Release Notes

End of support for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1

As we have been announcing since November 2018 in several documents (Installation Procedures and texts on the Web sites), as well as in the e-mails sent on September 3 and December 3, 2019, our software applications ended support of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 in November 2019.

For more information, consult our Knowledge Base article End of support for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1.

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Try our Knowledge Base!

Consult our Knowledge Base to quickly find the information you need!

Our Knowledge Base contains an array of articles answering technical and tax questions most frequently asked to Support Centre agents. All you need to do is enter a few key words and the articles display in order of relevance to provide you with valuable information that will accurately answer your questions.

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Version Presentation

Cantax FormMaster is one of the most complete electronic libraries of income tax forms in Canada.

The Gold version includes over 375 tax forms and slips, while the Regular version contains more than 175.

To view the content of your version, access the Forms view of the program by selecting Goto/Forms. A list of the forms included in each version is also available in PDF format. You can consult this list on the Cantax FormMaster Professional Centre, under the “Documentation” section, or on the Cantax Web site at https://wolterskluwer.ca/products/cantax#formmaster.

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Installation and Versions

Before installing the program, please read the Installation Procedures which are included with the software package and that are also available in the Installation Procedures Help topic.

Based on the activation key you have entered when installing the program, you will have access to the Gold or Regular version. To find out the type of version you have installed, select Help/About Cantax FormMaster. You will find the information in the Additional Information area of the dialog box.

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Carrying Forward Preparer Profiles

Once your preparer profiles from last year are carried forward to the current year, it is important to verify that the options defined with respect to your clients always correspond to your situation for the current season.

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Forms and Slips Coverage

The slips, RL slips and summaries included in Cantax FormMaster 2019 normally apply to the 2019 taxation year. You can nonetheless use them if you need to file a slip for the 2020 taxation year before the 2020 versions of the slips are made available by government authorities.

Individual forms can be used until they are updated by the CRA or RQ. Note that the Cantax Direct e-Bulletin notifies you each time an updated or new form is made available in a program update.

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Opening Files and Carrying Files Forward

Files with the .T19 extension

Files with the .T19 extension that have been saved with Cantax FormMaster 2018 can be opened with Cantax FormMaster 2019 without having been carried forward first. When opening that file, a dialog box displays and asks you if you want to recalculate the file with the current version. By answering yes, you can simply continue working in the file. If you answer no, the data in the file will be locked. It can be unlocked later using the Properties dialog box (File/Properties command).

Files with an extension other than .T19

Files with a .T16, .T17 or .T18 extension that have been saved with a 2016, 2017 or 2018 version of Cantax FormMaster can also be opened with Cantax FormMaster 2019 without having been carried forward first. To open such a file, access the Open dialog box (File/Open command). Using the Look in: drop-down list, select the directory where the file has been saved. Then, enter “*.*” in the “File name:” box and press Enter to display the list of files. You can then select and open the file you want to access. When opening the file, a dialog box displays and asks you if you want to recalculate the file with the current version. By answering yes, you can simply continue working in the file. If you answer no, the data in the file will be locked. It can be unlocked later using the Properties dialog box (File/Properties command).

Carrying forward files

To carry files forward with Cantax FormMaster, select File/Carry Forward.

Cantax FormMaster 2019 allows you to carry forward files that were saved with the 2018 version of Taxprep Forms or Cantax FormMaster, which have the .T18 extension, as well as files saved with Taxprep Forms 2019 or Cantax FormMaster 2019 that have the .T19 and .T20 extension.

Cantax FormMaster 2019 also allows you to carry forward files that were saved with a 2016 or 2017 version of Taxprep Forms or Cantax FormMaster. To do so, access the Carry Forward dialog box (File/Carry Forward command). Using the Look in: drop-down list, select the directory where the file has been saved. Then, select “CCH Forms (*.T??)” in the “Files of type:” box to display the list of files. You can then select and carry forward a file.

Furthermore, Cantax FormMaster 2019 allows you to carry forward the files saved with the AvanTax eForms application that have a .T18N extension and the files saved with Intuit’s ProFile FX application that have a .18X extension.

Attached notes

Note that the attached notes are carried forward, unless this option is disabled in the data carry forward options.

