Prohibiting Changes and Unlocking Returns

If you have the permission right to edit tax returns, you can lock returns manually by using the Prohibit Changes feature. Other staff are then prevented from editing the locked return so you can finalize or review the return without risk of data changing. However, you can electronically file extensions and purge notes of manually locked returns in Batch Manager.

In addition, the system automatically locks returns in the following situations:

  • Returns are open and in use by other staff.
  • Returns are being processed in a Batch Manager job.
  • Returns were closed unexpectedly by another process, such as a session timeout or server maintenance.

Locked returns display in view-only mode for review purposes. Locked returns cannot be edited, calculated, or recalculated. Locked returns in a consolidated unit cannot be group calculated. Staff can do certain actions that would not cause changes to the tax return, such as exporting data and viewing return history.

Prohibiting Changes (Manual Lock)

To prohibit changes to a return, do one of the following:

  • In Return Manager, do the following:
    1. Select one or multiple returns from the grid.
    2. Select Manage > Prohibit Changes in Manage> Unlock on the menu bar. The activity log in return history is updated. A locked icon,, displays in the grid to indicate other staff cannot edit the return.
      • Prohibit Changes displays in the Read Only column, if that column is selected to display in the grid.
      • The activity log in return history is updated.
  • From an open return, select Prohibit Changes in the Security group on the Manage tab. The activity log in return history is updated.

Note: When you use Save As to create a return, the Prohibit Changes setting, if applied, is not saved with the new return.

Unlocking Returns

The method of unlocking a return depends on whether the return was locked manually or automatically.

Manually Locked Returns

If a return was locked manually, clear Prohibit Changes to enable changes to the return. The activity log in return history is updated.

Note: You must have the Remove lock to prevent changes functional right assigned to clear Prohibit Changes if another staff selected it.

Automatically Locked Returns

To unlock a return that was locked automatically by the system, do the following:

  1. Select one or more returns to unlock in the Return Manager grid.
  2. Select Manage > Unlock > In-Use in the Manage group on the Home tab.

Notes:

  • You must have the Remove lock on in use return functional right permission assigned to use the Unlock feature.
  • Unlocked returns are closed automatically for other staff who are using them.