Lacerte's data path is where client information is stored to calculate and print returns.
To find the data path:
- Press F10 to open the Technical Support Information window.
- The data path is listed in the System Information tab.
- Go to the Settings menu and click Options.
- In the Setup tab, the Data Path field is the first one listed.
How to find data path files
The default data path is: X:\Lacerte\YYTax\#Data, where:
- X is the drive letter where the data is stored
- YY is the year of the program
- # is the module letter the data is set to
- For example, I indicates Individual data, C stands for Corporate.
Tax module identifiers are:
I = Individual (1040)
P = Partnership (1065)
C = Corporate (1120)
S = S-Corporate (1120S)
F = Fiduciary/Trust (1041)
R = Exempt Org (990)
B = Benefit Plan (5500)
T = Estate (706)
N = Gift (709)
Client information files in the data path
Inside the data path is a list of *.DBF Files. These files contain client information (Screen 1) and subclient information.
- Subclients are dependents (Individual), partners (Partnership), officers (Corporate, Exempt Organization), shareholders (S-Corporate), beneficiaries (Fiduciary, Estate), donees (Gift), and participants (Benefit Plan).
You will also see a list of *.MDX Files. These are index files used to find records in the *.DBF files.
- The Detail folder contains all detail screens except Client Information, Subclient Information, and Notes.
- The Detail folder holds one file for every client in that particular tax type.
- Client files will have a 3 digit file extension with the letter of the tax type, follow by the letter D, then the last digit of the tax year.
- For example, a file extension of .ID9 would indicate an Individual 2009 client file.
Other folders stored in the data path
Not all folders listed here are applicable to all tax modules.
- NOTES: contains clients notes (Screen 47) and other miscellaneous information. There will be several files with different extensions for each client.
- BAD: stores defective Bridge and Detail files.
- DCDATA: contains custom templates for the data conductor.
- EF: contains e-file transmission and acknowledgement files.
- ESignature: contains files related to eSignature.
- EXPORT: default location for export files.
- Link: contains files related to Intuit Link.
- RefundsN: contains information used by Refunds Now for Rapid Anticipation Loans.
- TaxImport: contains files related to scan and submit, and financial institution downloads.
- TBData: contains trial balance data for all clients combined into a set of database files.
- URN: contains information regarding users in the program.
