Use of the CSM

Use the Client Status Manager (CSM) to track the work flow within your office. It provides on-screen tracking, reporting and exporting utilities to assist office management. Data that is viewed within the CSM is only from returns that are prepared on-site in your office. You can send CSM data to Drake Software through the EF Process (Setup > Options> EF> Upload Client Status Manager data to Drake for web-based reporting) so you can combine and review many offices' CSM data in the Multi-Office Manager (MOM). The CSM and the MOM work hand in hand.

Watch the video CSM Statuses for a demonstration.

Add Clients

Each client that has a data file will have a record in the CSM. New client records are added to the CSM database in two ways. Returns are added through Last Year Data > Update Clients 2023 to 2024 and when a return is created through File > Open.

Return Status

The Status column displays the current status of each return. Some user intervention is required to track accurately the status of a return within the CSM. Some of these statuses are set automatically for changing events that occur during a return's preparation. Others must be set manually, since they reflect statuses that cannot be predicted by the program.

Customize

See Drake Tax - Customizing CSM Statuses for details.

Data Tracking

Information gathered from “Name and Address” screen in Data Entry

• Client Name

• SSN or EIN

• Federal Filing

• Return preparer

• Firm Number

• Firm EFIN (Based on the Firm Number’s EFIN in Setup > Firms)

• ERO EFIN (Based on the ERO Number’s EFIN in Setup > ERO)

Miscellaneous Data Entry Information

• Last Updated – Based on the date the CSM record was modified.

• Date Started – Based on the first date there was any change within the return. This date can be altered on the ADMN screen in data entry.

• Date Completed – Based on the date the “Complete” status was set within the return. This date can be altered on the ADMN screen in data entry.

• Login Name of the last person to modify the CSM record.

• Return Status – Based on the Client Status set within the return.

• Federal Refund or Balance Due amount

• State Information – Tracking will provide up to 6 states:

  • State prepared

  • State Transmission

  • State Acknowledgment code

  • State Acknowledgment Date

  • State Refund or Balance Due amount

Electronic Filing and Banking Information

• Federal Transmission Date

• Federal Acknowledgment Code

• Federal Acknowledgment Date

• Checks Ready to Print

• Bank Fees Expected and Deposited to Firm’s account

• Date Bank Fees Deposited to Firm’s account

Billing & Fees Information

• Expected Fees

• Over the Counter Fees paid to Preparer

• Date Over the Counter fees Paid to Preparer

• Deposit Type/Payment Indicator

• Receipt Number

• Bill Date

Customizing the CSM

• Access the CSM through Reports > Client Status Manager or with the CSM button on the Home window toolbar. The first time the CSM loads, the view is set to the shipping defaults. Not all fields are in the default view. If you previously customized your view or set any of the pre-defined filters, the view will be displayed in the state to which it was last set. Customizing the column headings and using the filters is discussed below.

Toolbar

Across the top of the CSM screen is a toolbar that controls the functionality of the CSM. There are seven function buttons and additional Help and Exit buttons.

• Open Selected Client (CTRL + O) - After selecting a return in the list, click to open it.

• Search for Client Record (CTRL + F) - Click, and enter the SSN/EIN or client name to find within the list. This is a good way to jump directly to a file.

• Customize Display (CTRL + D) - Click to display a secondary screen, where you can modify the column layout or the editable status settings.

• Refresh Display (F5) - Click to update the display

• Filters (CTRL + L) - Filter Client List: - Select a filter from this list to limit the CSM client list by preparer, return status and return type information.

• Quick View - View Information for Currently Selected Record (CTRL + Q). After selecting a return, click to display a secondary screen that summarizes the CSM data for that return.

• Reports - Generate Reports (CTRL + R). Click to display a secondary screen where pre-defined reports can be generated.

• Export to Excel (CTRL + E) - Click to export the current view to a Microsoft Excel file (if Excel is installed).

CSM Data List

The main portion of the CSM screen is a list that contains all client records that match any Filter that has been selected. Only the default columns or those selected in the Customize > Column Layout option are displayed.

Column Headings

Click Customize on the toolbar or right click anywhere in the data list and select Customize Display from the pop-up menu.

