About Letter and Labels Templates

The term “letter template” refers to the templates for client letters and labels.

A letter template is a document that contains pre-written text and tax cell variables, usually embedded within conditional blocks. Cantax FormMaster supplies several predefined letter and letter templates. These templates are available in the Letters and Labels view. You can also create customized templates that you can use to create letters or labels meeting the requirements of your firm.

Each template is linked to a form in the Form Manager as defined in its properties. When you print or display a letter from the Form Manager, the content of the template is merged with data in the active client file. The resulting document is a letter that contains information specific to each client's situation.

To create a new letter template, proceed as follows:

  1. In the left menu, click Letters and Labels.
  2. Click the New button .
    The Letter Editor displays.
  3. Define the content of the template.
  4. Click the button to save the new template and set the properties.
  5. Click the button to go back to the Letters and Labels view.
Tip: It is possible to convert a letter template created with the previous version of Cantax FormMaster. This functionality allows you to retrieve your letter templates and, in doing so, prevents you from recreating them.

To modify a letter template, proceed as follows:

  1. In the left menu, click Letters and Labels.
  2. Select the template that you want to modify.
  3. Click the Open button .
    If you have selected a predefined template, indicate that you want to create a copy of the template, and set its properties.
    The Letter Editor displays.
  4. Edit the content of the letter template.
  5. Click the button to save the changes.
  6. Click the button to return to the Letters and Labels view.

Notes:

  • If you modify a template that is already linked to a form in the Form Manager, the changes will apply to any returns that are printed subsequently.
  • The content and properties of the predefined letter templates cannot be modified, except for the form linked to the template. However, you can create a customized template using a predefined template.

To create a copy of a letter template, proceed as follows:

  1. In the left menu, click Letters and Labels.
  2. Select the template that you want to copy.
  3. Click the button.
  4. Set the template properties.
  5. Click OK.

To convert one or several letter templates created with the previous version of Cantax FormMaster, proceed as follows:

  1. In the left menu, click Letters and Labels.
  2. Click the Convert button .
    The Convert - Letter Templates box displays. The default location is the one defined to save letters and labels created with last year's version.
  3. Select one or several of the letter templates that you want to convert.
  4. Click Open.

The letter templates are saved on the location indicated in the options and settings and are identified as templates of "predefined" type. If the conversion was done for a single template, the converted template is opened in the Letters and Labels view so it can be modified.

If some errors occurred during the conversion, an error log will display at the end of the operation. In addition, in the Letters and Labels view, an error indicator will display on the converted letter template.

When the modification of a converted letter template contains invalid references, they will appear in red: you will need to correct the letter template in order to display a preview of the letter.

Tip: We recommend that you review the converted letter templates contents before starting to file returns.

To delete a customized letter template, proceed as follows:

  1. In the left menu, click Letters and Labels.
  2. Select the customized template that you want to delete.
  3. Click the button .
  4. Click Yes to confirm.
Note: You cannot delete the predefined letter templates.

To print a letter template, proceed as follows:

  1. In the left menu, click Letters and Labels.
  2. Double-click the template that you want to print.
    The letter displays.
  3. On the File menu, click Print
  4. Set the printing options.
  5. Click OK.
Note: You must print the letter template from the Letter Editor or the Test mode.