How do I add a green flag or remove an existing one?
This article is about flagged Data Entry fields. For information about using DoubleCheck® to flag lines in Enhanced View, see Related Links below.
An EF message like the example listed below is generated by a flagged field, also known as an unverified field, and must be cleared by verifying the field before you can e-file a return.
There is an unverified field on the following screen(s):
1 Name, Address, General Info
Fields are flagged and cleared within the data entry of the return. They can be flagged and cleared globally for existing returns or for new returns by going to Setup > Options > Administrative Options tab. You must be logged in as admin in order to gain access to the Administrative Options tab.
Here is a summary of functions pertaining to flagged fields.
| From inside a return |
To flag a field
|
Click the field and press F2 or
right-click the field and select Flag For Review from the drop list.
|
| To clear a flagged field |
Click the field and press F4 or begin data entry; or |
| Hover over the top of the screen to activate the Drake Toolbar* and click Clear Flags. |
To clear all flagged fields in a return, press CTRL + Shift+ Space while in the Data Entry menu.
If flags keep reappearing after clearing them, press CTRL + Shift+ R while in the Data Entry menu and then repeat first step. |
Global Flagging setup (admin login required)
To set screen flagging at Setup > Options on the Administrative Options tab:
Select Use customized flagged fields on all returns and click Flag. Select the return type.
|
Screen flagging |
To set a field for screen flagging, click the field and press F2, or right-click the field and select Flag For Review When Screen Is Created. |
| The result: If a screen is necessary to the return and an uncleared flag exists on it, (1) a message is generated preventing EF, and (2) the screen is highlighted in green on the Data Entry menu. |
| If the screen is not necessary to the return, until you begin data entry on that screen an uncleared flag does not generate a message, and the screen is not green highlighted on the Data Entry menu. |
| New return flagging |
To set a field for new return flagging, right-click the field and select Flag For Review When Return Is Created. |
|
The result: For any flagged field in a new return, (1) a message is generated preventing EF, and (2) the screen is highlighted in green on the Data Entry menu. You must clear each flag regardless whether the screen is needed for the return.
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When updating from prior year
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To apply your global flagging setup to returns updated from last year, select Apply current-year Admin flag settings when updating from prior year on the Setup > Options > Administrative Options tab |
| *See Related Links below for more information about the Drake Toolbar. |
Some states are now requiring certain fields to be flagged upon update from the prior year. See Related Links below for details.
For more information, see the User’s Manual section Data Entry > Field Flags in the Basics chapter.