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This article applies to:

  • Product: GoSystem Tax RS
  • Subject: Export,Import

Transitioning from Data Connection to Tax Return Import/Export

Tax Return Import/Export is the successor to Data Connection and introduces expanded group level support, new tax application types, mandatory data source codes, import file validation, and JSON file format support.
Tax Return Import/Export is a Thomson Reuters income tax compliance tool that lets you import data into and export data from tax returns. It is the successor to Data Connection.

Similarities to Data Connection

Tax Return Import/Export is nearly identical to Data Connection but contains several important functional upgrades. The following features remain the same between both products:
  • The file format is CSV (comma-separated values). You can open Tax Return Import/Export files with Microsoft Excel as well as text editors such as Word, Notepad, and WordPad.
  • The file extension is determined by the tax application code and tax year; for example, 2022 1065 file extensions are
    .PX2
    , and 2023 1120 file extensions are
    .CX3
    .
  • The file headers, including the various import flags.
  • All existing form names, field names, and descriptions.
  • Any enabled Organizer, Tax Forms, and Workpaper fields export; only Organizer fields import.
  • All tabs on the File Set workbook, including required fields, string values, navigation, and so forth.
  • In GoSystem, import is found under
    Returns Processing
    , then
    Import
    .
Opening a Tax Return Import/Export file in Excel gives you an easy means of changing the file content, including changing header record data field values, deleting or adding data records, and changing existing data record values. You can save the Excel worksheet as a comma-delimited text file and import it back into a tax return locator. This round-trip export/import capability lets you manipulate tax return data without being connected to the tax compliance application.
note
When saving from Excel, don’t choose the CSV UTF-8 option. Choose the regular CSV option.

Increased functionality

Tax Return Import/Export includes several major additions to Data Connection:
  • Data Connection was limited to 3 groups; fields that required 4 or 5 group numbers to specify their position were not enabled. In Data Connection, the second, 3rd, and 4th columns on the import file were used for the 1st 3 group numbers. In Tax Return Import/Export, 2 additional group number columns follow those columns for the next 2 group numbers when necessary.
  • Tax Return Import/Export supports 3 new tax application types. Data Connection could import into 1040, 1041, 1065, 1120, and 990 tax types. Tax Return Import/Export can import into 1040, 1041, 1065, 1120, 5500, 706, 709, and 990 tax types.
  • With the addition of 2 new group columns, data records for Tax Return Import/Export now have 9 columns. All 9 columns are
    mandatory
     for each data record on the import file. Previously in Data Connection, the last column containing the data source code O, T, or W (Organizer, Tax Forms, or Workpapers) was optional on import files.
The following table shows examples of data records from Data Connection and Tax Return Import/Export import files.
Data type
Data Connection
Tax Return Import/Export
Non-group data
"GENERAL OPTIONS","0","0","0", "PREPARER CITY","Dallas","O"
"GENERAL OPTIONS","0","0","0","0", "0","PREPARER CITY","Dallas","O"
Level 0 group data
"APPOINTEE INFO","0","1","0", "NAME","Tommy Smith","O"
"APPOINTEE INFO","0","1","0","0", "0","NAME","Tommy Smith","O"
Level 1 group data
"FORM 8865","1","1","0","FP ENTITY INFO REFE ID NUM","1-111","O"
"FORM 8865","1","1","0","0","0", "FP ENTITY INFO REFE ID NUM","1-111","O"
Master Group data
"FORM 8825","1001","0","0", "ACTIVITY NUMBER","1001","O"
"FORM 8825","1001","0","0","0","0", "ACTIVITY NUMBER","1001","O"
Level 3 group data (new)
Not available
"8865 FDE","1","1","1","1","0", "FP 10 PC FPRTSH FORMS FILED","group data box","O"
The previous level 3 group data record is an example of group data newly enabled in Tax Return Import/Export.
note
While constants and carried values are not exported, you can import data values into tax return locator data fields populated by constants and carried values. Imports of this type result in an override symbol being displayed in the Organizer screen. The color of the override symbol resulting from a Tax Return Import/Export import is consistent with that resulting from the manual keyboard entry of an override value.

Import file size

The import size limit depends on the size of the return and the size of the import file. The larger a return is, the smaller the import file needs to be. For very large returns, break up the import into multiple smaller import files.
To reduce the file size, if you are using an export file as a starting point for the import file, remove the T and W data record lines because those are export-only lines and don’t need to appear in an import file.

Import file validation

The 1st step for all imports through Tax Return Import/Export is import file validation. This validation checks the header and all data records on the import file to determine if any errors are present. If an import file fails validation, no part of it imports. The
Import Status
 column on the Batch Status screen indicates
Validation Error on Import File
. Select
Download All
 to download a compressed file containing both the invalid import file (
.?X#
) and the validation report (
.TXT
).
All error messages include the form name, field name, and row number so you can quickly find and correct the data record on the import file. The validation report can also include warnings. A warning doesn’t prevent import, so if your validation report contains only warnings, the import file imports normally. If an import file doesn’t contain errors or warnings, the application doesn’t create a validation report.

Current limitations

The following are current Tax Return Import/Export processing limitations:
  • Tax Forms and Workpapers source data can't be imported.
  • The import and export of activities data, such as Schedule K-1 and Schedule C, is limited to 5 levels of information in any tax application.

JSON file format

Tax Return Import/Export also supports the JSON file format for import and export files. The JSON file contains both a header and one or more data records similar to the CSV file. You can open the JSON file with any text editor.
Header
 The header record uses the same parameters as the CSV file header in the following syntax:
{
  "nameLine1": "Partnership Name 1",
  "nameLine2": "Partnership Name 2",
  "clientCode": "Client Code",
  "importFlag": "M",
  "locator": "1234AB",
  "process": "TRT",
  "taxReturnData": [
  ]
}
Data Records
 Place all data records between the square brackets shown previously. Each data record is bracketed by curly brackets and contains a comma after the closing curly bracket. Each data record contains the same 9 parameters as the CSV file data record and uses the following syntax:
{
  "formName": "DEPLETION",
  "fieldName": "4562:DEPL OVR 3 YR BASIS AMT",
  "fieldType": "O",
  "data": "1003.00",
  "group1": "81",
  "group2": "0",
  "group3": "0",
  "group4": "0",
  "group5": "0"
},
The simplest way to obtain a JSON file with proper syntax is to export a locator. Importing and exporting using JSON files is its own import type. Select
Import Type
, then
Tax Return Transfer – JSON
 from the import and export screens to begin.
File extension
 The JSON file format follows the same convention as the CSV file extension except the 2nd character X is replaced with J. For example, the JSON file extension for a 1065 import file is
.PJ#
.

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