Replacement flag
The Replacement Flag controls how Tax Return Import/Export initializes data fields in the target tax return before the import begins. Include a valid Replacement Flag in the import file header record for the file to be available for import.
The Replacement Flag defines the manner in which data fields in the target tax return are initialized prior to the start of the import. If a Tax Return Import/Export import file doesn’t have a valid Replacement Flag (code M, R, U, or H) in the file header record, the file can't be listed as an import candidate by the batch import function and, as a consequence, won’t be available for import. The codes and corresponding actions are as follows:
M: Field level replacement flag
This is the recommended flag for import. The existing data in the target tax return isn't deleted or replaced unless specified in the import file. The only data replaced are the values of the specified form and field name combination in the import file of the corresponding target tax return fields. Any existing group data alignment stays intact. It is highly recommended to export first, if importing into an existing return, in order not to duplicate activity numbers already used and have the correct indexes for the import file.
U: Form level replacement flag
The data and group alignment will be deleted in the target tax application on all fields whose forms are listed in the import file. The incoming data from the import file will then populate the corresponding data fields in the target tax return. Data on fields whose forms are not listed in the import file will retain the data that existed before the import.
The
U
flag will reset the data indexes to have consecutive numbering starting with one. The correct alignment of the copy, group, and subgroup indexes including placeholder null value data lines must be fabricated in the import file, or data can become misaligned.The following are group data lines for import using the
U
flag, including a blank placeholder data line for field FP PARTNERSHIP EIN for the 2nd group member. If you don’t include this placeholder, the 3rd group member FP PARTNERSHIP EIN input imports to the 2nd group member's FP PARTNERSHIP EIN field."6284JC","","","","","U" "FORM 8865","1","1","0","0","0","FP ENTITY INFO REFE ID NUM","1-111","O" "FORM 8865","1","2","0","0","0","FP ENTITY INFO REFE ID NUM","1-222","O" "FORM 8865","2","1","0","0","0","FP ENTITY INFO REFE ID NUM","2-111","O" "FORM 8865","2","2","0","0","0","FP ENTITY INFO REFE ID NUM","2-222","O" "FORM 8865","0","1","0","0","0","FP NAME LINE 1","FP1","O" "FORM 8865","0","2","0","0","0","FP NAME LINE 1","FP2","O" "FORM 8865","0","3","0","0","0","FP NAME LINE 1","FP3","O" "FORM 8865","1","0","0","0","0","FP NAME LINE 2","1 continued","O" "FORM 8865","2","0","0","0","0","FP NAME LINE 2","2 continued","O" "FORM 8865","3","0","0","0","0","FP NAME LINE 2","3 continued","O" "FORM 8865","1","0","0","0","0","FP PARTNERSHIP EIN","123456789","O" "FORM 8865","2","0","0","0","0","FP PARTNERSHIP EIN ","","O" "FORM 8865","3","0","0","0","0","FP PARTNERSHIP EIN ","345678901","O"
H: Hybrid replacement flag
The H flag deletes data like the U flag and imports data like the M flag. All enabled data fields in the form names given in the import file will be reset, but the indexes will remain intact. Therefore, the indexes in the import file must be the same as what exists in the return.
