Mass Reassignment of Preparer

[Lccacct]

I am needing to change the listed preparer in 2019 individual lacerte for all clients at the signature status from one preparer to another. but have encountered an issue doing this in mass? Is there a way to do this in mass without changing the preparer info listed in master options as this is effecting clients outside of signature status. I need to solely switch signature status clients from one preparers to another?

[DatabaseRobert]

Within Lacerte, no, there is no good way.  All changes inside any given client ("any time that you are not at the Client List view") needs to be done one at a time.
  (On the Client List view, as you know, you can potentially change several clients' information at once for things like efiling, or F4/status updates.)

.

However: if you first establish an ODBC connection to your data, then "yes" you can use an external program (spreadsheet, database, Javascript, Python programming, whatever you prefer) to make changes individually or wholesale.
  https://proconnect.intuit.com/community/permissions/help/lacerte-software-developer-s-kit/00/102313
  https://developer.intuit.com/app/developer/lacerte-sdk/docs/lacerte-get-started

You would connect to the data directory, open the "DATA1-Client Info" file, and search in either column C1_1 (for the Preparer, whose name appears on the signature line) or column C1_56 (Staff Preparer, the one who did actual work on the return).
  Note that both columns store only the Preparer (from Ctrl+O[ptions] | Preparers tab) NUMBER, not storing by name.



Robert Kirk
LTUGtools

[DatabaseRobert]

See my response to fundamentally the same inquiry, here:
  https://proconnect.intuit.com/community/lacerte-tax-discussions/discussion/mass-reassignment-of-prep...

Before Lacerte changed the data table structure (TY2018), the plain DBase files were able to be opened & read (and possibly changed, depending on the program you were using) from TY1999 through TY2017.  I used Paradox (originally by Borland, currently part of the Corel WordPerfect Office Suite package), and it looks like I started scripting mass-changes to Preparer/Staff Preparer not later than mid-January of 2010.

Currently I would do this by setting up an ODBC connection, and then making mass changes as before.  For details, read the link above.



Robert Kirk
LTUGtools

[DatabaseRobert]

Heh; my apologies.  I did not realize that I had clicked open the same thread in multiple tabs, so I thought that I was replying to two different posts.



Robert

[DatabaseRobert]

See this thread, which has fundamentally the same answer.  (There, the user is trying to change the Preparer/Staff Preparer fields.  You want to make similar changes, just to different fields.)
  https://proconnect.intuit.com/community/lacerte-tax-discussions/discussion/mass-reassignment-of-prep...

Including specifically where I link to the articles where the SDK is available.  Create your ODBC connection, and then use your software of choice to look at the table of client data and fill in what you need to.

If you already have that information somewhere else (like in your CRM software), you can use a script or macro to say "find this client #, if <this field, like "salutation"> is blank then fill in <this value, from source data>."



Robert Kirk
LTUGtools

[DatabaseRobert]

(My apologies for repeated posts pointing back to this same topic. I have now figured out *why* that is happening.)

Okay, and apparently this feedback site does <some kind of weird re-direction>, where when you are typing your response on TopicX and you happen to use a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT BROWSER TAB to find some other TopicQ, because you happened to have been on Q most recently, your response--written on TopicX's tab, with TopicX visible to you--GETS POSTED ON THE OTHER (TOPICQ) PAGE INSTEAD.

Lacerte, this is completely frickin' useless behavior.  Maybe some people ACTUALLY OPEN MULTIPLE TABS TO READ the oh, so terribly MANY issues that exist with the Lacerte software?!?!



Robert Kirk
Multiply communicating (accidentally)

[Karl]

Also, see if this idea has been submitted here within the "Tax Idea Exchange" section and upvote it.  Otherwise, create a post there.  Once an idea gets to 50 votes, the tech team will look at and consider it.