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  • DT FormMax - Software support


1. The DT FormMax software support service

The best ways to get support

If you need help using DT FormMax, you can contact our support team via the methods described below.

Support is available year-round during normal business hours (9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday). During March and April, support hours are expanded (8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on weekdays, and 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays).

We offer assistance by email, by fax, by telephone, and on our Web site. Greatest speed and efficiency will occur in this order.

The basic package provided to our clients includes the CD version and the assistance provided by our support team. When deemed necessary, interim versions and patches are available on our Web site only.

Help yourselves!

The fastest and most efficient method of support is helping yourself. Use the Knowledge base to find answers to your questions. Better yet, set someone up to be the DT FormMax in-house expert, then make sure that he or she gets all the information required to fully understand the program. Have them attend DT FormMax workshops!

The DT FormMax Knowledge base

The Knowledge base is accessible by pressing [Ctrl+F7] or by selecting Knowledge base from the Help menu, provides you with an online information database which should have all the information you need to support yourself and your firm throughout the tax season. You can view all the DT FormMax documentation and jump easily between references and documents by clicking the hyperlinks that connect related information.

Among its many features is the What's new bulletin, which informs you of the latest changes to the program and refers you to relevant files in the Knowledge base to look up further information. It also features the FAQ's (frequently asked questions), which report typical questions asked by our users and which we feel may be of interest to all. Among those are the Known issues, which documents glitches encountered in using the program.

Installing the Knowledge base

To install the Knowledge base, DT FormMax will create a sub-directory named "kb" from your main DT FormMax directory. Do not delete this sub-directory. When installing DT FormMax, you will be given the option to install the Knowledge base in one language only or in both languages. If you choose not to install it in both languages, note that the button that gives access to the other language (if you are viewing the Knowledge base with Firefox or with Internet Explorer) will still appear on the documents. It will prompt a "URL not found" message as it will not be active.

Updating the Knowledge base

The Knowledge base is updated as new information becomes available. This may include answers to frequently asked questions (FAQ's), and information on changes, improvements or problems in the program. New documents will be mentioned in What's new and include hyperlinks to the corresponding, more complete document.

You will receive an updated knowledge base with every new version of DT FormMax.

Remember that the online Knowledge base is updated daily during the tax season.

Accessing the Knowledge base

To access the Knowledge base from within DT FormMax, choose any of the following options :

  • Go to the Help menu and select Knowledge base

  • Press [Ctrl+F7] l Press [Ctrl+F8] while in the client data entry screen. (In this case, DT FormMax will bring you to the explanation of what a form is used for rather than to the main page of the the knowledge base.)

From inside DT FormMax, the easiest way to access the Knowledge base online, on our Web site, is by choosing DT Max on the Web from the Help menu and then clicking Knowledge base on the top bar.

From outside DT FormMax, run your browser and open the file that you want in the Knowledge base online. If you access it frequently outside DT FormMax, it may be useful to set "Bookmarks" to the index to the Knowledge base and the index to frequently asked questions if you use Firefox. If using Internet Explorer, set those pages as "Favorites".

Context-sensitive help

Find out what a particular form is used for [Ctrl+F8]

If you want to know what a particular form is used for , or how DT FormMax handles a particular calculation, press [Ctrl+F8] when a form is selected in a client file or in the [F8] help, and a brief explanation will appear.

Support method

By email

To get an answer as quickly as possible, send your questions and receive your replies by email.

Alternatively, you can access any email program, provide the same information and email it to us at dt.support@thomsonreuters.com.

Over the Internet

To enable you to get software support quickly and without spending time waiting on the phone, you may wish to consult the DT FormMax Knowledge base on our Web site. On the DT FormMax Knowledge base page, select the Search option on the left and enter key items you wish to search for in the entire knowledge base. All existing references to these terms will be returned. Select the appropriate documents from the results and you should find the answer you are looking for.

By telephone

If you wish, you can also reach our software support team by calling 514-733-8355 in Montreal, or toll free at 1-800-663-7829.

Please be prepared to provide our dispatchers with the following information:

  • Your name

  • The name of your firm

  • Your licence number (found under Help, in the option About DT FormMax)

  • The support category of your question (one of the following) :

    • Installation and setup

    • DT FormMax features

    • Form help

    • Tax calculations for individuals

    • Tax calculations for corporations

    • Tax calculations for partnerships

    • Tax calculations for trusts

    • EFile errors

    • Electronic transmissions

    • Printing

    • Other

The user who calls for software support should be the person most familiar with DT FormMax in your office. When they call, a software support file will be opened and this person's name will be entered as the contact. This file will remain open and retain its position on the support queue until all questions from your firm have been addressed. Any additional questions will be added to that support file. This will enable us to monitor our support service more efficiently, ensure that you maintain your priority on the telephone queue, and that the caller (possibly your DT FormMax expert) has all the information required to help support your firm.

Answering your call

When a support person handles your call, they will seek more specific details regarding your problem and will then look it up in the Knowledge base.

  • If the problem is documented and the solution has already been released, they will show you how to find it. This will help prepare you to support yourself the next time.

  • If the problem is documented but the solution has not yet been sent to you, the support person will send it immediately by email or by fax.

  • If your problem has previously been brought up and an answer is currently being prepared, the support person will let you know of its availability.

  • If the problem is not yet documented, they will ask you to send all the relevant information needed to diagnose the problem. An expert will work on the problem and someone will contact you when a reply is available.

This procedure will save a lot of time and will help ensure that the solution you are given is satisfactory

Support tools

The DT FormMax licence number

Whenever you need to get in touch with us, please have your licence number handy. This will give us easy access to your support file.

Information required for technical support

If you have any of the following problems, be ready to provide the information listed below when contacting us for technical support service.

Problems installing DT FormMax

  • make and model of your computer

  • amount of memory (RAM)

  • size of the hard disk

  • list of memory resident programs being used (if any)

  • type and version number of network software being used (if any)

2. How to reach DT FormMax support

Support methods

The DT FormMax software support service is available year-round during normal business hours (9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday).

However, during the tax season (typically March 1st to April 30th), our support hours are extended from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on weekdays, and 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.

By email

To get an answer as quickly as possible, send your questions and receive your replies by email.

Use the software support request form, accessible by selecting Support request form from the Help menu in the DT FormMax program.

Alternatively, you can access any email program, provide the same information and email it to us at dt.support@thomsonreuters.com.

By telephone

If you wish, you can also reach our software support team by calling the DT FormMax support lines at 514-733-8355 in Montreal, or toll free at 1-800-663-7829.