Instalment payments format in letters

It would be nice if the instalment payment portion of the client letters would spread out across the page instead of being stacked in one column.

I prefer to keep my client letter to one page if possible and this format usually triggers a page two along with everything else that needs to be shared, so I either delete other information or have to waste a few minutes making columns and moving information to make it fit.

Also, the next year March payment isn’t really necessary, especially since most of my clients don’t bother making their instalment payments, no matter how many times I tell them to. CRA sends out a notice before the following March with the requirements, so they will get a reminder then. If you drop the next year March and only include March to December then it would fit nice in two rows instead of the current five rows.

Also, for personal GST Credit payments and the T2 installments, if it’s the same amount each month/quarter can we condense the table to show a date range and single amount, instead of a big table with the same number multiple times? I’m just looking for ways to condense the letter so I don’t have to edit it every time I produce one.

These issues require too much manipulation of the coding in the template (i.e. I have no idea how to make it happen so the tables still look good), but if someone wants to provide something I can just copy and paste into my template that would be good too. I use a custom letter anyway so one more customization is fine with me.

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Thanks @mel. Just letting you know that I have noted your suggestion. I will try to take a look when we get to template improvements for this year.

I would like two installment payment letters - one at T1 time + second one to send as a September reminder letter. My snowbird retirees and busy entrepreneurs like to receive reminders.

@Elizabeth is there an update to improve template this year for installments. I do like the idea that @dominique.dabolczi mentioned.

@Installment_Payment_Letter
Would like an installment payments explanation addendum to the letter.

@LumpSumPayment
@RetiringAllowance
This would help the lump sum payment recipients and the large lump sum retiring allowance recipients understand the implications of not paying installments in the event that their rise in income is on a single year basis only.

Hi @mel This popped up in my queue again while I was looking at instalments in the letters. Because of the way the T1 instalments section needs to adjust to the possibility of just showing a few of those payments, the change you describe aren’t something I am thinking we can implement right now for the built-in template, but I did take a look at whether I could create a snippet for the T1 letter so you could it out.

  1. Download this file and put it in your templates folder: T1TY2018.Instalments.taxcycletemplate (3.4 KB)

  2. To insert it in your letter, just use the following code in the place where you want it to appear:
    {{> Instalments }}

I know it isn’t everything you asked for, but maybe it is a start in that direction. It will condense the table to two lines and drop the March payment.

@Elizabeth
Is there a cheat sheet of all the field names and descriptions which can be used in the custom letters?

Can you run a letters update series in January or first week of February?

I loved last year’s series.

Now I would like to understand the changes to templates, custom templates, print options, snippets, font settings, using field names, using custom template name in letter footer with company name, letter name, and page numbering (page# / num of pgs)

Dominique.

The webinar series is on right now. Today is day 2. Tomorrow day 3. The recordings will be available next week. You could sign up for tomorrow’s still. https://www.taxcycle.com/Training/Webinars

There are so many codes, that we have divided them into a Code reference section on the documentation website. It is by no means all the codes, but quite extensive:

See https://www.taxcycle.com/Documentation/Templates

Code reference

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Thank you! I’m finally testing this out now. This will work well. You guys are awesome!