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Electronic Filing

Cantax FormMaster enables you to electronically transmit data from the T3 return, the T5013 return and the following slips:

Slip	Version
	Regular	Gold
NR4	X	X
T3	X	X
T4	X	X
T4A	X	X
T4A-NR	X	X
T4RIF	X	X
T4RSP	X	X
T5	X	X
T2202	X	X
T5008	X	X
T5013	X	X
T5018	X	X
RRSP		X
RL-1 T4	X	X
RL-1 T4A	X	X
RL-1 T4ANR	X	X
RL-2 RIF	X	X
RL-2 RSP	X	X
RL-2 T4A	X	X
RL-3	X	X
RL-8	X	X
RL-11	X	X
RL-15	X	X
RL-18	X	X
RL-25	X	X
RL-31	X	X

Specialized Returns

The returns listed below can also be filed electronically.

Return	Version
	Regular	Gold
T3D		X
T3GR	X	X
T3M		X
T3P	X	X
T3RI		X
T3S		X
T1061		X
T2000		X

Government requirements

At the federal level and in Québec, any filer filing more than 50 information slips of a same type must file the data electronically by Internet. Below that threshold, paper filing is accepted.

Taxation years covered

Revenu Québec only accepts electronic transmissions of the RL slips for the 2019 and 2020 taxation years. The CRA does not impose restrictions about the taxation year that can be processed.

Important dates for Internet transmission

Cantax FormMaster 2019 complies with the latest Internet transmission requirements issued by government agencies. Files generated with Cantax FormMaster 2019 can therefore be electronically transmitted:

• To the CRA, starting on January 6, 2020, (date on which the CRA reopens its Internet transmission service, which will be closed on December 22, 2019, for update purposes);
• To Revenu Québec, without any delay (as Revenu Québec’s Internet tran smission service has been updated on November 5, 2019).

Creation of the .XML file to transmit

Please note that it is not possible to include multiple files when creating the .XML file that is transmitted to tax authorities. Each .XML file created with Cantax FormMaster can include only one file (one T slip or RL slip issuer).

CRA’s Web Access Code

If you already have a Web access code, you can use it to file your information returns for 2019 and subsequent years.

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Version 2.0 Content

Updates and Additions

To review the updates and additions contained in version 2.0 of Cantax FormMaster 2019, consult the Updates and Additions table.

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Comments and Details

T1013 – Authorizing or Cancelling a Representative (Jump Code: T1013)

NR95 – Authorizing or Cancelling a Representative for a Non-Resident Tax Account (Jump Code: NR95)

RC59 – Business Consent for Offline Access (Jump Code: RC59)

RC59X – Cancel Business Consent or Delegated Authority (Jump Code: RC59X)

Significant changes have been made to the authorization process for representatives with the CRA. Commencing on February 10, 2020, the CRA will no longer accept requests to authorize or cancel a representative using the T1013, NR95, RC59 or RC59X forms, as they will be removed. From that date on, the CRA will make available on its Web site the new AUT-01 form, which replaces the T1013, RC59 and NR95 forms, as well as the AUT-01X form, which replaces the RC59X form. Note that Form AUT-01 can only be used to request off-line access that will grant the right to contact the CRA by phone, in writing or in person. No online access can be granted using this printable version.

The new AUT-01 and AUT-01X forms will be added in a future version of the program. Therefore, if you want to file a hard copy of these new forms to the CRA between now and the next version release, you need to get the new printable version from the CRA and complete it manually.

T3 Schedule 8 – Investment Income, Carrying Charges, and Gross-up Amount of Dividends Retained by the Trust (Jump Code: T3SCH8)

T3 Schedule 11 – Federal Income Tax (Jump Code: T3SCH11)

T3AB - Alberta Tax (Jump Code: T3AB)

T3MB – Manitoba Tax (Jump Code: T3MB)

T3NB – New-Brunswick Tax (Jump Code: T3NB)

T3NL – Newfoundland and Labrador Tax (Jump Code: T3NL)

T3NT – Northwest Territories Tax (Jump Code: T3NT)

T3ON – Ontario Tax (Jump Code: T3ON)

T3SK - Saskatchewan Tax (Jump Code: T3SK)

T3YT – Yukon Tax (Jump Code: T3YT)

Following our recent communications with the CRA, the gross-up rate for dividends other than eligible dividends will now be based on the fiscal year-end date instead of the date on which the dividend was received. As a result, for a trust whose fiscal year end is in 2019, the gross-up rate for dividend used will be 15%, even if the dividend was received in 2018.

