file naming and transfer of prior year files

[FrankK]

Every year I transfer prior year files.  Transferring 2020 files to 2021 organizers results in new file with a name like "2020 Smith John.21o" for the organizer.  Has anyone ever suggested to ProSeries that they modify the file name as part of the transfer, e.g. "2021 Smith John.21o"?  Same thing for the tax data file.  It would save a LOT of time renaming files.  Seems dumb to (1) open the file, (2) "save as" with current year file name, and (3) delete file with prior year name.

I could transfer all of the files, then go into the data directory and use the file renaming capability of Windows to rename all of the files that begin with 2020 to 2021, but then ProSeries home base gets confused because the file names saved by home base are not the same as the actual file names.

Anyone have a fast way to rename both organizers and data files?

[FrankK]

I just tried something that looks like it works.  Renamed all of the "2020 files" in Windows to "2021 <taxpayer name>.  Opened Home Base in ProSeries and deleted all of the client entries (since they all point to files that no longer exist because I renamed them), then ran Home Base Maintenance, which found all of the renamed files and added them back to Home Base.

[jeffmcpa2010]

ProSeries changing file names each year would probably cause more trouble than it would solve. You realize that most likely every practitioner who uses proseries probably has a different file naming convention.

For instance I have been assigning clients a "Client number" since I started my firm 28 years ago. That number is used in my billing system, filing system, and also as the computer file name for the tax program.

I think trying to automate anything beyond the .20o, .21o etc. would just be unworkable.

[Just-Lisa-Now-]

why put a year in the file name at all? The .20o on the end tells you its a 2020 file.

[FrankK]

Agreed!

[FrankK]

Your solution is a good one too. But if ProSeries does not change the file name (or if you do not change it) and you print a 2021 organizer, the file name is "2020 Smith John.21o" unless you change it.  This can be confusing to clients, because they might think you are sending them last year's organizer.  They would have no reason to pay attention to the .21o extension... unless you tell them to.

[jeffmcpa2010]

When does the Client see your file name?

I use the "short organizer" but I have never noticed the file name printed anywhere on it.

[FrankK]

Print the organizer to a PDF.  The default file name for a 21 organizer where the 2020 data was transferred is "2020 Smith John.21o"

[jeffmcpa2010]

ahh. I have just always printed the organizer to paper.