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10SOLUTIONSTips, Trends, and connecTions for users of Thomson reuTers sofTware

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Opportunities available today will drive you well into the future

ONward & upward

peter deGregori cpa, msT, has a workflow that works. what can you learn from him?

+

you’re free To move aroundstay current from anywhere with mobile cs 2.0

the tools you need are already here—

says teresa mackintosh

The year of The TableT combining the best of laptops and desktops

Z

Solutions is published by the Tax & accounting business of Thomson reuters, 7322 Newman Boulevard, dexter, MI 48130; 800.968.8900. Printed in the United States. Copyright 2011 Thomson reuters, Issue 1, 2011. Cover: Copyright 2011 rEUTErS; Page 4, top: Copyright 2011 rEUTErS/Mike Blake (United States); page 6 and above: Copyright 2011 Joe Vaughn/Vaughn Media Inc. (Brian wood); pages 8–11 and above: Copyright 2011 Jeff Newton (Peter deGregori); page 10: Copyright 2011 david Moser (inset); page 13 and above: Copyright 2011 rEUTErS/david Gray; page 16: Copyright 2011 Hilton worldwide.

issue 1 | 2011

Questions or feedback? Email your thoughts to solutions@Thomsonreuters.com.are you

there yet? 12

4 NewsliNeThe best out-of-office tool; a code to know; how to be our cover story.

7 software iN actioN Save time for your staff and your clients—while increasing security.

14 tips & tacticsanswers and advice that will improve your work day.

aLSO INSIdE

SOLUTIONS

Join our online users’ forum, at cs.Thomsonreuters.com/community.

find more on the web, at cs.Thomsonreuters.com.

cs.Thomsonreuters.com/facebook

cs.Thomsonreuters.com/Twitter

cs.Thomsonreuters.com/youTube

FEaTUrES

peter degregori: workflow that works

8

6 inside story:

brian wood

VIEw POINT

CS.THOMSONrEUTErS.COM [ 3 ]

The now Generation accounting firm

we talk a lot about the benefits of planning for the

future. but by focusing exclusively on the future, are

we missing the opportunities in front of us right now?

it’s a given that shifting dynamics will change the

face of the profession in terms of staff and clients.

so what would happen if you focused on attracting

gen X and y clients and staff today? by working

smartly with technology to provide more convenient

solutions, you’d not only attract younger generations,

you’d secure the future of your business.

many of your potential clients have grown up using

laptops and mobile devices (and now tablet pcs), and

they want to do business with firms that fit into their

life and business styles. refocusing your business to

take advantage of these opportunities is easier than

you think, because the tools you need to tap into this

market are already available. here are just a few:

•Mobileappstogetup-to-the-minutedataand

communicatewithon-the-goclientsandstaff.

•Clientportalstopushinformationtoclients

who prefer to exchange information electronically

24/7ratherthanspend30-plusminutesata

scheduled office visit.

•Resourcesthathelpyoudropthe“marketing-

speak” and talk plainly to clients who appreciate

straightforward messaging and transparency.

what about new staff? these young professionals

are convinced they can have it all, and they’re

determined to strike a balance between their careers

and their personal lives. products and services with

real-timeclientcollaborationand24/7accesstodata

and software in the cloud help you welcome them

into your firm with the technology tools they expect.

because gen X and gen y connect differently than

previous generations, your new clients and staff will

often choose to network through social media. this

combination of technology and humanity has already

set a rapid pace of innovation and adoption, and

your participation in these new media is a good way

tostrengthenyourreputationasatech-savvyfirm.

we’ve recognized the shift and your enthusiasm

to be a part of it. and we’re excited to help you

and your staff focus on ways to spend less time on

routine work and more time on adding value to your

client services.

so i have to ask: is your firm seizing the opportunities

out there right now? are you driving your firm’s

future with action? not only will your decisions today

impact your legacy tomorrow, but you’ll also get the

satisfaction of knowing that you made a difference in

the lives of your clients.

