Built-in Templates

Updated: 2021-01-21

TaxCycle comes with built-in templates for each tax module that use the data in the client tax return to create a customized message for each of your clients. These include the templates for letters, emails, invoices and labels. You can find most of these templates in the Prepare sidebar, under the Correspondence section when you have a tax return open.

Customizing Built-in Templates

Put your own style on built-in templates without opening the Template Editor or creating a custom template that is separate from the built-in templates. Read the following help topics to learn how to:

• Add your signature and logo to the built-in templates
• Change the conditions that control when a built-in template is printed
• Add a background layer to create a printed letterhead or footers on all pages

Clone a Built-in Template to Customize the Text

To create more extensive customizations, you can clone a built-in template and make it the basis for creating your completely unique correspondence.

Cloning a template:

• Creates a copy of the built-in template.
• Sets the copy of the template to replace the built-in template of the same name (this only happens the first time you clone it).
• Maintains the built-in template so you can revert to the original version.

For example, if you clone the T1 2020 CLetter template, it creates a copy of the template for you to edit, but it still replaces the default CLetter in every 2020 TaxCycle file and in print sets when you print a return.

1. In the Template Editor sidebar, click on the name of the template you wish to modify.
2. Clone the template in one of the following ways:
   1. Click the clone link in the message bar at the top of the window.
   2. Click the Clone Template button in the Home menu.
   3. Click the clone button to the right of the name of the template in the sidebar.
   
   
3. When you clone a built-in template, TaxCycle creates a copy and automatically selects it in the list on the Templates sidebar. You can tell this copy from the built-in templates because the name appears in bold.
4. If a template you are editing has unsaved changes, an asterisk appears next to it in the sidebar.
   
5. The first time you clone a built-in template, it replaces the original built-in template in print sets and elsewhere. Properties sidebar shows the name of the template it replaces.
6. Click the make unique link to make the template appear separately, or select Nothing - unique template.
   
7. Click the Save button or press Ctrl+S to save the template to the templates folder or Options Profile set in options.
8. Right-click on a cloned or custom template to delete it. You cannot delete built-in templates.