Viewing Forms in Lacerte

Within Lacerte there are many tools and features on the Forms tab that can help you. This article will help you use the features on the Forms tab.

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Using the Forms tab

To view the federal and state Forms select the Forms tab.

• In the upper left corner you can select the US for federal forms or the state abbreviation for state forms.
• Check the Show all button if you want to see available forms that are not generating with this specific return.

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Using Zoom

If you need to change the size of the forms you can use the Zoom option in the upper right. Here you'll find:

• Zoom In - Use Zoom In to make the text and the forms bigger, caution you may no longer see the whole form if you Zoom In.
• Zoom Out - Use Zoom Out to make the text and the forms smaller.
• Full Screen - Use Full Screen to hide the frame of Lacerte and have the tax form take up the whole screen. Once in Full Screen use the Exit Full Screen button to return to the normal view.
• Zoom to page width - This will make the tax form width fit exactly within the frame of the Lacerte Forms screen.
• Show full page - This will make the whole tax form length fit exactly within the frame of the Lacerte Forms screen.
• Zoom to normal - This returns you to the normal view.

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Using Print Form

You can quickly print just the form you are looking at by using the Print Form button in the upper right.

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Using jump to input

Most fields on the form have the ability to Jump to Input. Simply right click on the field and select Jump to Input to see where to enter the item that flows there.

• Not all forms or lines have jump to input available.

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Using Form Help in Lacerte 2022 and newer

Starting in Lacerte 2022, there's a new Form Help features that provides additional in-product information to help you determine how a line is calculated.

This feature is currently available for Federal forms and schedules in the Individual tax module of 2023 Lacerte and 2022 Lacerte where the Form Help icon appears.

To turn on Form Help:

To turn the Form Help on in Lacerte, check the Form Help box located at the top of the screen while viewing the Forms tab. Once the Form Help checkbox is marked, this feature is turned on. You’ll notice several lines appearing with a blue question mark icon. 

Using Form Help

Once on, you'll see blue question mark icons where Form Help is available. Right click on the entry and select Form Help to open a pop-up browser window with information for that line. This window can be adjusted to a smaller size and will remain this size while working in the program.

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Adding Sticky Notes

To add a Sticky note:

1. Drag and drop the   from the toolbar where you want the note.
2. Type your text in the Add new note field.
   • You can't change the font size, font type, or color of the note.
3. If this note is for the tax program or for more than one client, remove the check next to Client Specific to make it a Sticky Note.
4. If the note is just for one client, check the Client Specific box to make it a Client Note.
   • The Client Specific checkbox is only available in the Forms tab.
5. Click OK.

For more information see: Using Client Notes and Sticky Notes in Lacerte

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Using Audit Check Marks

An Audit Check is a checkmark that you can place on lines of a form as a reminder to check the information on that line. When you place an audit check on a line, it displays green. If the information on the checked line changes (due to an automatic calculation for example), the Audit Check turns red to alert you to the change.

If you want to review all of the Audit Checks on all of the forms in the tax return, click Show All Audit Checks on the View menu. You can then switch between forms and add or remove audit checks.

For more information see: Using Audit Check Marks in Lacerte

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Using Detail/Form Split View

The Detail/Form Split function lets you to enter data in the detail input screen and lets you to view the forms simultaneously. When entering data in the detail input screens, you'll be able to see the updated calculations on the viewed forms immediately, without having to access the Forms tab.

To use the Detail/Form Split View:

1. Go to the Detail Input Screen.
2. From the View menu, select Detail/Form Split View, then Detail/Forms Split View.
   • This will place a checkmark next to the Detail/Form Split to turn the function on in Lacerte.
3. Once the Detail/Form Split view is selected the screen will show:
   • The list of forms on the left.
     1. Only forms that are generated on the Forms tab will appear on the list. If the form isn't generating you'll need to first generate the form then click on the Detail/Form Split view.
   • The Detail Input Screen in the middle, and
   • The Forms view on the right.
   • If you have a smaller screen or Lacerte isn't Maximized, the screen will show:
     • The list of forms on the left,
     • The Detail Input Screen at the top, and
     • The Forms view on the bottom.
4. Select the applicable Form from the list on the left.
5. Enter the applicable data in the Detail Input Screen.

For more information see: Using split and pop-out views in Lacerte

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