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BNA FIXED

TM ASSETS

QUICK START October 2015

Bloomberg BNA Software Products is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its website: www.learningmarket.org.

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©2015 BNA Software, a division of Tax Management Inc., Arlington, VA 22202. All rights reserved. Windows, Windows 2000, Windows NT, Windows XP, and Windows Vista are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. FAS Asset Accounting, FAS FirstStep, FAS1000, and FAS2000 are registered trademarks of Sage, Inc. ACE is a trademark of Computer Language Research, Inc. Solomon IV is a registered trademark of Solomon Software, Inc. BNA and BNA Fixed Assets are either registered trademarks or trademarks of The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc. Subject to the terms and conditions of the BNA Software License Agreement. This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional service. If legal or accounting advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought. The program material contained in Bloomberg BNA’s BNA Fixed Assets Training Guide is supplied without representation or warranty of any kind. Tax Management, Inc., therefore, assumes no responsibility and shall have no liability, consequential or otherwise, of any kind arising from the use of the program disc, manual, training guide, any part thereof, or any supplementary programs and materials subsequently issued by Bloomberg BNA. Duplication of the BNA Fixed Assets Training Guide, in part or in whole, is prohibited without express permission of Bloomberg BNA.

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CONTENTS Getting Started ...................................................................................................................................7 Opening the Application ......................................................................................................... Opening a Company .............................................................................................................. Opening a Company File From a Previous Version ........................................................ Company View Lists ........................................................................................................

7 7 8 8

About The Menus ...............................................................................................................................9 File Menu ............................................................................................................................... 9 Edit Menu ............................................................................................................................... 9 Asset Menu .......................................................................................................................... 10 Book Menu ........................................................................................................................... 11 Report Menu ........................................................................................................................ 11 Export Menu ......................................................................................................................... 11 Query Menu ......................................................................................................................... 11 Asset Type Menu ................................................................................................................. 12 Asset Field Menu ................................................................................................................. 12 CIP Project Menu ................................................................................................................. 12 View Menu ........................................................................................................................... 12 Tools Menu .......................................................................................................................... 13 Window Menu ...................................................................................................................... 13 Help Menu ............................................................................................................................ 13 Adding a New Company ...................................................................................................................15 Before Creating a New Company ........................................................................................ Creating a New Company .................................................................................................... Setting Up a Company ......................................................................................................... Setting Up Company Properties .................................................................................... Adjusting the Default Settings of the Standard Books ................................................... Setting up Custom Books .............................................................................................. Customizing the Predefined Asset Type Defaults ......................................................... Adding Asset Types ....................................................................................................... Reviewing and Adjusting the Asset-level Field Values .................................................. Entering Default Values for the Asset-level Fields ......................................................... Specifying Asset ID Information .....................................................................................

15 16 17 17 20 20 20 20 20 21 21

Depreciation Book Settings .............................................................................................................23 Adding a New Book .............................................................................................................. Editing a Book ...................................................................................................................... General Tab ................................................................................................................... Reporting Policies .......................................................................................................... Depreciation Policies ..................................................................................................... Section 179 Policies Tab ............................................................................................... Duplicating a Book ...............................................................................................................

23 24 24 25 26 28 28

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Deleting a Book .................................................................................................................... 29 Building a Book .................................................................................................................... 29 Setting Periods ..................................................................................................................... 30 Asset Types ...................................................................................................................................... 31 Managing Asset Types ........................................................................................................ Depreciation Methods .......................................................................................................... Predefined Methods ...................................................................................................... Viewing Asset Types ............................................................................................................ Editing Asset Types .............................................................................................................

31 31 32 32 33

Asset Fields ...................................................................................................................................... 35 Viewing Asset Fields ............................................................................................................ 35 Editing Asset Fields ............................................................................................................. 36 The Edit Asset Field Dialog ........................................................................................... 36 The Asset List .................................................................................................................................. 41 Viewing the Asset List .......................................................................................................... Customizing the Asset List ................................................................................................... Sorting the Asset List ........................................................................................................... Selecting Assets on the Asset List ....................................................................................... Asset Status ......................................................................................................................... Adding Assets ...................................................................................................................... Changing the Data Entry Method .................................................................................. Add Asset Wizard .......................................................................................................... Single Add Asset Window ............................................................................................. Add Asset Express ........................................................................................................ Editing an Asset ................................................................................................................... Changing Basic Asset Information ................................................................................ Editing Fields With PickLists .......................................................................................... Changing Other Asset Values ....................................................................................... Duplicating an Asset ............................................................................................................ Disposing of Assets ............................................................................................................. Partial and Whole Book Disposals ................................................................................ Using the Dispose Asset Wizard ................................................................................... Entering Exchanged Assets Information in the Dispose Asset Wizard ......................... Viewing Disposal Information ........................................................................................ Deleting Assets .................................................................................................................... Asset Linking ........................................................................................................................ Create New Repair Asset .............................................................................................. Link Existing Assets ....................................................................................................... Unlink Assets ................................................................................................................. Show Repair Assets ...................................................................................................... Marking Parent Assets ..................................................................................................

41 42 43 43 44 44 45 45 47 48 49 50 50 50 51 51 52 52 53 53 53 53 54 55 55 55 55

Querying Assets ...............................................................................................................................57 Predefined vs. New Queries ................................................................................................ Applying Queries .................................................................................................................. Creating Queries .................................................................................................................. Creating Queries from Scratch ...................................................................................... Duplicating Predefined Queries ..................................................................................... Editing Queries .................................................................................................................... Deleting Queries ..................................................................................................................

57 57 58 58 60 60 61

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Viewing Asset Data ..........................................................................................................................63 The Dynamic Asset Model ................................................................................................... Navigating to a Specific Asset .............................................................................................. Overview of the Asset Viewer .............................................................................................. Asset Menu Commands ................................................................................................ Tabs ............................................................................................................................... Selecting the View ................................................................................................................ Printing an Asset Record .....................................................................................................

63 63 64 64 65 71 72

Editing Data ......................................................................................................................................73 Editing Book Data for a Single Asset ................................................................................... Making Changes Midway through an Asset’s Life ......................................................... Overwriting Depreciation ............................................................................................... Understanding Negative Depreciation ........................................................................... Editing Book Data for Multiple Assets .................................................................................. Editing User Fields ......................................................................................................... Editing Critical Elements ................................................................................................

73 74 75 75 76 76 80

Revising & Recasting Data ...............................................................................................................87 Overview .............................................................................................................................. Revision and Recast Wizards .............................................................................................. Revision Wizards ........................................................................................................... Recast Wizards .............................................................................................................. Making Revisions ................................................................................................................. Information Required by the Revisions Function ........................................................... Recasting Data ..................................................................................................................... Opportunities to Recast ................................................................................................. Reports

87 87 87 87 88 88 92 92

.......................................................................................................................................95 The Report List ..................................................................................................................... 95 Creating a New Report ......................................................................................................... 96 Editing a Report ................................................................................................................... 97 How to Edit a Report ...................................................................................................... 97 Overview of the Edit Report Properties Dialog .............................................................. 97 Creating a Custom Report with Report Writer .................................................................... 101 Creating a Report with Report Maker ................................................................................. 102 Deleting a Report ............................................................................................................... 103 Printing a Report ................................................................................................................ 103 Printing Several Reports at Once ....................................................................................... 104 Preparing IRS Form 4562 for Different Schedules ............................................................. 104 Fixed Assets DataVIew ...................................................................................................... 105

Importing Data ................................................................................................................................107 Overview of the Import Process ......................................................................................... Backing Up the Original File ............................................................................................... Gathering the Necessary Data ........................................................................................... Setting Up the Destination Company ................................................................................. Company Information .................................................................................................. Depreciation Book Information .................................................................................... Asset Type Information ................................................................................................ Asset Field Information ................................................................................................ Exporting Data from the Original File ................................................................................. Modifying the Source File ................................................................................................... Source File Conventions ..............................................................................................

107 108 108 108 108 108 109 109 109 109 110

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Preparing to Import CSV Files ........................................................................................... Adding Assets .............................................................................................................. Importing Asset Transactions ...................................................................................... Adding Assets — Transfer-In Transaction ................................................................... Transferring Assets Out — Transfer Out Transaction ................................................. Changing Field Values — Modify Transaction ............................................................ Transferring Assets Within a Company — Modify Transaction ................................... Importing to BNA Fixed Assets .......................................................................................... Importing the Source File ............................................................................................ Using the BNA Fixed Assets Import Wizard ................................................................ Verifying the Imported Data ............................................................................................... Review the Import Log ................................................................................................. Fix Asset Data Errors .................................................................................................. Run Reports and Compare Data ................................................................................. Back Up the Destination File .......................................................................................

123 124 127 135 136 138 138 141 141 141 143 143 143 143 144

Transferring Assets ....................................................................................................................... 145 Specifying Transfer Fields ................................................................................................. Transferring Assets Within a Company ............................................................................. Transfer Reports ................................................................................................................ The Asset Transfer Report .......................................................................................... Transfers in Predefined Standard Reports .................................................................. Transferring Assets Between Companies .......................................................................... Bringing in a Transfer File ...........................................................................................

145 145 146 146 147 148 149

Splitting Assets .............................................................................................................................. 151 Splitting Assets .................................................................................................................. Reviewing Split Asset Information ..................................................................................... Rejoining Split Assets ........................................................................................................ Asset Split Report .............................................................................................................. Including Split Assets in Other Reports ............................................................................. Partially Disposing an Asset ..............................................................................................

151 152 152 153 153 153

Admin Tasks .................................................................................................................................. 155 File Management ............................................................................................................... Backing Up a Company ............................................................................................... Restoring a Company .................................................................................................. Condensing a Company .............................................................................................. Expanding a Condensed Company ............................................................................. Enabling and Disabling Security ........................................................................................ Enabling User Security ................................................................................................ Disabling User Security ............................................................................................... Clients and Roles ............................................................................................................... User Administrator vs. Company Administrator ........................................................... Adding Clients to a Company ............................................................................................ Logging In .................................................................................................................... Setting Up a User’s Login Name and Password ......................................................... Assigning a Company and a Role to a Client .............................................................. Creating a Custom Role .............................................................................................. Changing the Administrator Password ........................................................................ Audit Trail Tracking ............................................................................................................ Enabling Audit Trail Tracking ....................................................................................... Purging an Audit Trail ..................................................................................................

155 155 156 157 157 158 158 159 159 160 160 160 161 162 163 164 165 165 165

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GETTING STARTED The system requirements and installation instructions for BNA Fixed Assets can be found on the Customer Support tab of the Bloomberg BNA Software Products Website at www.bnasoftware.com.

OPENING THE APPLICATION When installation is complete, the BNA Software program group is displayed. To open the program, either ■

double-click the BNA Fixed Assets icon on your desktop, or

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from the Start menu, click Programs > BNA Software > BNA Fixed Assets.

OPENING A COMPANY The program opens without loading a company file. To open an existing company: 1. On the File menu, click Open (or press Ctrl+O). The Open dialog displays the available companies (files with the .cdb extension). dOpenSample.tif

2. Select the drive and folder where the company resides (\co_data is the default folder for company files), then double-click the company (.cdb file) you want to open (or click to select it and then click Open).

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::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: If you are using the Server program edition you will select the company file from the company database on your server. This database will be available when you open the product. 3. If security has been enabled for the company, the Company File Login dialog opens. Otherwise, skip this step. Enter the appropriate user ID and password and click OK. 4. The selected company opens and the Asset List is displayed. Note: See “Mid-Quarter Issues When Opening a File” in Help.

OPENING A COMPANY FILE FROM A PREVIOUS VERSION The program automatically handles files created by an earlier version of the program by converting the data and creating a new company file. Just open the file as you would any other company file. The Update process requires that the company files exist, at least for a time, in both the older and new version formats. Therefore, you need to have enough drive space available to handle both databases. In addition, the new database may be larger than the old one. When you first open a company file that was created under an earlier version of the program, the Update Company Data wizard opens to lead you through some preliminary option selections before starting the data conversion and update. Once begun, this update process is automatic but may take some time to complete, depending upon the size of the company file. Note: Use the Mass File Update utility to update several company database or template files in a batch.

COMPANY VIEW LISTS A company is comprised of a series of lists. Each company contains lists for the following components: ■

Assets

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Depreciation Books

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Reports

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Exports

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Queries

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Asset Types

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Asset Fields

You can access each list from the tool bar.

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ABOUT THE MENUS The program stores and organizes asset information in various types of lists (menus) available from the tool bar in each company. Every operation that can be performed in the program is accessible from a menu. Menu bar

This menu option...

mMenuBar.tif

tool bar

...reflects your selection here

The third option on the menu bar is dynamic; it varies according to the active list in view. That is, it changes to reflect the selection on the List menu. For example, if you are viewing the Assets List, then the third option on the menu bar would be “Assets”. This lesson presents a brief description on all the menu options.

FILE MENU The File menu provides access to all functions that you perform on a file, such as creating a new company, opening a company, and closing a company. It also allows you to modify a company setup. The File menu provides a list of recently opened cdb files. Click the cdb file you want to open to speed up access to your most frequently used companies. Company File Closed

mFileOpen.tif

Company File Open

mFileClosed.tif

“Database Management” in Server

EDIT MENU The Edit menu allows you to perform standard text editing operations. 9

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Note: You can only select Edit menu commands when an program window has the focus, but not when an program dialog (such as the Edit Report Properties wizard) is open.

ASSET MENU The Asset menu is available whenever you select the Asset List or Asset Viewer. Some of the key options on the menu correspond with the buttons that appear on the bottom of the Asset List or Asset Viewer.

mAsset.tif



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BOOK MENU The Book menu is available whenever you select the Book List. The options correspond with the buttons that appear on the bottom of the Book List. mBook.tif

REPORT MENU The Report menu is available whenever you select the Report List. The options correspond with the buttons that appear on the bottom of the Report List. mReport.tif

EXPORT MENU The export menu is available whenever you select the Export List. The options correspond with the buttons that appear on the bottom of the Export List.

mExport.tif

QUERY MENU The Query menu is available whenever you select the Query List. The options correspond with the buttons that appear on the bottom of the Query List. mQuery.tif

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ASSET TYPE MENU The Asset Type menu is available whenever you select the Asset Type List. The options correspond with the buttons that appear on the bottom of the Asset Type List. mAssetType.tif

ASSET FIELD MENU The Asset Field menu is available whenever you select the Asset Field List. The options correspond with the buttons that appear on the bottom of the Asset Field List. mAssetField.tif

CIP PROJECT MENU The CIP Project menu is available whenever you open the Projects List (by clicking CIP Projects).The options correspond with the buttons that appear on the bottom of the Projects List.

mProject.tif

VIEW MENU The View menu provides access to the main area of the program. It allows you to view all available lists. The Asset Viewer is accessed through the Window menu (see below).

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Company File Open mViewOpen.tif

mViewClosed.tif

TOOLS MENU The Tools menu provides access to the System Options that allow you to select period colors, command dialogs, and defaults. The Tools menu also allows you to configure your Asset List to display descriptive fields. Company File Closed

Company File Open

mToolsOpen.tif

mToolsClosed.tif

WINDOW MENU The Window menu allows you to open multiple Asset Viewers and arrange and access open windows in the program. mWindow.tif

HELP MENU The Help menu allows you to access the Help Index, the Microsoft Windows help topics that explain how to use Help, and the program information.

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ADDING A NEW COMPANY Creating new companies in BNA Fixed Assets means you can manage the assets of several divisions of a company separately. This lesson focuses on creating and setting up (customizing) a new company. (You must set up a company before you start adding assets.)

BEFORE CREATING A NEW COMPANY Before creating a new company, it is helpful to gather some basic information: ■

Company information Gather the required company information, including the company name as it should appear on reports, company acronym, prefix for Asset ID numbers, the date the company started doing business, the beginning and ending dates for the calendar and all short years, and the years the company qualified as an Enterprise Zone business under Sec. 1397B.

■

Depreciation book information When you create a new company with the standard template, the program creates five depreciation books: GAAP, Federal Tax, Federal Tax – ACE, Federal Tax – AMT, Federal Tax – E&P. If your company does not need all the standard books, you may delete the Federal Tax-ACE, FederalTax-AMT, and the Federal Tax-E&P.books. The GAAP and Federal Tax books are system books and cannot be deleted.

■

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Be sure that the BNA Fixed Assets depreciation policies conform to those of your company.

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If your company requires additional depreciation books, determine which books are required and their depreciation policies.

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For each book, decide whether the import should build new depreciation information or import existing information.

Asset Type information The standard template includes 28 asset types. If you need specific Asset Types that are not yet available, then you can add additional Asset Types.

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Asset Fields The program includes 24 asset fields. If you need additional Asset Fields that are not yet available, then you can add Asset Fields.

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CREATING A NEW COMPANY 1. Click New on File menu (or press Ctrl+N). The New Company/Template opens.

wizNewCompanyTemplate01. png

2. In the Type field, select Company to create a new company database (default selection), select Template to create a new company template. 3. In the Company section, enter basic company information: ■

Name – This field is limited to 40 characters. The company name is used as the first heading line on all reports.

■

Acronym – This field lets you enter an acronym of eight characters or less. The application uses the acronym as the default prefix for the Asset ID numbers if it's defined when you create the company. Subsequent changes to the acronym do not flow through to the prefix.

■

FEIN – This field lets you enter the Federal Employer Identification Number. Include the dash. You can also make text entries such as Pending or Applied For. This entry prints on the IRS fileable form reports.

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Description – This field lets you enter a brief description of the company.

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Start Date – Use the drop-down menu to select the starting date of the company.

4. In the File section, enter the desired file: ■

File Name – Select the drive and folder where you want the file to be located. Use the Browse button to select a different location.

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Template – Select the template that you want to use to create the company or template.

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Enable Security – Allows you to set up password protection for the company database. Enable Security is selected by default.

5. In the Database section, select the desired database: ■

16

Name – Enter the name of the database. NewCompany is the default selection. This field is limited to 127 characters. Also, the name cannot contain any special characters or spaces.

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Template – Enter the name of the template you want to use for this company. The name of the template consists of the Database Name plus the name of the Server in parentheses [Database Name (Server Name)]. Use the Browse button to select a different template.

6. Click OK to close the New Company/Template dialog. 7. If you enabled security in step 4, then the Add User dialog opens. Enter your user information and password, then click OK. The newly created company file opens and the Edit Company Properties dialog is displayed.

SETTING UP A COMPANY The new company has been created. However, before you begin adding assets to the company, you should review and edit (as necessary) the company properties, depreciation book policies, asset types, asset fields, filters and reports. Setting up a company involves the following steps: 1. Set up the company properties. 2. Adjust the default settings of the standard books, if necessary. 3. Set up custom books, if necessary. 4. Customize the predefined asset type defaults that you want the program to use for the assets. 5. Add any additional asset types that the company may require. 6. Review and adjust asset-level field values. 7. Enter the default values for the asset-level fields, if any. 8. Specify the Asset ID information.

SETTING UP COMPANY PROPERTIES 1. Make any changes necessary to the general company information, such as company name or entity type. (Click Company Setup and make changes on the General tab.)

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With the company file open, you can return to the Company Properties dialog any time by clicking Company Setup on File menu Tip: Customize the Asset ID prefixes and numbering before starting the data entry process. Instructions for doing this are covered in later lessons. 2. Finish setting up the company calendar by specifying any short years and any Enterprise Zone years. (Click Setup and choose the Calendar tab.)

dEditCompanyPropertiesCalendarTab.tif

3. Add address and contact information for the Personal Property Tax report. (Click Setup and make changes on the Address tab.)

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dEditCompanyPropertiesAddressTab.tif

4. Add jurisdictions for the Personal Property Tax report. (Click Setup and make changes on the Jurisdictions tab.) To add a jurisdiction, select the field from the drop-down menu.

dEditCompanyPropertiesJurisdictionsTabPicklist.tif

Click

Click Create. The selected field’s PickList is automatically added to the list. If you want to manually add a jurisdiction, enter the name in the box on the left, then double-click in the Assessment Date field. The program will enter a default Assessment Date for the new jurisdiction. This table is used to determine the inclusion of assets on the Personal Property Tax report. The program uses the Assessment Date (entered as Month and Day) to filter the assets included on the Personal Property Tax report. Assets in service on this date in the specified jurisdiction are included in the report. Be sure to designate the jurisdiction field as Grouping Level 1 on the report, and make sure the focus period for the report includes the Assessment Date. Tip: Customize the Depreciation Books and the Asset Type table settings before starting the data entry process. Complete instructions for changing these items are covered in later lessons.

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ADJUSTING THE DEFAULT SETTINGS OF THE STANDARD BOOKS If necessary, change the default settings of the standard books for such items as the Mid-Quarter Convention policy or the Section 179 limit for a given year, so that the book’s historic depreciation policies fit the requirements of the company. For details, see “Reviewing the Depreciation Books” in Help.

SETTING UP CUSTOM BOOKS Set up any custom books (for example, internal books or state books) that you want in addition to the standard books. 1. With the Book list visible, click New on the Books menu. The New Book dialog opens. 2. Select the type of book, then click OK. The Edit Book Properties dialog opens. 3. Enter the appropriate information on the various tabs of the Edit Book Properties dialog, then click OK.

CUSTOMIZING THE PREDEFINED ASSET TYPE DEFAULTS Customize the predefined asset type defaults that you want the program to use for the assets. You can change these defaults at any time, and as often as you want. The program will follow the defaults for newly entered assets.

ADDING ASSET TYPES Add any asset types (for example, farm-related assets) that the company may require (in addition to the predefined asset types). For details, see “Managing Asset Types” on page 31.

REVIEWING AND ADJUSTING THE ASSET-LEVEL FIELD VALUES Follow these steps to review and adjust asset-level field values: 1. Click Fields on the Tab Menu Bar. The Asset Field List opens. 2. Add any new asset fields that the destination company may require. 3. Designate any fields that will be used for internal transfers. 20

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: For more information, see “Editing Asset Fields” on page 36.

ENTERING DEFAULT VALUES FOR THE ASSET-LEVEL FIELDS Enter the default values for the asset-level fields, if any, such as Asset General Ledger Account Number, Cost Center, Department, Location, etc. If one of these fields is blank in the source file, the program uses the defaults specified on the Defaults tab. If no default is specified, the default for the asset-level fields is blank. 1. With the Asset Field List visible, double-click an asset field to open the Edit Asset Field dialog. 2. Click the Defaults tab. 3. Specify the default values for the selected Asset Field, then click OK. For more information, see “Setting Asset Field Defaults” in Help.

SPECIFYING ASSET ID INFORMATION To specify the Asset ID information: 1. With the Asset Field List visible, double-click Asset ID in the Asset Field List to open the Edit Asset Field dialog. 2. Specify the Prefix for the Asset ID number. 3. Specify the beginning Asset ID number for the first asset to be imported. 4. Specify the increment. 5. Click OK. When choosing an Asset ID numbering scheme, remember that the program sorts Asset IDs alphanumerically, from left to right. This means that when Asset IDs do not have the same length or the same number of digits, the assets in the Asset List may sort differently from your source program. If you leave the Asset ID number field blank in the CSV source file for one or more assets, the Import process builds the Asset ID number using the Asset ID information in the program, unless you map the Asset ID number to a different field. The Import process also uses the Asset ID information in the program if you choose the AutoAssign Asset ID option during Import. For more detail, see “Asset ID Options” in Help.

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DEPRECIATION BOOK SETTINGS This lesson shows you how to review and modify depreciation book settings. The program supports an unlimited number of depreciation books. The Book List shows all the books for the open company. To view the Books List, first open a company, then click Books on the tool bar.

The buttons at the bottom of the Book List allow you to add a new book, as well as edit, duplicate, delete, build (add assets to), and set the periods for an existing book. There are five standard depreciation books in program: GAAP, FederalTax, AMT, ACE, and E&P. Two of these books — GAAP and Federal Tax — are system books and cannot be deleted or renamed. In addition to these books, you may add an unlimited number of books.

ADDING A NEW BOOK You can add a new book to the Book List by selecting New from the Books menu. To add a depreciation book, follow these steps: 1. On the Books menu, click New. The New Book dialog opens.

