Database "Preparer Report" is inaccurate

[JOhnBoB]

I printed a "2020 Preparer Report" and is is showing forms that were not prepared. I did no do 80 1040-ES (NR) and I definitely did not prepare 167 Form 3115s. If these are wrong, can I trust that the number of other forms is correct? Is the report just wrong...or am I doing something wrong?

[PhoebeRoberts]

As far as I can tell, no one regularly remaps that report as forms come and go. Some of the totals are associated with the correct form number; some are clearly not.

[JOhnBoB]

I just noticed the highest number form is Form 8900. More evidences as to the inaccuracy of this report. I guess that makes the whole thing pointless. So I will quit wasting my time trying to use it.

[Drphibes]

For a program that we all pay a decent chunk of change for every year, to have something like this not work makes me distrust other database reporting aspects such as fee income per preparer and such.  Either make it work correctly or take it out.

[DatabaseRobert]

This has been an issue of long standing due to the way in which Lacerte adds forms.  Each form has a variable associated with it for internal use in the program; these are stored in a list and sorted in one order (either numerically/by the variable, or alphabetically/by the form name).

However, the data table that records, "this client # has This Form" in it is sorted in the OTHER order (alphabetically, versus numerically).

This means that if you have a form #1234 and a form #1237 at the start of the season, they will appear next to each other in the "forms prepared report" at that time...  but if Lacerte later adds a #1235, its variable number may well put it five columns away INSTEAD OF in between those existing two.
  Which means that any report based on "something further to the right" of that new form, is now offset to be shown as "some other form" in the report.

As I say, this has been the case for MANY years.

.

You can largely fix this by highlighting all of your clients (F3/"all"), and going to the Alt+menu | L(cLient) | U(pdate client database)...
  ...however, any clients that you have previously Locked with NOT be updated.

Again, you can largely fix *that* issue by copying your entire data path to a separate directory, then UNlocking all of your clients, doing the update as just described, and then generating the "forms used this year" report while in THAT directory.
  Just make certain to change *back* to your "live" data when you're done...



Robert Kirk
LTUGtools