Condition Structure

A basic condition is generally made up of three elements: the element to be compared, a comparison operator, as well as a test value.

Example: [Line 23600 - Net income]>50000.00

Although the element to be compared is often a cell in a form, it could also be a function within the list of available functions. For example, with the GetReturnStatus() function, you can set up a condition which allows you to select all the client files containing returns with a "Rolled forward" status:

GetReturnStatus() = "Rolled forward"

In addition, a condition can be made up of several cells and operators.

Example: [Line 23600 - Net income] >50000.00 AND GetReturnStatus() = "Printed"

Advanced options

Use last year’s value

When this option is selected, the condition will use last year’s value instead of this year’s value.

This can be useful if you want to check to see if an amount was entered in the prior year for a specific cell.

Note: The prior year value for a given cell is only available if the file was rolled forward from a prior year Taxprep file. Therefore, when creating a filter or a diagnostic with a condition using prior year data, you must first verify if your file contains prior year data. A function is available to identify when a file contains prior year data: HasLastYearTaxpayerData().
Example: HasLastYearTaxpayerData() = “True” AND [LastYear(Line 23600 - Net income)]>50000.00

Use the spouse’s value

You can also use the option Use the spouse’s value as part of your condition. You can use it alone or combine it with the Use last year’s value option.

When the Use the spouse’s value option is selected, the condition will use the spouse’s value instead of the taxpayer’s value.

Note: The spouse’s value for a given cell is only available when the taxpayer's and spouse's returns are in the same client file. Therefore, when creating a filter or a diagnostic with a condition using the spouse’s value, you must first verify if the spouse’s return is prepared with the taxpayer's return. A function is available to identify when a client file contains spouse’s data: HasSpouse().
Example: HasSpouse() = “True” AND [Spouse(Line 23600 - Net income)]>50000.00

Spouse’s Last Year value

The spouse’s last year value for a given cell is only available if the file was rolled forward from a prior year Taxprep file and if the taxpayer's and spouse’s returns are in the same file. Therefore, when creating a filter or a diagnostic with a condition using the spouse’s prior year data, you must first verify if your file contains the spouse’s prior year data. A function is available to identify when a file contains the spouse’s prior year data: HasLastYearSpouseData().

Example: HasLastYearSpouseData()= “True” AND [Last Year(Spouse(Line 23600 - Net income))]>50000.00