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2. Select the type of book you want to create, then click OK. Tip: You may select the book type for user-defined books. However, system-defined books have predefined types and may not be edited. If you add a Tax child book, it must be associated with a Parent such as Federal Tax or State Tax. The Edit Book Properties dialog opens, allowing you to set the General, Reporting, Depreciation Policies, and Section 179 Policies. For details, see “Editing a Book” below. The new book is added to the book list. If you already have assets in the company you will need to build the book for the system to generate depreciation calculations for your assets.

EDITING A BOOK This section shows you how to set the properties for a book. 1. In the Book List, click to select the book to be edited. 2. On the Books menu, click Edit. The Edit Book Properties dialog opens. This dialog contains four tabs: General, Reporting, Depreciation Policies, and Section 179 Policies.

GENERAL TAB By default, this dialog displays the contents on the General tab.

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This tab allows you to enter identifying information about the book. ■

Book Name — This item is displayed in the first column of the Book List. You can change this item for custom Internal and custom parent Tax books only. (An Internal book is one that allows all depreciation options, but cannot have child books. A Tax book is a book that follows the Federal Tax depreciation rules and can have child books. A parent book is a book that has subordinate books attached to it.)

■

Book Description — This item is displayed in the second column of the Book List. You can change the description for any book.

■

Book Type — This item cannot be changed. It is based on the selections made when the book was created.

3. When you are done making changes to the book’s identifying information, click OK.

REPORTING POLICIES The Reporting tab allows you to globally set rules that govern how all reports for a specified book display information. That is, you can specify the defaults that the program will use when basing a report on the book’s report policies settings.

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::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: You can add a subtitle or page footer, set the reporting month, and establish the detail level for your reports. You can also select whether you want to round report values to the nearest dollar.

DEPRECIATION POLICIES Use this tab to review or set various depreciation policies (such as the Mid-Quarter convention) on an annual basis. These policies determine how depreciation will work for the book within a given year. The program provides default settings, but you may want to change them to suit the particular policies the company has for each book. On this tab, you can also adjust the settings for the Add Asset wizard.

BOOK DEPRECIATION POLICIES ■

Apply Federal ITC Basis Reduction Rules — Click this option to adopt reduction of basis for investment tax credits taken.

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Protected Through Date — This item displays the date through which the currently selected depreciation book is “protected.” Caution! The program has an open time line, so no periods are ever truly protected against changes or corrections. If you attempt to edit within a protected period by selecting a Protected Through Date (using the Set Periods option on the Book List) for each book, the program will issue a warning.

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Use calculated depreciation in lieu of reported depreciation when calculating gains and losses on dispositions — The program uses reported depreciation when calculating gains and losses on dispositions unless this box is selected.

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Calculate Additional First-Year Depreciation for new qualified assets acquired after 9/10/2001 — This item determines whether or not the program will take additional first year bonus depreciation on qualified assets for each book.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ADD ASSET WIZARD SETTINGS The items in this section allow you to customize the Add Asset wizard, enabling or disabling certain panels or sections of the wizard. You can select different settings for different books (go to the Depreciation Policies tab of each book in turn). Note: If an item is disabled for all books, the program bypasses the appropriate panels when you enter new assets. ■

Enable and Apply Section 179/179A Amounts — This item applies to the Section 179/179A Expense and Enter Section 179/179A panels of the Add Asset wizard. This item is selected (enabled) by default. If the company does not qualify for Section 179/179A expense, clear this item for all books. The Add Asset wizard will completely bypass these Add Asset wizard panels.

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Enable Entry of Accumulated Depreciation — This item applies to the Accumulated Depreciation and Enter Reported Accumulated Depreciation panels of the Add Asset wizard. Selecting this item allows you to override the program’s calculation of reported accumulated depreciation as of a specified date for newly added assets. This item is selected (enabled) by default. If you want the program to build the asset's reported accumulated depreciation based on the new asset’s fact pattern, clear (disable) this selection for all books. The Add Asset wizard will completely bypass these wizard panels. The program will build the assets’ reported accumulated depreciation in those books for which this item is disabled, based on the new assets’ fact patterns.

DEPRECIATION POLICIES BY YEAR Double-click on any non-shaded item to change it. ■

FY Start — The fiscal year start date for each year in the Company Calendar.

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FY End — The fiscal year end date for each year in the Company Calendar.

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Short — The program checks this box for short fiscal years. This information corresponds with data in the Company Calendar.

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MACRS Calculation — The method used to calculate MACRS, either Simplified or Allocation. Applies to MACRS property during a short year.

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MQ Policy — Click the field for the year you want to change and select As Is (prevents the MQ Test), Solve (default for Desktop and DesktopPro; not available for Server), Force MQ (Mid-Quarter), or Force HY (Half-Year) from the list box. (Since the mid-quarter policy only applies to 1986 and subsequent years, pre-1986 fields are shaded.) You can use this field to force the Mid-Quarter or Half-Year convention, or you can let the program solve the Mid-Quarter test and apply the convention that it determines should apply, or you can prevent the program from changing the convention currently being applied. If the company qualifies under IRS Notice 2001–70 or 2001–74 to not switch to the Mid-Quarter Convention in the third quarter of 2001 due to the attacks of September 11, 2001, you may want to change the MQ Policy setting for the 2001 tax year to Force HY.

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Apply — Indicates the convention used by the program for MACRS personal property for each fiscal year, either Mid-Quarter (MQ) or Half-Year (HY).

SECTION 179 POLICIES TAB Use the Section 179 Policies tab to review or set Section 179/179A policies for each year in the company calendar. These policies determine how the program will treat Section 179 and 179A expenses for the book within a given year. Note: The Section 179A deduction is not allowed for property placed in service after 2005. The program provides default settings, but you may want to change them to suit the particular policies the company has for each book.

Click any non-shaded field to edit it. Note: The Income Limitation amount carries to Form 4562, Part I, line 11. Change the default value of 999,999,999 to display pre-§179 business income before printing Form 4562.

DUPLICATING A BOOK To duplicate a book: 1. On the tool bar, click Books. The Book List opens. 2. On the Book List, select the book you want to duplicate. 3. Do one of the following:

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■

Click Duplicate.

■

On the Book menu, select Duplicate Book.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: The program assigns “New Book” as the temporary name, and “Copy of ___” as the temporary book description, with the original book description filled in. 4. On the Book List, double-click the new book. The Edit Book Properties dialog opens. 5. Review the book’s properties and policies. Make any necessary changes. 6. Click OK when you’re done (or Cancel to leave the dialog without accepting any changes).

DELETING A BOOK Deleting a book removes it from the Book List and removes all record of the book from the company. If the book you delete is selected as a property for a report, the program issues a message and requests confirmation before deleting the book. Note: You cannot delete the GAAP book or the Federal Tax book because they are system books. If you duplicate the Federal Tax book you may delete AMT, ACE, and E&P books in the duplicated copy of the book. When you delete a parent book, any related child books are also deleted. If you want to delete the AMT book but not its parent tax book, you must first delete the associated ACE book, if any. To delete a book: 1. On the tool bar, click Books. The Book List opens. 2. Select the book you want to delete. 3. Do one of the following: ■

Click Delete.

■

On the Book menu, select Delete Book.

The program reminds you that deleting a book is a permanent action and asks for confirmation before actually deleting the book. 4. Click Yes to complete the process. 5. The program removes the deleted book from the Book List.

BUILDING A BOOK Building a book runs all depreciation calculations for assets in the highlighted book and stores them. After you build a book, the Build button will be disabled on the Book List

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::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: and the build option will no longer be available for the built book. This option is only available in new or “unbuilt” books. Note: After you create a book, but before you build it, review the settings in the Asset Type List to be sure they reflect the treatment you want for the assets in the book. Note: The icon for unbuilt books has a red diagonal slash over the green book icon. Once the Build operation has been performed, the icon will change to a green book icon.

SETTING PERIODS Setting the periods for a book allows you to choose the month and year that the program uses for the protected periods for one or more selected books. To set a book's protected period: 1. On the tool bar, click Books. The Book List opens. 2. Do one of the following: ■

Click Set Periods.

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On the Book menu, click Set Periods.

The Set Periods dialog opens.

3. If the books will have different protected periods, click Selected Books. Otherwise, skip to step 5. 4. Select the books in the list box for which you want to change the protected period. (Use the Shift or Ctrl keys to make multiple selections.) Protected (and partially protected) periods display with a differently colored background on the book tabs of the Asset Viewer to provide a visual clue as to where you are in the life of the asset. You can specify the colors used by clicking Options on the Tools menu. 5. Under Protected Through Date, select the appropriate month and year. 6. Click OK when you're done (or Cancel to leave the dialog without accepting any changes). Note: Setting the reporting period has no effect on the book protected periods. See “Setting a Book’s Reporting Period” in Help.

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ASSET TYPES The Asset Type List allows you to view, edit and create new asset types. Asset types are classes of depreciable asset and are an intricate part of the underlying artificial intelligence of the program. They contain the default data the program uses when you add assets. You can fully edit the depreciation-critical elements used for each type of asset to customize to your organization needs.

MANAGING ASSET TYPES The Types menu allows you to manage asset types. You can add new asset types or customize the program for industry-specific assets by clicking the New button. The Duplicate and Delete buttons allow you to copy and remove asset types, respectively. Note: Before adding new assets, importing data, or building asset data into newly created books, you should view and edit the asset types. Rather than modifying an existing asset type, you can duplicate an asset type that is similar to the one you want and then make changes to it. When creating a new asset type, view the Asset Type List to see if there is a type similar to the one you need to create. If so, duplicate it and then edit it, rather than creating the asset type by clicking New. This will give the new asset type the same settings as the Unspecified Personal asset type. When creating a new asset type, view the Asset Type List to see if there is a type similar to the one you need to create. If so, duplicate and then edit it, rather than clicking New. (Selecting New will give the new asset type the same settings as the Unspecified Personal asset type.)

DEPRECIATION METHODS For each asset type, you can specify the method the program uses to compute depreciation.

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PREDEFINED METHODS Here are the predefined methods: Selection

Description

AC

ACRS

AD

MACRS ADS

AS

Alternative ACRS

CM

Custom Method

DB

Declining Balance

MC

MACRS

MS

MACRS Straight-Line

NC

No Calculation

NO

No Depreciation

RV

Remaining Balance or Remaining Life

SL

Straight-Line

SY

Sum of the Years Digits

VIEWING ASSET TYPES To view the Asset Type List: 1. Open a company, then click Types on the tool bar. The Asset Type List opens.

AssetTypeList.tif

The program includes many predefined asset types. For more information, see “Predefined Asset Types” in the program Help. A separate array of depreciation-critical values are established for each specified date range. Each date range correlates to a tax law change that applied to that asset type. In this example, the Asset Type List shows the asset types for the first book, GAAP. 2. To display the asset types and their default settings for another book, click the book in the left pane. 32

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Note: If you need clarification of an asset’s MACRS GDS or ADS recovery period, click the MACRS Assets button in the Help tool bar to open the alphabetized version of the IRS ADR Class Life Table.

EDITING ASSET TYPES To edit an asset type: 1. On the tool bar, click Types. The Asset Type List opens. 2. On the Asset Type List, click to select the asset type to be edited. 3. Do one of the following: ■

Double-click the name of the asset type.

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On the Asset Type List, click Edit.

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On the Asset Type menu, click Edit Asset Type.

The Edit Asset Type dialog opens and displays the depreciation fact pattern for the asset for years of tax law change dating back to 1901.

dEditAssetTypeAirplan e.tif

On this dialog you can do the following for a single book of the asset type: ■

Review the settings for the asset type for each period.

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Change asset type settings for each period.

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::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 4. Access the Edit Asset Type Period data wizard to change the settings for each tax law period (double-click the line for the period with the settings you want to change). 5. Change the properties for a particular period by double-clicking the Start Date of that period. The Edit Asset Type Properties wizard opens. wizEditAssetTypePropertie sPropertyTax.tif

Click Next to move forward through the properties, making whatever changes are necessary. (Click Previous to return to an earlier panel.) 6. When you are done, click Finish (or Cancel to leave the wizard without accepting any changes).

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ASSET FIELDS On the Asset Field List, you can create new asset fields, as well as edit, duplicate, delete, and build existing asset fields.

VIEWING ASSET FIELDS Click Fields on the tool bar. The Asset Field List opens.



AssetFieldList.tif

The Asset Field List contains the following columns: ■

Field Name — The name of the asset field.

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Type — The type of field, either text, date, or currency.

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Include in Add Asset Wizard — Indicates whether the field is included in the User Selected Fields panel of the Add Asset wizard, and is set to either Always, Yes, or blank. This value can be changed for a field if its setting is Yes or blank.

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Require Entry — Indicates whether the user must enter data in the fields.

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Construction in Progress — Indicates whether the field is available for entry on the Project Transaction Line dialog for a Construction in Progress.

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Transfer Field — Indicates whether the field is designated as an internal transfer field.

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Default Value — The default value for the field if the value is the same for all asset types, displays Various if there are different values for the asset types, and is blank if no defaults have been specified.

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Description — A description of the field; it can include advice for the person entering or editing data into the field.

Note: To review or modify the settings for an asset field, open the Edit Asset Field dialog by double-clicking the asset field. Or select the asset field, then click Edit.

EDITING ASSET FIELDS Follow these steps to modify asset fields: 1. Open the Asset Field List. 2. Do one of the following: ■

Double-click the name of the field to be edited.

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Click to select the name of the field to be edited, then on the Asset Field menu (on the program tool bar), click Edit Asset Field.

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Click to select the name of the field to be edited, then click Edit at the bottom of the Asset Field List.

The Edit Asset Field dialog opens. (By default, the General tab is in view.) Use this dialog to make the desired changes.

THE EDIT ASSET FIELD DIALOG dEditAssetFieldGeneralTabLocation.tif

Selecting this option makes the program prompt the user to specify whether a change is a correction or a transfer.

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::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: On the Edit Asset Field dialog, for most fields you can: ■

Review the settings (for example, Name, Type of Field, Included on the Add Asset wizard) for the asset field.

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Create and modify a list of selections (or PickList) for the field.

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Change defaults for the field based on the asset type.

GENERAL TAB The General tab allows you to review and enter defining information about the field. ■

Name — This is the name of the asset field. The program displays this value in the first column of the Asset Field List. The Name is also presented in the Add Asset wizard as a variable in the Edit Query dialog, as a selection for custom fields and grouping on reports. You can enter up to 30 characters for the field name. Tip: You cannot change the name of the following fields: Asset ID, Acquisition Cost, Acquisition Date, Description, Asset GL Account Number, Depreciation Expense GL Account Number, Accumulated Depreciation GL Account Number, and Comments.

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Data Type — This is the type of data allowed for the field, either text, date, or currency. The program displays this value in the second column of the Asset Field List. Once you add an asset field, you cannot change its data type.

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Include in Add Asset Wizard — If you select this item, the program includes the asset field on the User-Selected Fields panel of the Add Asset wizard. The Asset Type, Acquisition Date, Acquisition Cost, and Description fields are always included in the Add Asset wizard. The program displays this value in the third column of the Asset Field List.

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Require Entry — Indicates whether the field requires entry on the User-Selected Fields panel of the Add Asset wizard. If this box is selected, you will not be able to add an asset without making an entry in the field in the wizard.

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Construction in Progress — This indicates whether to include the field in the Project Transaction Line dialog for a Construction in Progress.

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Designate as Transfer Field — Transfer fields are included on the Transfer Internal tab of the Asset Viewer. The program tracks these fields on a monthly basis. When you make a change in a field that is designated as a transfer field, the program asks if the change is a transfer or a correction.

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Description — When you are entering a value for a field in the Add Asset wizard, the description of the asset field appears as a ToolTip. The program also displays this value in the last column of the Asset Field List. You can change this item for most asset fields.

PICKLIST TAB Use this tab to setup a PickList for an asset field. It applies to most asset fields.

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dEditAssetFieldPickListTabLocation.tif

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Use PickList — If checked, this enables the PickList for this field, allowing you to select items from the PickList in the Asset tab and (if included) the Add Asset wizard. This option also allows you to add and delete items from the PickList, as well as build the PickList (using the Build command) from the field values already entered in the company database.

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New Entry — Allows you to add a new value to this field’s PickList.

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PickList — Lists all selections in the PickList. You can add to the PickList selections using the New Entry box. To delete selections, click on the selection (use Ctrl or Shift to select multiple items), then click Delete or click Remove All to delete all items from the PickList. Tip: Removing an item from the PickList does not remove the value from that field of assets already in the Asset List. To change the value of a particular asset’s field, you must edit the asset.

DEFAULTS TAB Use this tab to specify, review, and change the default value for the selected asset field for all asset types or for the selected asset types. For example, you can specify 8859 as the default Cost Center for the asset type “Automobile” and 9664 as the default Cost Center for the asset type “Airplane.” Follow these steps to change a field’s default values. 1. Click Fields on the tool bar to open the Asset Field List. 2. Click the name of the field to which you want to add defaults, then click Edit at the bottom of the Asset Field List. 3. Click the Defaults tab.

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4. Edit the values of the selected asset fields for all or selected asset types. To edit a single asset type, click the asset type, enter a default value in the Change default value field, and click Apply.

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THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK

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THE ASSET LIST The Asset List displays the Asset ID, Asset Type, Description, Status, etc. for all company assets. Using the Asset List, you can add new assets and edit, duplicate, delete, or dispose existing assets. You can use the Query function to set criteria for selecting which assets are displayed on the Asset List.

VIEWING THE ASSET LIST To open the Asset List, click Assets on the tool bar.

The Asset List allows you to open an Asset Preview window. If desired, you can change the view so that the bottom half of the Asset List becomes an Asset Preview window for the asset currently highlighted in the Asset List. To preview an asset: 1. On the bottom of the Asset List, click Preview. The Asset List looks like this:

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Click to turn Preview on and off

2. When Preview is on, whenever you click (highlight) an asset in the Asset List, a preview of the asset (the Asset Viewer) is automatically displayed at the bottom of the Asset List.

CUSTOMIZING THE ASSET LIST By default, the Asset List displays the following columns: ■

Asset ID

■

Asset Type

■

Description

■

Status

You can change which fields (columns) are displayed on the Asset List, including additional asset fields on or removing asset fields from those displayed. You can also change the order in which the fields appear on the list. 1. With the Asset List in view, click Alter Asset List on the Tools menu.

The Alter Asset List dialog opens.

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Use this dialog to add, remove, and re-sequence the fields displayed on the Asset List. Any field on the Asset tab of the Asset Viewer can be included on the Asset List. In the Display Order box, you can: ■

Add a field (or as many fields as you want) from the Fields Available box to include it on the Asset List.

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Remove a field (or as many as you want) to exclude it from the Asset List.

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Move a field up or down in the list to change its column's position left or right in the Asset List.

2. After selecting the fields to be displayed on the Asset List, click OK to close the dialog.

SORTING THE ASSET LIST By default, the Asset List is sorted alphanumerically, from least to greatest, by Asset ID. You can reverse the order, so the assets are listed by Asset ID, from greatest to least, by clicking the Asset ID column heading. To sort the Asset List by another field, simply click the column heading. For example, to sort the assets by type, click the Asset Type column heading. To reverse the sort order, click the heading again.

SELECTING ASSETS ON THE ASSET LIST To select an asset on the list click anywhere on the asset’s row. To select several assets at a time, use the Shift and Ctrl keys when clicking: ■

To select a range of contiguous assets, hold the Shift key while clicking the first asset and the last asset in the range.

■

To select several, non-contiguous assets, hold the Ctrl key while clicking each asset.

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To deselect one of several assets, click again on the unwanted asset while holding down the Ctrl key.

To select all assets in the Asset List, on the Asset menu, click Select All Assets.

ASSET STATUS The Status field on the Asset List uses codes to differentiate among various asset states. Status

Asset State

Description

A

Active

Assets with this status may or may not be fully depreciated, but they are not disposed of. Continuing assets and excess assets also have this status. The check box for the Active flag is on the Asset tab of the Asset Viewer.

I

Inactive

These assets are excluded from most reports automatically. Assets that do not make it through the Import process properly are flagged as “Inactive.” Split parent asset are also inactive, but have a special status of “S” (see below). You can manually set the flag of an asset to “Inactive” by editing the asset and clearing the Active check box.

D

Disposed

These Active assets were sold, retired, or abandoned. (Assets exchanged out in a version of the program before 2001.1 also display this status.)

DI

Disposed and Inactive

These Inactive assets were sold, exchanged out, retired, or abandoned.

X

Exchanged

These active assets were disposed through a like-kind exchange in version 2001.1 or later of the program. (This is not the status applied to continuing or excess assets.)

XI

Exchanged and Inactive

These assets were acquired through a like-kind exchange in version 2001.1 or later of the program and you have manually flagged the asset as “Inactive” on the Asset tab of the Asset Viewer. This could be the continuing asset or the excess asset (per IRS Notice 2000–4).

S

Split (Parent)

These assets were split and are excluded from most reports automatically. These assets can be reviewed but not edited. If changes are necessary, unsplit the asset or edit the “child” assets resulting from the split. Note. Split parent assets cannot be included in assets selected for a multi-asset operation, such as a mass data change or mass disposal. Before you select the assets for a multi-asset operation, you may want to limit the assets on the Asset List using the Active Assets query — split parent assets are treated as inactive assets and will be automatically excluded from the list.

TO

Transferred-Out

These assets were transferred out and are excluded from most reports automatically. These assets can be reviewed but not edited. If changes are necessary, untransfer the asset.

TOI

Transferred-Out and Inactive

See description for Transferred-Out and Inactive, above.

ADDING ASSETS You can add assets using one of three methods:

44

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Add Asset Wizard — leads you through the process of adding an asset, using a series of questions

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Add Asset, Single Window — allows you to manually enter the new asset’s information on the Asset Viewer

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Add Asset Express — allows you to enter asset information in spreadsheet format

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: If you attempt to add an asset without first setting the default method, the program will prompt you to select a method.

CHANGING THE DATA ENTRY METHOD To set the default method for adding assets to a company: 1. On the Tools menu, click Options. The System Options dialog opens. 2. Click the Defaults tab.

dSystemOptionsDefaults.tif

Select this option

3. Click the method you prefer to use when adding assets. For our purposes, click Add Asset Wizard, then click OK.

ADD ASSET WIZARD To add assets using the Add Asset wizard: 1. Click New on the bottom of Asset List. (Alternatively, you could click New on the bottom of the Asset Viewer, click New Asset on the Asset menu, or press Ctrl+A.) The first panel of the wizard opens. wizAddAssetAssetType.tif

2. Select the type of asset from the drop-down list, and then click Next. Note. For detailed instructions about each of the panels in the wizard, click the Help button on the panel. 45

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 3. The Acquisition Date panel opens. Enter the date the asset was purchased or placed in service and then click Next. The Acquisition Date panel has a check box entitled Transfer-In Asset. Check this box if the new asset was acquired by transfer. 4. The Cost panel opens. Enter the cost of the asset and then click Next. The Cost panel has calculator button in the amount field. Click this button to access the system calculator. 5. The §179/179A Expense panel opens. Note. The §179/179A Expense and Prior First-Year Depreciation panels open only if enabled for a book on the Depreciation Policies tab. To access this tab, open the Book List and edit the selected Book. a. If you want to enter the amount of the purchase expensed under IRC §179, click Yes and then click Next. b. The Enter §179/179A panel opens. Enter the §179/179A amounts. (This election applies only to those books you specified in the Book List.) Click Next. 6. The Description panel opens. Enter a full description of the asset. It can have up to 100 characters. Click Next. 7. If you have indicated that a particular field is to be included in the Add Asset wizard, the User Selected Fields panel opens. Enter the desired values, then click Next. 8. The Accumulated Depreciation panel opens. If you want to enter prior depreciation, click Yes. Otherwise, click No. Then, click Next. 9. If you clicked Yes in the previous step, the Enter Reported Accumulated Depreciation panel opens. Enter the balance sheet date and the accumulated depreciation for each book specified. 10. Click Finish. The Finish panel opens.

The new asset has been added. 11. Click No to close the wizard. The Asset Viewer opens, displaying the new asset. Note. To add another asset or to add assets in batch, click Yes on the Finish panel.