The following is an
H
flag import with indexes that don’t start at first position and/or are not in consecutive order. Note that the Reference ID number imports to line 3 of the group box because the group number is 3 in the import file."6284JC","","","","","H" "FORM 8865","10","3","0","0","0","FP ENTITY INFO REFE ID NUM","1-111","O" "FORM 8865","10","6","0","0","0","FP ENTITY INFO REFE ID NUM","1-222","O" "FORM 8865","12","7","0","0","0","FP ENTITY INFO REFE ID NUM","2-111","O" "FORM 8865","12","8","0","0","0","FP ENTITY INFO REFE ID NUM","2-222","O" "FORM 8865","0","10","0","0","0","FP NAME LINE 1","FP1","O" "FORM 8865","0","12","0","0","0","FP NAME LINE 1","FP2","O" "FORM 8865","0","13","0","0","0","FP NAME LINE 1","FP2","O" "FORM 8865","10","0","0","0","0","FP NAME LINE 2","1 continued","O" "FORM 8865","12","0","0","0","0","FP NAME LINE 2","2 continued","O" "FORM 8865","13","0","0","0","0","FP NAME LINE 2","10 continued","O" "FORM 8865","10","0","0","0","0","FP PARTNERSHIP EIN","123456789","O" "FORM 8865","12","0","0","0","0","FP PARTNERSHIP EIN ","","O" "FORM 8865","13","0","0","0","0","FP PARTNERSHIP EIN ","345678901","O"
The following is an export from the return after the previous fields were imported with non-consecutive indexes using the
H
flag. The return preserves the structure of the indexes from the import file."FORM 8865","10","3","0","0","0","FP ENTITY INFO REFE ID NUM","1-111","O" "FORM 8865","10","6","0","0","0","FP ENTITY INFO REFE ID NUM","1-222","O" "FORM 8865","12","7","0","0","0","FP ENTITY INFO REFE ID NUM","2-111","O" "FORM 8865","12","8","0","0","0","FP ENTITY INFO REFE ID NUM","2-222","O" "FORM 8865","0","10","0","0","0","FP NAME LINE 1","FP1","O" "FORM 8865","0","12","0","0","0","FP NAME LINE 1","FP2","O" "FORM 8865","0","13","0","0","0","FP NAME LINE 1","FP2","O" "FORM 8865","10","0","0","0","0","FP NAME LINE 2","1 continued","O" "FORM 8865","12","0","0","0","0","FP NAME LINE 2","2 continued","O" "FORM 8865","13","0","0","0","0","FP NAME LINE 2","10 continued","O" "FORM 8865","10","0","0","0","0","FP PARTNERSHIP EIN","123456789","O" "FORM 8865","13","0","0","0","0","FP PARTNERSHIP EIN ","345678901","O"
R: Return level replacement flag
All data on fields that are represented in the Org Data Dictionary worksheet in the File Set are deleted in the target tax application. The incoming data from the import file then populates the corresponding data fields in the target tax return. The return level Replacement Flag (code R) is the default for all Tax Return Import/Export exports. Like the U flag, the correct alignment of the copy, group, and subgroup indexes including placeholder null value data lines must be fabricated in the import, or data can become misaligned.
Additional information
Form and field names must be grouped together in the import file when using any flag except M. The following example of mixed form names won’t import using the
R
, U
, or H
flags."FORM 2210","0","0","0","0","0","AMT TAX COMPUTATION PERIOD 2","04/01 - 05/31","O" "FORM 1116 OPTIONS","0","0","0","0","0","ACCOUNTINGMETHOD","P","O" "FORM 2210","0","0","0","0","0","AMT TAX COMPUTATION PERIOD 3","06/01 - 08/31","O" "FORM 1116 OPTIONS","0","0","0","0","0","ALLOCATE FOR TAX TO 911 INC S","X","O" "FORM 2210","0","0","0","0","0","AMT TAX COMPUTATION PERIOD 4","09/01 - 12/31","O" "FORM 1116 OPTIONS","0","0","0","0","0","ALLOCATE FOR TAX TO 911 INC T","X","O"
The following example imports using all replacement flags.
"FORM 2210","0","0","0","0","0","AMT TAX COMPUTATION PERIOD 2","04/01 - 05/31","O" "FORM 2210","0","0","0","0","0","AMT TAX COMPUTATION PERIOD 3","06/01 - 08/31","O" "FORM 2210","0","0","0","0","0","AMT TAX COMPUTATION PERIOD 4","09/01 - 12/31","O" "FORM 1116 OPTIONS","0","0","0","0","0","ACCOUNTINGMETHOD","P","O" "FORM 1116 OPTIONS","0","0","0","0","0","ALLOCATE FOR TAX TO 911 INC S","X","O" "FORM 1116 OPTIONS","0","0","0","0","0","ALLOCATE FOR TAX TO 911 INC T","X","O"