now is an exciting time. it’s all happening right in

front of us, helping you meet your clients’ current

needs and adjust as those needs grow. when

combinedwithyouroutstandingknow-how,allthese

conveniences plus enhanced customer service will

create customers for life. after all, why would they

leave when you make it so easy for them to stay? by

taking advantage of technology tools such as client

portals on your website today, you reinforce your

position as their trusted advisor—and they’ll think of

you more often, now and into the future.

and when you stop to think about it, isn’t that exactly

what the future is: an endless string of nows?

speakinG of now: now is a good time to go online and listen to teresa mackintosh speak more about the firm of today. listen at cs.thomsonreuters.com/solutions.

teresa mackintosh cpa.citp

senior Vice president & general manager,

professional market

NEwSLINE

SOLUTIONS [ISSuE 1, 2011][ 4 ]

cs professional suite®

& enterprise suite™

accounTinG

accounting cs™

accounting cs client access

cs professional suite

accounting products

engagement cs®

documenT manaGemenT

filecabinet cs®

gofileroom®

mobile apps

mobile cs™

payroll

accounting cs payroll

mypay solutions®

firm & workflow manaGemenT

practice cs®

firm flowtm

TaX

ultratax cs®

gosystem® tax rs

fixed assets cs®

planner cs®

toolbox cs®

cloud compuTinG

saas leasing

Virtual office cs®

websiTe desiGn

web builder cs®

clienT porTals

netclient cs®

Take a look at this little square—you’ll be seeing it more often in Solutions Magazine, CS Professional Suite ads, and other publications in the future. Known as a Qr (“quick response”) Code, it allows you to link to online content for more information by using your smartphone to scan the code in magazines, newspapers, or other offline media.

If you have a Qr Code app (e.g., red Laser or Neoreader) installed on your phone now, try scanning the code in this article to be taken directly to the Solutions Magazine online content. If you don’t, check your app store; there are free Qr code apps available.

Mobile cs offers practice cs content and integrated client notes from other cs professional suite software on the apple® iphone®, ipad®, or ipod® touch to help you make business decisions fromanywhere.Withreal-timeaccesstoyourdata,MobileCSallowsyoutostaycurrenton firm operations, staff projects, and client status—even when you’re out of the office. mobile cs version 2.0 features include:

• clients Near Me. find out if clients are close to your current location. select the map for a larger version, including street, satellite, and hybrid views.

• time and expense entry. enter your billable time and expenses while on the go. • Timers.Takeadvantageofbuilt-intimerswhileworkingoutoftheoffice—includingtheability

to initiate a client phone call and track the duration of that call to capture all billable time.• MileageTracker.Keeptrackofmileagetoandfromclientappointmentsusingthebuilt-in

GPSonyourmobiledeviceorbyusingafter-the-factroutecalculations.• ReceiptTracker.snap a picture of a receipt with your mobile device and associate it with an

expense entry in mobile cs. once your mobile app data is synced, the receipt can be stored in filecabinet cs for reference and easily accessed through a link on the practice cs entry.

learn more. Visit cs.thomsonreuters.com/Mobilecs, email cs.sales@thomsonreuters.com, or call 800.968.8900.

LOOK FOr THE Qr COdE

Go anywhere, STay CUrrENT

arne: On the Horizonwe’ve been working on a number of exciting enhancements for arne, the online community for tax and accounting professionals.

watch for more details soon on such developments as the availability of forum-levelemailnotifications(allowingyou to subscribe to new posts for an entire forum), new advanced search capabilities that will let you search by date or by forum, and—most exciting—the debut of the arne iphone® app!

stay updated on the status of these enhancements at cs.thomsonreuters.com, in our newsbeat emails, and in the pages of this magazine.

CS.THOMSONrEUTErS.COM [ 5 ]

Be Our user profile!each issue, Solutions Magazine’s user profile spotlights a firm that has successfully raised its level of productivity and profitability with help from thomson reuters products and services. since the profile focuses on the firm’s point of view, it’s an excellent way for Solutions readers to get ideas for making adjustments or improvements to their own firm’s processes.

we believe there are many more firms that would love to share their own stories—and we’d love to tell them. so we invite you to visit

cs.thomsonreuters.com/Userprofile before July 15, 2011, and tell us why you’d be the perfect subject for an upcoming user profile in Solutions Magazine.

we’ll pick one user to feature in ouryear-endissue,whichmailsinnovember*. the winning user will also receive a framed copy of the issue’s cover and user profile article to display proudly in home or office.

remember, you have until July 15, 2011, to submit your entry. Visit cs.thomsonreuters.com/Userprofile today and tell us your story!

