Version 2021 has some great new features we know you’ll want right away!
All Applications
- Simplified Update – Updating from Version 2020 to Version 2021 does not require a conversion. If updating from Version 19 to Version 2021, only a single conversion is required.
- New Look – We’ve updated the icons for all of the actions on the Home page in each Tabs3 Software application to provide a fresh look.
Tabs3 Billing Highlights
- Payment Information – Provides detailed payment allocation information for both archived and work-in-process payments. In addition to payment allocation, this page shows associated Tabs3 General Ledger transactions and payment adjustments (refunds or reversals).
- Write Off Information – Provides detailed information about the selected write off, including a breakdown of how the write off was applied (each timekeeper, cost type, tax amount, or finance charge) across each statement that was written off, and who performed the write off.
- Matter Manager:
- Write Off List – This list provides an easy way to see any write off performed on the matter. Clicking an entry in the list displays the Write Off Information page.
- Statement Status Indicators – The statement list in the Matter Manager now includes color-coded indicators to help you see at a glance which statements are unpaid and for how long.
- Email an Individual Statement – In the Statement Manager or Statement Information window, a new Send Email action is available. This reprints the selected statement, just like using the Reprint Updated Statements feature, and then starts a new email with the statement attached.
- Report Drilldown – We’ve updated numerous Tabs3 Billing reports to support drilling down to statements, payments, and write offs in the Report Preview window.
Tabs3 Trust Accounting and Accounts Payable Highlights
- IRS 1099-MISC and 1099-NEC Changes for Tax Year 2020 – We’ve updated the software to support new requirements from the IRS for tax year 2020.
Updating to Version 2021 is as easy as using Check for Updates (Help | Check for Updates)!
Antivirus software is a necessary component in any computer environment. However, occasionally antivirus software can adversely affect performance or cause errors using Tabs3 Software.
Knowledge Base Article R10760, “Antivirus Software Information,” provides information on how continual scans by antivirus software can slow down other software, how to exclude the Tabs3 Software’s Current Working Directory from continuous virus scanning, information on email antivirus scanning, and known issues with specific antivirus software.
Our Knowledge Base can be accessed at support.Tabs3.com. You can also access our Knowledge Base while in the software by selecting Help | Internet Resources | Knowledge Base.
Often, the most common source of unbilled costs are the everyday tasks done in your office. Photocopies, faxes, phone calls, and many other tasks can easily be overlooked when entering costs for a client. Simple cost recovery methods can reclaim these expenses as needed. Many manufacturers offer devices that collect information and create an export file, which can be used in Tabs3 Billing.
The Tabs3 Device Interface software takes the export files from most collection devices and converts them into costs that can be imported to Tabs3 Billing. Additionally, it allows you to customize import settings so any standard text file can be converted, even if it is not already configured in the conversion program. This means it is very likely that you can import your task information, regardless of the device’s manufacturer.
To see if the Tabs3 Device Interface will work for you, or to order a license of the Tabs3 Device Interface for your firm, contact your local consultant or call our Sales Department at (402) 419-2200. Information about the Tabs3 Device Interface can also be found in our Knowledge Base Article R10737, “Tabs3 Device Interface Product Information,” and in R11684, “Tabs3 Device Interface Instructions.”
The Platinum edition of Tabs3 Software provides a multitude of benefits when working with reports. If reporting is important to your firm, take a look at the following reasons to upgrade now!
Platinum Report Accelerators
Platinum accelerators make processing reports and statements an average of 10 – 30 times faster. The reason for the speed boost is that all of the processing is done at the server instead of sending data back and forth across the network. This significantly affects the time it takes to run reports.
Take a look at actual benchmark numbers in Knowledge Base Article R11142, “Tabs3 Performance Comparison.” You might be surprised!
For more information on how accelerators work and a list of accelerated reports, see Knowledge Base Article R11182, “Tabs3 Billing and PracticeMaster Accelerators.”
Platinum Exclusive Report Options
When you upgrade to Platinum, you get bonus reporting options in Tabs3 Billing:
- Accounts Receivable by Timekeeper Report – This report provides a list of clients with fees due for each working timekeeper.
- Enhanced Detail Accounts Receivable Report – This report is available without Platinum; however, the Detail Information for Fees and Costs check box on the Format tab is Platinum only. Selecting this option provides a breakdown of fees by timekeeper and costs by cost type.
- Print accounts receivable balances as of a specific date on the Tabs3 Detail and Summary Accounts Receivable Reports. This option calculates the A/R based on records present in Tabs3, effectively showing what the A/R would have been on the given date, assuming no records have been deleted or modified.
For more information on the Accounts Receivable by Timekeeper Report and Enhanced Detail Accounts Receivable Report, see Knowledge Base Article R11379, “Platinum Overview.” If you have any questions regarding Platinum features, contact your local consultant, or contact Technical Support at (402) 419-2210.
Although this tax season looks a little bit different, Tabs3 E-file is here to help simplify your 1099 submission process! Tabs3 has partnered with Nelco to provide Tabs3 E-file, a complete solution to filing your 1099-MISC, 1099-NEC, and 1096 forms. Learn how to easily upload your data to the Tabs3 E-file portal so that your 1099’s can be electronically filed, printed and mailed, or emailed on your behalf.
Watch this three-minute video here:
Training Videos can be accessed at Tabs3.com/videos. You can also access the videos while in the software by selecting Help | Training Videos.
