Uploading and Assigning Custom Inserts

Custom inserts are PDF files you upload to ONESOURCE Trust Tax for inclusion in the recipient packages of all information returns except Forms 1099-MISC, 1099-NEC and 1042-S. Uploaded PDF files apply to only the tax year they are uploaded to. In addition to being included in the mailed recipient package, uploaded PDF files are visible from ONESOURCE Trust Tax and ONESOURCE Trust Tax Insight when viewing the document using Adobe Acrobat Reader. Custom inserts also become part of the archived document.
Custom inserts can be assigned as a PAN default insert or a secondary PAN-level insert. During the upload process, you can select where the custom insert appears (either after the cover or shipping page, or following the last instruction page). You can assign custom inserts to accounts using an account-based register or the account binder. Custom inserts are included in the recipient package regardless of whether the recipient package is sent through Mail Service or printed locally.
note
SuperBanking of custom inserts is currently unavailable.

PDF File Requirements for Custom Inserts

Each PDF file you want to upload as a custom insert must be uploaded separately. To successfully upload a PDF file, the PDF file must be 1 MB or less. The maximum length for a PDF filename is 53 characters. The filename can include:
  • Uppercase letters (A-Z)
  • Lowercase letters (a-z)
  • Numbers 0 through 9
Single spacing is allowed between characters. PDF file names with invalid characters or spacing will not be uploaded and will display an error message.
For print purposes, the custom insert must be in the following format:
  • The text of the custom insert must print on letter-sized paper (8.5" x 11").
  • The page orientation must be portrait.
  • The margins must be at least half an inch (0.5"). The bottom margin must be no less than 1.0 inches so that the Mail Service barcode can be read by the scanning equipment.

Uploading PAN-Level Custom Inserts

To upload a PAN-level custom insert:
  1. Select
    SETUP
    ,
    Customize
    then
    Custom Inserts Upload
    . The Custom Inserts Upload page displays.
  2. Select the information return type the custom insert will apply to from the
    Type of Return
    drop-down list. Selections include:
    • Form 1099 Div, Int, OID, B
      -This is the default selection.
    • Tax Deferred
      -This applies to 1099-R and 5498 packages.
    • Form 1098
  3. Select where in the recipient package the custom insert will appear from the
    Placement
    drop-down list. Selections include:
    • Beginning
      -The custom insert follows the mailing Cover or Shipping page.
    • End
      -The custom insert follows the last instruction page.
  4. If the uploaded PDF file will be the PAN-level default, select the
    Set as Default
    check box. If necessary, you can set the PAN-level default after the upload process completes using the
    PAN Defaults
    collapsible section.
  5. Only one file per information return type and placement can be uploaded as the PAN-level default. The following error message displays if a PAN-level default is already designated and a subsequent PDF file upload is set as the default: "For the Type of Return and Placement which are selected, Default Custom Insert already present. Cannot Upload a new file for this Combination."
  6. If you want, enter a description for the PDF file in the
    Comments
    field. Entering a description can help identify the PDF file after it is uploaded. A maximum of 128 characters can be entered in the
    Comments
    field.
  7. Select
    Select File
    to browse for and select the PDF file you want to upload. Only one PDF file can be selected at a time for adding to the selection grid. The
    Type of Return
    ,
    Placement
    and
    Comments
    fields cannot be changed after the file is in the selection grid.
  8. If there are multiple PDFs with the same information return type, placement and comment, you can repeat the PDF file selection process to collect the PDF files in the selection grid. After collecting the PDF files, you only need to select
    Upload
    once to upload all the files in the selection grid to ONESOURCE Trust Tax.
  9. Complete one of the following:
    • Select
      Upload
      to upload the PDF file(s) in the selection grid. After the upload process completes, the uploaded PDF file displays in the
      Previously Uploaded Inserts
      collapsible section. If an error occurred during the upload process, the
      Status
      column in the selection grid displays a
      Failed
      status. The
      Error
      column shows the reason for the
      Failed
      status. If a failure occurs, reload or refresh the page before selecting another PDF file.
    • Select
      Clear
      if you want to remove the PDF files from the selection grid.