*Please note the winning user must agree to be interviewed and photographed by solutions magazine or its representatives.

always with you: our new advertising campaign plays on the increasingly mobile nature of tax and

accounting software. with a new look and feel, it invites tax and accounting professionals

toimaginewhattheycoulddowithanalways-onconnectiontothelatesttechnology.

MAKE YOUR MOUSE ROAR.ULTRATAX CS® PRODUCTIVITY THAT’S ALWAYS WITH YOU

What if you had a team of experts working to help your fi rm squeeze moreproductivity out of every click? It’s intriguing. And it’s exactly what you get with UltraTax CS.

What could you do with an always-on connection to the most powerful minds in tax and accounting software? It’s time to fi nd out.

CS.ThomsonReuters.com/UltraTaxCS 800.968.8900

CS PROFESSIONAL SUITE®

ENTERPRISE SUITE™

Simple Workfl ow for Complex Processes

PASBA_ad_UT.indd 1 3/7/11 4:37 PM

Z

NOw aVaILaBLE: The e-myTh accounTanTThe E-Myth Accountant, by rootworks ceo darren root and business

expert michael e. gerber, is now available for order. go to RootWorks.com

to order a signed edition of the book for $24.95. electronic and audio

versions of the book will soon be available as well.

[ 6 ] SOLUTIONS [ISSuE 1, 2011]

BEHINd THE SCENES aT THOMSON rEUTErS

an outsider’s perspective

INSIdE STOrY

solutions: what exactly is business efficiency consulting?Brian wood: i work with firms that are looking to make improvements by providing an outside perspective on ways they can enhance their internal processes. often, these firms just need someone to help them take a step back and really look at what they’re doing from a new perspective.

Howdidyoureachthisfocusinyourjob?when i started working as a product consultant, i quickly recognized how many firms could use guidance to improve their efficiency as a whole. my years of experience in support, along with our products, givesmeahigh-levelpictureofwhatgoesoninanaccounting firm.

Do you help firms put thomson reuters products tobetteruse?sometimes, yes. i guide them in ways to get more out of our software. but beyond that, i help them with processes they’re using that just aren’t working anymore.

Whatisyourapproachtoconsulting?i ask firms about their specific pain points, whether they’resoftware-orprocess-related.ThenIhelpthemidentify workflow procedures that can save them time and make their lives easier. i enjoy guiding them toward efficiencies that can help them achieve their goals, whether it’s to take on more clients or to have more free time.

Meet BriaN wooD, a technical and business

efficiency consultant at Thomson Reuters in

Ann Arbor, Mich. He joined the company in

2002 as a support representative. Six years later,

Wood transitioned into the consulting area. He’s

married to his high school sweetheart, Cindy

Wood, who works on the Thomson Reuters web

marketing team.

TIME FOr wHaT MaTTErS +persoNal passioN: “WhatreallydrivesmeisseeingthatIamimprovingpeople’slives,”saysWood.“Ithinkaboutmyfamily:Beingefficientatwork so i can spend more time with them is important to me.”

plaNtiNg seeDs: wood and his wife have two sons, ages two and four,andjustboughtanewhouse.“I’mgoingtobedoingalotoflandscapingthissummer,”hesays,“andI’mlookingforwardtoit.”

[ 7 ]CS.THOMSONrEUTErS.COM

the decision to implement Netclient cs was not a difficult one for mcmanamon & co., llc, an accounting and consulting firm in westlake, ohio. and, thankfully, neither was the actual implementation process, says kevin krantz, cpa, mt, director of tax services.

the firm elected to offer its clients private portals about three years ago, after recognizing that email wasn’t the most secure way for them to share information.

“Wewerealreadyprogressingtowardbecomingcompletely digital and were providing a lot of our clients’ returns and documents on cd,” says krantz. “Sowewerelookingforwardtoanevenbettersolutionfor delivering client information digitally.”