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SINGLE ADD ASSET WINDOW Adding an asset using the Single Window method simply means you are manually entering new asset data on the New Asset dialog. This dialog has the look and feel of the Asset Viewer, above. 1. Select this method of data entry. (See “Changing the Data Entry Method” on page 45.) 2. Press Ctrl+A. (Alternatively, you could click New on the bottom of the Asset List or Asset Viewer, then click New Asset on the Asset menu.) The New Asset dialog opens with the focus on the Asset tab.

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The program automatically assigns the Asset ID. 3. Click the down arrow next to the Asset Type field. The Asset Type List dialog opens. 4. Click to select the asset type and then click OK to close the Asset Type List dialog and return the focus to the Single Add Asset Window. 5. Complete the remaining fields, as necessary, on the Asset tab. 6. Click Save to finish, or Add Another to continue adding assets. Note: Through a single window, the New Asset dialog, you can enter as much or as little detail as you want for each new asset. Asset data entry fields are organized into three Asset Viewer tabs (Asset, Transfer, and Depreciation Expense).

ADD ASSET EXPRESS The Add Asset Express allows you to add an unlimited number of assets at one time. It is set up like a spreadsheet.

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::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Each row in the Express represents the necessary information to create a new asset. To create a new asset, you must complete the following required fields: ■

Asset Type — Select the asset type from the drop-down list. If you then press Enter, the program populates the rest of the fields on the row with the default values.

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Acquisition Date — Use the Calendar control to select the acquisition date.

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Acquisition Cost — Enter the cost of the asset.

All the other fields on a row are optional. In addition to the default fields listed below, you can add (and remove) other fields, as well as change the order. To add additional asset fields to the spreadsheet, click Configure. ■

Description — Enter a description of up to 100 alphanumeric characters.

■

Placed-in-Service Date — This will default to the Acquisition Date.

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Section 179 — Choose either Maximum or None.

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Addition First-Year Depreciation — Choose either Default or None.

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Cost Center — Enter up to 30 alphanumeric characters.

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Department — Enter up to 30 alphanumeric characters.

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Depreciation Expense General Ledger Account Number — Enter up to 30 alphanumeric characters.

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Accumulated Depreciation General Ledger Account Number — Enter up to 30 alphanumeric characters.

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Location — Enter up to 30 alphanumeric characters.

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Custodian — Enter up to 30 alphanumeric characters.

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Asset General Ledger Account Number — Enter up to 30 alphanumeric characters.

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Comments — Enter up to 255 alphanumeric characters.

EDITING AN ASSET There are several ways to open an asset for review or editing when the Asset List has the focus. 1. Select the asset you want to edit. 2. Do one of the following: ■

Double-click anywhere on the line of the asset.

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Click the Edit button.

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On the Asset menu, click Edit Asset.

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Right-click anywhere on the line of the asset and select Edit Asset from the popup menu.

The Asset Viewer opens, loaded with the selected asset’s data.

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CHANGING BASIC ASSET INFORMATION The Asset tab of the Asset Viewer displays basic information about the asset, such as the Description, Acquisition Cost, Acquisition Date, etc. For new assets, most of the fields on this tab are filled out automatically using the defaults you specified in the Defaults tab of the Edit Asset Field dialog. You can change the contents of any field on this tab. You cannot change the contents of any fields that are designated as Transfer fields. ■

To change the entire entry or part of an entry, click and drag over what you want to replace and type over the data.

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To insert text, click where you want to place the insertion point, then type the text you want to insert.

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Using commands on the Edit menu, you can also move, copy, paste, and delete selected text.

Note: If you need clarification of an asset’s MACRS GDS or ADS recovery period, click the MACRS Assets button in the Help tool bar to open the alphabetized version of the IRS ADR Class Life Table.

EDITING FIELDS WITH PICKLISTS Fields with PickLists have a down arrow at the right of the field. In addition to being able to edit the value of these fields as described above, you can click the down arrow to drop down the PickList, then click the desired item on the list. Note that when you edit a value, it does not change the value in the PickList. Using the Asset Fields List, you can change the PickList values or add values to the PickList. The change to a field on the Asset tab takes effect after you move the focus to another field.

CHANGING OTHER ASSET VALUES The following tabs on the Asset Viewer display detailed data about an asset: ■

Summary

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Balance/Accumulated Depreciation

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Depreciation Expense

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Gain/Loss

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Documents

Generally you will make changes to depreciation data on the Depreciation Expense tab, since most of the fields on the other tabs cannot be changed directly.

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::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: If the revision is not to a field on the Asset tab, select the book you want to change. If this is a retroactive change, change the View to a single book and locate the time period in which the change took effect. To change the contents of any field on the Depreciation Expense tab: 1. Locate the field you want to change, including the period and book in which you want to make the change. Note. The column you use to select the field to be edited is very important. This choice drives the date through which all earlier depreciation values and amounts are saved. For corrections to asset data where the accumulated depreciation amounts are not as important as correcting the data, use the Acquisition Date. 2. Double-click the field. The Edit Book Data wizard opens to the panel that most closely applies to the field you selected. 3. Change the data as appropriate. 4. Click Next to continue. Click Finish when you’re done. The Recast wizard opens, if appropriate. Note: Some fields on these tabs cannot be edited directly, since they are the results of calculations. You can change many of these fields indirectly using fields on the Depreciation Expense tab. For information editing multiple assets, see “Editing Data” on page 73.

DUPLICATING AN ASSET From the Asset List, use the Duplicate function to create an exact replica of one or more highlighted assets. All properties, except the Asset ID, will remain identical.

DISPOSING OF ASSETS The Dispose Asset wizard, accessible from the Asset List or the Asset Viewer, allows you to dispose of one or more assets. There are three ways you can dispose an asset using the Dispose Asset wizard: ■

Sale

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Exchange

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Retirement/Abandonment

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::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Note: The historical information of a disposed asset is retained in the company database. A disposed asset can be easily restored using the Undispose command, whereas deleting an asset completely removes all of that asset’s historical information from a company’s database. The only way to restore a deleted asset is to re-enter it as if it’s a new asset.

PARTIAL AND WHOLE BOOK DISPOSALS These features are accessible from inside the program only. There is also a way to partially dispose assets via import but the system will handle those transactions differently.

PARTIAL DISPOSALS The Partial Disposal feature allows you to dispose a portion of an asset or an individual book. For example, if you have to replace the roof of a building structure, you can use a Partial Disposal to dispose the building structure’s basis by the cost of the original roof and then add the replacement roof to the building structure.

WHOLE BOOK DISPOSALS Along with the ability to perform Partial Disposals, you can fully dispose an individual book or several individual books at one time. For example, if your company needs to dispose just the GAAP book or all of your Federal Tax books, the program supports this need.

USING THE DISPOSE ASSET WIZARD 1. From the Asset List, click the asset to be disposed, then click Dispose. The Dispose Asset wizard opens. 2. Enter the date the asset was removed from service, then click Next. 3. Select the disposal type to identify how the asset was disposed. Assets can be marked Sold, Exchanged, or Retired/Abandoned in the program. Click Next. 4. On the Partial Disposal dialog, click Yes if the disposition is a partial disposition or a whole book disposition, then enter the percentage of the asset to be disposed. Click Next. 5. On the Disposal Amount dialog, enter the dollar amount or percentage of the cost basis to dispose for each book, then click Next. 6. If you choose Sale, enter the gross sales price in the Proceeds of Sale field. Click Next. 7. Enter the direct expenses associated with the sale of the asset, then click Next. 8. Select the depreciation recapture treatment that will be used for the asset, then click Next.

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::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 9. For a simple sale, no further information is required. Click Finish.

ENTERING EXCHANGED ASSETS INFORMATION IN THE DISPOSE ASSET WIZARD When you have exchanged an asset and marked its disposal type as Exchange (in step 3, above), further information is needed. 1. Enter a description of the asset acquired in the exchange. Click Next. 2. The Exchange Proceeds panel opens. Enter any amounts received in the exchange. Click Next. 3. The Exchange Payments panel opens. Enter any amount paid with the exchange. Payments increase the basis of property being sold. Click Next. 4. Select the depreciation recapture treatment that will be used for the asset, then click Next. 5. The Finish panel opens. Click Finish to close the wizard.

VIEWING DISPOSAL INFORMATION Disposal information is available in the following places: ■

Asset Viewer

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Exchange Info dialog Asset Viewer of a new asset

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System Reports such as the Gain/Loss reports, Asset Disposition Report, Disposed Asset Journal Entry Report, and the 4797 Tax form report

DELETING ASSETS To delete an asset, follow these steps: 1. From the Asset List, highlight the asset or assets you want to delete. 2. Click Delete at the bottom of the Asset List. The assets are permanently removed. Deleting an asset irrevocably wipes away the asset(s) that you’ve highlighted.

ASSET LINKING On September 13, 2013, the IRS and Treasury released regulations that created new rules related to the acquisition, production or improvement of tangible property. These 53

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: rules assist companies in distinguishing between currently deductible repair and maintenance expenses and capitalized expenditures. The program accomplishes asset linking by use of a parent-child relationship. A group of linked assets contains one Parent asset with one or more Child assets. These Child assets are also known as Repair assets. For example, a group of linked assets might be a building in which the building is defined as the Parent asset and its replacement roof is the Child (Repair) asset. Any asset can be a Parent asset except for Split Parent Assets, Transfer Out Assets, Disposed Assets or an asset that is already a Repair (child) asset. The Asset Repair function allows you to: ■

Create New Repair Asset

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Link Existing Assets

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Unlink Assets

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Show Repair Assets

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Mark Parent Assets

CREATE NEW REPAIR ASSET The creation of a repair asset follows the normal add asset procedures described earlier in this section with additional information required for the type of repair. To create a new Repair Asset: 1. Select the Parent asset on the Asset List or open the Parent asset in the Asset Viewer. 2. Click Repair on the submenu, select Create New Repair Asset. This task can also be completed from the Asset menu. 3. On the Repair drop-down list, select the type of repair. ■

None (default)

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Adaptation

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Betterment

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Other

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Restoration

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Routine Maintenance

4. Complete the addition of the asset. Note. Depending on the type of data entry method used — Add Asset Wizard, Single Add Asset Window or Add Asset Express — the Repair drop-down menu may be accessed from a slightly different location. For more information, see help.

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LINK EXISTING ASSETS If you have assets already in the program and you want to establish a parent-child link between them: 1. Select the assets you want to link. 2. Click Repair, then select Link Existing Assets on the submenu. 3. On the dialog, enter the Asset ID of the asset you want to become the Parent Asset. Then click OK to create the link.

UNLINK ASSETS If necessary, linked assets can be unlinked. You can select one or more Parent assets and then sever the links to all of their Child (Repair) assets, or you can select one or more Child (Repair) assets and then sever links to their respective Parent assets. After unlinking, all former Child (Repair) assets become regular assets. The value in the Parent Asset ID fields becomes blank. To unlink assets: 1. On the Asset List, select the assets to be unlinked. 2. Click Repair, and then, on the submenu, click Unlink Assets. (Alternatively, on the Asset menu, click Repair, and then, on the submenu, click Unlink Assets.) 3. On the confirmation message, click OK to continue (or Cancel to cancel the operation).

SHOW REPAIR ASSETS To display all the Repair assets linked to a Parent asset: 1. With the desired Parent asset either selected on the Asset List or opened in the Asset Viewer, click Repair, and then, on the submenu, click Show Repair Assets. (Alternatively, on the Asset menu, click Repair, and then, on the submenu, click Show Repair Assets.) 2. A new Asset List opens, containing only the Parent asset and its Child (Repair) assets. If you have Mark Parent Assets selected, the Parent asset will be shown in green.

MARKING PARENT ASSETS This selection allows you to display the parent asset in green on the Asset List, select or deselect this item to toggle the color on and off.

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QUERYING ASSETS A query is a filter — a set of one or more conditions or criteria that can be used to restrict the number of assets that would otherwise be included when displaying the Asset List, running a report, and performing other actions on assets. Creating a query and applying a query are two distinct activities.

PREDEFINED VS. NEW QUERIES The program uses visual cues to differentiate between predefined queries and new or duplicated (user-created) queries. ■

The names of predefined queries are surrounded by angle brackets. Predefined queries cannot be deleted.

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The names of new or duplicated (user-created) queries have no brackets.

APPLYING QUERIES To apply a query to the Asset List: 1. At the bottom of the Asset List, click More, then click Query. The Set Asset Query dialog opens.

dSetAssetQuery.tif

2. Click the drop-down arrow to view the available queries and click the query you want to use. Then, click OK. The selected query is applied to the Asset List. Only those assets meeting the criteria set in the query are displayed.

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CREATING QUERIES The program provides a few predefined queries and allows you to create an unlimited amount of additional queries. There are two ways to create a query: ■

create a query from scratch

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duplicate a predefined query and then customize it

CREATING QUERIES FROM SCRATCH When you create a query, you must decide which asset fields will be used in the query and how you want the contents of these fields filtered; that is, you must specify how you want the program to compare the contents of a field for each asset to the criteria that you set. For instance, you can have the program display all assets in Los Angeles (Location LIKE Los Angeles) or all assets not located in Los Angeles (Location NOT LIKE Los Angeles). Only certain fields can be used in a query. Here are the valid fields: ■

Any field on the Asset tab of the Asset Viewer (including fields that you have added)

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Disposal date

To create a query: 1. Click Query on the tool bar to open the Query List. QueryList.tif

User-defined query

The Query List displays the name, type, and description of all queries. Use the buttons on the bottom of the Query List to perform operations. 2. Click New. The New Query dialog opens.

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3. In the Name field, enter the query name, then press Tab. 4. In the Type field, click the down arrow and select a type from the list, then press Tab. You have a choice of creating an Asset Query or a Construction in Process (CIP) query. You cannot run a CIP query on the Asset List and vice versa. 5. In the Description field, enter a useful description, then press Tab. 6. Define the query’s criteria by performing the following steps, pressing Tab to move the cursor to the next field: a. Select a field to use as the basis of your query. b. Identify the acceptance operator. c. Identify the acceptance criterion. d. Establish multiple criteria by using or/and conditions. 7. When you’re done, click OK. The new query appears on the Query List.

COMPOUND QUERIES Compound queries allow you to quickly search for assets that satisfy two or more criteria. A set of criteria is defined by each separate row that follows the Field row. All elements in that row must be satisfied for the program to select an asset. Additional criteria rows provide alternative criteria for an asset to be included in the query results. The program will include an asset in the report if the asset meets all of the conditions for Criteria 1 or Criteria 2 or any other Criteria row. For example, if you wanted to display on the Asset List only those assets with an asset type of Furniture & Fixtures and a custodian of S. Jones or B. Richardson, then you would set up the query like this:

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dNewQueryNew QueryOfficeFixt ures.tif

DUPLICATING PREDEFINED QUERIES To duplicate a query: 1. On the tool bar, click Query. The Query List opens. 2. On the Query List, select the query you want to duplicate. 3. Do one of the following: ■

Click Duplicate.

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On the Query menu, select Duplicate Query.

The program assigns “New Query” as the temporary name, and “Copy of [query name]” as the temporary query description. 4. Double-click the query to open the Edit Query dialog. Aside from the Query Name and Description, the criteria of the new query are identical to the criteria of the original query. 5. Review the criteria of the new query and make any necessary changes. 6. Click OK when you’re done (or Cancel to close the dialog without accepting any changes). In addition to applying and creating queries, you can edit and delete queries.

EDITING QUERIES Edit allows you to open any custom-defined query and change any of its properties. Note: System-defined queries are displayed with brackets, for example, . These queries cannot be edited. To edit the settings (criteria) for a new or duplicated query: 60

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 1. Open the Edit Query dialog by double-clicking the name of the query. Or select the query, click Edit. 2. Make the necessary changes and then click OK.

DELETING QUERIES Delete allows you to delete any custom (user-defined) query, upon confirmation. Note: System-defined queries are displayed with brackets, for example, . These queries cannot be deleted. To delete query: 1. Click to select the query to be deleted on the Query List. 2. Click Delete. 3. Click Yes on the confirmation message to delete the query.

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VIEWING ASSET DATA There are several ways to review and edit asset information within the program. You can choose to view one asset at a time, several books concurrently, or one book over eight time periods. In this lesson, we will navigate to a specific asset in the Asset List, review the tabs on the Asset Viewer, specify the information to be displayed on the Asset Viewer, and print an asset record.

THE DYNAMIC ASSET MODEL The program considers each asset in a multidimensional way. The Asset Viewer allows you to view asset and depreciation data in varying detail. The program allows you to specify which aspects of each asset you want to display. You can select the specific period of time for which you want to view an asset’s depreciation.

NAVIGATING TO A SPECIFIC ASSET To navigate to a specific asset in the Asset Viewer or Asset List, follow these steps: 1. In the lower right corner of the Asset List or Asset Viewer, click Find Asset ID.

(Alternatively, you can click Find Asset ID on the Asset menu, or press Ctrl+F.) Tip: The xx of yy button displays the number of the current asset and its placement in the list. You can move the focus to another asset by clicking on this button. When the Find Asset ID dialog opens, enter the Asset ID number of the asset you want to move to in the Asset List. Or, if you're unsure of the exact Asset ID number, enter the last few digits of the Asset ID number in this dialog, then press F3 to browse the current Asset List to find the asset you want. 2. The Find Asset ID dialog opens.

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3. Enter the desired Asset ID number and click OK. You can enter the last few digits of the Asset ID then click OK, and the focus in the active Asset List will move to the first asset ending in those digits. Press F3 to browse to the next asset ending in those digits, and so on. 4. To open a new Asset List containing the results of the search, click to select Create a New Asset List Window before clicking OK.

OVERVIEW OF THE ASSET VIEWER In the Asset Viewer, you can do the following for a single asset: ■

Review information.

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Enter additional information.

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Change existing information.

On the Asset and Transfer tabs, when you pass the mouse pointer over the label of an asset field, a ToolTip appears as a reminder of what the field is or its purpose. The description that the ToolTip displays comes from the description of the field on the Asset Field List. Note: When an asset is split, the program dims the fields on the Asset tab. You cannot make changes to the values on this or other tabs for split assets. To open the Asset Viewer: 1. Select an asset on the Asset List. 2. Click to select the asset to be viewed and click Edit, or double-click the asset.

ASSET MENU COMMANDS The buttons at the bottom of the Asset Viewer correspond to the following commands on the Asset menu. (These commands appear whenever the Asset List or Asset Viewer has the focus):

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New Asset

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Duplicate Asset

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Delete Asset

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Dispose/Undispose

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Split/Unsplit

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Transfer Out/Untransfer

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Switch View

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Print Asset

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Audit Trail

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Movement Buttons

TABS The Asset Viewer has the following tabs: ■

Asset

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Transfer

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Summary

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Balance/Accumulated Depreciation

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Depreciation Expense

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Gain/Loss (displayed only for disposed assets)

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Documents

Note: On any tab (except the Asset, Gain/Loss, and Documents tabs), you can double-click on the Switch View button above the Asset Field descriptions to change to asset view. See “Changing the Asset Viewer Display.”

THE ASSET TAB The default view, the Asset tab, contains descriptive information about the asset you selected when you opened the Asset Viewer.

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The Asset tab displays basic information about an asset, such as Asset ID Number, Description, Cost, Acquisition Date, etc. For most asset fields on this tab, you can add or delete fields, change the field labels, and change the sequence of the fields on the tab. Fields designated as Transfer fields (via the Asset Field List) are displayed in yellow. They cannot be edited here, but must be edited on the Transfer tab. If you use the defaults in the Field settings, most of the fields on this tab can be filled in automatically. You can edit all of the fields on this tab that are not designated as Transfer fields by selecting and over-typing text, or placing the insertion point and typing new text. If a PickList has been built for the field, you can also change its value by selecting a new value from the PickList or adding a value to the PickList.

THE TRANSFER TAB The Transfer tab shows information about an asset’s transfer. This tab displays only those fields that you have defined as transfer fields through the Asset Field List. To add or remove an asset field from the Transfer tab, use the Designate as Transfer Field option on the General tab of the Edit Asset Field dialog for the field.

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The Transfer tab has up to three subtabs: ■

Internal — provides access to Transfer fields used for transfers within the company

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IN — displays information for transferred-in assets (assets acquired through external transfers between companies)

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OUT — displays information for transferred-out assets (assets disposed through external transfers between companies

THE SUMMARY TAB The Summary tab shows a high-level view of the major balance sheet and income statement items. AssetViewerND00 0230SummaryTab .tif

This tab summarizes the information on the Balance/Accumulation, Depreciation Expense, and Gain/Loss tabs as of the end of the focus period. You cannot directly change any of the information in the fields of this tab. However, you can change the asset information used to compute these items through the Edit Book Data wizard or Edit Accumulated Depreciation wizard.

THE BALANCE/ACCUM TAB The Balance/Accum tab reconciles beginning and ending account balances for the asset account and the accumulated depreciation. 67

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This tab displays the computation of the Ending Asset Balance and the Reported Accumulated Depreciation Balance. You cannot directly change the information in many of the fields of this tab. However, you can change the asset information used to compute these items through the Edit Book Data wizard or Edit Accumulated Depreciation wizard. Double-click on the field you want to change. Note: Information on this tab cannot be changed for a continuing asset added to the company through a like-kind exchange.

THE DEPRECIATION EXPENSE TAB The Depreciation Expense tab derives the depreciation calculation, showing all critical depreciation elements, and reconciles the difference between calculated and reported depreciation.

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This tab displays all of the information used to arrive at an asset’s reported depreciation expense. You can directly change the information in most of the fields of this tab using the Edit Book Data wizard. Double-click the field you want to change.

THE GAIN/LOSS TAB The Gain/Loss tab derives realized and recognized gains and losses from asset disposition. Note: The Gain/Loss tab is available only for disposed assets.

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For disposed assets, this tab displays the components used to arrive at the Recognized Gain (Loss) and Realized Gain (Loss) resulting from the disposal. This tab always displays the disposal period for all books. You cannot directly change the information in many of the fields of this tab since they are calculated fields presented as the audit trail for the resulting calculations. The fields you can change are Recognized Gain/(Loss), Ordinary Gain/(Loss), and Capital Gain/(Loss) using the Edit Recognized Gain/Loss dialog. To change the components of the gain/loss, go to the Depreciation Expense tab and double-click on the field you want to change to call up the Edit Book Data wizard. Or else, select the Dispose/Undispose button.

THE DOCUMENTS TAB The Documents tab allows you to attach any images and documents necessary to support an asset. You can view and print any of these files and delete them if they are no longer necessary. For any asset, you can attach any of the following standard file types: ■

Graphics files (bmp, jpeg, gif).

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Text files (txt, doc, rtf).

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Spreadsheet files (xls, csv).

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Adobe Acrobat files (pdf).

For each asset, you can store up to 25 files. The recommended maximum size for each file is 1 MB.

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For details on using this tab, see “Asset Images and Documents” in Help. Note: The right side of the tab is a preview area. When the file selected in the list is a graphics image, the image will appear in this area. If the image is too large to show completely in this area, select Scale preview image. A reduced, lower-quality version of the image will display. For files that are not images, there is no preview.

SELECTING THE VIEW You can specify exactly what information you want to see in the Asset Viewer using the Edit View Configuration dialog. You can access the dialog in the following ways: ■

Click View at the bottom of the Asset Viewer.

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Double-click Switch View in the upper left of the Asset Viewer (not visible on the Asset tab).

To change the view, follow the steps below: 1. Double-click Switch View

. The Edit View Configuration dialog opens.

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dEditViewConfiguration.tif

2. Select how you want to view asset data: ■

If you want to view a single book over multiple time intervals, click A Single Book, then select the desired depreciation book and time interval.

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To view all books for a single time interval, click All Books for a specified ending date, then identify desired interval and the date the interval ends.

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To view all books for a single time interval as of the asset’s Acquisition Date, click All Books for a selected date field, then identify the desired time interval. The Acquisition Date field is filled automatically.

3. Click OK to accept the changes and close the Edit View Configuration dialog. Note: To scroll across the time line or books, use the scroll bar at the bottom of the Asset Viewer.

PRINTING AN ASSET RECORD If you want to generate a report that reproduces exactly what you see in the Asset Viewer, click Print while the Asset Viewer is open. The current view settings are applied. An Asset’s record can also be printed if the asset is highlighted while on the Asset List.