Viewing Previously Uploaded PAN-Level Custom Inserts

The
Previously Uploaded Inserts
collapsible section on the Custom Inserts Upload page allows you to view the information listed below for PAN-level custom inserts that were previously uploaded. You cannot make changes to the information displayed in this collapsible section, but you can select Delete to delete a previously uploaded custom insert.
  • The information return type the custom insert was assigned to. This is shown in the
    Type of Return
    column. One of the following displays:
    • Form 1099 Div, Int, OID, B
      -The custom insert applies to Form 1099-DIV, 1099-INT, 1099-OID or 1099-B packages.
    • Tax Deferred
      -The custom insert applies to Form 1099-R and 5498 packages.
    • Form 1098
      -The custom insert applies to Form 1098 packages.
  • Where the custom insert appears in the recipient package. This is shown in the
    Placement
    column. One of the following displays:
    • Beginning
      -The custom insert follows the mailing cover or shipping page.
    • End
      -The custom insert follows the last instruction page.
  • The name of the custom insert document. This is shown in the
    Custom Insert
    column. To view the uploaded PDF file in Acrobat Reader, select the name link. If the uploaded PDF file contains any color (for example, a color logo), the color is visible when the file is viewed in Acrobat Reader, but it will be converted to black and white when the return is processed.
  • Whether the custom insert was uploaded as the PAN-Level default. This is shown in the
    Uploaded as Default
    column. The check box is selected if the custom insert was uploaded as the PAN-Level default.
  • The initials of the user who uploaded the PDF file, and the date and time the PDF file was uploaded. This is shown in the
    Uploaded by
    and
    Uploaded Date
    columns.
  • The description that was entered at the time the file was uploaded. This is shown in the
    Comments
    column.
To access the
Previously Uploaded Inserts
collapsible section, select
SETUP
,
Customize
then
Custom Inserts Upload
then open the
Previously Uploaded Inserts
collapsible section.

Setting or Changing the PAN-Level Default Custom Insert after Upload

To set or change the PAN-Level default custom insert after the PDF file is uploaded:
  1. Select
    SETUP
    ,
    Customize
    then
    Custom Inserts Upload
    .
  2. Open the
    PAN Defaults
    collapsible section.
  3. The grid under this collapsible section displays a row for each information return type and placement that a custom insert was uploaded for. You cannot change the information in the
    Type of Return
    and
    Placement
    columns. The
    Default
    column shows one of the following for the information return type and placement:
    • The name of the PAN-level default custom insert.
    • No Insert Selected
      if no default was set at the time of upload.
  4. The
    Updated By
    and
    Updated Date
    columns are blank if no default was set at the time the PDF file was uploaded. If the default was set at the time the PDF file was uploaded, then the information in these columns is the same as the information in the corresponding columns under the
    Previously Uploaded Inserts
    collapsible section.
  5. The graphic below shows the
    PAN Defaults
    collapsible section. The collapsible section has a custom insert for the
    Form 1099 Div, Int, OID, B
    information return type and
    Beginning
    placement. Since no default was set at the time of upload,
    No Insert Selected
    displays in the
    Default
    column, and the
    Updated By
    and
    Updated Date
    columns are blank.
  6. Select the
    Default
    row for the information return type and placement you want to set the default for. A list displays that includes all the uploaded custom inserts for the corresponding information return type and placement.
  7. Select the custom insert you want to set as the PAN-level default. You can change the default to
    No Insert Selected
    but this will delete the default record when saved and not audit information will display.
  8. Select
    Save
    . The
    Updated By
    and the
    Updated Date
    columns are updated with your initials as well as the date and time you set or changed the default.

