Import forms from Excel

If you or your clients use Microsoft® Excel spreadsheets to calculate and track business expenses or any amounts required for tax return preparation, you can import that information into any TaxCycle form.

If you need to import information into T4, T4A, T5, T5018 slips returns, the format for the Excel worksheet is different. Please read the Import slips from Excel help topic.

Excel worksheet requirements

To import from Excel, the file must meet the following requirements:

• All the data to be imported must appear on a worksheet (tab) called Export.
• The first row in the worksheet is reserved for column titles and will not be imported.
• The first column on the Export worksheet must contain the field code. These are the same field codes used in creating and editing Templates, however, they do not need the double braces {{ }} (curly brackets) , the CurrentClient. prefix, and the parent of the form. For example, the field code {{CurrentClient.T2125Forms[1].T2125.Income.M[1]}} should appear as T2125.Income.M[1] in the first column of the Export worksheet.
• In the second column of the Export worksheet, enter the value to import into the field. This can be a number or text, depending on the type of field.
• You can include other columns in the same Excel worksheet, as they will be ignored.
• You can include other worksheets in the same Excel file, as they will be ignored. Only data from the Export worksheet will be imported.

Create an Excel template

To get started, you will need an Excel worksheet with all the field codes and in the correct format:

1. Open the form you for which you want to create a template and do the following:
   1. If this is a multi-copy form, like the T2125, enter some kind of data in the form. Just one field will do. (Data entered in the form will not transfer to the template.)
   2. If the form contains expandable table(s)—for example to list donations or medical expenses—create as many blank rows in the expandable table as you need. When you create the template, you will have field codes for each of those rows in the worksheet. TaxCycle will not export the field codes for expandable tables unless you do this for at least one row.  (See the section on "Expandable tables," below.)
2. Go the Data menu and click Create.
3. Browse to the folder where you want to save the template.
4. TaxCycle will confirm when the file is created. Click the link in the confirmation dialog box to open the template in Excel. 
5. Click OK to close the dialog box.
6. The Excel template created will have four columns: FieldCode, Data, Line#, and Description.
7. To import, enter values in the Data column.

Expandable tables

If you need to import data into an expandable table—for example to list donations or medical expenses—create as many blank rows in the expandable table before you create the template workbook. When you create the template, this creates the field codes for all the available rows. 

TaxCycle will not export the field codes for expandable tables unless you do this for at least one row.

In the image to the right, the number in the field code indicates the row. 

(Note, if you are copying and pasting your own field codes, this number should never be a negative number.)

Import into TaxCycle

1. In TaxCycle, open the form into which you want to import the worksheet.
2. Go to the Data menu and click on Import.
3. Browse for the Excel file you created and click Open.

Copy a field code

If you need to create a spreadsheet or add a new field code to the worksheet, you can copy and paste a field code from TaxCycle:

1. In an open tax return, place your cursor in the field on a form that you want to insert into the template.
2. Click the field code link on the left in the blue bar at the bottom of the TaxCycle window. This copies the field code to your clipboard, ready to paste into the spreadsheet. (Hold down the Ctrl key as you click to copy the field code without the CurrentClient. prefix.)
   
3. When you paste this field code into the first column of the spreadsheet, remove the double braces {{ }} (curly brackets).