Data share demographic information in Practice CS
Use the Data Sharing feature in Practice CS to update client demographic information across Accounting CS, FileCabinet CS, Practice CS, and UltraTax CS.
By enabling Data Sharing, you ensure consistency and reduce manual entry, enhancing your workflow efficiency.
Enable Data Sharing in Practice CS
- Open Practice CS and go to .
- Select thePreferencestab.
- Mark theIntegrate this Firm with other solutionscheckbox.noteIf the checkbox appears checked but grayed out, you already haveData Sharingenabled. Move on to the next step.
- SelectOK.
- Go to .
- Go to theFile Locationstab.
- In thePractice CS data pathfield, enter the correct shared files location. By default, this is typicallyX:\WinCSI\Practice CS Data(replace X: with your network drive letter).
- Add the data paths for any other programs where you want to use Data Sharing.noteData Sharing supports the current, previous, and next year of UltraTax CS. Make sure you're entering the correct data location for each year, as client data can vary.
Data Sharing updates
Once you enable Data Sharing, Practice CS automatically searches for matching SSNs or EINs (rather than client IDs) across your integrated programs. When the system detects changes, it prompts you to review and either accept, decline, or postpone updates to your client’s information.
important
If you enter a taxpayer or business name in UltraTax CS 1040 before sharing, Data Sharing won’t replace the name fields from Practice CS, UltraTax CS 1065, or UltraTax CS 1120. The name only updates if the field is empty, protecting you from unintentional changes due to differences in prefixes, suffixes, or middle initials.
tip
If you're new to Practice CS and lack client data, you can import client information from UltraTax CS to populate your Practice CS database.
Update Practice CS information
Practice CS differs from client-based programs like UltraTax CS or Accounting CS. It checks for updates only when you open a client’s setup screen and select
Edit
. Because users seldom edit this screen, we recommend these best practices to avoid missing critical updates:- Centralize Demographic Updates:Establish a firm-wide policy to update all client demographics in Practice CS first. When you access those clients in other programs, you’ll get prompts to accept or reject the shared data.
- Use the Sync Data Sharing optionSelectSync Data Sharing
on the Practice CS toolbar to process all pending updates immediately for all clients. You’ll still need to accept or reject each update as prompted.