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EDITING DATA The program allows you to edit data at any point in time. This lesson focuses on editing book data for a single asset and for multiple assets.

EDITING BOOK DATA FOR A SINGLE ASSET Follow these steps to edit data: 1. Open the Asset List by clicking Assets on the tool bar. 2. Select an asset by double-clicking it on the Asset List, or highlighting the asset and clicking Edit. The Asset Viewer opens, displaying information for the selected asset. 3. Select either the Summary, Balance/Accum, or the Depr Expense tab, then configure the Asset Viewer to focus on the book and time interval that you want to change. 4. Double-click the field you want to edit. The Edit Book Data wizard opens. The elements on the Edit Book Data wizard correspond to the asset and field that you want to edit. wizEditBookDataC ost.tif



5. You can edit up to twelve different critical elements of depreciation from the Edit Book Data wizard. Edit those elements that are incorrect for the asset. 73

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 6. Use Next or Back to control movement through the Edit Book Data wizard. The Finish button is enabled whenever the current selection for all the Depreciation elements passes validation. As you work through the Edit Book Data wizard, each entry is validated based on the selections made in previous steps of the wizard. When appropriate, choices are limited to those values that pass validation. You can change as many critical elements as you want. Note: Clicking Cancel at any time in the Edit Book Data wizard discards all modifications and restores the Asset Viewer. Note: When one or more Critical Depreciation Elements changes or when Accumulated Depreciation is overwritten, the program compares Reported Depreciation and the depreciation calculated by the program. Differences between these amounts are called Revisions within the program.

MAKING CHANGES MIDWAY THROUGH AN ASSET’S LIFE When you make an edit to the depreciation critical values in the middle of an asset’s life, the following things occur: ■

All depreciation data is saved, including the depreciation critical values and accumulated depreciation amounts, for all earlier time intervals.

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You are given the option to save or abandon any “succeeding” values that you may have already made to this asset further down its timeline.

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The program recalculates depreciation over the entire life of the asset.

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Revisions are created to reconcile reported depreciation amounts to the newly calculated amounts for all periods prior to the Change Date.

Any changes that you make will be effective as of the first day of the selected interval. If the Asset Viewer shows depreciation on a monthly basis, the Change Date in the Edit Book Data wizard is the monthly interval of the field you’re editing. The Change Date will be effective as of the first day of the selected month. To make a change mid-life, follow these steps: 1. In the Asset Viewer, double-click the field you want to change. 2. Make the required changes. 3. Click Finish to complete the edit and close the wizard.

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OVERWRITING DEPRECIATION The program allows you to overwrite an asset’s depreciation. You may overwrite Reported Depreciation Expense and Reported Accumulated Depreciation for any Time Interval and for any Depreciation Book. To do this, follow these steps: 1. In the Asset Viewer, double-click the Reported Depreciation row in the column that represents the period of depreciation you intend to overwrite. The present view and the field you selected on the tab define the effective date of the overwrite. The Edit Accumulated Depreciation panel opens. izEditAccumulated epreciation.tif



2. The Edit Accumulated Depreciation panel allows you to overwrite Reported Depreciation Expense and/or Reported Ending Accumulated Depreciation. 3. Confirm book and time intervals. Remember, you are editing the Reported Values. Click Finish to save your changes to the Reported Values.

UNDERSTANDING NEGATIVE DEPRECIATION You may encounter a situation where an asset produces negative depreciation, even though the value of the cost is positive. Here are some possibilities to explore: ■

Revision Absorption works both ways. You may have over-depreciated an asset to the extent that the revision balance absorption in a single period more than offsets the otherwise allowable depreciation.

■

Some conventions cause depreciation already taken in a fiscal period to be backed out in the event of a disposition.

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EDITING BOOK DATA FOR MULTIPLE ASSETS The program allows you to change the entry in a field from one value to a different value for all assets selected in the Asset List. This is done with the Mass Data Change wizard. The wizard has two components, depending on the type of fields you are changing: ■

If you are changing fields that have no affect on depreciation calculation (fields such as Department, Depreciation Account Numbers, etc.), then you will use the Edit User Fields wizard.

■

If you are changing fields that affect depreciation (fields such as Placed In Service Date, Method, Rate, Convention, etc.), then you will use the Edit Critical Elements wizard.

Note: Making a multiple-asset change merely changes the values in the specified fields; it does not affect PickLists. If the original value that you replaced was in the field’s PickList, it will still appear on the PickList. And the replacement value, if it was not on the PickList, will still not appear on the PickList. To remove the replaced value and add the replacement value, you must edit the PickList. For more information, see “Editing a Field’s PickList” in Help. Note: You cannot change user fields and critical elements at the same time. If you need to change both types of fields for a group of assets, you will have to run the wizard twice.

EDITING USER FIELDS To change user fields: 1. In the Asset List, select all assets to be changed. ■

If you want to make this change for all active assets, click Query at the bottom of the Asset List, then select the All Active Assets query.

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If you want to make this change for a subset of the Asset List, you may want to create a Query that limits the assets in the Asset List to only those in which you want to make this change.

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Or, to manually select the fields you want, you can hold down the Shift or Ctrl keys as you click on the assets you want to change.

2. Click Edit at the bottom of the Asset List. The Mass Data Change wizard opens to the Warning panel. The program issues a warning that this operation is irreversible.

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This panel prompts you to ensure you have a backup of your company before proceeding. ■

If you haven’t made a backup of your company, click Cancel, close the company and backup your company.

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If you have already made a backup of your company, click Next. The Type of Change panel opens. wizMassDataChangeTypeOfCh ange.tif

3. Accept the default selection to change user fields and click Next to continue. The Changes panel opens.

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4. On this panel, define the changes to be made: a. In the Asset Field column, select the field that you want to edit from the PickList. b. In the From column, enter the value that you want to change, or choose the value from the PickList. c. In the To column, enter the replacement value, or choose it from the PickList. If the field is left blank, the field will be emptied. d. If you specify a Transfer field and you want to retain succeeding values for the field in periods after the Change Date, click to select the Retain check box. If you do not retain succeeding values, all values after the Change Date will reflect your entry in the To field. Note: You can select Use Wildcards when specifying the value that you want to replace. This allows the program to find the value that you want to change based on a partial specification. Click Next. The Change Date panel opens. wizMassDataChangeChang eDate.tif

5. Enter the date through which you want the reported values saved. Then, click Next. The program issues a second warning that indicates this is an irreversible operation and notes the number of fields that will be affected.

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::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 6. Click Next to proceed with the operation (or click Cancel to stop the operation and leave the company database unchanged). The Warning panel opens

wizMassDataChangeWarning 2.tif

7. Click Next. The Ready panel opens.

wizMassDataChangeReady.tif

8. Click Next to begin the mass data conversion (or click Cancel to stop the operation). The program will change the field with the old value to the replacement value for all selected assets. The Finish panel opens.

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The Finish panel shows the status of the mass data change and the location of the log. 9. To see detailed information about the mass data change, click View Log.

wizMassDataChange Log.tif

10. On the Finish panel, click Finish to close the Mass Data Change wizard and finalize all changes. For an example of mass data change, see “Mass Data Change Example” in Help.

EDITING CRITICAL ELEMENTS To change critical elements: 1. In the Asset List, select all assets to be changed.

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If you want to make this change for all active assets, click Query at the bottom of the Asset List, then select the All Active Assets query.

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If you want to make this change for a subset of the Asset List, you may want to create a Query that limits the assets in the Asset List to only those in which you want to make this change.

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Or, to manually select the fields you want, you can hold down the Shift or Ctrl keys as you click on the assets you want to change.

2. Click Edit at the bottom of the Asset List. The Mass Data Change wizard opens to the Warning panel. The program issues a warning that this operation is irreversible. wizMassDataChangeWarni ng.tif

This panel prompts you to ensure you have a backup of your company before proceeding. ■

If you haven’t made a backup of your company, click Cancel, close the company and backup your company.

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If you have already made a backup of your company, click Next. The Type of Change panel opens.

wizMassDataChangeTypeOfChange.tif

Click this option

3. Click Change Critical Elements and then click Next. The Books panel opens.

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4. Select the books to which you want the change applied. Tip: If you want different changes applied to different books, you must run the Mass Data Change wizard separately for each set of books. Click Next to continue. The Critical Element Changes panel opens.

5. Specify the critical element fields you want changed and the changes you want made to the data.

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The Critical Element column lists all the fields you can change that will affect depreciation calculations.

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The Filter column allows you to select a specific value for a critical element that you want to change. To enter a value in this column, you must first select the appropriate check box to the left of the Filter field for the critical element you want to change.

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The To column is where you enter the replacement value for the critical elements you have selected in the Filter column. To enter a value in this column, you must first select the appropriate check box to the left of the To field for the critical element you want to change.

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To keep the results of the Mass Data Change in an ASCII text log file, click to select Include Details in Log.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: After specifying the fields to be changed, click Next. The Additional Conditions panel opens.

6. By default, assets that have been disposed or transferred out are not included in the change. Use this panel to apply the mass data change to either or both of these types of assets. Click either or both options or leave them blank, as you prefer, and click Next. The Change Date panel opens.

Enter the date through which you want the reported values saved. Then, click Next. The program issues a second warning that indicates this is an irreversible operation and notes the number of fields that will be affected. 7. Click Next to proceed with the operation (or click Cancel to stop the operation and leave the company database unchanged). The Warning panel opens.

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8. Click Next. The Ready panel opens.

wizMassDataChangeReady.tif

9. Click Next to begin the mass data conversion (or click Cancel to stop the operation). The program will change the field with the old value to the replacement value for all selected assets. The Finish panel opens. wizMassDataChangeFinish.tif

The Finish panel shows the status of the mass data change and the location of the log.

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::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: To see detailed information about the mass data change, click View Log. 10. On the Finish panel, click Finish to close the Mass Data Change wizard and finalize all changes. For an example of mass data change, see “Mass Data Change Example” in Help.

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REVISING & RECASTING DATA OVERVIEW The Revision and Recast mechanisms are two of the most powerful and enabling tools in the program. Both have been designed to help manage data when you make changes to any of the components involved in calculating depreciation. Together, they share a common goal of allowing you the opportunity to save data on which you have already reported, in a system where every time period is open for changes.

REVISION AND RECAST WIZARDS The program uses wizards to help with data entry or other functions. Wizards consist of a series of panels, each of which pose a question asking you for information needed to complete a task.

REVISION WIZARDS Some wizards are triggered when you make a change that requires the program to make revisions to correct for the difference caused by that change. These are the Revision wizards: ■

Revise Company Calendar wizard

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Revise Book Settings wizard

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Revise Allocation Method wizard

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Revise Mid-Quarter Option wizard

RECAST WIZARDS Under certain circumstances, the necessary corrections will change several depreciation elements at once. These are the Recast wizards: ■

Recast Cost wizard

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Recast Asset Type wizard

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Recast Acquisition Date wizard

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Recast Federal Tax Book Data wizard

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Recast AMT Book to ACE Book wizard

MAKING REVISIONS When calculating depreciation expense for an asset, the program uses various “critical” depreciation elements to properly perform the calculation. For instance, the asset’s depreciable life and cost are two of over a dozen different depreciation elements that are available in the program for each asset, for each depreciation book, and for each independent time interval over the life of the asset. Beyond that, other data in the company and book settings have a direct impact on the resulting depreciation calculations. Examples include whether or not a short year exists, or whether any particular book chooses not to reduce the depreciable basis by the amount of energy credit taken. The program always calculates depreciation using the latest set of depreciation elements available. This data, however, may be different from the data set that was used to report depreciation in an earlier time period. Where a change has been made to one or more elements of the depreciation computation after you have begun reporting depreciation, the difference between what you actually reported and what you would have reported (given the latest depreciation element values) is the revision amount. Periodic revisions are maintained for each time period. An accumulated revisions balance is also maintained to reconcile calculated accumulated depreciation to reported accumulated depreciation. On the Depreciation Expense tab of the Asset Viewer, the program is careful to display both calculated and reported depreciation, and any periodic revisions required to balance the two, as shown below (as seen in the GAAP book over several years). On the Balance/Accumulated Depreciation tab of the Asset Viewer, the program displays both the accumulated calculated and accumulated reported depreciation through the end of each period, and any accumulated revisions balance required to balance the two, as shown below (as seen in the GAAP book over several years).

INFORMATION REQUIRED BY THE REVISIONS FUNCTION When a revision balance is created, there is one important piece of information that is needed so that the program can successfully execute the Revisions function: the Change Date. This is the date where changes to depreciation elements become effective for depreciation reporting purposes.

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::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: The program can often infer the change date from the data view where the change is made. If it cannot, the program will ask you to provide the change date explicitly. The program asks you to supply only the information it requires to complete the Revisions function. The program uses the Revision Treatment setting specified (on the Depreciation Expense tab of the Asset Viewer) for the book and the time interval being changed. The Revision Treatment is the treatment you want the program to apply to the revisions balance created. You may choose one of three revision treatments — Immediate, Prorate, or Never. The program takes care to allow you to “retain succeeding values,” that is, to keep the other depreciation element values that you have already changed for a period after the change date. (The program retains the succeeding values by copying the value from the succeeding period to the period being changed.) Each piece of information required by the revisions function and revision examples themselves follow below.

CHANGE DATE The change date is where changes to depreciation elements become effective for depreciation reporting purposes. All reported depreciation values prior to this date are retained to preserve reporting integrity. All calculated depreciation values are based on the latest set of depreciation element values. The calculation starts at the placed-in-service date. Differences between the reported values and the calculated values create the revisions balance as of the change date. Revision balances as of the beginning of the time interval that contains the change date are available to be absorbed within that time interval, according to the desired revision treatment. Revision balances as of the end of the time interval that contains the change date are available to be absorbed in subsequent periods, according to the desired Revision Treatment. Note that if the Asset Viewer shows depreciation on an annual basis, the change date in the Edit Book Data wizard will be the first day of the year. If the Asset Viewer shows data across monthly intervals, the change date will be effective as of the first day of the month selected. (An exception to this is a change to the Business Use Percentage, which is always effective the first day of the year.)

IMPLICIT CHANGE DATE An “implicit” change date is one that is inferred by the program based upon the view of the depreciation book data and the column from where you entered the change. An example of the implicit change date is detailed in Example 1: Changing an Asset’s Depreciable Life.

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::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: To edit one or more of an asset’s depreciation critical elements (such as life, cost, method) for a depreciation book, double-click the field in either the Balance/Accumulated Depreciation tab or the Depreciation Expense tab of the Asset Viewer. The particular view of the depreciation book data (monthly, quarterly, or yearly) and the column from where you entered the Edit Book Data wizard automatically determine the change date for those edits. When the Asset Viewer is presenting information in the single-book view, each column shows the same book for different time intervals. Depending on which tab you are viewing in the Asset Viewer, data may be edited by double-clicking on a particular field within a time interval. This time interval determines the change date of the edit. The change date is interpreted as the first day of the interval shown. When the Asset Viewer is presenting information in the all-books view, each column shows a different book for a common time interval. The time interval you select for the Asset Viewer determines the change date of the edits. The change date is interpreted as the first day of the interval shown. (Note that you can also choose a monthly or quarterly time interval.) An implicit change date is assigned when editing any of the following depreciation elements, for any depreciation book: ■

Property Type

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Life

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Rate

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Calculation Source

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Salvage Value

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Revision Treatment

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Accumulated Depreciation Expense

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Placed-in-Service Date

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Depreciation Method

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Depreciation Convention

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Cost

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Business Use %

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Periodic Depreciation Expense

EXPLICIT CHANGE DATE If you make a change to one of the depreciation critical elements that does not appear in either the Balance/Accumulated Depreciation tab or the Depreciation Expense tab of the Asset Viewer, the program has no context from which it can imply a change date; therefore, the program allows you to supply this information in a Revision wizard. 90

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: This is the case for changes made to any of the following: ■

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Company Calendar (Edit Company Properties): ■

Creation of a short year

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Deletion of a short year

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Change of a fiscal year

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Change in the Enterprise Zone (when Mid-Quarter Convention Testing is on)

Depreciation Policy (Edit Book Properties) for a depreciation book: ■

Change status of Apply Federal Credit Basis Reduction Rules

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Change election of MACRS Mid-Quarter Short Year Calculation Rule

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Change in the Application of the Mid-Quarter Policy

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Change in how Gains and Losses from dispositions are determined using the reported or calculated depreciation

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Asset data (Asset tab of the Asset Viewer) when data Recasting is elected

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Change in Asset Type

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Change in Acquisition Date

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Change in Acquisition Cost

Note: When importing data from another fixed assets program, (such as FAS1000 and FAS2000) the appropriate change date is automatically determined as the date through which the source company calculations are current. This change date is automatically applied to the data when it is imported into the program. Where the change date cannot be implied, the program opens a revision wizard panel similar to the following: Be sure to enter a change date that is after the date through which you want the data saved. If you want reported depreciation calculated through 11/30/2005 saved, then enter 12/01/2005. If you enter 11/30/2005, the program saves the reported depreciation calculated through 10/31/2005, and recalculates reported depreciation for November.

REVISION TREATMENTS The program allows you to control how revision balances are to be handled. On the Depreciation Expense tab of the Asset Viewer you may choose one of three revision “treatments” to apply to the Accumulated Revisions Balance for any time interval of each book for each asset: ■

Immediate — Absorbs the accumulated revisions balance immediately. The result is that recomputed calculated depreciation for subsequent periods will agree with the reported depreciation amounts.

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Prorate — Absorbs the accumulated revisions ratably over the remainder of the asset’s life. The result is that recomputed calculated depreciation in subsequent periods will continue to differ (to a lesser and lesser amount) as the Accumulated Revisions Balance is absorbed into the reported depreciation amounts. At the end 91

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: of the asset’s life, the Accumulated Revisions Balance (on the Balance/Accumulated Depreciation tab) will be zero and the total calculated and reported accumulated depreciation amounts will agree. ■

Never — Ignores the Accumulated Revisions Balance and uses the recomputed calculated depreciation as the reported depreciation without making any further revisions to correct. The Reported Accumulated Depreciation will never equal the Calculated Accumulated Depreciation — the difference is equal to the Accumulated Revisions Balance. At the end of the asset’s life, the Accumulated Revisions Balance (on the Balance/Accumulated Depreciation tab) will equal the original Net Revisions amount, which is also the amount by which the asset is underdepreciated.

The program will not allow an asset to be over-depreciated. If the program determines that, at the end of an asset’s life, an asset would be over-depreciated, the program absorbs the excess calculated depreciation over the asset’s remaining life (once the asset is fully depreciated) using the reported depreciation. The program applies the Revision Treatment specified on the Depreciation Expense tab for the book and time interval being changed.

RECASTING DATA When you make changes to certain data elements for an asset, it is likely that you wish to have those changes reflected elsewhere in an asset’s data. Consider a scenario where you edit an asset’s Acquisition Date (located on the Asset tab of the Asset Viewer). You may have a situation where you want the Purchase Date to differ from the Placed-in-Service Date of the asset in each of the depreciation books. In all likelihood, however, you are making a change to correct a mistake. The program makes every effort to accommodate your change in data and minimize the extent to which you need to manually adjust entries in the various depreciation books. The program uses the Recast mechanism to accomplish this goal. The Recast mechanism has the potential to cause several depreciation elements to change at once. As a result, the Revisions system is triggered.

OPPORTUNITIES TO RECAST The opportunity to recast depreciation information is presented in any situation where other values could potentially be improved by new information. This is the case for changes that you make to any of the following: ■

Changes to any critical depreciation element, listed below, of any Tax parent book, or changes to any of the critical depreciation elements (listed below) of the Tax – AMT child book when there is an active ACE depreciation book: ■

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Cost

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■

■

■

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Property Type

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Placed-in-Service Date

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Life

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Depreciation Method

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Rate

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Depreciation Convention

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Calculation Source

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Section 179 Expense

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Credit Basis Reduction

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Salvage Value

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Reported Business Percent Use

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Actual Business Percent Use

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Revision Treatment

Changes to any asset data field (Asset tab of the Asset Viewer) listed below: ■

Acquisition Date

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Acquisition Cost

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Asset Type

Changes to Book Depreciation Policy (tab of Edit Book Properties dialog): ■

Application of Federal Credit Reduction Rules

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MQ Apply

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MACRS Calculation

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Gains and Losses determinations

Changes to Company Calendar (tab of Edit Company Properties dialog) ■

Enterprise Zone (when Mid-Quarter Convention Testing is turned on)

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Creation or deletion of a short year

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Change in a fiscal year

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REPORTS The program allows you to access a variety of predefined reports, create your own custom reports, and prepare IRS forms.

THE REPORT LIST To open the Report List, click Report on tool bar. ReportList.tif

In separate panes, this list displays the report types, and the names and descriptions of the predefined reports for each report type. The pane at the bottom of the Report List shows a preview of the selected report. Several predefined reports have been designed to provide a comprehensive view of significant aspects of the assets in a company. They also allow customization of a variety of report attributes and benefit from book level settings to automatically configure reports on an ongoing basis. (For information on the various report types, see “Reports” in Help.) To display the reports associated with a report type, click the report type in the left pane. Note: To review or modify the settings for a report, open the Edit Report Properties dialog by double-clicking the report name. Or select the report, then click Edit. To preview the report on-screen, click Print, then select Print Report to Window. There are three general categories of reports, indicated by the icon next to the report name: ■

Predefined and Modified Reports 95

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New, Duplicated, Custom, and My Reports

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Report Batches

CREATING A NEW REPORT You can create a new report based on the original properties and settings of a predefined report to the Report List of a company database or template. You can then change the properties and settings of the report to suit the company’s needs. For details on changing report properties, see “Editing a Report” on page 97. Similarly, you can also duplicate a report and then change the report’s properties to suit the company’s needs. See “Duplicating a Report” in Help. To add a new report based on a predefined report: 1. With the focus on a report or a report family, click New Report on the Report menu. (Alternatively, click New at the bottom of the Report List or press Ctrl+A.) Tip: When the focus is on the Report Batch family or a report batch, this command allows you to add a new report batch to the Report List. You can subsequently change the properties and settings on the Edit Report Batch Properties dialog to make a unique batch of reports that suits the company's needs. The New Report dialog opens.

2. Select the base type of the new report. Click OK. 3. The Edit Report Properties dialog opens to the General tab. 4. Change the Report Name and enter a Description. These items are displayed on the Report List. 5. Modify the report defaults on the various tabs. (For details, see “Editing a Report” on page 97.) 6. Click OK when you’re done, or Cancel to leave the dialog without accepting any changes.

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EDITING A REPORT The Edit Report command allows you to examine the current settings for a report through the Edit Report Properties dialog or for a report batch through the Edit Report Batch Properties dialog.

HOW TO EDIT A REPORT To edit a report: 1. On the tool bar, click Report. The Report List opens. 2. In the left pane of the Report List, select the appropriate Report Group. The list of available reports in that group appears in the right pane. 3. Select the report to be edited. 4. Do one of the following: ■

Double-click the Name of the report.

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Click Edit.

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On the Report menu, click Edit Report.

The Edit Report Properties dialog opens with the selected report’s current settings. 5. Select a tab to review the properties for general information, display, query, grouping, header, and (if appropriate) books, custom properties, reports and batches, asset type, or audit trail query. Make any changes that you want before printing the report. (For details on the various tabs on the Edit Report Properties dialog, see “Overview of the Edit Report Properties Dialog”, below.) 6. Click OK when you’re done, or Cancel to leave the dialog without accepting any changes.

OVERVIEW OF THE EDIT REPORT PROPERTIES DIALOG On the Edit Report Properties dialog, you can do the following for a single report: ■

Review settings

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Enter additional settings

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Change existing settings

Note: The tabs displayed on the Edit Report Properties dialog may vary depending on the report that is selected. Not all tabs are available for all reports.

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This tab displays high-level attributes of the report. The General tab allows you to: ■

Override the Report Description for easier identification.

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Select any depreciation book as the book to be used for this report.

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Set the report’s focus period, which allows you to identify the span of time included in the report. Tip: The Set Periods button on the Report List allows you to establish the current reporting month for all depreciation books in a single location.