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Future Updates

During 2020, Cantax FormMaster 2019 will be the subject of several form updates which you will be able to download from the Internet or obtain on CD-ROM. The following table provides you with an overview of the delivery methods for this version and future updates. Note that commencing with version 2019 of Cantax FormMaster, five versions of the program will be released each year.

 

Version	Release	Download	CD-ROM
Version 1.0	December 2019	Gold Regular	Gold Regular
Version 2.0	February 2020	Gold Regular
Version 3.0	March 2020	Gold Regular	Gold Regular
Version 4.0	May 2020	Gold Regular
Version 5.0	July 2020	Gold Regular	Gold

Each time a new version or update becomes available for download, a notification is shown on the Professional Centre. You then have two options:

• You can access the downloadable products directly from the Cantax FormMaster Professional Centre. To benefit from this option, enter your user name and password in the Professional Centre panel in the “Electronic Services” section of the Options and Settings dialog box.
• You can access the Cantax FormMaster downloads page from the https://wolterskluwer.ca/products/cantax/ Web site, by clicking Download Product.

Please note that you are not required to install one of the previous versions of Cantax FormMaster 2019 to be able to install updates and subsequent versions. Also, when launching the installation, any prior version will be detected, if appropriate. With a prior version installed, updating Cantax FormMaster will be performed more rapidly.

Note: By subscribing to Cantax Direct/Cantax FormMaster, you will be informed each time a program update is available and downloadable.

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Modifications Made to Version 1.0

For the list of modifications made to version 1.0 of Cantax FormMaster 2019, consult the release notes of version 1.0.

Technical Information

Technical Changes

We are proud to present the many technical changes to the enhanced version of Cantax FormMaster. We are convinced that you will be pleased with these changes.

Enhancements to the user interface

The following enhancements have been made to the interface to refine the display of the many Cantax FormMaster views:

• A single toolbar: The Standard and Advanced toolbars have been merged into a single toolbar that is always displayed which content adjusts according to the view selected. This new toolbar also provides new buttons with a more intuitive design.
• Access to the views: The shortcut bar that was available on the left side of the main screen of Cantax FormMaster was replaced by the button. When you click this button, a menu displays to allows you to select the desired view.
• Zoom: The tool allowing you to resize the form is now available in the right corner of the status bar.
  
  To know how to use this tool, consult the page Customize Form Display.
  The selected zoom factor will apply only to the forms. The Xpress tool and the diagnostics pane possess options allowing you to apply a zoom factor different from the one set for the display of forms.
• AutoText: To facilitate the entry of data, which is sometimes repetitive, a list of AutoText suggestions in alphabetical order now displays from an alphanumeric field for which such list exists. Start entering an alphanumerical value and, when a list displays, click the value that you want to insert in the cell.

Standardized presentation of information in the views

In addition to the Client Manager, Form Manager, EFILE Log view and EFILE Archives view, the following views are also presented in tables:

• Print Formats view 
• Preparer Profiles view 
• Filters and Diagnostics view 
• Letters and Labels view 
• Advanced Network view (available with the Advance Network version)

Therefore, the functionalities available in these views to display, order and filter the information are identical. The following enhancements have been made to certain of the functionalities:

• the search is performed from the search box or by using the Ctrl+F shortcut. For more information on this topic, consult the page Search Through Views.
  
• the grouping area located at the top of the view is no longer displayed at all times. To group the content of a view according to a column, click the Group button, and drag the column header to the grouping area displayed. To ungroup , click the Ungroup button.
• the filters available on the column headers now provide more criteria to allow you to quickly find the information you are searching for. As a result, in the Values tab, you can enter the text you are searching for in the list to find the one that you want to use as a search criterion. A second tab is also available to allow you to use advanced filter functions. For more information, consult the page Filter Based on the Content of One Column.

As mentioned above, the Print Formats, Letters and Labels and Filters and Diagnostics views are now presented in tables. In addition to taking advantage of the functionalities listed above, this new way of presenting information provides you with a way to order templates per template types, i.e. predefined or customized. As a result, the customized templates are displayed first in the view as they are the most frequently used templates.