Afterdoing“duediligence”—includingtalkingtootherfirms that were already using the portal solution—krantz says it made sense to go with netclient cs. its seamless integration with other software in the firm’s office made it the clear choice.

to implement netclient cs, the firm began by getting feedback from its staff about the best approach, and then educating the team on the implementation process. mcmanamon & co. then introduced the secure portals to its clients during tax season.

while krantz admits there were a lot of questions about the new process from clients in the beginning, there was little resistance. in fact, out of approximately 375 form 1040s prepared that year, only five clients requested theirs be sent via hard copy instead of through their private portal.

the benefits of portals have proved invaluable to both staff and clients. once a return is finalized, it’s instantly available to clients. there’s also a reduction in administrative time for the firm, as staff doesn’t have to collate returns, make copies, or manage the mailing process.

another advantage the firm appreciates is the ability for clients to send information to them via their secure portal.Portalsmakeitsimplertosendlargefiles.“Plus,there’s no concern about security like there can be with email,” says krantz.

according to krantz, clients value being able to use their portals to access their returns any time they need them. they also have the option of downloading returns to their computer or printing a copy.

in addition to the efficiency improvements, krantz and tim mcmanamon, the firm’s executive managing director, have noticed another distinct benefit.

“There’saperceptionthathavingtheseportalsmakesus a firm that’s on the cutting edge of technology,” says Krantz.“Alotoffirmsoursizearen’tdoingthis,soit’sagood way to differentiate ourselves.”

IN YOur wOrdS

opening portals to greater client service online access cuts time and bolsters security.

Z

creating client portals

is a major step in going paperless. mcmanamon & co., llc, is now

enjoying new uses for its old

storage rooms.

do as we Say—aNd as we do

[ 8 ] SOLUTIONS [ISSuE 1, 2011]

one of the specialties of Vertical advisors, llp, isimprovingtheefficiencyofclients’businessoperations. so it’s not surprising that this California-basedtaxandaccountingfirmtook steps to enhance its own workflow.

Vertical advisors was established in newport beach, calif., about four years ago by peter degregori, cpa, mst, managing partner. he started his career working for his father’s accounting firm, and then spent many years at larger accounting firms before striking out on his own. prior to forming Vertical advisors, degregori had been in business with a partner for four years—and many of his former clients are now with Vertical advisors.

he created Vertical advisors as a boutique cpa firm that combines the innovative approaches and technical resources usually seen at larger firms with the personal attention and services of a traditional small firm.

“Itookalltheexperienceandthestrengthsthateachof those companies provided and i’ve tried to duplicate, enrich, and modify those services at Vertical advisors,” says degregori.

according to degregori, his strategy helps Vertical Advisorsprovidemuch-neededservicestoitsbiggestclientbase,whichhecalls“closelyheldbusinesses.”these companies may not have a large number of employees but could have millions in annual sales,

firm facTs

CS.THOMSONrEUTErS.COM [ 9 ]

so degregori doesn’t consider them small businesses. whatever industry they’re in, he explains, these companies typically have one thing in common: accounting and taxation are generally areas of weakness for them. so Vertical advisors works as an extension of these companies, providing services such as bookkeeping, accounting, business advisory, and taxation.

“Wecomeinandperformafinancialorbusinesscheckup, and tell them from an accounting and tax perspective what they’re doing right—and what they couldbedoingbetter,”saysDeGregori.“Fromthere,westart prioritizing different projects to get their accounting department and taxes where they want them to be.”

Z Basics: Vertical advisors, llp, was formed in early 2007,

andhassixfull-timeandthreepart-timestaff.Thefirmprovides

services for individuals and privately held companies that require

more than just traditional accounting.

Z weBsite: verticaladvisors.com

Z software: the firm uses a full range of products in the

cs professional suite, which it chose because of its superior

integration with more than 15 different software applications.

SOLUTIONS [ISSuE 1, 2011][ 10 ]

many accountants don’t think about how they can improve their service or be more efficient. i think thomson reuters provides those resources to allow cpas to become better at what they do and be more efficient.