THE DISPLAY TAB dEditReportPropertiesDisplayTab.tif

You can control a report’s appearance using the Display tab. This tab allows you to:

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Override the default report title and add a subtitle.

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Adopt the current reporting policies for the selected book.

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Override the report settings and control the detail level of the report (if you do not adopt book reporting policies).

THE HEADER TAB dEditReportPropertiesHeaderTab.tif

The Header tab lets you control the header information that appears at the top of the report. The selections on this tab allow you to: ■

Specify whether a field will be included in the centered headers.

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Designate whether the line will print on all report pages or on page 1 only.

THE QUERY TAB dEditReportPropertiesQueryTab.tif

The Query tab allows you to run a report that contains only those assets that meet specific criteria. Select from the list the query that has the criteria you want to use to include assets in the report and click OK. The report does not include those assets you excluded.

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::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: THE GROUPING TAB dEditReportPropertiesGroupingTab.tif

The Grouping tab establishes the hierarchy of grouping used by the report. Assets listed in each Grouping Level of the report are presented by Asset ID in ascending order. Indicate which asset field you want to appear at each level in the report.

THE CUSTOM TAB dEditReportPropertiesCustomTab.tif

Use the Custom tab to specify additional asset fields to be included on a report. This feature is available on only a few reports. For each of the available fields, select the desired field from the drop-down list box.

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CREATING A CUSTOM REPORT WITH REPORT WRITER Note: Report Writer is no longer supported. This section is included only for users with legacy program versions. The built-in reports cover the most common reporting needs for most users. When you have reporting needs that are not covered, you can create custom report templates from scratch by using the program’s optional feature — the BNA Fixed Assets Report Writer. If you have the optional Report Writer, then the Report List will show Custom Reports along with the other report types. Also, shortcut commands to the Report Writer appear on the both the Report and Tools menus. In many cases, you may need to just add a field or two to one of the built-in reports. This is easy to do by basing a custom report on one of the built-in reports. To create a new custom report: 1. On the tool bar, click Report. The Report List opens. 2. Do one of the following: ■

Click New.

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On the Report menu, select New Report.

The New Report dialog opens. 3. Select Custom Report Using Report Writer as the base type of the new report. Click OK. The Custom Report wizard opens to the Welcome panel.

4. Click Next. The Name panel opens. 5. Enter a name and description for the custom report and then click Next. The Select Template panel opens.

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If you are creating a template from scratch, accept the default template of “None” and click Next to continue. The Page Setup panel opens.

■

If you are creating a template based on one of the built-in reports, select the desired template from the drop-down list. Then click Finish. The Report Writer opens in a new window. The remaining wizard panels are not applicable.

7. Set the page orientation and the default fonts for the template and then click Next. The Header panel opens. 8. Set the title and other header information and then click Next. The Select Fields panel opens. 9. Select up to 10 fields to appear in the columns of the report and set the order in which they will appear. Then click Next. The Select Grouping Fields panel opens. 10. Select up to 5 fields for grouping the report and to set the order in which they will group. Then click Next. The Grouping Options panel opens. 11. Set the grouping options for each of the grouping fields and then click Next. The Ready panel opens. 12. If you want to change any of your settings, click Back to return to any of the previous panels. Otherwise, click Finish to create the custom report template and open the Report Writer in a new window. For details on using the Report Writer, press F1 while in the Report Writer window.

CREATING A REPORT WITH REPORT MAKER The built-in reports cover the most common reporting needs for most users. When you have reporting needs that are not covered, the Report Maker lets you create custom report templates from scratch. The Report Maker allows you to include many BNA Fixed Assets fields in a report. Note: If you need the flexibility of creating your own fields by using formulas, you can use the optional Report Writer. The My Reports family allows you to create a unique report that contains as few or as many fields as you want. The tool you use for this is the built-in Report Maker. To create a new report with the Report Maker: 1. On the tool bar, click Report. The Report List opens. 2. Do one of the following:

102

■

Click New.

■

On the Report menu, click New Report.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: The New Report dialog opens. 3. Click to select Report Using Report Maker as the base type of the new report. Click OK. The General tab of the Edit Report Properties dialog opens. 4. Change the Report Name and enter a Description. These items are displayed on the Report List. 5. Click Report Maker. The Report Maker opens. 6. Customize the report as described here. 7. Modify the report defaults on the various tabs. 8. Click OK when you’re done, or Cancel to leave the dialog without accepting any changes.

DELETING A REPORT To delete a report, follow these steps: 1. Highlight the report you want to delete. 2. Select Delete Report from the Report menu, or click Delete at the bottom of the Report List.

PRINTING A REPORT The program allows you to print reports: to a printer or other output device; to your screen, monitor, or CRT; or to a file with a format, path, and file name you specify. To print a report, follow these steps: 1. Select Print Report from the Report menu or click Print at the bottom of the Report List. 2. Identify your desired report destination (window, printer, or file), then click Continue. ■

If you specify a printer, the program displays a panel to inform you of the progress of your print job.

■

If you indicate that you want the program to send your report to the window, a report window opens and displays your report. For multi-section reports, more than one report section may be displayed, one behind the other.

■

A tab is displayed at the bottom of the report window for each section of the report. The report window contains navigational tools to help you move through the report.

■

You can also export the report to a file or send the report to the printer. If you choose to print the report to a file, the program requires a path and file name and allows you to specify the output format. 103

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PRINTING SEVERAL REPORTS AT ONCE Batch Printing allows you to create a batch of reports that can be printed as a group to a printer, to a text file, or to screen using a single print command. The program uses the Report properties that are in effect for each report at print time (not at selection) when printing the batch. 1. On the tool bar, click Report. The Report List opens. 2. In the left pane of the Report List, click Report Batches. The list of available report batches appears in the right pane. 3. Select the report batch to be printed. Tip: You may want to edit the properties of the various reports in the batch before printing. 4. Do one of the following: ■

Click Print.

■

On the Report menu, click Print Report.

The Select Print Destination dialog opens. 5. Select one of the following print options: ■

Print Report to Window — Lets you view the reports in the batch on the screen and acts as a print preview by displaying the reports as they will appear when printed.

■

Print Report to Printer — Sends the reports in the batch to the printer.

■

Print Report to File — Sends the reports in the batch to an ASCII text file.

The program uses the file name that you specify in the Print Report to File dialog as the first part of the name of the various text files that it is creating. The second part of the name is supplied by the name of the report being printed. If you do not specify a drive and path when specifying the file name, the program prints the ASCII files to the \co_data folder. Tip: If you change the settings for the reports after you set up a batch, the program uses the report settings that are in effect for each report at print time.

PREPARING IRS FORM 4562 FOR DIFFERENT SCHEDULES By default, when you request a fileable IRS Form 4562 the program prepares one 4562 for all assets. To prepare different Form 4562 reports to be attached to different schedules (for example, cost of goods sold, farm, etc.) on a corporate return:

104

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 1. Add a new asset field to identify the schedule to which each 4562 will be attached. 2. Edit the assets to specify the schedule to which it will be attached. 3. Create a query for each schedule for which you want a Form 4562 prepared. 4. Select the query on the Query tab of the Edit Report Properties dialog for each schedule before printing Form 4562 for the schedule.

FIXED ASSETS DATAVIEW New Fixed Assets DataView for Excel is available as an add-on module. Fixed Assets DataView is an Excel plug-in that enables the user to create a data pull of their assets directly into Excel for reporting and analysis. The user is able to select the exact asset fields they need, and leverage Excel to quickly create custom reports, which they can update as often as needed.

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THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK

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IMPORTING DATA BNA Fixed Assets comes with an Import wizard that facilitates the process of importing asset data. This lesson identifies the programs from which you can import asset data, presents an overview of the import process, and explains the basic steps involved in importing data to BNA Fixed Assets. For more detailed instructions, see the program’s Help. The program currently supports importing from the following fixed asset programs: ■

CLR Depreciation DOS (Prentice Hall)

■

CLR Fixed Asset Management & Accounting System (E. F. Haskell)

■

CSI Depreciation Solution for Windows and Solution II

■

BNA Asset Inventory Export files

■

Sage Software (formerly Best Software) Fixed Asset Software (FAS®) solutions – You must export the asset data from the original program to a CSV (Comma Separated Value) file prior to importing the data to BNA Fixed Assets.

BNA Fixed Assets also allows you to import asset data from spreadsheet programs, such as Microsoft Excel. You must save the file in CSV (Comma Separated Value) format prior to importing the data to BNA Fixed Assets.

OVERVIEW OF THE IMPORT PROCESS The import process involves these tasks: 1. Backing Up the Original File 2. Gathering the Necessary Data 3. Setting Up the Destination Company 4. Exporting Data from the Original File 5. Modifying the Source File 6. Importing to BNA Fixed Assets 7. Verifying the Imported Data

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BACKING UP THE ORIGINAL FILE Before you actually import asset data, you most likely need to make a few adjustments to the original file. Therefore, the first thing you should do is back up the original file in the original program. Refer to the instructions in your original program to perform this task.

GATHERING THE NECESSARY DATA Early in any Import process, you will gather some basic information about the company, depreciation books, asset types and fields in order to create a destination company file in the program. You will also need to gather information on the assets you will be importing such as the asset type, asset id, cost, placed in service date and asset fields such as description, location, and department.

SETTING UP THE DESTINATION COMPANY Before adding assets to the company, you should review, and edit as necessary, the company properties, depreciation book policies, asset types, asset fields, filters and reports.

COMPANY INFORMATION Gather the required company information, including the company name as it should appear on reports, company acronym, prefix for Asset ID numbers, the date the company started doing business, the beginning and ending dates for all short years, and the years the company qualified as an Enterprise Zone business under §1397B.

DEPRECIATION BOOK INFORMATION When you create a new company with the standard template, the program creates the following depreciation books: ■

GAAP

■

Federal Tax

■

Federal Tax – ACE

■

Federal Tax – AMT

■

Federal Tax – E&P

If your company does not need all the standard books, you may delete the AMT, ACE, or E&P books. 108

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ■

Be sure that the BNA Fixed Assets depreciation policies conform to those of your company.

■

If your company requires extra books, determine which books are required and their depreciation policies.

■

For each book, decide whether the import should build new depreciation information or import existing information.

ASSET TYPE INFORMATION The Import process allows you to map Asset Types to each asset. Before you begin importing, review the properties for each Asset Type. To map Asset Types during your import, you must identify the field that you want to designate as the equivalent of the BNA Fixed Assets Asset Type, as well as map the values of this source field to an Asset Type in the Import Source Data. If you need specific Asset Types that are not available in the destination company, you can add additional Asset Types.

ASSET FIELD INFORMATION The import process allows you to map Asset Fields to each asset. Before you begin importing, review the raw data and ensure there is an asset field created in the company file to capture the field data during import. Determine the Asset Field Names, Asset Field Type, Asset Field Description, and whether the field will be included in the Add Asset wizard, or if it will have a Default Value.

EXPORTING DATA FROM THE ORIGINAL FILE The specific steps involved in this task depend upon which original program you will be exporting from. Refer to the original program’s Help for instructions on how to export the asset data. After exporting the asset data from the original program, you will have an export file. This export file, referred to as the source file, contains the exported asset data.

MODIFYING THE SOURCE FILE The source file is a comma separated value (CSV) or XML file that is created by exporting the asset data from the original program. Also referred to as the export file, it contains the data (exported from the original program) to be imported to the destination company.

109

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: This is a good time to check the accuracy of the data in the source file and modify it, as necessary, prior to importing to BNA Fixed Assets. You can add new assets, as well as split, transfer, dispose, and edit assets in the source file.

SOURCE FILE CONVENTIONS When modifying CSV source files, you must match the spelling of most asset field names and follow the conventions given for asset data specified in this section. Failure to follow these conventions may cause the assets not to be imported. For other types of imports, the information reached through the links below serves as a reference.

FIELD DEFINITIONS AND REQUIRED SYNTAX (IMPORT UTILITY) This section serves as a guide for preparing CSV text files for import according to what the program accepts for import in terms of data type formats and asset field codes.

ASSET DATA FIELDS The following fields are used only at the asset level. They are not applied directly to book data, though some of them are used as default values for book data if no book-level field is defined. With the exception of PisDate (Placed-In-Service Date), none of these fields should be used with a book name prefix. Any such field will be ignored. If you do not supply data for a field, the program will frequently use a default. Note: For certain asset-level fields you are not required to match exactly the spelling of the name in the CSV source file (as indicated on the following table). However, for the program to automatically match the source field to the equivalent asset-level field, the spelling (but not the use of case or spaces) must be the same as the field names in this program. For example, the program would automatically map “ASSETtype” or “assettype” to “AssetType”.

110

Character Limit

Asset Field Name

Type

Description of Field

AssetID a

Text

The asset’s identification number. If an asset already exists with this ID in the destination company, the Import utility will not import the asset. If this field is blank or not defined, the Import utility assigns the asset an ID number using the destination company’s ID numbering defaults. (Required field when Action = Modify, TransferOut, or Dispose)

14

AssetType *

Text

The name of the asset type to be used. The asset is created using this HYPERLINK “refImportAssetTypes.htm” asset type before applying other book data fields. If this field is not defined, the Import utility assigns the default asset type “Unspecified Personal (or Real) Property” (and its associated depreciation values) to the assets. If both the asset type and the Property Type are absent from the CSV source file, the Import utility automatically assigns the asset type “Unspecified Personal Property”. (Required field except for BNA Construction in Progress Files)

30

InActive

Text

Asset Status. If this field is defined, the asset is made inactive. The value of the field does not matter, only that it is not empty.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Asset Field Name

Type

Description of Field

Character Limit

Description

Text

The assets description.

100

PurchasePrice

Currency

Purchase price of the asset. If no asset-level Cost is specified, this field is used as the default Cost. If no PurchasePrice is specified, Cost is the default PurchasePrice. Either this field or Cost must be defined when Action = Purchase, blank, or TransferIn. If neither is defined, $0.00 is assumed.

AcqDate

Date

Acquisition date. If no asset-level PisDate is specified, this field is used as the initial PisDate when the asset is created. Either this field or the asset-level PisDate must be defined when Action = Purchase, blank, or TransferIn. If neither is defined, the Import utility will not import the asset. See Data Type Specifications for accepted date formats. You must enter either dashes (-) or slashes (/) when entering the date. (Required field for BNA Construction in Progress Files)

PisDate

Date

Placed-in-Service Date. When specified at the asset level, this is the default PisDate. If no AcqDate is specified (see above), this is also the Acquisition date. Either this field or AcqDate must be defined when Action = Purchase, blank, or TransferIn. If neither is defined, the program will not import the asset. See Data Type Specifications for accepted date formats.

Text

Asset class.

30 30

Class * *

Text

The cost center to which the asset belongs.

Location *

Text

The location at which the asset resides.

30

Department *

Text

The department to which the asset belongs.

30

Custodian *

Text

The name of the custodian in charge of the asset.

30

TagId *

Text

Tag ID number.

30

Manufacturer

*

Text

The person or company that made the asset.

30

SerialNumber

*

Text

The asset's serial number.

30

ModelNumber *

Text

The model number of the asset.

30

Vendor *

Text

The vendor of the asset.

CostCenter

*

Text

The asset general ledger account number.

30

AccumDeprGLAcct *

Text

The accumulated depreciation general ledger account number.

30

DeprExpGLAcct *

Text

The depreciation expense general ledger account number.

30

Description2 *

Text

Same as Description.

30

Description3 *

Text

Same as Description.

30

Currency

The replacement value of the asset.

9,999,999,999.99

Text

Comment or asset note.

230

AssetGLAcct

ReplacementValue AssetNote

*

CashPaid

Currency

Cash paid for exchange. (Boot paid)

LikeKindProceeds

Currency

Non-cash like-kind proceeds from like-kind exchange.

NonCashPaid

Currency

Non-cash payments for like-kind exchange.

RfsDate

Date

Removed-from-service date. This is the date of asset disposal. If this field is defined, the asset is disposed. If not, then the asset is not disposed and the program ignores other disposal fields. See Data Type Specifications for accepted date formats. (Required field when Action = Dispose)

ExchAssetID

Text

ID number of the exchanged asset.

ExchAssetDesc

Text

Description of the exchanged asset.

DisposalType

Enum (Code)

Disposal type. See DisposalType code definition.

CashReceived

Currency

Cash received from sale or exchange. (Boot received)

111

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Asset Field Name

Type

Description of Field

DisposalExpense

Currency

Disposal expenses/expenses of sale.

NonLikeKindProceeds

Currency

Non-cash non-like-kind proceeds from exchange.

Character Limit

Asset Data Fields Special Fields for Non-Purchase Actions

112

Action

Text

Instructs the program on how to handle the asset. Valid values are: Purchase, Modify, ModifyCriticalElements, ModifyDepr, Dispose, and blank (assumes Purchase).

EffectiveDate

Date

The effective Transfer Date for Internal transfers. Defaults to the first day of the month specified. If this field is not defined when the Action field contains Modify, the program uses the Acquisition Date. See Data Type Specifications for accepted date formats. (Optional field when Action = Modify)

Field Name

Text

Name of the field to be changed. Must match an Asset Field Name as defined in this table. Cannot contain AssetNote or Description. (Required field when Action = Modify)

Field Value

Text

New value for the field being changed (identified in Field Name). If this field is not defined when the Action field contains Modify, the program sets the field value for the identified asset to blank. (Required field when Action = Modify)

Retain

Text

Retain succeeding values code. The program retains succeeding values for the Field Name field in periods after the Effective Date when set to “1.” The program overwrites succeeding values when set to “0” or blank. (Optional field when Action = Modify)

TransferIn Date

Date

Transfer-in date. The first day of the month in which the asset resides in the transferee company (i.e., the Transfer Date). Applies to external company transfers only. Must be on or after the Acquisition Date. See Data Type Specifications for accepted date formats. (Required field when Action = TransferIn)

Transfer From Company

Text

Name of the Transferor company. Optional field when Action = TransferIn)

Transfer AssetID

Text

Asset ID in the original transferor company. (Optional field when Action = TransferIn)

TransferOut Date

Date

Transfer-out date. The last day of the month that precedes the TransferIn Date. See Data Type Specifications for accepted date formats. (Required field when Action = TransferOut)

Transfer To Company

Text

Name of the company receiving the transferred asset. (Optional field when Action = TransferOut)

DisposalCost

Currency

Cost of the portion of the asset that was disposed. Used for partial dispositions. Limited to not more than Cost. Defines the scheme used to set Asset ID numbers for the assets involved in the partial disposition. Up to 999 partial dispositions/splits allowed using this scheme. (Optional field when Action = Dispose) Changes the Asset ID of the original asset being disposed (identified in the AssetID field), appending *00x. For more information, see Remaining Active Asset Retains the Original Asset ID in the program Help.

100

100

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Asset Field Name

Type

Description of Field

PartialDisposalCost

Currency

Cost of the portion of the asset that was disposed. Used for partial dispositions. Limited to not more than Cost. Defines the scheme used to set Asset ID numbers for the assets involved in the partial disposition. Up to three partial dispositions/splits allowed using this scheme. Optional field when Action = Dispose) Retains the Asset ID of the original asset being disposed. For more information, see Remaining Active Asset Retains the Original Asset ID in the program Help.

Character Limit

Asset Data Fields – Required Fields for Construction in Progress ProjectID

Text

The unique ID number for a Construction in Progress project. The ProjectID value must exist in the target company. (Required field for Construction in Progress Files)

35

ContractNo

Text

The unique ID number for a Construction in Progress. The Contract ID value must exist in the target company. (Required field for Construction in Progress Files)

35

Status

Enum

The status of a transaction line. The only valid values are “Pending” and “Complete”. (Required field for Construction in Progress Files)

Treatment

Enum

The treatment of a transaction line. The only valid values are “Expensed” and “Capitalized”. (Required field for Construction in Progress Files)

ActualCost

Currency

The Total Actual Cost for a transaction line item.

BudgetCost

Currency

The Budgeted Cost for a transaction line items.

a If this field name was changed in the destination file, the Import utility cannot automatically map the field in the CSV file to the renamed field in the destination file.

BOOK DATA FIELDS The following fields are book-level fields. They contain book data and can be used with book name prefixes — for example, GAAP.PropType and FederalTax.PropType — to allow you to specify different values for each book. All book-level fields may be used without a book name as an asset-level field, in which case they apply to all books that do not have another value set for that field using a specific book name. If you do not supply data for a field, the program will use a default. Note: The field names for Book Data must be spelled exactly as shown below to be properly imported. Book Field Name

Type

Description of Field

PropType

Enum (Code)

Property type. See PropType code definition.

PisDate

Date

The date the asset was placed in service. See PisDate. See Data Type Specifications for accepted date formats.

Life

Life

The number of years over which the asset will be depreciated.

Method

Enum (Code)

Depreciation method. See Method code definition.

113

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114

Book Field Name

Type

Description of Field

Rate

Percent

Depreciation rate. Valid values are 100%, 125%, 150%, 175%, or 200%. If Method is specified, but not the rate, the program will default the rate to an appropriate value. See Data Type Specifications for accepted rate formats.

Cost

Currency

Cost. The asset’s unadjusted basis. When specified at the asset level, this is the default Cost. If no PurchasePrice is specified, this is also the Purchase Price. Either this field or PurchasePrice must be defined when Action = Purchase, blank, or TransferIn. If neither is defined, $0.00 is assumed. See Data Type Specifications for accepted cost formats.

CalcSource

Enum (Code)

Calculation Source. See CalcSource code definition.

Convention

Enum (Code)

Averaging convention. See Convention code definition.

SalvageValue

Currency

The amount estimated to be realized upon the sale or other disposition of the asset.

BusUse

Percent

The percentage of time during the year the asset was used by the company solely to produce income. This value is applied as of the PisDate.

S179

Currency

Section 179 expense.

S179A

Currency

Section 179A expense.

RegITC

Currency

Regular ITC credit amount.

RegITCType

Enum (Code)

Regular ITC Type. See RegITCType code definition.

RegITCBasisRed

Currency

Regular ITC Basis Reduction amount.

EnergyITC

Currency

Energy ITC credit amount.

EnergyITCType

Enum (Code)

Energy ITC Type. See EnergyITCType code definition.

EnergyITCBasisRed

Currency

Energy ITC Basis Reduction amount.

RehabITC

Currency

Rehabilitation ITC credit amount.

RehabITCType

Enum (Code)

Rehabilitation ITC Type. See RehabITCType code definition.

RehabITCBasisRed

Currency

Rehabilitation ITC Basis Reduction amount.

VehiclesITCType

Enum (Code)

Vehicle ITC Type. See VehiclesITCType code definition

VehiclesITC

Currency

Vehicle ITC credit amount.

VehiclesITCBasisRed

Currency

Vehicle ITC Basis Reduction amount.

AccumDepr

Currency

Life-to-date depreciation begins from the asset’s PisDate and ends on the AccumDeprDate. This date must be through the end of the month. If there is a value in this field, to correctly import without a revision, there must also be a value in fields AccumDeprDate and Depr. The reported depreciation may create a revision in the month of the AccumDeprDate (and possibly in the last month of the year preceding the year of import) so that the Accumulated Depreciation (in the company file) as of that date is equal to this amount.

RecognizedGainLoss

Currency

Recognized gain (loss) amount. This value is only used if the asset is disposed.

AccumDeprDate

Date

Date through which AccumDepr and Depr is calculated. This date must be at the end of the month. If there is a value in this field, to correctly import a purchased asset without a revision, there must also be a value in fields AccumDepr and Depr. See Data Type Specifications for accepted date formats. Required if you enter values for AccumDepr or Depr.

Depr

Currency

Current year portion of the total accumulated depreciation through the AccumDeprDate. If there is a value in this field, to correctly import a purchased asset without a revision, there must also be a value in fields AccumDepr and AccumDeprDate. The reported depreciation may create a revision in the month of the AccumDeprDate (and possibly in the last month of the year preceding the year of import) so that the Depreciation Expense (in the company file) as of that date is equal to this amount.

AddFYDepr

Currency

The additional first-year depreciation amount.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Book Field Name

Type

Description of Field

QualAddFYDepr

Enum

Indicates whether the Asset is qualified for Additional First-Year Depreciation. Valid entries are 1 or 0 (one or zero): 1 = Qualified for Additional First-Year Depreciation. 0 = Not qualified for Additional First-Year Depreciation.

