Best Practices: Cloning

Cloning is used to remove clients from a family and recreate them as a new family head or insert them into an existing family. The cloned client is given a new client number. The former client should be made inactive. The client's history does not follow. Swapping the family head is used to replace the family head with one of the family members and should be used with extreme caution. Clients are cloned when family members leave the family. For example, when children leave the family or when a separation occurs.

Do's

• Leave the family head in place and swap out the spouse with the children, if necessary;

• Select the "Make cloned family members inactive in original family" option when cloning out family members;

• Copy the history of a clone by displaying the old member on the right hand display and copy;

• Allow DT Max initiated swaps, such as a deceased family head.

Dont's

• Delete clones from the original family as this will delete the history;

• Renumber cloned clients or try to recuperate the history by means other than by copying;

• Reuse numbers previously associated with cloned clients;

• Swap the family head for any reason.

N.B. Improper cloning or swapping may result in cyclical relationships in the client list. This may cause jumps or loops in the client list. Should you have any further questions, please contact DT Tax and Accounting's Technical Support for assistance.