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Comparison Form in ATX


Burke

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I have a new client for which I want to do a Comparison Form even though 2019 information is not in my prior year's software.  All okay until I get to Line 25 a,b,c for the prior year;  ALL LOCKED FIELDS.  Can't put last year's info in.  It's nice that it is broken down by w-2, 1099, etc, but that doesn't help if I can't input info.   Anyone else had this issue?  Hate to put it somewhere else and draw an arrow to that line!!  

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43 minutes ago, Burke said:

I have a new client for which I want to do a Comparison Form even though 2019 information is not in my prior year's software.  All okay until I get to Line 25 a,b,c for the prior year;  ALL LOCKED FIELDS.  Can't put last year's info in.  It's nice that it is broken down by w-2, 1099, etc, but that doesn't help if I can't input info.   Anyone else had this issue?  Hate to put it somewhere else and draw an arrow to that line!!  

I have 'dummied up' a prior year return with total numbers before and rolled over for this purpose then input the form providers and current numbers for the current year.  If you have already completed a complicated return this may not be worth it but it worked for me and new client appreciated it.

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1 hour ago, Burke said:

I have a new client for which I want to do a Comparison Form even though 2019 information is not in my prior year's software.  All okay until I get to Line 25 a,b,c for the prior year;  ALL LOCKED FIELDS.  Can't put last year's info in.  It's nice that it is broken down by w-2, 1099, etc, but that doesn't help if I can't input info.   Anyone else had this issue?  Hate to put it somewhere else and draw an arrow to that line!!  

 

As long as totals for LY are correct, print to pdf and use the typewriter function to add the details where you want them.  Adobe Acrobat has that capability, and other pdf programs may have something similar. 

Many times I want use the comparison form to review the return results with the client, and I'll use the pdf typewriter to add some brief notes next to figures I want to highlight in my discussion. 

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On 2/22/2021 at 7:17 PM, jklcpa said:

 

As long as totals for LY are correct, print to pdf and use the typewriter function to add the details where you want them.  Adobe Acrobat has that capability, and other pdf programs may have something similar. 

 

Had no idea that existed.  How do you access typewriter function?

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25 minutes ago, Burke said:

Had no idea that existed.  How do you access typewriter function?

I use Adobe Acrobat and it has a typewriter icon as one of the choices at the top. It allows the user to change fonts and font size. Click that and then click the spot where you want the typing to start and the cursor should appear. It also allows for editing the text later by double clicking on the spot and the text will appear in a box that can be moved in its entirety, and I use that for alignment purposes, but it also will allow for editing the text or changing the font or size.

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3 hours ago, jklcpa said:

I use Adobe Acrobat and it has a typewriter icon as one of the choices at the top. It allows the user to change fonts and font size. Click that and then click the spot where you want the typing to start and the cursor should appear. It also allows for editing the text later by double clicking on the spot and the text will appear in a box that can be moved in its entirety, and I use that for alignment purposes, but it also will allow for editing the text or changing the font or size.

What version of Acrobat? Is it Acrobat Pro?

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16 minutes ago, Margaret CPA in OH said:

Oh, how I wish I had not upgraded to Adobe Pro 2017.  I can't figure out anything and I'm the kind of person that needs a user manual.  It's all online and so frustrating.  I recognize that screen shot but can't find anything like a typewriter function on what I have now.

Go to Tool menu at the right and look for the function that says "Add or Edit Text".  Adobe keeps changing the name of this.

For anyone else looking, try the help menu and search within the program for "add text" or google that along with your specific version of the program.

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Thanks, Judy, but all I see are lots of icons the meanings of which I haven't a clue and none of them look like a typewriter.  An new client apparently is very familiar with Adobe and I've already told him I need a consult after tax season.  'User friendly' depends on the user and icons are just not all that obvious to me.  I can't tell you how long it took me to understand what 3 dots or 3 parallel lines meant.  I'm, well, over 30, 40, 50, 60, oh heck, 70. 

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For 2017, these should be the instructions: https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/using/edit-text-pdfs.html

We used to have Adobe Pro where I worked and one of the "updates" took away all ability to edit the text. It could be the company went cheap, I couldn't find edit text anywhere. But, there's a work around. 

Save the doc as PDF.  Then import the PDF into MS Word (I think most word processors do this now).  It won't be perfect, but you should be able to add text, get it more or less lined up, and then save it as PDF again. Be warned, you will curse a lot. 

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36 minutes ago, ampCT said:

For 2017, these should be the instructions: https:ou//helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/using/edit-text-pdfs.html  We used to have Adobe Pro where I worked and oneoutube of the "updates" took away all ability to edit the text. 

@ampCT , I think you are describing the process of editing the original contents of the document itself. I was talking about using the typewriter function to add notations on after the fact, not change its original text. 

 

2 hours ago, Margaret CPA in OH said:

Thanks, Judy, but all I see are lots of icons the meanings of which I haven't a clue and none of them look like a typewriter.

 

Unless it was changed by an update as ampCT says, I found a video that shows where to find this, if it's still there. 

Toward the top right of the page, open the Tools drop-down area, then open the "Content" and under the subsection "Edit Text & Objects" you should see "Add or Edit Text Box". Clicking on that should bring up the typewriter function, unless it was changed by an update.  This youtube video was made in 2017 that clearly shows where it was in Adobe Pro 2017.  Hope this helps:

 

 

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Again thanks, Judy.  I tried that but my screen does not have the list on the right side.  That's what I recall from a prior version.  And then I ended up down a rabbit hole trying to log into my account, had to change my password and it came up that I was purchasing DC which I don't want.  I will have to deal with this in a couple of months but genuinely appreciate the efforts of all to train this old dog a new trick!

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Yes!  I found that and clicked on it and have no idea what to do next.  There are other icons at the top of the sample document and I see I can play with those.  Thanks so much for more breadcrumbs to follow.  But this is why, old school that I am, I could really use a print manual.  I don't do particularly well with training videos.  I like to read things, look up in an index, try out with instructions in front of me...

At least you seem to have put me on the right path but, honestly, it is not obvious to me what that means.  Play time in April!

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