Book Data Fields — Special Fields for Non-Purchase Actions Transfer Total Accum Depr

Currency

Total accumulated depreciation from the PisDate through the TransferOut Date. Carries to the View Transfer In Information dialog, Trans Accum Depr field; and to the Depreciation Expense tab, Prior Years’ Reported Depr and Prior Years’ Calc Depr fields. (Required field when Action = TransferIn)

Remaining Annual Depr

Currency

Depreciation from the TransferIn Date to the end of the transfer year. The amount of depreciation remaining to be taken in the transfer year. Carries to the View Transfer In Information dialog, Remaining Annual Depr field; and to the Depreciation Expense tab, Reported Depreciation field. (Required field when Action = TransferIn)

YTD Transfer Depr

Currency

Depreciation taken in the transferor company from the beginning of the transfer year through the TransferOut Date. Carries to the View Transfer In Information dialog, YTD Depr field. (Required field when Action = TransferIn)

Remaining Life Months

Text

The remaining life in months, from the TransferOut Date to the end of the asset’s life. Carries to the View Transfer In Information dialog. Required field when Action = TransferIn)

STANDARD BOOK NAMES The following are the names of the standard books. Book names are used as prefixes to book-level fields in the CSV source file’s asset field headings to identify a column’s data as belonging to a specific book. The program automatically matches the books in the source file to the books in the destination company if the book names in the CSV source file’s asset field headings exactly match the spelling in the destination company’s Book List. If you set up custom books for your company and want to import book depreciation data for those books, the spelling must match exactly for the program to automatically map the books correctly. The program also tries to perform a reasonable match between books with dissimilar names. For example, it will match books in a CSV source file with the names “Federal” or “Tax” with the Federal Tax book. The program allows you to map a book in the source file to a book in the destination company using the Map Books panel. All of the book-level fields may be used without a book name as an asset-level field, in which case they apply to all books that do not have another value set for that field using a specific book name. Book Name Prefix

Book Description

GAAP

GAAP. Used for accounting for reporting depreciation under the rules of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.

FederalTax

Federal Tax. Used for accounting for reporting depreciation using Federal tax rules under IRC 167 and 168.

115

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Book Name Prefix

Book Description

FederalTax-AMT

AMT. Used for accounting for reporting depreciation using alternative minimum tax rules under IRC 56 and 57.

FederalTax-ACE

ACE. Used for accounting for reporting depreciation using Federal tax rules under IRC 56(g).

FederalTax-E&P

E&P. Used for accounting for reporting depreciation using Federal tax rules under IRC 312(k).

DATA TYPE SPECIFICATIONS CURRENCY Currency value is a number with an optional leading $, embedded commas, and 0 to 2 digits after an optional decimal point (for example, $1,234,576.89). Commas and dollar signs are optional. DATE Two-digit years between 00 and 29, inclusive, are interpreted as 21st century values; two-digit years between 30 and 99, inclusive, are interpreted as 20th century values. You must enter dashes or forward slashes when entering all dates. (Dashes are converted to forward slashes in BNA Fixed Assets Web.) The following are valid date entries for March 7, 2008: 3/7/08

3/7/2008

03/07/08

03/07/2008

3-7-08

03-07-08

7-Mar-08

07-Mar-08

Mar-7-08

Mar-07-08

March-7-08

March-07-2008

ENUMERATED (ENUM) Enum fields are text fields that may only be set to a limited set of character codes. The lists of valid character codes for each enum type are listed under Code Definitions. Enum fields are not case sensitive. LIFE A Life is a number in years (for example, 5, 27.5, 10). PERCENT A number expressed as a percent. Any number that is greater than 1.0 or followed by a percent sign is divided by 100 (for example, 85 is 0.85 or 85%; 0.25 is 0.25 or 25%; 1.0 is 1.0 or 100%). Thus, valid entries for 85% are 85, 85%, and 0.85. TEXT Any text string is allowed. If the string contains a comma, the entire string must be enclosed in double quotes. For example,

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::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: “The warranty on this computer expires on Tuesday, 6/30/2009.” Embedded double quotes must be preceded by a backslash. For example, “The \”extended\” warranty on this computer expires on Tuesday, 6/30/2009.” Most spreadsheet programs will do this automatically when writing a CSV text file.

PROPTYPE (PROPERTY TYPE) The following table lists the valid Property Type codes: BNA Fixed Assets Code

Description Amortizable

AM

Clean Fuel Luxury Vehicle

CF

Indian Non-Residential – Real

IN

Indian Reservation – Real

IR

Indian Reservation – Personal

IP

Realty – Land

LR

Leased Personal Property

LP

Leasehold Improvement Property – NY Liberty Zone

LY

Listed – Automobile

AL

Listed – Personal Property

PL

Listed – Real Property

RL

Listed – Trucks & Vans

TL

Low-Income Housing

LH

Non-Depreciable Property

ND

Non-Residential Real Property

NR

Non-Residential Real Property – NY Liberty Zone

CY

Personal Property

PP

Real Property

RP

Residential Real Property

RR

Residential Real Property – NY Liberty Zone

RY

METHOD The following table lists the valid Depreciation Method codes: Description

BNA Fixed Assets Code

ACRS

AC

Alternative ACRS

AS

Declining Balance

DB

MACRS

MC

MACRS ADS

AD

MACRS Straight-Line

MS

No Calculation

NC

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::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: BNA Fixed Assets Code

Description Remaining Balance / Remaining Life

RV

Straight-Line

SL

Sum of the Years Digits

SY

No Depreciation

NO

CALCSOURCE (CALCULATION SOURCE) The following table lists the valid Calculation Source codes: BNA Fixed Assets Code

Description Formula – No Switch, Continue

C

Formula – No Switch, Stop

X

Formula – Switch

S

Formula – Switch Last Year

L

Table Lookup

T

None

NA

CONVENTION The following table lists the valid Averaging Convention codes used in BNA Fixed Assets: BNA Fixed Assets Code

Description Apply Mid-Quarter test Use HY (Half-Year)

AHY

Apply Mid-Quarter test Use MQ (Mid-Quarter)

AMQ

Full-Month

FM

Full-Year

FY

Half-Month

HM

Half-Year

HY

Mid-Month

MM

Mid-Quarter

MQ

Modified Half-Month

MHM

Modified Half-Year

MHY

None

NA

REGITCTYPE (REGULAR INVESTMENT TAX CREDIT) The following table lists the valid Regular Investment Tax Credit codes: Description

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BNA Fixed Assets Code

New Property

N

New Property, Less 2%

M

Other Regular

O

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Description

BNA Fixed Assets Code

Used Property

U

Used Property, Less 2%

T

None

Z

REHABITCTYPE (REHABILITATION INVESTMENT TAX CREDIT) The following table lists the valid Rehabilitation Investment Tax Credit codes: BNA Fixed Assets Code

Description Certified Historic Structure

C

Pre-1936 Structure

P

Rehab 30-Year Building

T

Rehab 40-Year Building

F

Transition Certified Historic Structure

TR Z

None

ENERGYITCTYPE (ENERGY INVESTMENT TAX CREDIT) The following table lists the valid Energy Investment Tax Credit codes: Description Biomass

BNA Fixed Assets Code B

Electric Vehicles

E

Geothermal

G

Hydroelectric

H

Inter-City Bus

I

Ocean

C

Reforestation

R

Solar

S

Transition Energy

T

Wind

W

None

Z

VEHICLESITCTYPE (VEHICLES INVESTMENT TAX CREDIT) The following table lists the valid Vehicle Investment Tax Credit codes: Description

BNA Fixed Assets Code

Alternative Fuel

VA

Electric

VE

Electric Plug-In < 10,001 Lbs

VE_10001

Electric Plug-In < 14,000 Lbs

VE_14000

Electric Plug-In > 10,000 Lbs < 14,001 Lbs

VE_10000_14001

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::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Description

BNA Fixed Assets Code

Electric Plug-In > 14,000 Lbs < 26,001 Lbs

VE_14000_26001

Electric Plug-In > 26,000 Lbs

VE_26000

Electric Plug-In Conversion

VE_CONVERSION

Electric Plug-In Lo Speed 2-3 Wheel

VE_LOSPD_2OR3

Fuel Cell

VC

Hybrid

VH

Lean-Burn Technology

VL

None

Z

DISPOSAL TYPE (DISPOSAL METHOD) The following table lists the valid Disposal Method codes: Description

BNA Fixed Assets Code

Exchange

E

Retire/Abandon

R

Sale

S

None

Z

REVTREAT (REVISION TREATMENT) The following table lists the valid Revision Treatment codes: Description

BNA Fixed Assets Code

Immediate

I

Never

N

Prorate

P

DATA DEFAULT VALUES In setting up your CSV source file, you may find it valuable to know the ordering the program uses to write data to the destination company when adding assets. The information available through the links below reveals how the program determines what ultimately gets written to the asset records. DEFAULTS: ASSET-LEVEL DATA When importing an asset-level data field for a particular asset, the program looks to the following potential sources for data, as prioritized below: 1. The program looks first to the CSV source file to determine if that file contains a column for that asset field. If it finds such a column, the contents of that column (if any) are used to write values to the destination company for that particular asset. 2. If the CSV source file does not contain a column that matches the particular field in the program, or if such a column exists but the field for that particular asset is empty, the program refers to the Asset Field List in the destination company to find any 120

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Asset Default Values you have predefined for that particular asset field prior to importing. If default values are present, they are used. Note that two asset-level fields default not to the Asset Default Values in the destination company, but to data in columns that have book-level field headings: ■

AcqDate (Acquisition Date) defaults to PisDate (Placed-In-Service Date).

■

PurchasePrice defaults to Cost.

If the field for PurchasePrice or AcqDate is empty, the program first looks for data under column headings that do not include a book name prefix (for example, Cost or PisDate), if present. The program then looks for data under column headings that include the book name prefix of GAAP (for example, GAAP.Cost or GAAP.PisDate). 3. If there is not a predefined value established in the Asset Field List and no booklevel default, the asset field will be empty after the import process, except as noted under “Special Default Values”, below. SPECIAL DEFAULT VALUES FOR ASSET-LEVEL FIELDS Asset Field Name

Special Defaults

AssetType

After first checking the CSV source file for this value, the program automatically assigns an Asset Type of either “Unspecified – Personal” (or “Unspecified – Real”) Property, depending on the asset’s Property Type. If both Asset Type ID and Property Type are absent from the CSV source file, the program automatically assigns the Asset Type “Unspecified – Personal” Property.

Inactive

The setting for each asset imported is defaulted to “active.”

DEFAULTS: BOOK-LEVEL DEPRECIATION DATA “Book-level” depreciation data includes such fields as Accumulated Depreciation Expense and Depreciation Method. These fields have a data type of currency, number, date, or a code (enumerated value) such as MC for MACRS. The rules for defaulting these values differ depending on the Book Type. SPECIAL DEFAULT VALUES FOR BOOK-LEVEL FIELDS Book Field Name

Special Defaults

BusUse

After first checking the CSV source file for this value, the program automatically assigns a business use percent of 100%.

AccumDepr

After first checking the CSV source file for this value (and associated AccumDeprDate), the program automatically calculates total life-to-date accumulated depreciation over the life of the asset in all books.

Depr

After first checking the CSV source file for this value (and associated AccumDeprDate), the program automatically calculates current year-to-date depreciation expense in all books.

RevTreat

After first checking the CSV source file for this value, the program refers to the answers you provided in the Set Calculation Revisions panel of the Import Assets wizard.

GAAP, FEDERAL TAX, AND INTERNAL DEPRECIATION BOOKS Each book is built only if the book exists in the destination company.

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::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: When importing a book data field (also called book-level field) for a particular asset in a particular book, the program looks to the following potential sources for data, as prioritized below: 1. The program looks first to the CSV source file to determine if that file contains a column with a heading that includes both ■

a matching asset field name in the program and

■

a book name prefix that is matched to one in the program.

For example, GAAP.PropType indicates the Property Type field for the GAAP book. If it finds such a column, the program uses the contents of that column to write values to the destination company for that asset in that book. 2. If no column in the CSV source file contains a column heading that matches the particular field name for a particular book in the program, or if such a column exists but the field for a particular asset is empty, the program looks for a column with a heading that: ■

includes a matching asset field name in the program but

■

does not include a book name prefix.

For example, if a PropType column is found, the program uses the contents of that column to write values to the destination company for that asset in that book. 3. If no column in the CSV source file contains a column heading that matches the particular field name in the program, or if such a column exists but the field for a particular asset is empty, the program uses the Asset Type (either the one you specified in the CSV source file, or the default Asset Type of “Unspecified – Personal” (or Real) Property) to look up depreciation critical values (Property Type, Method, Rate, Life, MQ Convention, and Calculation Source) in the destination company’s Asset Type Table. (The Asset Type Table contains a subset of an asset’s book data.) These depreciation critical values were either preset by the program or possibly modified by you earlier. If it finds a depreciation critical value, the program uses this value to write values to the destination company for that asset in that book. Note that two book data fields default not to the Asset Type Table in the destination company, but to data in columns that have asset level field headings: ■

PisDate (Placed-In-Service Date) defaults to AcqDate (Acquisition Date).

■

Cost defaults to PurchasePrice.

4. Before import, for any field not given a value under the previous steps, the program either calculates a value or otherwise supplies a default value, using certain assumptions outlined under “Special Default Values”, above. See also Depreciation Source File Conventions. AMT, ACE, AND E&P DEPRECIATION BOOKS Special rules are used for importing data to the depreciation books that the program refers to as “Subordinate Tax Books.” These books (Alternative Minimum Tax, Adjusted Current Earnings, and Earnings & Profits) may be associated with one of the “regular” tax books (most commonly, they are subordinate to the Federal Tax book).

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::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Unlike “regular” tax books and other “internal” books, the subordinate tax books use a default system that cannot be edited or viewed in the program. Instead of the Asset Type Table, these books use an internal system that assigns appropriate depreciation values to the subordinate books based first on the values in book level fields not assigned to a particular book, if any, then on values in the “regular” tax book (the ACE books additionally reference the AMT book values). When importing a book data field for a particular asset in a particular subordinate book, the program looks to the following sources for data, as prioritized below: 1. The program looks first to the CSV source file to determine if that file contains a column with a heading that includes both ■

a matching asset field name in the program and

■

book name prefix that is matched to one in the program for the specific book.

For example, FederalTax-AMT.PropType indicates the Property Type field for the AMT subordinate tax book for Federal tax reporting. If it finds such a column, the program uses the contents of that column, if any, to write values to the destination company for that particular asset in that book. 2. If no column in the CSV source file contains a column heading that matches a particular field name for a specific book in the program, or if such a column exists but the field for that particular asset is empty, the program looks for a column with a heading that ■

includes a matching asset field name in the program but

■

does not include a book name prefix,

for example, PropType. If it finds such a column, the program uses the contents of that column to write values to the destination company for that particular asset in that book. 3. If no column in the CSV source file contains a column heading that matches the particular field name in the program, or if such a column exists but the field for a particular asset is empty, the program refers to an internal defaulting system to find depreciation critical values that have been preset by the program. This internal system assigns appropriate depreciation values to the subordinate books based on the values in the “regular” tax book (the ACE books additionally reference the AMT book values).

PREPARING TO IMPORT CSV FILES You can import fixed asset data from CSV-formatted text files that: ■

include and follow the prescribed headings that identify each column’s format, and

■

include data for (at minimum) Acquisition (or Placed-in-Service) Date, Purchase Price, and Asset Type for each purchased asset.

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::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: You can also use CSV files to dispose assets, change the value of asset fields, and transfer in or transfer out assets. You can also import historical internal transfer information. These files may have been created with a spreadsheet program and saved as CSV (comma separated value) text files before import. The following sections provide details on preparing your spreadsheet files for import.

ADDING ASSETS Note: You may find it more convenient to work in MS Excel while formatting your data. If your data has zero padding in account numbers or Asset ID fields saving in CSV format and opening the file up to work on it will remove the zero padding. Save to CSV format as a last step before import. As you build the source file, we suggest that you save the file frequently. This will allow you to recover data quickly in the event something unexpected happens. When creating the CSV source file, you will be completing these steps.

STEP 1: SAVING THE ORIGINAL FILE AS A CSV SOURCE FILE 1. Open your original, up-to-date file in the spreadsheet program. 2. Save the file as an Excel file. This is now your source file. When you complete work on the source file, save as CSV format before beginning the Import wizard.

STEP 2: PREPARING FIELD HEADINGS For the program to successfully add assets through a CSV source file, you must modify your asset data to meet certain specifications. When you prepare your CSV source file, you may want to leave the columns of some asset fields blank. By leaving an asset field blank (asset field heading, but no data), you accept the program’s default for that field. You can delete an asset field column and its contents or leave the asset field heading for a column and delete just the asset field data for those fields for which you do not wish to provide data. If you want to supply only the minimum asset fields required for importing assets, the following asset fields are required for adding assets to a company:

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■

AssetType

■

PisDate (Placed-In-Service Date) or AcqDate (Acquisition Date)

■

Cost or PurchasePrice

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: The AccumDeprDate (accumulated depreciation ending date) is also required if you specify non-zero values in the AccumDepr (accumulated depreciation) or Depr (current year depreciation) fields. Note: Headings for book-level fields must be spelled the same as presented in “Field Definitions and Required Syntax (Import Utility)” on page 110. Headings for asset-level fields are not required to be identical. Field Headings are not case sensitive, and any entered spaces will be ignored by the program.

STEP 3: MODIFYING FIELD HEADINGS Caution! As you change asset data in the source file, be sure to save and back up the file frequently. In some instances, the headings used in your original file will differ from the asset field names that the program uses. The book name is not case-sensitive, and spaces are ignored. For more information, see “Standard Book Names” on page 115. If you created the custom book, “Internal Book,” and needed to assign specific properties to that book, you would add columns to your CSV source file to accommodate values specific to this book, and enter asset field names (in row 1 of the CSV file) as follows: ■

InternalBook.PropType

■

InternalBook.Life

■

InternalBook.Method

■

InternalBook.Rate

As you can see, the required syntax for book-level (or book depreciation data) fields is Book name, dot, Asset Field name. Note: The spelling of the book-level Field Headings in row 1 must match the field names that the program uses. Abbreviations and misspellings for book-level field names will cause the program to skip the data under that Field Heading for all assets. Some asset-level Asset fields need not match exactly. For automatic matching of these asset-level fields to occur, the spelling, but not the case or use of spaces, must be the same as the program's field names. See Depreciation Source File Conventions.

STEP 4: MODIFYING ASSET DATA Each item of asset data must be in its own cell directly below the appropriate Field Heading. Each asset Field Heading must be in its own cell in the first row of the CSV source file. For acceptable entries, see Depreciation Source File Conventions.

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::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: CONFORMING TO REQUIRED FIELD DATA FORMATS Certain Enum (or code) fields may be unique to the program. For instance, the codes used in your original program for the Depreciation Method may differ from those in the program. In other instances, your original asset data may not conform to the program's required asset field formats. In these situations, you will need to change your asset data to meet these field conventions. You can use your spreadsheet program’s global search and replace command to do this. For example, if you listed Pers.Prop under the heading PropertyType, you must change Pers.Prop to PP (the program's Property Type). Similarly, the Asset Type Office Equipment cannot be entered as Office Equip. Abbreviations, misspellings, spaces, and missing required data (such as an Acquisition Date or Placed-in-Service Date), mean that the program will either reject the data by not importing the asset or use a default. For data format and required entries, see Depreciation Source File Conventions. Follow these steps when reviewing your asset data: 1. Review the list of the program's Enum fields and their associated values. If your fixed assets program used different codes for the depreciation method, property type, source, or convention, you will need to change the codes to what the program uses. Match each code used in your original program to one of the program's codes. Use the Code Definition charts in Data Type Specifications and Code Definitions to help you. 2. Use your spreadsheet program’s global Replace command to find and replace your original fixed asset program’s codes with those used by the program. Note that the codes in your CSV source file can be lowercase, uppercase, or mixed case — these codes are not case sensitive for the purposes of the import. Tip: If possible in your spreadsheet program, replace codes in one column at a time to reduce the risk of changing a description in a text field accidentally. (This feature is available in Excel by placing the cursor in the applicable column, then choosing Search: By Columns in the Replace dialog.) Note: When preparing a CSV source file, always check that the data from your CSV source file complies with the conventions specified in Depreciation Source File Conventions and Data Type Specifications and Code Definitions. It’s much easier and less time consuming to do this now instead of having to change the data after it is imported.

ASSET DATA LIMIT You can have as many asset fields and data as you want, provided they fit within the 32,000 character limit for each import string. An import string consists of all of the asset data that you provide for one asset.

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::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: DELETING ITEMS YOU DON'T WANT TO IMPORT There may still be some items in the source file you want to remove before starting the Import process: 1. Delete the row(s) containing the original asset column headings from your original fixed asset program. The asset field headings that you will use for import must be in the first row of the CSV source file. You need not delete any blank rows — the program ignores them. 2. If you want the program to use the asset data defaults for certain fields, delete the data in those fields. Be sure to save the CSV source file. If you are importing historical transfer data from a CSV file, please also see Importing Asset Transactions.

IMPORTING ASSET TRANSACTIONS Using the Import utility, you can not only add assets to a company database, but you can also perform a variety of asset transactions on a company database in a batch process, including the following: ■

Completely (or partially) dispose assets that currently exist in a company.

■

Modify the value of specified asset fields for assets that currently exist in a company, including internal transfers.

■

Transfer assets that currently exist out of a company.

■

Simultaneously perform any of the above transactions as you import the assets into the company.

■

Transfer assets into a company.

“Adding Assets” on page 124 describes how to create a CSV source file that is used to add assets to a company. When a CSV source file is used solely for the purpose of adding assets, the program does not require the CSV source file to include information on the type of transaction being performed. However, when the CSV source file includes different transactions (purchase, disposal, etc.) or transactions other than merely adding assets that are performed on assets already included in a company database, an additional column (Action) is required in the CSV source file. The Action field identifies the transaction that will be performed for any one asset in the file. The program requires a different set of fields to properly perform each transaction, as described in the sections reached through the links below. This section describes in detail how to set up a CSV source file — including the fields required for each transaction — in order to perform these asset transactions within the Import process. Once you’ve created the CSV source file, the process of importing the file is exactly the same as the process for adding assets, as described under “Importing the Source File” on page 141.

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::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: You can find the field labels and their valid values under “Asset Data Fields” on page 110 and “Book Data Fields” on page 113.

ADDING ASSETS — PURCHASE TRANSACTION When you are adding assets to a company using a CSV source file that was created as described in “Adding Assets” on page 124, the program generally assumes that the assets were purchased, particularly when only the minimum fields (Asset Type, PisDate or AcqDate, and PurchasePrice or Cost) are included in the file. The program assumes that an asset transaction is a Purchase: ■

if there is no Action field in the CSV source file or

■

if the Action field is empty for a row.

When setting up a CSV source file that will both add assets to the company and perform other transactions on these assets, the rows adding the assets as purchases should be first in the file, followed by the rows that handle the other transactions. Note: It is good practice to explicitly enter an Asset ID in the Asset ID column for all purchased assets so that you have control over this identifier and can use it in the rows for the subsequent transactions. The following table illustrates rows in a CSV source file for three Purchase transactions. Note that the Location is being specified for the third asset at the same time as the asset is being added, rather than allowing the program to default in this information from the Asset Field defaults. Action Purchase Purchase

AssetID

Cost

AcqDate

AssetType

ABC00100

10,000

01/01/2007

Computer

ABC00110

11,000

02/01/2007

Office Equipment

ABC00200

12,000

01/03/2007

Computer

Location

Baltimore

The program treats each non-heading row as a purchase, even though “Purchase” was not specified in the Action field for the second asset transaction. Note: Although the Action field is shown in the first column in the above illustration, it can appear in any column in the file.