Assigning or Suppressing Custom Inserts

You can assign or suppress custom inserts using the account binder or an account-based register. Using an account-based register allows you to assign custom inserts to multiple accounts.
Using the Account Binder
To use the account binder to assign or suppress custom inserts:
  1. Open the account you want to assign or suppress a custom insert for.
  2. Select
    Account
    then
    Custom Inserts
    .
  3. The grid under this collapsible section displays the available custom inserts. Until overridden, the custom inserts are the same as what is displayed in the grid under the
    PAN Defaults
    section on the Custom Inserts Upload page. You cannot change the information in the
    Type of Return
    and
    Placement
    columns. The
    Custom Insert
    column shows one of the following:
    • The name of the PAN-level default custom insert if a custom insert has not been assigned at the account level
    • The name of the custom insert assigned at the account level if a custom insert has been assigned at the account level
    • No Insert Selected
      if a custom insert is to be suppressed for the information return type
  4. The
    Updated By
    and
    Updated Date
    columns are blank if the PAN-level default custom insert is used. Otherwise, these columns display the initials of the user who changed the account-level custom insert, and the date and time the account-level custom insert was changed.
  5. The graphic below shows the
    Custom Inserts
    collapsible section. The collapsible section has a custom insert for the
    Form 1099 Div, Int, OID, B
    information return type. The placement of the custom insert is
    Beginning
    . The
    Default
    column shows the PAN-level default custom insert. Since the PAN-level default custom insert is used, the
    Updated By
    and
    Updated Date
    columns are blank.
  6. Complete one of the following to assign or suppress the custom insert:
    • Select the
      Suppress All Inserts
      check box (located above the grid) if no custom inserts should be assigned to the account. When selected, the grid is unavailable and no inserts are included in any type of recipient packages processed for the account.
    • Select the
      Custom Insert
      row then select the name of the custom insert to assign to the account. If the selected custom insert is not the PAN-level default, then the name of the custom insert displays with a yellow background. The yellow background indicates that the PAN-level default is overridden. If you need to reset the override to the PAN-level default, select
      Clear
      to ensure the account uses the PAN-level default.
    • Select the
      Custom Insert
      row then select
      No Insert Selected
      to suppress the custom insert for the account. Since blank pages are currently produced in place of the custom insert for bulk shipping requests,
      No Insert Selected
      is recommended for all accounts that will be sent through bulk shipping. Selecting the
      Suppress All Inserts
      check box is a quick way to ensure that none of the return types processed for the account will include a custom insert. Changing the
      Custom Insert
      selection to
      No Insert Selected
      is particularly useful when not all of the custom inserts for the information return type are to be suppressed for the account.
  7. Select
    Save
    .
Using an Account-Based Register
To use an account-based register to assign or suppress custom inserts:
  1. From the Register Listing page, select Run for the account-based register that includes the accounts you want to assign to the same custom insert.
  2. Select the check box in the first column for each account you want to process. If you want to select all of the accounts in the register, do not select any check boxes.
  3. Select
    Custom Inserts
    in the topic list panel.
  4. Under the
    Custom Inserts Selections
    collapsible section, select Run for the type of return. This activates the account listing in the
    Custom Inserts for Selected Accounts
    collapsible section. The account listing allows you to assign the same custom insert to all or to some of the accounts listed. If the
    Suppress All Inserts
    check box is selected at the account level, the account is disabled in the register view. Changes to the custom insert selection for these accounts must be made in the account binder.
  5. In the account listing, select the individual accounts you want to assign the same custom insert to. Do not select any accounts if you want to assign the same custom insert to all the accounts listed in the account listing.
  6. Open the
    Set or Clear Override
    collapsible section.
  7. Select one of the following from the Custom Insert drop-down list:
    • The name of the custom insert to assign to the accounts.
    • No Insert Selected
      to suppress the custom insert for the accounts. Since blank pages are currently produced in place of the custom insert for bulk shipping requests,
      No Insert Selected
      is recommended for all accounts that will be sent through bulk shipping.
  8. Under the
    Custom Inserts for Select Accounts
    collapsible section, the rows for the selected accounts display with a yellow background. The yellow background indicates that the PAN-level default is overridden. Select
    Clear Override
    if you need to reset the accounts to the PAN-level default.
  9. Select
    Save
    .

Processing Returns with Custom Inserts

Custom inserts must go through an internal conversion to be process ready. The conversion takes place at the time a custom insert is set as a PAN-level default or assigned to an account. The size of the custom insert determines the amount of time the conversion takes to complete. If the conversion is incomplete when an account using the insert is selected for processing, then the message, "Custom Insert file Processing in Progress," displays on the Process page. To refresh the status, close the Process page then reselect the account. A processing request can be submitted after the message clears.
You can view the conversion status under the
Current Requests
collapsible section on the Request Status and History page. To access the page, select
HOME
,
Admin
then
Request Status and History
.