The Paragraph Library contains the standard and custom paragraphs for all letter types. Use the Paragraph Library to create, edit, and delete custom paragraphs, edit conditions and grammar variables, and suppress or unsuppress paragraphs from letters.
Paragraphs are grouped in paragraph sections, such as Heading or Closing, under each letter type. The system provides a standard paragraph section that cannot be edited, moved, or deleted.
You can create user-defined custom paragraphs and save standard paragraphs as custom paragraphs that you can then edit, move, or delete. Once you create a custom paragraph, you can save it to multiple locations in the Paragraph Library.
When you make changes to the custom paragraph, you have the same option of saving your changes to all locations where the paragraph exists in the library.
Paragraphs in the Paragraph Library are color-coded as follows:
Black text. Standard paragraph
Pink text. Custom paragraph created from a standard
Blue text. User-defined custom paragraph, also referred to as pure custom
You can also use the Properties window to display the staff name that created or last modified a paragraph, indicating the paragraph is custom. For standard paragraphs, the value for Modified by staff on the Paragraph Properties window is System.
Select the tax year and return type from the available lists in the left pane of the Correspondence Manager window, and then click.
If the library section is not expanded, click the Paragraph Library navigation bar in the left pane. Standard paragraphs display in black font, custom paragraphs created from standard paragraphs display in pink font, and user-defined custom paragraphs display in blue font.
Enter complete or partial criteria in the box above the list in the library, and then click.
When the search is complete, the folders containing matches to the criteria you entered will open in the library and the matching items will be highlighted yellow.
The number of matches found displays to the right of the root folder in the library.
Click next to the Search box to remove highlighting from the library and enable the Search button.
A numeric ID is assigned to standard and custom paragraphs that allow Support to easily identify paragraphs needing diagnosis. The reference ID displays before the paragraph description in the Letter Template and Paragraph Libraries. Expand a paragraph section in the Paragraph Library to view the reference ID for each paragraph in the section.
The Location column in the following table describes where each option can be accessed. Some options, as noted in the Location column, are only available for custom paragraphs. See Adding Custom Paragraphs for more information. The paragraph location refers to both standard and custom paragraphs.
The letter type location refers to the top-level folder in the Paragraph Library. The paragraph section location refers to the second-level in the Paragraph Library.
Option
Location
Description
Delete Custom Paragraph
Ribbon, custom paragraph right-click menu
Deletes a custom paragraph from the Paragraph Library, either pure custom or a custom created from a standard paragraph.
Delete Paragraph
Section
Paragraph section right-click menu
Deletes a custom paragraph section, including all custom paragraphs in the section.
Edit Condition
Custom paragraph section and custom paragraph right-click menus
Opens the Condition Editor for a selected custom paragraph or custom paragraph section. See Using the Condition Editor for more information.
Edit Paragraph
Ribbon, paragraph right-click menu
Opens the selected paragraph in the Word pane.
Expand/Collapse
Paragraph Library letter type and paragraph section right-click menus
Opens and closes the selected letter type or paragraph section in the library.
New Custom Paragraph
Ribbon, Application menu, paragraph section right-click menu
Opens a blank document in the Word pane.
New Paragraph Section
Paragraph Library letter type and paragraph section right-click menus
Creates a new custom paragraph section in the selected letter type or paragraph section. You can add paragraph sections up to two levels below each letter type; therefore, this option is only available at the letter type and the first-level paragraph section.
Note: You can move custom paragraph sections within the selected letter type.
Preview Condition
Paragraph and paragraph section right-click menus
Displays the condition for the selected standard or custom paragraph or paragraph section in the Preview pane below the Word pane.
Preview (Paragraph)
Ribbon and paragraph right-click menu
Displays the selected standard or custom paragraph in the Preview pane below the Word pane.
Properties
Paragraph right-click menu
Displays properties for the selected paragraph. The properties include information about the paragraph text and any attached condition.
Tip: For standard paragraphs, the value for Modified by staff is System.
Rename Paragraph Section
Paragraph section right-click menu
Allows you to rename a custom paragraph section.
Repeat/Do not Repeat
Ribbon, custom paragraph right-click menu
Indicates whether a custom paragraph section or paragraph should be evaluated for all state tax authorities of the letter type when it is rendered in a tax return.
Note: The Repeat property is not applied to K-1 letter templates. When custom paragraphs are saved only to a K-1 letter template, this option is not available. If a custom paragraph is saved to multiple letter types, including K-1, the Repeat property is applied to the letter types other than K-1.
Remove/Preserve Blank Line between Repeating Paragraphs
Paragraph right-click menu
Removes or keeps the blank line that displays between repeating standard or repeating custom paragraphs. This option allows you to separate repeating paragraphs with a blank line (the system default), or single-space instances of the repeating paragraph.
For a group of different repeating paragraphs in a letter template, verify your preferred line spacing is applied to each of the paragraphs within the group.
Notes:
This setting is not applied to line spacing between a repeating and a non-repeating paragraph.
A standard paragraph is set by the system to repeat if the menu option for the paragraph includes the text Do not Repeat. In this case, you have the option to remove or preserve blank lines.
This option is available only in the Paragraph Library. You do not have this option with letter templates, letters inside a return, or Organizers.
Resequence Paragraphs
Paragraph section right-click menu
Allows you to change the order of paragraphs in a paragraph section back to the standard order:
Standard paragraphs are in the original order when initially installed.
Custom paragraphs created from a standard paragraph are listed below their respective standard paragraphs.
User-defined custom paragraphs are listed last in the paragraph section.
Save
Ribbon
Saves the selected custom paragraph. There are two types of custom paragraphs:
Custom saved from a standard paragraph, which displays as pink in the Paragraph Library.
New custom paragraph, which displays as blue in the Paragraph Library.
Override Default Paragraph
Ribbon, custom paragraph right-click menu
Selects a custom paragraph created from a standard paragraph to replace the default paragraph in all applicable custom letter templates within the letter type for the selected tax year, return type, and return configuration set. Custom paragraphs selected as the default are identified by the Enabled icon,, which displays next to the paragraph name. The icon displays only for custom paragraphs that were created from standard paragraphs and that are set as default. Standard paragraphs are assumed the default if there are no associated custom paragraphs that override the default. See Overriding the Default Paragraph for more information.
Important: The paragraph in standard letter templates will not be updated; however, letters rendered inside the return from the standard letter template generate the custom paragraph and not the standard paragraph.
Suppress Paragraph
Ribbon, paragraph right-click menu
Suppresses a paragraph from being added to or printed in rendered letter when the paragraph is included in a letter template. Any paragraph (standard or custom) can be suppressed; however, to override a standard paragraph with a custom as the default, the standard must be unsuppressed. Suppressed paragraphs display in gray font in the letter template and in the Paragraph Library. This option can also be used to unsuppress a suppressed paragraph. See Suppressing or Unsuppressing Paragraphs in the Paragraph Library for more information.