Information on client files in the Open dialog box

The information on the client file displayed in the Open dialog box have been modified. Only the name of the corporation and the business number are now displayed in the dialog box, and this information is located above the name of the file.

To quickly review the information on the client files such as the return status the taxation year end and the various EFILE statuses, use the Client Manager. The Client Data filter allows you to obtain this information at a glance.

Letter Editor: more editing tools available

The following have been enhanced in the Letter Editor used to define the content of letter templates. It also allows you to format and layout the letter.

• Tables: You can now add one or more tables in a letter template to display data on lines and in columns. For more information on tables, consult the page Add or delete a table.
• Review comments: You can now add comments to a letter template to enter any information, suggestion or question to be communicated to your colleagues responsible for updating or reviewing the letter template. For more information on review comments, consult the page Add, edit or delete comments.
• Formatting tools: For more information on the many tools provided in the Letter Editor consult the page About the Letter Editor.

Xpress and Diagnostics pane: easier-to-use tools

You can now float the Xpress tool panel or the diagnostics pane to move it. It can be moved to another screen to facilitate data entry in the main screen. To do so, in the toolbar, click the Xpress button or the Diagnostics button, then click Float and move the panel to the other screen. Consult the video for a demonstration of the floating pane.

Options to resize the text, the zoom in and the zoom out  have been added to the Xpress tool and the diagnostics pane. For more information on these options, consult the pages Customize the Xpress List Display and Customize Diagnostics Display.

In addition, as it is now possible to float the Xpress tool panel, the Browse toolbar has been removed from the Display/Toolbar menu.

Changes relating to diagnostics

As the information in the diagnostics pane is presented in a table, a grouping area located in the top portion of the pane, where you can group the content of the pane according to a column, is also available. To group content in the diagnostics pane according to a column (for example, the Type), click the Group  button, then drag the column header to the displayed grouping area.

Diagnostics are ordered by group and each group is presented in a separate table. The name of the group as well as the number of diagnostics are indicated on tabs:

• The Take Action tab displays the diagnostics issued by Cantax FormMaster on which no action has yet been taken.
• The Reviewed tab displays the diagnostics that were reviewed during a first or second revision.
• The Ignored tab displays the diagnostics that were ignored during a first or second revision.

Precisions relating to diagnostics

• An annotated diagnostic with the or indicators which is resolved remains in the Reviewed tab; however, the colour of the indicators displayed in the Annotation column is modified ( or ).
• The diagnostic indicator for a tax cell is no longer displayed when the diagnostics issued for that cell are annotated and no other diagnostic applies to this cell. Therefore, the diagnostic(s) display before the return is printed.

Help tools: easier to access

online help centre

Cantax FormMaster provides you with an online Help Centre containing tax and technical information pages that will answer your various questions and will help you efficiently use Cantax FormMaster. When you consult the Help, the relevant help topic will display in your computer's default Web browser.

You can use the search box located in the top right corner of the page at any time to obtain information on a specific topic.

In addition to providing regularly updated tax and technical information, the Help Centre contains support information (such as troubleshooting memos and frequently asked questions) and provides useful links to the CRA and Revenu Québec Web sites and certain help centres of software programs integrated with Cantax FormMaster.

Professional centre

The Professional Centre now displays in your computer's default Web browser. This allows you to consult the Professional Centre in another screen while continuing to work in Cantax FormMaster. Make sure that you enter your CCH services username and password in the options and settings of Cantax FormMaster to take advantage of the services available in the Professional Centre.

Folder location

The location of certain folders related to Cantax FormMaster that were in the CCH folder is now in the Wolters Kluwer folder. As a result, during installation, Cantax FormMaster will prompt you for a different location for the following:

• the Cantax FormMaster installation folder,
• the database and the transmission files,
• the templates, and
• the data exported of Taxprep slips

Notes: The location where the data exported from Taxprep slips is retained for import purposes in Cantax FormMaster is now Wolters Kuwer. The default location under the Wolters Kluwer folder will be suggested. For example: C:\Users\WindowsUserName\Documents\Wolters Kluwer\Common\Taxprep Slips Integration. The folder initially suggested when opening a client file will be Wolters Kluwer. For example,: C:\Users\WindowsUserName\Documents\Wolters Kluwer\Cantax FormMaster 2019\Client. You can define a default folder in the Options - File Locations panel of the options and settings. The default folder suggested during roll forward of client files is the client file folder defined in Cantax FormMaster 2018. For example: C:\Users\WindowsUserName\Documents\CCH\Cantax FormMaster 2018\. The default folder suggested during templates conversion is the templates folder defined in Cantax FormMaster 2018. For example: C:\Users\WindowsUserName\Documents\CCH\Cantax FormMaster 2018\.