–Peter DeGregori

“ “

Vertical advisors fully embraced the cs professional

suite because it’s an integrated workflow solution.

but it’s also the kind of advanced technology that

can help attract the best young talent.

“Thenewkidsthataregettingintotheindustry

areverytechnology-driven,”saysDeGregori.“I

think cpa firms that don’t embrace technology

aren’t going to be able to attract the younger new

accountants—and they’re not going to be efficient

or successful.”

Vertical advisors works with clients to enhance their accounting departments and personnel, sometimes serving as a virtual controller or cfo. the firm works as a team with each client, their attorneys, and other financial advisors to create a collaborative strategy. where needed, Vertical advisors will also help its clients choose and integrate new accounting software that can boost their efficiency.

workflow solUtioNs that workmirroring its emphasis on client efficiency, Vertical advisors consistently seeks resourceful solutions for its own operations. even when he was working at major accounting firms, degregori noticed the lack of “aholisticresource”andwasn’thappywiththepoorintegration across systems he was using himself.

“Wetookthesameapproachaswedowithourclients.i focused inward, on how we could turn projects around more quickly and provide the same value to our clients, butatalowerprice,”DeGregorisays.“Iknewinorderto do that, we’d have to become more efficient.” last

year, Vertical advisors made the decision to begin using the cs professional suite from thomson reuters.

DeGregorisayshewas“pleasantlysurprised”to find software applications that integrate so seamlessly. the firm began working with the cs professional suite in January 2011. like any new system, it took time to make the most of it. after taking a few thomson reuters training courses, degregori asked for customized training to help his firm capitalize on the cs professional suite’s capabilities.

thomson reuters sent in specialists to answer all of VerticalAdvisors’questions.“Wewantedtomaximizethe integration and discover best practices, and they were really interested in helping us do that,” says degregori.

“Ifeelevenmoreconfidentinmydecisiontogowiththomson reuters, because they showed us they are really willing to take the time to listen and work with us.”

real resUlts, really QUicklywithin three months of implementing cs professional suite products and going through customized training, degregori already felt the firm had picked up tricks for streamlining they didn’t have before.

technology attracts talent

GeT more: peter degregori weighs in on

where today’s firms are going—and what they need to succeed once they arrive. listen and learn at cs.thomsonreuters.com/solutions.

CS.THOMSONrEUTErS.COM [ 11 ]

rESIzING THrOUGH

PaPErLESSSince implementing the CS Professional

Suite, the size of Vertical advisors’

paper files has shrunk

dramatically— each from

about four inches thick to an

eighth of an inch.

for example, updating an address in the firm’s previous tax software used to mean having to manually update it in the billing software. with the cs professional suite, when an address is updated in one application, the system automatically asks if the user wants to update it in other applications.

Inaddition,thefirmwasabletoeliminateitsthird-party customer relationship management (crm) system, because the practice cs component of cs professional suite can be used to track prospects. “Then,whenprospectsbecomeclients,”explainsDeGregori,“IalreadyhavetheminPracticeCS,ultratax cs, and everything else.”

the software has also helped propel Vertical advisors toward becoming a paperless office. degregori hopes the firm will be fully paperless by next year. not only does this create a more organized office and reduce storage and supply costs, it also better protects the security of client information.

“ImagineifanidentifythiefgetsintoaCPAfirmand has access to names, social security numbers—everything,”heexplains.“Havingitallonremote,secure servers with high levels of password protection significantly enhances security for our clients.”

reaDy for the fUtUrethese are just a few advantages Vertical advisors has noticed since implementing cs professional suite products. better still, degregori believes the software has positioned his firm well for growth.

“Iseeusgrowinginsizeandgainingmoreclientsthisyearandnext,”heexplains,“andIwantedtoimplement it when we were a little smaller and more nimble.”

plus, now that the staff is comfortable with many elements of the cs professional suite, Vertical advisors intends to take advantage of everything else the solution has to offer. degregori plans to bring in more customized training to maximize this opportunity.

