data entry)
  • Government Forms Tree. Information on this tree is divided in three hierarchies:
    • Federal and state tax authorities
    • Categories, where applicable
    • Government forms (used for data entry)
  • Entities. The Entities pane allows you to create new entities or find existing entities. The Entities pane displays on the navigation panel below the Worksheet Tree only when the open worksheet can have repeating entity occurrences, such as the Rent and Royalty worksheet. All entities in the return are listed alphabetically. The first entity listed opens with the first section expanded.
  • You can select an entity in the list or search using to locate a specific entity and open the respective worksheet section.
  • See Managing Entities for information about adding, finding, and deleting entities.
  • Navigation bars. The navigation panel consists of bars that change the tree display between worksheets, government forms, and return groups. Click one of the navigation bars to display the associated tree. When you switch between worksheets and government forms by clicking the navigation bars, the last accessed worksheet or form opens.

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  1. Navigation panel 3. Category 5. Section 7. Navigation bar
  2. Tax authority 4. Worksheet 6. Entities pane  

You can do the following to change the navigation panel display:

  • Expand/collapse panel. You can expand the navigation panel in an open position or collapse it along the left edge of the window. From an open navigation panel, click the double left arrows above the Worksheets Tree to collapse the panel. From a collapsed panel, click the double right arrows to expand the panel.
  • Expand/collapse tree. Click or in the Navigation group on the Home tab to expand or collapse all sections and folders.
  • Show Home state worksheets. Click in the Navigation group on the Home tab to open the State tab and expand the home state worksheets for the open return. A home state must be entered on the Basic Data worksheet. The home state must be a state that has tax forms and the home state must be installed on your system.
  • Navigation panel options. Click the down arrow,, located in the bottom-right corner of the navigation panel to reorder, add, and remove navigation bars.

Open Worksheets from the Tree

  1. If needed, click the Worksheets navigation bar on the navigation panel to display the Worksheets Tree.
  2. Expand the Federal tax authority and category or a state tax authority to show the available worksheets.
  3. Do any of the following:
    • Open a worksheet. Click a worksheet name in the tree.
    • Open a worksheet in a new tab or floating window. Right-click a worksheet name and select Show Form in New Tab or Show Form in New Window. You can display a maximum of four windows, four tabs, or a combination of four windows and tabs. See Multiple Tabs and Windows for more information.

      • Note: You can also click New Tab or New Window in the Window group on the View tab to open another instance of the active worksheet.

    • Open a worksheet containing data. Select Next > Worksheet or Previous > Worksheet in the Navigation group on the Home tab to open the next or previous worksheet containing data in the tree sequence.
    • Show Forms List tabs. Select Form Tabs in the Show/Hide group on the View tab to display the worksheet and government Forms List tabs above the open worksheet. The tabs provide an easy way to change from tree to list view.
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Forms List

The Forms List provides a list of worksheets in an expanded view. You select the list of worksheets, government forms, state forms, or return groups from vertical tabs.

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Click Forms List on the View ribbon, and then click one of the tabs to display the associated list. Worksheets with data input display in blue font.

Tax User Options includes a setting to show the Forms List to display worksheets when opening returns.

Open Worksheets from the List

  1. Click a federal or state tab at the top of the Forms List window to show the available worksheets.

    2. Note: If the Worksheets Tree is displayed in the navigation panel, click Forms List in the Show/Hide group on the View tab to display the list.

  2. Do any of the following:
    • Use the keyboard arrow keys to move through the multi-column list.
    • Type the first letter of the displayed form name. For example, entering K locates and selects the first item that begins with the letter K.
    • Click or in the Navigation group on the Home tab to expand or collapse worksheets or states.
    • Double-click any state to open a sub-list of state worksheets. Click Back to return to the list of all states.
  3. Double-click or click OK to open the selected worksheet or form.

Search for Worksheet Names in the List

  1. Enter partial or complete text in the box above the Forms List. When you enter three characters, a list of up to ten matches displays below the search box. Partial matches are also highlighted in the Forms List.
  2. You can do the following:
    • Select a possible match from the search box list. Your selection is highlighted in the Forms List.
    • Click to locate the first match to your criteria in the Forms List. You can then click the up or down arrow beside the search box to locate next or previous matches in the Forms List.
    • Click the X in the search box to clear your search criteria.

Multiple Tabs and Windows

You can display up to four tabs, four windows, or a combination of four tabs and windows from the WorksheetsTree. And you can use tabs and windows to display a combination of worksheets.

If you open multiple worksheets, you can change the position of the open tabs or windows. You can also change the tab positions in the Forms List to separate panes or floating windows.

Right-click a worksheet or Forms List tab or window name to do the following:

  • Change the display to a tab or a floating window
  • Arrange tabs vertically or horizontally
  • Close worksheet windows or tabs

If you open multiple floating windows, click Reset Tab in the Window group on the View tab to change the display from windows to tabs.

See Working with Multiple Tabs and Windows for more information.

Worksheets with Data

Category, worksheet, and section names that contain input data display with blue font in the Worksheets Tree and in the Forms List. Worksheets that do not contain data display with black font. Click Forms in Return in the Show/Hide group on the View tab to display only the worksheets that contain input data.

Click Forms in Return in the Show/Hide group on the View tab a second time to return the display to include all worksheet available for the return.