Enhancements to the Advanced Network view (available in the Advanced Network version)

Like the Client Manager, the Form Manager and the various templates views, the Advanced Network view is now presented in a table. You can take advantage of the different functionalities available in those views to customize the display according to your requirements and perform searches.

The Advanced Network view is split into two portions that allow you to view, add, delete and define properties for the users and groups:

• The upper portion relates to user groups.
• The lower portion relates to users: by selecting a group in the upper portion of the view, the users associated with this group are displayed in this location.

For more information related to the Advanced Network version, consult the About the Advanced Network View topic.

Advanced settings

Modification to the Taxprep Development Toolkit

The guide Taxprep Development Toolkit Instructions and Excel file Taxprep Forms Development Toolkit Demo are only available in the online Help Centre.

Certain changes were made to the Taxprep development toolkit. It is important to read the Taxprep Development Toolkit Instructions topic and modify the properties and features in your applications in order for them to operate correctly. Here is an overview of the main changes.

Differences between Taxprep Forms Classic 2018 and Taxprep Forms 2019 (enhanced version):

• ITaxprepLicenceManager from the classic version becomes ITaxprepLicenseManager in the enhanced version;
• ITaxprepCell.Value from the classic version becomes ITaxprepCell.GetValue() and ITaxprepCell.SetValue() in the enhanced version;
• modifications were made to all <Enum> in the enhanced version;
• the ProgID now follow the following naming structure: Product.Type.Version (for example, TaxprepCom2018.Taxprep2018TFReturn from the classic version becomes TaxprepTF.Return.2019 in the enhanced version).

A section was also added to the help topic, in which is provided an explanation on how to use the Taxprep development toolkit from a .NET application.

Silent Installation

You can now install Cantax FormMaster silently using the Windows command prompt. For more information on the silent installation, consult the page Silent Installation.

Excel Add-in for Taxprep

A new version of the Excel Add-in for Taxprep is available. This new version is required to use the Excel Add-in for Taxprep with the enhanced version of Cantax FormMaster.

The installation of this new version requires that you uninstall the old version of the Excel Add-in for Taxprep. Uninstall is supported by the new Excel Add-in for Taxprep installation wizard.

For more information with regards to the Excel Add-in for Taxprep, consult the Excel Add-in for Taxprep topic.

Software integrations

other integrations

• Integration with the CCH Accountants' Suite: Integrations with the CCH Document On-Premise and CCH Portal programs are available with Cantax FormMaster.

Modifications in the options and settings

The Apply button has been removed from the Options and settings dialog box. You must now make your modifications in the different panels and click the OK button.

The option to select the paper orientation when printing labels has been removed from the Labels/Format panel.

Changes to the location of mandatory information on Québec forms

In accordance with Revenu Québec requirements, certain mandatory information to identify the entity (taxpayer, corporation or trust) will now print at the bottom of each Revenu Québec form.

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Where to Find Help

If you have any questions regarding the installation or use of the program, there are several options for getting help. Access the Professional Centre or the Knowledge Base for tips and useful information on how to use the program. If you are in the program and need help, press F1 to get help on a specific topic.

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Information by E-mail

Please note that you can receive information about Cantax FormMaster and other Cantax products by subscribing to Cantax Direct, a free automatic e-mail announcement service.

To subscribe to this service, visit https://wolterskluwer.ca/products/cantax/ and, in the Existing Cantax Customers section, click Support. In the Support menu, click Subscribe Now! under “Cantax Direct.”

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How to Reach Us

E-mail

Customer Service:
cservice@wolterskluwer.com

Tax and Technical support:
csupport@wolterskluwer.com

Telephone

1-800-268-4522

Web Site

https://wolterskluwer.ca/products/cantax/

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