“Businessesneedtotakeacollaborativeapproachwiththeirclients,”hesays.“That’sbeensuccessfulfor us and it’s clear that thomson reuters feels that same way. that collaborative approach can make us all more successful.”

peter degregori takes great satisfaction in seeing his firm grow—and in knowing that his clients are happy.

“ItmakesmefeelgoodaboutwhatI’mdoingwhenIseethatmycustomers are happy with the service we are providing,” he says. “I’mthenmorecomfortabletakingtimeofftospendwithmyfamily.”

DeGregoriandhiswife,Nancy,enjoybeingwiththeir2-year-oldson.they frequently travel within california, taking advantage of the state’s plentiful destinations, including palm springs, the sierra nevadas, and the san francisco bay area.

pErSONaL prIdE aNd paSSIONS

[ 12 ] SOLUTIONS [ISSuE 1, 2011]

are You There Yet?mobile devices are moving industry professionals like you into new territory.

It’spredictedthatbytheendof2011,about50percent

of all mobile phones will be smartphones, says randy

loughridge, manager, mobile cs development for

thomson reuters. and among this growing population

of smartphone users? accountants, of course.

smartphones give accountants instant access to

email, text messaging, social networking, and

productivity applications. plus, with so many new

apps in development, the benefits just keep coming.

even more notable is the increasing use of tablet

computers across every industry. 2011 will be

remembered as the year of the tablet computer.

apple® sold 15 million ipads® last year and recently

released the ipad 2, which sold 300,000 units the

first day it was released. competitors are catching

up with tablet computer offerings of their own.

“What’sgreataboutthetabletisthatitconnectsthe

smartphone and the desktop computer for accountants,”

saysLoughridge.“They’reproductiveforaccountants—

and make a really good impression on clients.” tablets

combine the brains and brawn of desktops with the sleek

sex appeal of smartphones.

WHygoTHeRe?

although loughridge and other tablet users generally

agree that they’re not a replacement for a laptop

computer yet, tablets provide professionals with

impressive functionality, especially in the field.

1 Quick informaTion access. instead of booting

up a laptop, an accountant can pull out a tablet computer

to access information from, say, the irs. tablet computers

arealsoexcellentpresentationtools.“They’recompact

and present information really nicely if you want to show

prospects a resource like our netclient cs portals,” says

Loughridge.“Andthey’reprettymuchinstant-on,with

great battery life.”

2 key work Tools aT your beck and call.

tablet computers and smartphones both aid in

productivity, by helping you access information and

stay connected to clients wherever you are. tablet

computers also make it easy to log in to remote systems

suchasVirtualOfficeCSorSaaS.“Havingaccessto

Virtual office cs on my ipad provides me with convenient

access to products like checkpoint®,” says Julie lepper,

owner of Julie s. lepper accounting & tax services in

Pinckney,Mich.“Or,ifaclienthasaquestionabouta

document, i can simply open up filecabinet cs and

access the files right on the spot.”

3 a vivid demonsTraTion of your Tech savvy.

when clients see you using a tablet computer to access

andpresentdata,itreinforcesthatyou’reusingup-to-

the-minutetechnologytoservethemefficiently.“Iliketo

take advantage of technology as a means of enhancing

the image of my firm,” says lepper. what’s more,

loughridge adds, the same philosophy can be used to

attract top talent among younger accountants who

wishtoworkatfirmsusingcutting-edgetechnology.

with mobile cs, we can measure our productivity at any minute and make adjustments as necessary regarding our firm, clients, or staff. the partners love being able to look up and discuss the numberswhileonthego.Andtheclientslovethe“wow”factorthat we have the information at our fingertips.

– Shayna Chapman-Burris, partner, Chapman & Burris CPAs LLC,

Gallipolis, Ohio

are You There Yet?

a closer look at MoBile cs

To date, more than 2,500 accountants

have downloaded mobile cs,

which provides access to practice cs

content, including client data and

contact information.

current functionality includes:

• Accesstocomprehensivefinancial

project management information

about clients, their records, and the

firm’s interaction with them

• Mappingandlocationservices

• Clientnotes,whichintegratesnotes

taken through mobile cs with

practice cs, filecabinet cs, and

accounting cs—and vice versa

future mobile development efforts we’ll

focus on include:

• Document-viewingandtax-capturing

capabilities

• OpticalCharacterRecognition(OCR)

• Aclient-basedappthatprovidesa

mobiletaxorganizerclientscanuseto

tracktax-relateddataallyearlong,as

well as other tools in development

CS.THOMSONrEUTErS.COM

WHaTcanMobIledofoRyou?accountants can take advantage of many available

tools to put mobile devices to good use on the job:

• air Display and iDisplay, two apps that turn an ipad

into a second monitor for a mac laptop or desktop.

