Working with correspondence tasks

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Overview
• Activate tax letters
• Task assignment
• Using the correspondence task screen
• Correspondence tasks table
• Sidebar filters
• Manually create a correspondence task
• View and update a correspondence task
• Update correspondence tasks in bulk
• Completing and archiving correspondence tasks
• Troubleshooting

Overview

The Correspondence module in TaxLab integrates with Inland Revenue to automatically retrieve correspondence for entities in an organisation. For each item of correspondence, a task is created and assigned to a user with access to that entity. These tasks can be used to assign, review, and action any items of correspondence as part of your workflow. This feature is available to all organisations.

Activate tax letters

To retrieve correspondence from IR, a TaxLab and Inland Revenue integration must first be activated. Once the integration is active: 

1. From the TaxLab home page, in the navigation bar select Administration > Integrations.
2. Select the three vertical dots to the right of the Inland Revenue integration to be edited.
   
3. In the Edit integration window > Select Services.
4. Select the check box next to Tax letters > Select the type letters to receive. Choose from: 
   • All letters.
   • Only letters sent to Tax Agent (only relevant for organisations that are tax agents, and is where the agency has subscribed at IR to receive mail for certain tax types).
   • Only letters sent to the Client (only relevant for tax agents).
5. Select Save.

TaxLab will automatically retrieve correspondence for all entities on the integration overnight. This includes the 7 previous days, followed by any new items as they become available. A task is automatically created for each item, with the correspondence attached. Due to the volume of correspondence, users are not notified when new tasks are assigned. 

Task assignment

By default, a correspondence task is assigned to the user with the lowest ranked role on the entity in the following order:

1. Consultant.
2. Manager.
3. Partner.
4. The first listed user on the entity if none of these roles have been assigned.
5. If the entity is in the unique position of having no active users, the task is assigned to the user who set up the IR integration.

If correspondence is retrieved for an entity that doesn’t exist in TaxLab, the software can be configured to assign this to a placeholder entity set up for that purpose, and assigned to an Administrator. Please contact Support for more details.

Using the correspondence task screen

From the TaxLab home screen, in the navigation bar select Workflow > Correspondence. This screen displays all correspondence tasks a user has access to.

• Use the Search box to find tasks by entity name, task name, or tax number.
• Unread correspondence appears in bold.
• Select Export to export a list of tasks to Microsoft Excel.
• The Open in tabs toggle, if activated, will open each piece of correspondence selected in a new browser tab.

Correspondence tasks table

Any fields marked as "recorded in TaxLab" indicate that the data has not been directly transmitted from Inland Revenue. 

Sidebar filters

The sidebar enables additional filtering by:

• DUE DATE: view all tasks, tasks that are overdue, or tasks due on a specific date. New tasks are given a due date of 4 days by default.
• PROGRESS: the status of the task. 
• RECORDS: filter by Active, Ready for Archive (any tasks where the Progress is Completed or Not Required), and Archived tasks.
• ASSIGNED TO: filter by Assigned to me, or Assigned to my team / anyone.
• PARTNERS: filter by the name of the Partner that is assigned to an entity.

Manually create a correspondence task

Use manual tasks to track correspondence not retrieved via the IR integration (e.g. secure mail sent or received, paper letters). 

1. From the TaxLab home screen, in the navigation bar select Workflow > Correspondence.
2. At the top of the table, select the Create task button. 
3. Enter the first few letters of the entity name, then select the required taxpayer from the dropdown. The IRD number will autofill.
4. In the Assigned to field, select the user to assign the task to. Only users that have existing access to that entity can be selected.
5. Select the Correspondence type, Tax type, Tax year and Due date.
6. Optional: Add a note.
7. Select Confirm.

Manually bulk create correspondence tasks

Administrators can upload a zip file of documents and have correspondence tasks created for them against the entity they upload the zip file to. 

1. From the TaxLab home screen, select the name of the entity (this could be a fictitious entity created solely for handling correspondence). 
2. Select the Files tab.
3. Select the arrow next to Upload File and choose Upload zip and extract to correspondence. 

This will create correspondence tasks for each file in the zip, assigned to the entity. These can then be reassigned to the appropriate entities, if required.

View and update a correspondence task

From the correspondence screen, select a task to open it. This will display the attached IR correspondence item to the right, along with the task settings. 

On the Task tab there are a number of updates that can be made: 

• Change the Entity that the task is assigned to by typing the first few letters of the name of the entity. Only existing active entities that the user has access to can be selected. 
• Edit the Due date of the task. If the due date falls in a weekend, the Deadline will update to the next business day.
• Select a status from the Progress drop-down. The options are Not Started (default), In Progress, Completed or Not Required. Changing the progress of a task to Completed or Not Required will stop the remaining days count on the correspondence home screen, and replace it with a green tick.
• Select a user from the Assigned to drop-down. Any user in the organisation is available for selection.
• Mark as unread and go back: this will mark the task bold (unread) on the correspondence screen.
• Add a note using the Notes box

Settings 

• Correspondence type: the correspondence type appears on the correspondence screen in the Task column, and is the subject of the letter (if available).
• Tax year: The tax year the letter relates to (if available).
• Tax type: The tax type the letter relates to (if available).
• Goto Entity: opens the entity's details screen.

Files

The Files tab contains the copy of the IR correspondence if it has been retrieved via the IR integration, or any other document file that has been attached.

• Use the settings cog to sort documents by name, date added, added by or size.
• Select Upload file to add a single document, or use the dropdown arrow to upload a ZIP containing multiple files.
• Use Insert link to name a file link by entering a URL. This is useful if your organisation uses a web-based document management system.
• Use the file settings cog next to each file to replace, archive or delete it.

Use the file viewer

The file viewer can be used to highlight or markup the correspondence using the pen tool. The correspondence can also be downloaded or printed.

• The Users tab allows you to add or remove users with access to the task.
• The Activity tab displays an audit log of all activity on the task.

Update correspondence tasks

Some fields on tasks can be updated directly from the Correspondence screen. This can be used to update multiple tasks at once.

1. From the Correspondence screen, select the check box/es of the task/s to edit.
2. Select the Edit button. 
3. Update the tasks as required:
   • Update the Progress of the task/s. If tasks have been selected with different progress, this field will display [Mixed].
   • Update the user the task/s are Assigned to.
   • Update the GST frequency of the entity.
   • Update the extension of time (EOT) status of the entity.
4. Select Save changes to [x] task/s.

Completing and archiving correspondence tasks

Once the progress of a correspondence task has been marked as Completed or Not Required, it will move to a Ready to Archive state, and from there can be Archived. Archiving completed tasks means the correspondence screen will remain uncluttered and display only tasks that require action.  

1. From the Correspondence screen, under the RECORDS heading in the left-hand sidebar, select Ready to Archive.
2. Select the check box/es of the completed tasks to archive.
3. Select the Edit button.
4. Under Record status select Archive.
5. Select Save changes to [x] task/s.

To view archived tasks, and mark them as active again, select Archived under the RECORDS section of the left side panel. Repeat the instructions above, and change the Record status to Active.

Troubleshooting

Will correspondence appear for an archived entity?

• If the entity remains linked to your tax agency and Inland Revenue issues new correspondence, tasks will be created automatically in the software.

Related articles

Set up an Inland Revenue integration

Manage users

Add an organisation administrator