On the next screen select the Column Layout tab. This tab displays two panels of column headings.

• The left panel contains the column headings that are not currently in the CSM Data List.

• The right panel contains the column headings that are currently in the CSM Data List.

To move a column heading between these two panels, select the appropriate heading and click the Select or Remove button.

• The Select All and Remove All buttons will move the entire list that is displayed in the respective panel.

To reset the CSM Data List to the original column heading display, click the Reset button.

• You can also "drag and drop" column headings within the panels to change the column order displayed in the CSM list, and you can “drag and drop” column headings between the panels.

View Info

To view the information for a specific record in the CSM Data List, select the record and click the Quick View button; right click on the record and select Quick View from the pop-up menu; or double click the record in the CSM Data List. A second screen is displayed containing all of the CSM Data for the selected record. Click the Open button on this screen to open the return in Data Entry.

Filtering

To apply a filter to the CSM Data List, click the Filters button on the toolbar. A drop list is displayed with the different types of filters that can be applied to the data list. There are four different sections of filters. Four filters, one from each section, can be active at the same time. Three are always active (one from each of the first three sections).

Section 1 – Preparers

• All Preparers – Select this filter to show all returns regardless of the return preparer.

• Current Preparer – Select this filter to show only returns that were prepared by the preparer that is currently logged into the program.

Section 2 – Status (Based on the return status that is set in Data Entry)

• All Status Types

• Work In Progress

• Completed Returns

• EF Not Sent

• EF Pending

• EF Accepted

• EF Rejected

• Missing Files

Section 3 – Return Type

• All Return Types

• All Business Returns

• Individual (1040)

• Corporate (1120)

• S Corp (1120-S)

• Partnership (1065)

• Fiduciary (1041)

• Estate Tax (706)

• Tax Exempt (990)

Section 4 – Hiding Returns (optional)

• Hide Inactive Returns

• Hide Completed Returns

• Hide Deleted Returns

• Display Deleted Records (ADMIN only)

Reports

To generate reports based on the CSM Data, click the Reports button on the toolbar. A second screen displays the types of available reports. Select a report, select any report options desired, and click Reports to generate one of the following reports.

Report Types

• Client Status Manager Data - This report is based solely on the data that is in the current view of the CSM Data List. Only the data in column headings that are currently displayed are included in this report.

• Cash Receipts - This report displays the cash received from either a bank product deposit or payments received from a client that are entered on the BILL or ADMN screens within Data Entry. The report can be generated by date range and by preparer.

• Cash Receipts - Bank Deposits - This report lists cash amounts received from bank deposits only. The data in this report is pulled from the EF database.

• Cash Receipts - Client Payments - Report lists amounts entered on the BILL screen in data entry.

• Completed Returns - This report shows a listing of client SSNs/EINs and Client Names of returns that have a status of Complete. The date completed comes from the ADMN screen which is auto-set when you select a status of Complete from the Data Entry toolbar. Alternatively, you can directly set the complete date in the ADMN screen.

• Problem Returns - "Old" Returns - This report is based on the number of days that have passed since an uncompleted return was started. You define the “age” of the returns sought in the report’s options, and the report uses the started date and completed date fields from the ADMN screen in data entry.

• Problem Returns - "Missing Files" - This report displays information about returns that have been deleted (File Deleted status), and returns that do not exist in the current data path (File Not Found status).

Export to Excel

Click the Export button to export the current CSM Data List to an Excel file. The computer from which you run this function must have Microsoft Excel installed.

Admin-only Features

The following CSM features are available only to users with administrative rights.

Deleting a Record

When a record is deleted from the CSM display, it is no longer visible in the CSM. It still exists in the software, however. To delete a record from the CSM display, right click the record and select Delete Record. To view a deleted record, click Filters > Display Deleted Records. To restore a deleted record, apply the Display Deleted Records filter, right click the record and select Undelete CSM Record.

Restoring Data

When restoring data, the CSM scans a client file, calculates the return, searches the EF database, and updates the data. To restore data from the CSM, right-click a record and select Restore CSM Data (This Client). Click OK.

Removing Duplicates

To remove a duplicate entry in the CSM, right-click a record and select Remove Duplicate Entries (Entire Database).