Did you know that you can now drill down to all payments (including archived payment) in Tabs3 Billing Version 2021? For example, in the Matter Manager, you can click on any payment to view the Payment Date, Payment Amount, which Timekeeper it applied to, the Statement Date and Number to which it applied, and more. This makes it easy to get payment information without having to run a report!
We are preparing to perform our year-end procedures, but could you make any recommendations on what reports I should make sure that I run as part of those closing duties?
Although this list may vary, many firms request to have the accounts receivable and work-in-process balances as of the end of the year as well as various management reports and productivity reports. A list of recommended reports can be found in the Help by pressing F1 and then entering “Year-End Procedures” on the Index tab.
We recommend saving reports to PDF prior to closing out the year, as some reports do not provide historical information and will therefore not include all of the same information when printed later in the year. Additionally, changes made at a later time, such as undoing final statements and reversing or refunding payments, can also affect the outcome of a report.
For additional information on year-end, check out Knowledge Base Article R11693, “Tabs3 Billing Year-End Overview.”
We had one of our clients go missing in the system and want to look into a backup from before they were deleted. How can we identify when a client was deleted?
Any time a client is added, changed, or deleted, an entry is added to the Support Log. The Date, Time, and User are tracked for each addition, change, and deletion so you can easily see who deleted the client and when.
To open the Support Log for Client File Information
- From the View menu, point to Log Files and select Support Log.
- For the Features option, select Specific.
- In the Select Features window, select Client File Information.
- Click OK.
- Click Print.
Tip: From the preview window, click the Search button to help find the missing Client ID.
Note: You may need to run this same report in Tabs3 Billing if the client was deleted from Tabs3 Billing instead of PracticeMaster.
We want to start sending out birthday cards to clients that have upcoming birthdays. Is there an easy way to see which clients have birthdays next month so we can start to prepare cards for them?
A filter can be created to display only those clients with birthdays occurring next month. The filter will always show birthdays occurring next month regardless of when it is run, making it easy to use whenever you need to.
To create a filter for birthdays occurring next month
- From the File menu, point to Open and select Client.
- From the Filter group of the Quick Clicks pane, click Manage Filters.
- Press Ctrl+N.
- Enter a Filter Name.
- Click the New Advanced Row button.
- In the Expression field, enter “(MONTH(DOB)) = Month(DATEADD(1,”m”))” and click OK.
- Click Save.
- Close the Manage Quick Clicks window.
You can now select the filter in order to see all birthdays next month.
I need to transfer money from one trust account to another trust account. How do I record the process in the software?
We recommend using positive and negative EFT transactions to transfer the amount from one account to another. A positive EFT will reduce a trust balance, while a negative EFT will increase a trust balance.
To transfer funds from one trust account to another
- From the File menu, point to Open and select Transaction.
- Select the Trust ID from which you want to remove funds.
- Select a Type of EFT.
- In the Amount field, enter a positive amount.
- Enter any other information as needed.
- Press Ctrl+S.
- Select the Trust ID to which you want to move funds.
- Select a Type of EFT.
- In the Amount field, enter a negative amount.
- Enter any other information as needed.
- Press Ctrl+S.
We had to hand write a check from a client’s Trust account. How do we record that check in Trust Accounting?
You can easily add a manual check with a specific check number into Trust.
To add a manual check
- From the File menu, point to Open and select Transaction.
- Select the Trust ID.
- Select a Type of Check.
- Enter the Check # for which you manually wrote a check.
- Enter any other information as needed.
- Press Ctrl+S.
We had two users enter the same invoice. This resulted in two checks being printed for the same invoice. Is there a way we can prevent this from happening in the future?
There is a setting in Customization to check for duplicate invoices. When this setting is selected, a warning will be displayed if an invoice or manual check is entered for the same vendor, with the same invoice number, invoice date, and invoice amount as an existing unpaid invoice. This setting will check when a new invoice is entered as well as when an existing invoice is changed and saved.
To enable Check for Duplicate Invoices
- From the Utilities menu, select Customization.
- On the Main tab, select the Check for Duplicate Invoices check box.
- Press Ctrl+S.
I’ve never created a budget in GL before and have been asked to do so for 2021. Where and how can I set up a budget?
Income and expense account budget figures can be accessed and edited via Account Information.
To create a budget for an expense or income account
- From the File menu, point to Open and then select Account Information.
- From the Budgets tab, select the desired expense or income Account #.
- Click the Set Budgets button.
- In the Set Budget Amounts window, enter the Year.
- Click in any month field.
- In the Create New Budget window, select Set all budget amounts to zero.
- Click OK.
- Enter the desired figures for each month or click the Allocate button, select an Allocation Method, enter an Amount and click OK.
- Click Save.
Use the same steps to proceed through the other accounts for which you want to establish budgets.
Our accountant needs a list of the unreconciled checks posted from AP. Is it possible to get all unreconciled checks on a single report?
The Journal Report can be run for specific Record Sources and Record Statuses. This means we can run it for records that originated from Accounts Payable and have the status of Unreconciled.
To run a Journal Report for unreconciled AP checks
- From the Reports menu, select Journal Report.
- On the Dates tab, in the Date Range section, select a Date of All.
- On the Options tab:
- Set Record Source to Specific and select the source of Accounts Payable.
- Set Record Status to Specific and select the status of Outstanding.
- Click OK.