Prior-Year Returns

Updated: 2020-08-18

TaxCycle includes modules to prepare T1 tax returns for years as far back as 2012. By default, the Start screen only shows the current year and two prior years. You can change this.

Scroll to Show More Years

1. When you first open TaxCycle, it shows two prior years next to the current year. Click the right arrow to scroll to prior years.
   
2. Click the left arrow to scroll back.
3. On wider screens, click more years link to expand the list to the right.
   
4. Click fewer years to return to the default number of prior years.
   

Set Options to Display More Years

1. In the blue bar on the left of the Start screen, click on Options.
2. On the left of the Options dialog box, click on Start Screen.
3. Choose how many rows of prior-year returns to show in each column on the Start screen.

Carry Back to a Prior Year

If you need to prepare multiple years of returns in TaxCycle, you do not have to start with the earliest return and move forward. You can start with the current return and move back if you wish.

1. Prepare the current-year return.
2. Right-click on a form and select Prior year. Or, click Prior Year in the Data menu.
   
3. In the dialog box that appears, click Create to create a new prior year return.
4. If you already have a prior-year return, click Browse to locate it and link it to the current-year file.
   
5. Once a link exists between the current and prior-year, you can click Prior year in the right-click menu, or on the Data menu to open the prior-year return and jump to the same field or form.

Refresh a Prior-Year Return

To update the prior-return with any changes in the current-year file:

1. Make your changes in the current year return.
2. Click Refresh and then Refresh Prior Year in the Data menu.
3. Or, click Prior Year and then Refresh Prior year.
   

List Prior-Year Returns

To see a list of prior-year returns, go to the Link sidebar and expand the Prior Years section.