DISPOSING ASSETS — DISPOSE TRANSACTION Using the method described in “Adding Assets” on page 124, the program allows you to add disposed assets to a company. The minimum that is required (in addition to the minimum fields described in “Adding Assets — Purchase Transaction” on page 128) is a value in the RfsDate (Removed from Service Date) field for the disposed asset. You can add other fields if the asset was disposed by sale or exchange so that the program will compute a gain or loss upon disposal or so that the program will use your calculated gain/loss values.

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::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Additionally, the program allows you to dispose (or partially dispose) assets that currently exist in a company, as well as add the assets as purchases and immediately dispose them completely (or partially). The program supports sales and retirement/abandonment disposal methods in CSV source files; it will not perform a like-kind exchange using a CSV source file. When you use “Dispose” in the Action field, the program does the following: ■

Completely disposes existing assets in the destination company.

■

Partially disposes existing assets in the destination company (additionally requires an entry for one of the following fields: DisposalCost or PartialDisposalCost).

When you use both “Purchase” and “Dispose” in the Action field on separate rows, the program does the following: ■

Imports assets as purchases and then completely disposes the assets.

■

Imports assets as purchases and then partially disposes them (additionally requires an entry for one of the following fields: DisposalCost or PartialDisposalCost).

The rows for the Purchase transactions must appear before the rows for the Dispose transactions. Note: For all Dispose transactions, you must include a value for the Asset ID and RfsDate fields, so that the program can identify which assets to dispose and when to dispose them.

COMPLETELY DISPOSING EXISTING ASSETS The program allows you to dispose existing assets (as retirements, abandonments, or sales) using a CSV source file. The program does not support disposing an existing asset as a like-kind exchange via a CSV source file. RETIREMENT/ABANDONMENT To dispose an asset that currently exists in a company, the CSV source file requires entries in at least three fields: Action, Asset ID, and RfsDate. With this minimum information, the program treats the disposal as a retirement or abandonment. An entry in DisposalType (set to R) is optional. See row 1 in the table below. SALE To dispose an asset that currently exists in a company in a sale transaction, the CSV source file requires entries in at least four fields: Action, Asset ID, RfsDate, and CashProceeds. Entries in DisposalExpense, DisposalType (set to S), and GL Treatment are optional. See rows 2 and 3 in the table below. The program will calculate the gain or loss for each book, as appropriate.

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::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Action

AssetID

RfsDate

CashProceeds

DisposalExpense

DisposalType

1

Dispose

ABC00400

01/01/2007

2

Dispose

ABC00410

02/01/2007

5000

50

S

3

Dispose

ABC00500

01/03/2007

15000

R S

If you want to use your calculated gain/loss values, include these additional fields: RecognizedGainLoss, Ordinary GL, and GL Treatment.

ADDING AND COMPLETELY DISPOSING ASSETS IN THE SAME CSV FILE The program allows you to add assets to a destination company and completely dispose these assets (as retirements/abandonments, or sales) using the same CSV file. The program does not support disposing an asset as a like-kind exchange via a CSV source file. In the CSV source file, you must set up separate rows for purchases and disposals, and — because the program handles the items in the CSV source file sequentially — the purchase row for an asset must precede the asset’s disposal row.

AcqDate

AssetType

RfsDate

CashProceeds

10000

11/15/2007

Computer

Purchase

ABC000410

35000

11/21/2007

Truck

Dispose

ABC00400

12/01/2007

9500

S

Dispose

ABC00410

12/01/2007

36000

S

Purchase

DisposalType

Cost

ABC00400

Action

AssetID

The minimum fields required to both add and completely dispose the same asset in a single CSV source file are a combination of the minimum fields required to perform these transactions separately (as described in “Adding Assets — Purchase Transaction” on page 128), as the purchase and sale transactions illustrated below show:

If you want to use your calculated gain/loss values, include these additional fields: RecognizedGainLoss, Ordinary GL, and GL Treatment.

PARTIALLY DISPOSING EXISTING ASSETS The program allows you to partially dispose assets (as retirements/abandonments, or sales) that already exist in a company. The program does not support disposing an asset as a like-kind exchange via a CSV source file. Partial disposition by import is handled differently by the program than the internal partial disposal functionality. The program handles partial disposals the same way it handles splits: ■

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The original asset is saved as a split parent.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ■

Two split child assets are created: one that has not been disposed and continues to depreciate within the company (henceforth referred to as the remaining active asset), and a second split child asset that has been disposed.

The minimum fields required to completely dispose an existing asset are the minimum fields required to perform the dispose transaction separately (as illustrated below) plus one additional required field — either DisposalCost or PartialDisposalCost. These fields are used to specify the cost of the portion of the original asset that was disposed. Note: Using the DisposalCost field or the PartialDisposalCost field depends on how you want the Asset IDs set for the original (split parent) and split children (remaining active asset and disposed asset), as described in the following sections. Use the DisposalCost field when you want the remaining active asset to use the original Asset ID — as if it had never been disposed. Using the DisposalCost field permits 999 partial dispositions. When you use the PartialDisposalCost field, the remaining active asset can only be split and partially disposed three times. EXAMPLE 1 The following table illustrates a partial disposal of asset ABC00001, using the PartialDisposalCost field. The original asset cost $10,000. The disposed portion of this asset cost $4,000, and the disposal is illustrated below. For simplicity’s sake, there were no cash proceeds or expenses involved in this disposal. Action

AssetID

Dispose

ABC00001

Cost

AcqDate

AssetType

RfsDate

PartialDisposalCost

12/01/2007

4000

The results of this partial disposal are:

Original (split parent) asset

AssetID

Status

Cost

ABC00001

Inactive

10000

Remaining active asset

ABC00011*

Active

6000

Disposed asset

ABC00021*

Active

4000

*The next available asset numbers. Suppose the remaining active asset ABC00011 is partially disposed again, where the disposed asset’s cost is $1,000. The CSV file would look like this: Action

AssetID

RfsDate

PartialDisposalCost

Dispose

ABC00011

12/15/2007

1000

The results of this (second) partial disposal are:

131

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: AssetID

Status

Cost

Original (split parent) asset

ABC00011

Inactive

6000

Remaining active asset

ABC00031*

Active

5000

Disposed asset

ABC00041*

Active

1000

*The next available asset numbers. The assets below from the previous transaction are unaffected by the second transaction and continue to reside in the company: Split parent from 1st action

ABC00001

Inactive

10000

Asset disposed in 1st action

ABC00021

Active (disposed)

4000

If there is a third partial disposal transaction, the results might be: AssetID

Status

Cost

Original (split parent) asset

ABC00031

Inactive

5000

Remaining active asset

ABC00051*

Active

4000

Disposed asset

ABC00061*

Active

1000

*The next available asset numbers. The assets below from the previous transaction are unaffected by the third transaction and continue to reside in the company: Split parent from 1st action

ABC00001

Inactive

10000

Asset disposed in 1st action

ABC00021

Active (disposed)

4000

Split parent from 2nd action

ABC00011

Inactive

6000

Asset disposed in 2nd action

ABC00041

Active (disposed)

1000

EXAMPLE 2 The following table illustrates a partial disposal of asset ABC00101, using the DisposalCost field. The original asset cost $10,000. The disposed portion of this asset cost $4,000, and the disposal is illustrated below. For simplicity’s sake, there were no cash proceeds or expenses involved in this disposal. Action

AssetID

Dispose

ABC00101

Cost

AcqDate

AssetType

The results of this partial disposal are:

132

RfsDate

DisposalCost

12/01/2007

4000

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: AssetID

Status

Cost

Original (split parent) asset

ABC00101*001

Inactive

10000

Remaining active asset

ABC00101

Active

6000

Disposed asset

ABC00101.001

Active

4000

Suppose the remaining active asset ABC00101 is partially disposed again, where the disposed asset’s cost is $1,000. The CSV file would look like this: Action

AssetID

RfsDate

DisposalCost

Dispose

ABC00101

12/15/2007

1000

The results of this partial disposal are: AssetID

Status

Cost

ABC00101*002

Inactive

6000

Remaining active asset

ABC00101

Active

5000

Disposed asset

ABC00101.002

Active

1000

Original (split parent) asset

Note. The assets below from the previous transaction are unaffected by the second transaction and continue to reside in the company: Split parent from 1st action

ABC00101*001

Inactive

10000

Asset disposed in 1st action

ABC00101.001

Active (disposed)

4000

ADDING AND PARTIALLY DISPOSING ASSETS IN THE SAME CSV FILE The program allows you to add assets using a CSV source file and partially dispose these assets (as retirements/abandonments, or sales) within the same CSV file. The program does not support disposing an asset as a like-kind exchange via a CSV source file. In the CSV source file, just as when you are completing disposing an asset (as described in “Adding and Completely Disposing Assets in the Same CSV File” on page 130), you must set up separate rows for purchases and disposals, and — because the program handles the items in the CSV source file sequentially — the purchase row for an asset must precede the asset’s disposal row. The program handles partial disposals in the same way it handles splits. For a discussion on how these assets are handled, see “Partially Disposing Existing Assets” on page 130. The minimum fields required to both add and completely dispose the same asset in a single CSV source file are a combination of the minimum fields required to do these transactions separately (as illustrated in the examples below) plus one additional required field — either DisposalCost or PartialDisposalCost. These fields are used to specify the cost of the portion of the original asset that was disposed. EXAMPLE 3 The following table illustrates adding an asset to the company, then partially disposing it in a single CSV source file using the PartialDisposalCost field. 133

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

ABC00201

2

Dispose

ABC00201

Computer 12/01/2007

DisposalType

11/15/2006

PartialDisposalCost

10000

RfsDate

AssetType

Purchase

AcqDate

1

Cost

AssetID

Action

The original asset cost $10,000 and is added in row 1 in the following table. The disposed portion of this asset cost $4,000 and the disposal is illustrated in row 2. For simplicity’s sake, there were no cash proceeds or expenses involved in this disposal.

4000

R

The results of this partial disposal are: AssetID

Status

Cost

Original (split parent) asset

ABC00201

Inactive

10000

Remaining active asset

ABC00211*

Active

6000

Disposed asset

ABC00221*

Active

4000

*The next available asset numbers. To see how subsequent partial disposals of Asset ID ABC00211 would be handled, see “Example 1” on page 131. EXAMPLE 4 The table below illustrates adding an asset to the company, then partially disposing it in a single CSV source file using the DisposalCost field. The original asset cost $10,000 and is added in row 1 of the table. The disposed portion of this asset cost $4,000, and the disposal is illustrated in row 2. For simplicity’s sake, there were no cash proceeds or expenses involved in this disposal. Action

AssetID

Cost

AcqDate

AssetType

1

Purchase

ABC00231

10000

11/15/2006

Computer

2

Dispose

ABC00231

RfsDate

DisposalCost

12/01/2007

4000

The results of this partial disposal are: AssetID

Status

Cost

Original (split parent) asset

ABC00231*001

Inactive

10000

Remaining active asset

ABC00231

Active

6000

Disposed asset

ABC00231.001

Active

4000

To see how subsequent partial disposals of Asset ID ABC00231 would be handled, see “Example 2” on page 132.

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ADDING ASSETS — TRANSFER-IN TRANSACTION The program allows you to use a CSV source file to add an asset into the destination company as an externally transferred-in asset, using TransferIn in the Action field. This allows you to perform an external transfer between companies. By using TransferIn in the Action field and six additional fields — Asset ID, TransferIn Date, Transfer Total Accum Depr, Remaining Annual Depr, YTD Transfer Depr, and Remaining Life Months — in addition to the fields required to add an asset — Cost, AcqDate or PisDate, and AssetType — you can add an asset into the destination company as an externally transferred-in asset. (Transfer From Company and Transfer AssetID are optional fields.) ■

TransferIn Date — date the asset transferred into the company

■

Transfer Total Accum Depr — total depreciation accumulated before the transferin date by the transferring company

■

Remaining Annual Depr — depreciation remaining to be taken in the transfer year

■

YTD Transfer Depr — depreciation taken in the transfer year by the transferring company up to the transfer-out date

■

Remaining Life Months — number of months remaining in the asset's life

The immediately preceding four fields are book-level fields. When these values differ between books, include “bookname.” before the field name (e.g., GAAP.YTD Transfer Depr). ■

Transfer From Company and Transfer Asset ID (optional) — identify the source of the transferred asset

Note: A valid, 8-digit TransferIn Date is required for the program to import an asset as a transfer-in asset.

AcqDate

TransferInDate

TransferTotalAccumDepr

RemainingAnnuaDepr

TransferIn

30000

02/01/2005

02/01/2007

20000

10000

2000

RemainingLifeMonths

Cost

Copier

YTDTransferDepr

Action

ABC00910

AssetType

AssetID

The following table illustrates rows in a CSV source file for the import of an asset’s data from an external company as a transfer asset. (Note that the field headings must be on a single line in the CSV source file, but may appear on multiple lines below so that the table will fit.) For simplicity’s sake, the same value is used for all books.

20

135

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: After the asset is transferred in, the transfer-in data carries to the View Transfer In Information dialog. This dialog provides read-only details (Transfer Asset ID, TransferIn Date, Transfer From Company, and depreciation data) associated with the transfer.

TRANSFERRING ASSETS OUT — TRANSFER OUT TRANSACTION The program allows you to use a CSV source file to transfer an asset out of a company using TransferOut in the Action field. This allows assets in the destination company to be transferred out of the company. By using TransferOut in the Action field and two additional fields — Asset ID and TransferOut Date — you can transfer out an asset in the destination company. (Transfer To Company is an optional field.) For a list of the asset field names, see “Asset Data Fields” on page 110. Note: A valid 8-digit TransferOut Date is required for the program to transfer out a specified asset. In the CSV source file, you must set up separate rows for purchase and transfer-out transactions, and — because the program handles the items in the CSV source file sequentially — the purchase row for an asset must precede the asset’s TransferOut row. EXAMPLE 1 – ADDING AN ASSET AND TRANSFERRING IT TO ANOTHER COMPANY

AssetType

PurchasePrice

AcqDate

TransferToCompany

TransferOutDate

1

ABC00920

Purchase

Computer

30000

02/01/2005

2

ABC00920

TransferOut

XYZ Inc

02/01/2007

3

ABC00850

TransferOut

XYZ Inc

02/15/2007

AssetID

Action

The following table illustrates rows in a CSV source file for adding an asset to a company then transferring it out of the company (rows 1 and 2) and for transferring an existing asset (row 3). (Note that the field headings must be on a single line in the CSV source file, but may appear on multiple lines below so that the table will fit.)

Note: The Action field can appear in any column. After an asset is transferred out, the asset’s status code on the Asset List changes to from A to TO. The transfer-out data is retained by the program. You can view this information by clicking the Transfer-Out Data button on the Asset Viewer for the asset. 136

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Caution! Transferred-out assets are still active assets. If transferred-out assets are included in a set of assets that are transferred out of the company, these assets will be transferred out a second time. EXAMPLE 2 – ADDING AN ASSET, TRANSFERRING IT TO ANOTHER COMPANY, AND COPYING IT

AssetType

PurchasePrice

AcqDate

TransferToCompany

TransferOutDate

1

ABC00920

Purchase

Computer

30000

02/01/2005

2

ABC00920

TransferOut

XYZ Inc

02/01/2007

3

ABC00920

Copy

XYZ Inc

02/15/2007

AssetID

Action

The following table illustrates rows in a CSV source file for adding an asset to a company then transferring it out of the company (rows 1 and 2). Then the transferred-out asset is copied in the destination company (row 3).

EXAMPLE 3 – ADDING AN ASSET, CREATING THE TRANSFER OUT FILE, AND UPLOADING THE FILE TO THE DESTINATION COMPANY The action called TransferTo allows you to create the necessary file to import the transferred-out asset into another company.

AcqDate

Purchase

Computer

30000

02/01/2006

2

ABC00940

TransferTo

New Company

TransferOutDate

PurchasePrice

ABC00940

TransferToCompany

AssetType

1

AssetID

Action

The following table illustrates rows in a CSV source file for adding an asset to a company (row 1) and then transferring it to another company (row 2).

02/01/2007

The asset is transferred out of the source company. At the same time, an import file is created and uploaded to the destination company. You can then open the destination company and import the transferred asset.

137

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

CHANGING FIELD VALUES — MODIFY TRANSACTION You can use a CSV source file to change the value of a specified asset field (that is not designated as a transfer field) for an asset currently in the destination company database by using Modify in the Action field and two additional fields: Field Name and Field Value. This change takes effect as of the asset’s Acquisition Date. Note: For all Modify transactions, you must include a value for the Asset ID and Field Name fields so the program can identify which assets and field values to change. The values for Field Name must match an Asset Field name. For a list of the asset field names and more information on the Field Name and Field Value fields, see “Asset Data Fields” on page 110. Note that there is little point in using Modify to set a field value in the same CSV source file that is adding the asset being changed, since it is much more efficient to set the value of an asset field by just adding another column to the CSV source file for the field (as shown here for the Location field, setting the value to Baltimore for the third asset). EXAMPLE – MODIFYING USER FIELDS FOR EXISTING ASSETS The following table illustrates rows in a CSV source file for three Modify transactions.

1

AssetID

Action

Field Name

Field Value

ABC00105

Modify

TagID

12664-456

2

ABC00115

Modify

ModelNumber

448-9976632

3

ABC00115

Modify

TagID

128-9965a4

Rows 1 and 3 changed the value in the Tag ID field, and row 2 changed the value in the Model Number field on the Asset tab as of the Acquisition Date. Note that Rows 2 and 3 changed the value of two separate fields for the same asset. Note that the Cost, AssetType, and AcqDate fields are empty in the above example and would be ignored for these assets.

TRANSFERRING ASSETS WITHIN A COMPANY — MODIFY TRANSACTION The program allows you to use a CSV source file both to import historical transfer information for assets being added to a destination company and to transfer existing assets within a destination company. By using Modify in the Action field and three additional fields — Field Name, Field Value, and Effective Date — you can change the value of the text in any transfer field as of a specified month (Effective Date uses the first day of the specified month).

138

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: The values for Field Name must match an Asset Field name. For a list of the asset field names and additional information on the Field Name and Field Value fields, see “Asset Data Fields” on page 110. Setting the value of an additional field — Retain — to “1,” you can have values after the effective date retained for a transfer field. The program makes the following assumptions: ■

If the Effective Date field is blank in a row, the program makes the transfer effective on the asset’s Acquisition Date.

■

If the Field Value field is blank, the program removes the values for the field (as of the Effective Date, if specified).

■

If the Retain field is not set to 1, the program overwrites the Field Name field’s succeeding values for the asset with the new field value.

■

If the field designated by the Field Name field has not been designated as a transfer field and an Effective Date is specified, the program automatically designates the field as a transfer field and handles the transfer accordingly

Note: For all Modify transfer transactions, you must include a value for the Asset ID, Field Name, and Field Value so the program can identify which transfer fields to change for which assets. An entry for Effective Date is required if you want the change to take effect after the Acquisition Date.

INTERNALLY TRANSFERRING EXISTING ASSETS The program allows you to internally transfer existing assets using a CSV source file by changing the value of fields already designated in the destination company as transfer fields. You can change the value for multiple transfer fields for an asset within a single CSV source file. There must be one row for each field or field value per asset being changed in the file. The following table illustrates rows in a CSV source file for seven internal transfer transactions. AssetID

Action

Field Name

Field Value

EffectiveDate

1

ABC00205

Modify

Location

Philadelphia

01/15/2007

2

ABC00205

Modify

Custodian

J. Green

01/15/2007

3

ABC00215

Modify

Custodian

P. Smith

4

ABC00215

Modify

Custodian

J. Green

5

ABC00220

Modify

Custodian

P. Smith P. Smith

6

ABC00225

Modify

Custodian

7

ABC00230

Modify

ModelNumber

Retain

03/25/2007 1 03/01/2007

1

139

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: TRANSFER ANALYSIS Asset ABC00205 (rows 1 and 2) transferred to Philadelphia and J. Green on January 1, 2007 (Effective Date uses the first day of the specified month). Any succeeding values were overwritten (since Retain was blank). Asset ABC00215 transferred to P. Smith as of the Acquisition Date (since Effective Date was blank) using row 3. On March 1, 2007, this asset transferred to J. Green using row 4. Any succeeding values were overwritten (since Retain was blank). Asset ABC00220 transferred to P. Smith as of the Acquisition Date (since Effective Date was blank) using row 5. The program checks the value of the Custodian field in succeeding periods (after the Acquisition Date); if the value differs for any period thereafter, these differences are retained (since Retain was 1). For example, if the Custodian was A. Johnson when the asset was acquired on September 12, 2006, and subsequently transferred to J. Green on January 1, 2007, this row would change the value for the Custodian from the Acquisition Date until December 31, 2006, retaining succeeding values thereafter. Asset ABC00225 transferred to P. Smith as of March 1, 2007, using row 6. The program checks the value of the Custodian field in succeeding periods (after the Effective Date); if the value differs for any period thereafter, these differences are retained (since Retain was 1). The value of the Model Number field was deleted for Asset ABC00230 as of the Acquisition Date, since Field Value and Effective Date are blank.

IMPORTING HISTORIC TRANSFER INFORMATION WHILE ADDING ASSETS The program allows you to import historic transfer information in the same CSV source file that is being used to add the assets to the destination company. You can change the value for multiple transfer fields for an asset within a single CSV source file. There must be one row for each field or field value per asset being changed in the file. In the CSV source file, you must set up separate rows for purchases and transfers. because the program handles the items in the CSV source file sequentially, the purchase row for an asset must precede the asset’s transfer rows. The following table illustrates rows in a CSV source file for one purchase and four transfer transactions. (Note that the field headings must be on a single line in the CSV source file, but may appear on multiple lines below so that the table will fit.)

140

25000

2

ABC00105

Modify

Location

Tampa

02/01/2007

3

ABC00105

Modify

Location

Miami

10/01/2007

4

ABC00105

Modify

Custodian

Jones

02/01/2007

5

ABC00105

Modify

Custodian

Yee

10/01/2007

AssetType Truck

Location

Purchase

Cost

EffectiveDate

FieldValue

Field Name

ABC00105

PisDate

1

Action

AssetID

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

01/01/2006

Chicago

In this example, asset ABC00105 was purchased and placed in service in Chicago on January 1, 2006 (row 1). On February 1, 2007, this truck transferred to Tampa, where Jones was its Custodian (rows 2 and 4). On October 1, 2007, this truck transferred to Miami, where Yee became its Custodian (rows 3 and 5).

IMPORTING TO BNA FIXED ASSETS IMPORTING THE SOURCE FILE When importing data from a fixed asset program that is supported by the BNA Fixed Assets Import utility, the data is effectively converted from the source file into the destination company, requiring very little (if any) manual manipulation of the source data. However, importing data from CSV (Comma Separated Value) files requires you to manually manipulate the source data in accordance with import file specifications. For detailed instructions, see the program’s Help. Note: To access the BNA Fixed Assets Import wizard for importing from any source program, double-click the import icon in the BNA Software program group or run the BNA Fixed Assets Import from the Start menu. Otherwise, select File menu and Import.

USING THE BNA FIXED ASSETS IMPORT WIZARD The BNA Fixed Assets Import wizard is designed to help you import most source data. It converts and brings your data from the specified source file into the specified destination file. To import any source file, run the Import wizard. Follow these steps to import data: 1. To access the import utility, select Import from the File menu or run BNA Fixed Assets Import from the Start menu. The Welcome panel opens.

141

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: wizBNAFADesktopProImportWelcome.tif

2. Click Start Import to begin the import process. The Select the Import File Type panel opens. wizImportSelectTheImport FileType.tif

3. Scroll down, select Text Files - Comma Delimited (CSV), then click Next. The Select Source File panel opens. 4. You can identify the source file you want to import using Browse. Select the source file you want to import from, then click Next. Tip: The CSV Source file must be closed in the spreadsheet program before you can try to select it. 5. On the Select Destination File panel, select the destination company that you created and setup earlier. You can locate and select the destination company using Browse. Click Next. Tip: You can import data into the same company as many times as you want; however, the destination file should be closed in BNA Fixed Assets before you try to select it. The program appends assets added on subsequent imports to assets already in the existing company file. The program does not replace assets in the existing destination file with assets that have matching Asset ID numbers. Complete the following panels, and click Next to open the next panel. (Refer to the program’s Help for detailed information.)