• Dropbox,acloud-basedservicethatallows

you to move files easily between mobile devices

and computers.

• evernote, which lets you gather information—

notes, photos, webpages—and easily store and

organize it for later retrieval on your mobile device

or computer.

• High-qualitycameras in devices like the ipad 2

or blackberry playbook, which allow you to take a

snapshot of a document instead of scanning it.

• Voicerecognitionapps like dragon dictation that

work with smartphones or tablet computers equipped

with audio inputs, so you can record meetings and

presentations and have them transcribed to text.

• Mobile cs, a thomson reuters app that integrates

cs professional suite and enterprise suite products

with mobile devices.

“ThomsonReutersrecentlystartedsupportingaccess

to mobile devices for users of Virtual office cs and

SoftwareasaService,”saysLoughridge.“What

we’re seeing is only the beginning of the many ways

accountants can use mobile computing to be more

productive and connect with clients.”

[ 13 ]

insider info

to learn more

about mobile cs,

visit cs.thomson

reuters.com/Mobilecs.

TIpS & TaCTICS

[ 14 ]

learn more

check out more tips for streamlining your work at cs.thomsonreuters.

com/tips.

SOLUTIONS [ISSuE 1, 2011]

clickyourMouseto Simplicity answers and advice to make your life a little easier.

accoUNtiNg csQ: when entering transactions, i usually skip some fields, but i don’t like having to tab past them all the time. is there a way to automatically skip those fields?a: yes. from the enter transactions screen, choose edit > options. in the fieldstoSkip section on the Settings tab, mark the checkbox for each field you want to skip when entering data and then click ok. accounting cs will then skip those fields during data entry. if you need to edit data in one of these fields later, just place your cursor in the field and make the required change.

clieNt BookkeepiNg solUtioN (cBs)Q: i’m trying to retrieve cbs data into accountant’s assistant, but i’m getting a message that the data for my client cannot be found. what now?a: there are a few things you can check.• InAccountant’sAssistant,choosesetup > file

locations and verify that the generate path is set to the location where the export file is saved.

• ChecktheclientIDintheexportfilename.The IDmustmatchtheIDfortheWrite-UpCSclient.

• Ifyoureceivedtheexportfilefromyourclient,in accountant’s assistant choose the setup > MiscellaneousInformation>checkWritertab and verify that the export and retrieve cBs Data and export via the internet checkboxes are not marked.

WRITe-upcSQ: is there a way to change the column order in the transactions window to match my client’s data sheet?a: yes. in the transactions window, choose the edit > options > columns tab to change the column order for check and deposit entry and for journal entries. click the column name and use the Move Up or Move Down buttons to put the columns in the desired order. click ok to save your changes.

trial BalaNce csQ: i need to set up a new nonprofit client in trial balance cs. what’s the best way to do it? a: when setting up a nonprofit or governmental client, your best bet is to use a location/department setup. in this configuration, the location can serve as the fund group and the departments can represent the various funds. for more details, open the csa help browser and search on location accounts (Write-UpCSorTrialBalanceCS)fromtheindex,thenclicktheindexsub-entrycalledcSaguidetoWorkingwith location/Department clients (pDf).

eNgageMeNt csQ: we’d like to work on engagements from the client’s office. what should we consider when deciding whethertouseMulti-stafffeaturesorthe send/receive features? a: when determining the best option for fieldwork, you should consider: (1) team size, (2) network connection, and (3) location. with small teams, you can easily set up a small network in the field so everyone has access to the client data, which makes Multi-staffeasytoadminister.Ifyourteamislarger(four to seven staff members), you may find it easier to use the send/receive features. if there’s a terminal server in the client’s office, you may be able to connect remotely to the server via a wired connection. for additional information, see the white paper Best Practices for Deploying Engagement CS in a Fieldwork Environment.