142

■

Set Asset ID Options panel

■

Map Books panel

■

Map Fields panel

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ■

Select Asset Type Source Field panel

■

Map Asset Type panel

■

Calculation Revisions panel

■

Set Calculation Revision Options panel

6. On the Ready to Import panel, click Finish. The Import Complete panel opens. 7. Click OK. The Import utility window shows the progress of the import. It also contains an Import log panel, which identifies those assets that have encountered problems during the import process. Tip: It is important to understand revisions and how they will impact data after the conversion. For detailed instructions, see the program’s Help.

VERIFYING THE IMPORTED DATA This final task involves several steps you should take after completing an import. These steps are outlined in this section.

REVIEW THE IMPORT LOG After each import, review the import log. Review the progress panel to ensure that the import completed properly and to identify which, if any, assets generated warnings or errors. Be sure that all assets are accounted for.

FIX ASSET DATA ERRORS After you review the import log, locate each asset that generated a warning, then fix the asset, either in the destination company or the source file. If you choose to reimport the asset, remove it from the destination file before fixing it in the source file. Once you fix the asset data, re-import the asset.

RUN REPORTS AND COMPARE DATA After all assets have been successfully imported and all problems in the log have been fixed, run reports in BNA Fixed Assets and compare them to reports run under your former program. Run the Revisions report to see what adjustments were made.

143

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

BACK UP THE DESTINATION FILE After you fix all problems with the imported asset data, you should back up your BNA Fixed Assets company file for safekeeping.

144

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

TRANSFERRING ASSETS With the DesktopPro and Server program editions, you can easily transfer assets within a company by changing the value of the appropriate transfer field, accessible from the Transfer tab of the Asset Viewer.

SPECIFYING TRANSFER FIELDS To define transfer fields, follow these steps: 1. Open the Asset Field List by clicking Fields on the tool bar. 2. Click the name of the field you want to designate as a transfer field. (In this example, select the Location field.) 3. Click Edit at the bottom of the Asset Field List. The Edit Asset Field dialog opens with the General tab in focus. 4. Select Designate as Transfer Field, click OK, then close the Asset Field List. Tip: When you change the value of a Transfer field, the program maintains the field’s historical values before and after the transfer.

TRANSFERRING ASSETS WITHIN A COMPANY You can easily transfer assets within a company simply by changing the value of any of the designated Transfer fields. For example, to transfer an asset from Baltimore to Richmond, change the value in the Location field from Baltimore to Richmond in the time period when the transfer occurred. This is done on the Transfer tab of the Asset Viewer. Note: If you are transferring assets more than once, begin at the earliest transfer and work forward. To transfer an asset within a company:

145

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 1. With the Asset List in view, locate the asset to be transferred and double-click it to open the Asset Viewer. 2. Click the Transfer tab.

Switch View

Horizontal scroll bar

3. Using the horizontal scroll bar, scroll to the time period in which the transfer occurred. Tip: It may be helpful to switch views so that the time interval displayed is in months. 4. Double-click the transfer field for which you want to change the value. 5. Make the appropriate change to the selected field. ■

If the field uses a PickList, click the arrow on the right to drop down the PickList and select the new value.

■

If the transfer destination is not on the PickList or if the field does not use a PickList, just enter the new value.

6. Click off the field and the program will update the field for subsequent periods.

TRANSFER REPORTS THE ASSET TRANSFER REPORT The Asset Transfer report can be found in the Asset Activity reports family. It lists all assets transferred during a specific focus period by a specified book. The report displays the asset acquisition cost rather than the book cost and contains one user-defined text or date field. 1. Click Report on the tool bar to open the Report List. 2. In the left pane of the Report List, click Asset Activity Reports. 3. In the right pane, double-click Asset Transfer. The Edit Report Properties dialog opens.

146

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4. Select the Custom tab and designate the field to be displayed as a column in the report. In this example, Location was the field chosen to display on the report. 5. Click OK. 6. At the bottom of the Report List, click Print. 7. Select the print destination. In this example, Print Report to Window was selected. RptTransfer.tif

TRANSFERS IN PREDEFINED STANDARD REPORTS To display Transfer balances on all applicable predefined standard reports, select a Transfer field as the grouping field. (The Transfer field does not have to be chosen for Grouping Level 1.)

dEditReportPropertiesGroupingTab2.tif

Transfer balances are shown at the end of the report as “Less Transfers” items to reconcile costs and depreciation balances of the transferred assets.

147

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: In this example, the Depreciation Expense report is grouped according to location and custodian.

RptLessTransfers.tif

“Less Transfers”

You can display transfers on the following reports: ■

Asset Balance Reconciliation Report

■

Depreciation/Amortization Expense Report

■

Depreciation Expense Report

■

Net Book Value Report

TRANSFERRING ASSETS BETWEEN COMPANIES The program allows you to easily transfer one or more assets out of the company using the Transfer Out wizard. The wizard offers you the option to create a Transfer File that can be used to bring the assets into another BNA Fixed Assets company as transferred-in assets. Note: The depreciation for transferred out assets is stopped as of the transfer month. The Transfer Out wizard guides you through the process of transferring assets out of the company. Follow these steps to transfer out an asset: 1. In the Asset List, select the assets to be transferred by holding down the Shift or Ctrl key and clicking the assets. 2. Click Transfer Out on the bottom of the Asset List (or click Transfer Out on the Asset menu). The Transfer Out wizard opens to the Choose Asset(s) to Transfer panel. 3. After selecting the assets you want to transfer, click Next. The Transfer Date panel opens. 4. Enter the Transfer Out date, then click Next. The Create Transfer File panel opens.

148

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 5. Click Yes if you want to export the assets to a BNAFA Transfer File. A Transfer file allows you to transfer the assets out of the current company and easily import the data of several selected assets into another BNA Fixed Assets company. Click No if you simply want to transfer the assets out of the current company. Tip: Both the source and destination companies must have the same Asset Types, Books, and Asset Fields. 6. The Ready panel opens, giving you the opportunity to go back and change any selections you made previously before beginning the Transfer Out process. If no changes are necessary, click Finish to begin the transfer. To review the transfer out information about a particular asset, open the asset in the Asset Viewer, click the Transfer tab, then click the Out tab.

CREATING A TRANSFER FILE The following steps only apply If you selected Yes on the Create Transfer File panel. If you chose Yes, then the Select Destination Company panel of the Create Transfer File wizard opens. 7. Enter the name and a brief description of the destination company, then click Next. The Transfer File Information panel opens. 8. Enter the name and description of the BNAFA Transfer File, then click Next. The BNAFA Transfer File Information panel opens. It gives details about the transfer file, including the names of the transfer from and transfer to companies, the name of the transfer file, and the number of assets included in the file. Click Next. The Ready panel opens. 9. Click Finish to create the transfer file or click Back to change any information. After clicking Finish, a message displays that tells the number of assets exported and the file it was exported to. The full path of the log for the transfer file is included in brackets.

BRINGING IN A TRANSFER FILE The Bring In Transfer File option allows you to bring the assets in an BNA Fixed Assets Transfer File (.ndx file) into a company database using the Bring in Transfer File wizard. Follow these steps to transfer in an asset: 1. From the Asset Menu, select Bring in Transfer File.

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wizBringInTransferFile Open.tif

.ndx file

Select the Transfer File that was created during the Transfer Out process. The file name should have the ndx extension. Then, click Open. The BNAFA Transfer Information panel opens. wizBringInTransferFileBNAFATr ansferInformation.tif

2. Click Next. The Ready panel opens.

wizBringInTransferFileReady.tif

This panel gives you the opportunity to go back and change any selections you made previously before beginning the Transfer In process. If no changes are necessary, click Finish to begin the process. A message displays that tells the number of assets imported and the file it was imported from. The full path of the log for the transfer file is included in brackets. Tip: Be careful when bringing assets into a company because the program will not prevent you from bringing the asset(s) into a different company or into the same company multiple times.

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SPLITTING ASSETS With the DesktopPro and Server program editions, you can split an asset into several pieces using the Split Asset wizard. There are three levels of split, with up to nine assets at each level. Therefore, each previously unsplit asset, if split to the maximum number of pieces, would become 729 child assets. For example, each previously unsplit asset can be split into nine child assets. These child assets use the Asset ID of their parent asset, but with a number from 1 to 9 appended at the end, like an extension. For example, ND000030.1 is a child of ND000030. Note: Once an asset is split, the program changes its Status on the Asset List from A (active) to S (split). Then, you can split each of these child assets into nine more child assets. A number between 1 and 9 is appended to the parent asset’s Asset ID number to create the child asset’s Asset ID number (for example, ND000030.13). Then, you can split each of these child-of-a-child assets into nine more child assets. A number between 1 and 9 is appended to the parent asset's Asset ID number to create the child asset’s Asset ID number (for example, ND000030.132).

SPLITTING ASSETS You can split an asset into several pieces by accessing the Split Asset wizard though the Asset List or Asset Viewer. To split an asset: 1. Display the asset you want to split in the Asset Viewer or select the asset you want to split in the Asset List. 2. Click Split. (Alternatively, you can select Split on the Asset menu. Or, on the Asset List, right-click on the asset and select Split on the pop-up menu.) The first panel of the Split Asset wizard opens. 3. Enter the number of pieces you want the asset divided into and click Next. The Allocate Cost panel opens.

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::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Use this panel to change the amount or percentage of cost allocated to each child asset. By default, the program evenly allocates the cost of the parent asset to the child assets. If you change the allocation for one asset, you must also change the allocation for at least one other asset so that 100% of the cost is allocated among the child assets. You will not be able to finish the wizard until 100% of the cost is allocated. 4. After allocating the cost of the asset, click Finish. The last panel informs you that the asset was split successfully. 5. Click OK to close the wizard. 6. In the Asset List, double-click one of the assets created from the split — a child asset — and review the data. 7. Make any necessary changes.

REVIEWING SPLIT ASSET INFORMATION To review information about a split — parent — asset, select the asset (in the Asset Viewer or Asset List), and then click Split Information on the Asset menu. The Asset Split Information dialog opens.

REJOINING SPLIT ASSETS After an asset has been split, the Split command (on the Asset List or Asset Viewer) changes to Unsplit, which allows you to reinstate the asset. The depreciation amounts will be recalculated from the original split date onwards. If you disposed a child asset, you must undispose it before you can unsplit the parent asset. Parent assets are deemed inactive. This means that the fields on the Asset tab of the Asset Viewer are dimmed to prevent attempts to change these fields. If there are changes that need to be made to the asset, you must either unsplit the parent asset or make the changes to the child assets. To unsplit an asset: 1. Select the asset to be unsplit. There are two ways to do this: ■ 152

Display the asset you want to unsplit in the Asset Viewer.

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Select the asset you want to unsplit in the Asset List.

2. Click Unsplit. There are three ways to do this: ■

Click the Unsplit button on the Asset List or Asset Viewer.

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On the Asset menu, select Unsplit.

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On the Asset List, right-click anywhere on the line of the asset and select Unsplit on the pop-up menu.

The program issues a message telling you that all child assets resulting from the original split will be deleted, and asks for confirmation before continuing. 3. Click Yes to proceed.

ASSET SPLIT REPORT The Asset Split report lists all asset splits, and the result of each split, during a specified focus period by a specified book. RptAssetSplit.tif

Note: The Original Cost on the Asset Split report is not necessarily the Acquisition Cost of the asset. The Book Cost will be prorated based on the percentages entered into the Allocate Cost dialog if Book Cost differs from Acquisition Cost.

INCLUDING SPLIT ASSETS IN OTHER REPORTS The assets that were split (parent and child assets) are excluded from most reports automatically. Once an asset is split, you will not be allowed to edit it until the asset has been unsplit. A split asset has an Inactive status. To include parent split assets on reports, change the query in the Edit Report Properties dialog to include All Assets.

PARTIALLY DISPOSING AN ASSET To make a partial disposal of an asset: 153

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 1. Split the asset. 2. Go to the child asset resulting from the split that you want to dispose. 3. Click the Dispose button. The Dispose Asset wizard opens. 4. Supply the information requested in the panels. 5. Click Finish to complete the wizard. Note: If you would like to dispose of the child assets all together, use the Mass Disposal wizard.

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ADMIN TASKS The program allows you to assign role-based access within a company. If there are multiple companies, the program allows you to assign a different role to a particular client in each company. It also allows you to control which companies a client can access.

FILE MANAGEMENT The File Management submenu appears on the File menu only when there are no files open. This submenu includes the following commands, which operate on both company database and template files: ■

Backup

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Restore

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Condense

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Expand mFileFileManagement.tif

>

BACKING UP A COMPANY This choice creates a backup file of a company or template. Note. We strongly recommend keeping daily and weekly backups of your companies, so that if something unexpected happens you can make a quick recovery.

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::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Follow these steps to create a backup file of your company: 1. On the File menu, click File Management and then click Backup. The Backup Company dialog opens.

dBackupCompanyFile.tif

2. Use Browse to locate the file and to specify the name of the company to be backed up. After you select the file that you want backed up, the program automatically uses the company file’s path and file name to derive the name and location of the backup, using the file name extension cbk for database backup files (rather than cdb) and for consolidated company files (rather than ccf). (The extension tbk is used for template backup files.) You can change the name and path of the backup file, if you want. When you specify a diskette as the destination location of the backup file, the program will prompt for additional diskettes if the backup file is larger than the available space on the diskette. 3. Click Backup. The program creates the backup file.

RESTORING A COMPANY Follow these steps to restore a backup file to a company file: 1. On the File menu, click File Management and then click Restore. The Restore Company dialog opens. dRestoreCompany.tif

2. Use the Browse button to locate the file you want to restore. The program indicates that it will restore the file in the same directory as the backup file. By default, the program names the file the same as the backup file but with a cdb extension. You can indicate a different path and file name by typing it (or using the Browse button) in the Company/Template to be Restored field. 3. Click Restore. The program restores the company file.

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CONDENSING A COMPANY Use the Condense command to create a smaller file that you can copy or archive to a diskette or other removable media. This is especially useful for taking the file to a client’s office. Note. Unlike the Backup command, which creates a separate file, the Condense command deletes the company database, replacing it with the condensed file. Before condensing a company to a diskette or other removable media, we suggest that you back up the company database. To condense a company file: 1. On the File menu, click File Management and then click Condense. The Condense Company File dialog opens. dCondenseCompanyFile.tif

2. Click Browse next to the File to Condense field to locate and select the company file to be condensed. After you select the company file, the program automatically uses the file’s path and file name to derive the name and location of the condensed file, using the file name extension cdf for condensed database files (rather than cdb) and for consolidated company files (rather than ccf). (The extension tdf is used for condensed template files.) You can change the name and path of the condensed file, if you wish. When you specify a diskette as the destination location of the condensed file, the program will prompt for additional diskettes if the condensed file is larger than the available space on the diskette. 3. Click Condense.

EXPANDING A CONDENSED COMPANY When you are ready to resume work on a condensed file or use a condensed template, you can expand it to its former size. When you expand a file on your hard drive or on a network drive, the condensed file is automatically deleted upon completion. 1. On the File menu, click File Management and then click Expand. The Expand Company File dialog opens.

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2. Use Browse to locate and select the file you want to expand. The program automatically uses the file’s path and file name to derive the name and location of the company file. You can change the name and path of the destination company file, if you wish. 3. Click Expand.

ENABLING AND DISABLING SECURITY Users can be added in the User Manager. The User Maintenance submenu appears on the File menu only when there is a company database or template file open. mFileUserMaintenance.tif

This submenu includes the following commands: ■

Enable Security

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Disable Security

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Add User

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Change Password

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Delete User

These commands allow you to establish and maintain passwords that will grant authorized users access to a company database or file.

ENABLING USER SECURITY To enable security, from the File menu, select User Maintenance, then click Enable Security. As long as users have been defined in the system, security is enabled. 158

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: When you setup a new company, the program automatically asks you if you want to enable security. If you select yes, then the program provides you with a dialog box to setup the user and password. The program provides “role-based” security. See the program’s Help for more information.

DISABLING USER SECURITY To disable security: 1. On the File menu, click User Maintenance. 2. Click Disable Security. Security is no longer enabled for that company.

CLIENTS AND ROLES Each client that is added to a company is assigned a Login Name and a role. This role defines (limits) the type of operations that this client can perform in a database. A client may be granted access to multiple companies (as long as the companies are located on the client’s assigned program server). However, a client (that is, a Login Name) may have only one role per database. Although a user can only have one role per company, the roles are not mutually exclusive. The same role can be assigned to more than one person. It is not necessary to use all of the roles in a company. Note. A user role is referred to as a client in this lesson. Each client is given a Login Name. The Login Name is used to assign a client a role in a company. There are six predefined roles that cannot be altered, and a seventh role that can be customized: ■

Company Administrator — has complete operational capability. (As used here, the term Administrator refers to a client role and should not be confused with User (Network) Administrator.)

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Data Entry — performs basic asset management, such as asset entry.

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Senior Data Entry — performs complete asset management, including entering and editing assets, asset fields, and asset types.

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Report — creates and maintains report configuration; can view and print reports.

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Read Only — has view-only capability; no other operational capabilities.

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Manager — has all Company Administrator capabilities, but cannot delete, back up, or restore company databases.

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Custom — has capabilities as assigned. 159

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USER ADMINISTRATOR VS. COMPANY ADMINISTRATOR Company database and template security is managed by the User Administrator of the program server. The User Administrator uses the client program to manage Login Names, passwords, company assignment, and client roles. The User Administrator should not be confused with the client role of (Company) Administrator. The User Administrator is usually the Network Administrator or the person responsible for installing programs. Unless assigned a role, the User Administrator does not have an active role in the company. The User Administrator’s involvement with a company is limited to establishing who has access to a company and the types of operations that the person can perform. Note. The Client Role of Company Administrator deals with functions within a company. The Company Administrator has unlimited access to perform any activity in an open company.

ADDING CLIENTS TO A COMPANY In order to add a client to a company and/or assign them a role, you must be logged in as the user administrator.

LOGGING IN To log in as user administrator, follow these steps: 1. On the File menu, click User Manager. This option is only available on the File menu when all company databases and templates are closed. The Administrator Login dialog opens. dAdministratorLogin.tif

Your specified home server name appears here

Tip: If you have not selected a home server, a message informs you that no server is selected. You will need to select a server before continuing. To do this, click Tools and then click Select Home Server(s). 2. Enter your password in the Administrator Password field, then click OK.

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::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Tip: If this is your first time logging in, use the default password: administrator. However, we strongly suggest that you change your password as soon as possible. See “Changing the Administrator Password” on page 164.) If nothing happens after you enter a password, make sure you are entering your password correctly. The User Manager dialog will not open until you enter a valid password. Login Names and Passwords can only contain letters or numbers in any combination; no other characters or spaces are allowed. The password is not casesensitive. The User Manager dialog opens. dUserManager.tif

This dialog allows you to enter clients for a company database. A company does not have security enabled until a client is established using the User Manager dialog. However, once the first client is entered, the company is locked and can only be accessed when a client enters a correct Login Name and Password.

SETTING UP A USER’S LOGIN NAME AND PASSWORD 1. Open the User Manager dialog (see “Logging In” on page 160). 2. On the User Manager dialog, click New from the User menu. mUserNew.tif

The Add User dialog opens.

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dAddUser.tif

3. Enter the Login Name for the new client in the first field. The Login Name (client’s ID) must be at least 4 characters in length and cannot exceed 29 characters. 4. In the last two fields, enter the client’s password. Passwords must be at least 6 characters in length and cannot exceed 29 characters. Make a note of the password you assign to each Login Name and keep this information in a safe place. If there is a problem with a misplaced password, call Bloomberg BNA software products technical support at 1.800.424.2938, option 2. 5. Click OK. The User Manager dialog opens, displaying the new client’s ID in the Login Name field. If at any time you do not want to save changes made on the User Manager dialog, simply click Cancel to close the dialog. 6. Complete the remaining fields on the User Manager dialog. Caution! Clicking OK on the User Manager dialog at this point will cause a message to appear, which informs you that the new user has no company assignments and asks if you want to continue without adding the new user. Click Yes to cancel the operation (the client will not be added), or click No to continue adding the client. 7. Click Permissions on the User Manager dialog. On the Permissions dialog, assign a company and a role to the client, then click Done to return to the User Manager dialog. (This step is required.) 8. Click OK on the User Manager dialog to complete the operation.

ASSIGNING A COMPANY AND A ROLE TO A CLIENT The Permissions dialog allows you to assign a company and a role to a client. Keep in mind that each client must be assigned at least one company and that for each company assigned, a role must be specified. A client can be assigned more than one company, but may have only one role per company. 1. Open the User Manager dialog (see “Logging In” on page 160). 2. Select the desired client in the Login Name field, then click Permissions. The Permissions dialog opens:

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Click to select or deselect a company

Company databases residing on the server are listed here

The selected company appears here

Click to select a role Permissions tabs

Click to select or deselect a Permission

Permissions are listed (by tab) here

3. Available companies are listed in the upper portion of the dialog. Select the company to be accessed by the client by clicking check box in the Permit column. (To deselect a company, click the check box again.) 4. In the Apply role to company field, select a role to be assigned to the client for the selected company (or companies). 5. If you are assigning the Custom role to the client, go to “Creating a Custom Role” on page 163. 6. To assign another role to the client for a different company, repeat Steps 3 and 4, above. 7. When finished assigning permissions, click Done. The Permissions dialog closes and the User Manager dialog reopens. Click Cancel if you do not want to save the changes, or click OK to save the changes. The User Manager dialog closes.

CREATING A CUSTOM ROLE 1. Follow steps 1 through 3 under “Assigning a Company and a Role to a Client” on page 162. 2. In the Apply role to company field, select Custom. Tip: The permissions of the Custom role are based on the last predefined role assigned to the client. Therefore, if you are assigning the Custom role to a newly added client, first select a predefined role with permissions similar to those you want, then select Custom. 3. Edit the assigned permissions on the various Permissions tabs by selecting or deselecting the various permissions. 163

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 4. After customizing the permissions, click Done. The Permissions dialog closes and the User Manager dialog opens. 5. Click Cancel if you do not want to save the change, or click OK to save the change. The User Manager dialog closes.

CHANGING THE ADMINISTRATOR PASSWORD By default, the password for the Administrator login is administrator. We strongly suggest that you change the password. If not, it’s possible for anyone to gain access to the security features of your company. To change the password: Note. All company databases must be closed. 1. On the File menu, click User Manager.

mFileUserManager.tif

The Administrator Login dialog opens.

dAdministratorLogin.tif

2. Click Change. The Change Password dialog opens. dChangePassword.tif

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::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 3. Enter your current password in the Old Password field and enter your new password in both the New Password and Confirm New Password fields. Then click OK.

AUDIT TRAIL TRACKING Audit trail tracking gives you the ability to keep detailed track of changes made to your fixed assets data. The program tracks such details as who made the change, when it was made, what was changed, and the impact of the change on your depreciation calculation. This feature is an important addition to your internal control documentation for fixed assets.

ENABLING AUDIT TRAIL TRACKING By default, audit trail tracking is disabled in a company. To turn on this feature, follow these simple steps. 1. Establish security for the company. 2. On the Tools menu, click Enable Audit Trail Tracking. Tip: The program does not confirm that you have enabled audit trail tracking. However, if you select the Tools menu again, you will notice that the menu option has changed to Disable Audit Trail Tracking. 3. Print Audit Trail reports. Printing an Audit Trail report is the same as printing any other report. See “Reports” on page 95. If necessary, you have the ability to disable audit trail tracking and purge an existing audit trail at any time.

PURGING AN AUDIT TRAIL If necessary, you can easily remove an existing audit trail at any time. Upon removal, you have the option to archive the data. Note. If you choose to archive the purged audit trail, the data is saved as a CSV file, which you can open and view with Microsoft Excel. This data cannot be imported back into the program. To purge an audit trail: 1. On the Tools menu, click Purge Audit Trail. The Purge Audit Trail dialog opens. 2. Enter the date through which you want to purge the audit trail. All audit trail data prior to this date will be retained.

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::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 3. If you want to archive the purged audit trail: a. Click Create Archive. b. Browse to the location where you want to store the archive. Tip: You can accept the default file name or create your own. 4. Click OK to close the dialog. 5. Click OK on the confirmation message complete the process.

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