filecaBiNet csQ: can i set up filecabinet cs to automatically email carbon copies (cc) and blind carbon copies (bcc) to specific email addresses?a: yes. if you include standard cc and bcc addresses when emailing documents from filecabinet cs, you can create default cc and bcc email addresses. Just choose setup > User preferences, click the email options tab, enter the email addresses in the carbon copy (cc) and/or Blind carbon copy (Bcc) fields, and click ok.

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gofilerooMQ: my computer runs the windows 7 operating system. when i view documents in gofileroom, i sometimes receiveaJavaScripterrorthatreads“NoSuchinterface supported” or similar Javascript errors. how can i prevent this?a: for tips and steps you can take to resolve these issues, log in to cs.thomsonreuters.com and search the knowledgebase for article K25230358.

payroll csQ: how can i be sure i’m always using the most up-to-datetaxtables?a: choose Setup>Systemconfiguration>payrolltax information > Update. mark the automatically update federal/state tax tables checkbox and click yes to automatically update the tax tables when you apply software updates that contain current tax tables.

practice cs Q: i have data that doesn’t look correct to me. how can i find out if it was changed and who changed it?a: practice cs saves a detailed history of changes made to time and expense entries as well as client setup screens. • Toviewchangestotheselectedtimeandexpense

entry, click the history tab at the bottom of the time & expense entry screen.

• Toviewchangestotheselectedclient,clickthehistory tab in the clients setup screen.

MoBile cs#tip: mobile cs allows you to access client contact

information in your practice cs database 24/7 without duplicating the microsoft outlook contact data on your apple® ios mobile device. with the clients Near Me option, you can network efficiently with your clients.

Ultratax csQ: how do you prepare a return for a bankruptcy estate in ultratax cs?a: beginning with 2009 ultratax cs, you can prepare a return for a bankruptcy estate (chapter 7 or 11).

to denote a bankruptcy estate in ultratax cs, open Screen1041 (in the general folder), and select code7-bankruptcyestate-chapter7or code B -bankruptcyestate-chapter11 from the type of entity field. then, enter the tax from the completed form 1040, line 60 in the bankruptcyestate-taxfromform1040 field.#Note: form 1041 is a cover sheet for the 1040

return. refer to form 1041 instructions regarding the calculation of the 1040 return.

gosysteM tax rsQ: i’m filing a 1040 return electronically and suppressing the printing of form 2555. can i still enter wages in the organizer under foreignInformation>foreignearnedIncome?a: no. if you suppress the printing of form 2555, you should not enter wages in the foreignearnedIncome(2555)screen. if you enter wages in this screen, the electronic return will be rejected by the irs. you must enter wages in the organizer under foreignInformation>foreignemployercompensation–non-2555.

weB BUilDer cs#tip: are you expanding your business by offering

netclient cs portals to your clients? add netclient cs login fields to your web builder cs website to make it easy for your clients to log in. to do this, log in to web builder cs, click editpages and add a client login page.

NetclieNt csQ: my clients are used to creating their own logins and passwords when they set up portals with other service providers, such as their banks. can i allow them to create their own login credentials for netclient cs?a: yes. if you add netclient cs portals through batch creation, your clients will receive email messages with temporary logins that they must use the first time they log in. when they log in, they are prompted to create their own login and password. for information about batch creating netclient cs portals, see the Netfirm cs help or log in to cs.thomsonreuters.com and search the knowledgebase for article K74525713.

featured solutions in this issue

accounTinG

accounting cs™

client bookkeeping solution®

engagement cs®

trial balance cs®

Write-UpCS®

documenT manaGemenT

filecabinet cs®

gofileroom®

mobile apps

mobile cs™

payroll

payroll cs®

firm & workflow manaGemenT

practice cs®

TaX

ultratax cs®

gosystem® tax rs

websiTe desiGn

web builder cs®

clienT porTals

netclient cs®

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