| Formatting the Statement | 
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One of Tabs3 Billing's most powerful features is the flexibility of the statement format that can be generated for each client. Configuration of the statement format occurs at various levels. These levels are:
Tabs3 Billing Statement Printer Setup
The first level of defining the statement format can be found in Tabs3 Billing Customization. These options are firm-wide and affect all clients. The Main tab allows you to select whether email statements will be sent via Microsoft Outlook, an SMTP server, or Microsoft 365. The Options tab allows you to define your aging periods and also allows you to specify if statement numbering will be at the firm level or the client level.
The Rates tab includes information regarding sales tax and finance charge. You can specify if you want sales tax charged for fees, expenses or advances. Up to nine different sales tax rates can be defined. The sales tax feature in Tabs3 Billing is very sophisticated, allowing you to specify whether or not individual transactions will be taxed. The Rates tab can also be used to define whether you want a finance charge assessed, if the finance charge is subject to a finance charge, and if you want to assess a minimum finance charge. Up to five different finance charge rates can be defined.
The next level of defining the statement format can be found in Statement Customization. Statement Customization allows you to define many additional firm-wide statement formatting options. The Options tab allows you to specify if you want the previous balance line to print at the beginning of the statement or after fees and costs, whether you want non-billable hours to print, and where you want the Courtesy Discount to print. You can specify a number of blank lines or a page break between combined statements, whether you want fees double spaced, and if you want credits included on invoice format statements. You can specify if you want finance charge on invoice format statements and whether you want blank miscellaneous lines printed. You can specify whether you want the statement date to be printed in MM/DD/YYYY format or spelled out. You can specify whether current work will be included in past due amounts and if you want a combined total of all due amounts on a statement. You can specify whether you want "0.00" to print for billable transactions with zero amounts or not print an amount at all.
The Terminology tab contains modifiable statement terminology. For example, if you don't like the terminology "Balance Due," you can change it to whatever you like, such as "Total Amount Due." Or, you can change the "For Current Services Rendered" line to read "Professional Services." If desired, you can print optional headings for the fee, expense, advance, and payment sections of the statement. Tabs3 Billing also allows you to embed the statement date or cut-off dates in many of the statement terms. You can also apply bold, italic, and underline attributes to the statement terminology. You can configure Tabs3 Billing so the expenses and advances combine into one section on the statement. You can specify if the client's account number, the statement number, the page number, or the term "Continued" will print on statements. You can specify if you want the contact name to print before the client name. There are over 60 different areas of statement terminology that can be modified.
The Headings tab allows you to enter up to nine lines of text for your firm's name and address, thus allowing you to use plain paper instead of pre-printed letterhead for your statements. These nine lines can alternatively be used to insert any type of global notes that you want printed at the top of every statement. You can also enter up to four lines of optional text that prints at the end of each statement. Many firms use these lines for a message regarding finance charge policy, payment terms, or perhaps a seasonal message. Alternatively, you can use a bitmap image file for the statement heading or you can create a custom heading and statement notes using the Statement Designer.
The Cover Stmt tab allows you to customize cover statement terminology and specify whether you want Client IDs included on the cover statement.
The Months tab contains the names of the twelve months of the year. These months' names are used if you customized Tabs3 Billing to spell out the statement date.
Tabs3 Billing Statement Printer Setup
The next level of defining the statement format can be found in the Tabs3 Billing Statement Printer Setup. The Statement Printer Setup is accessed by opening the Printer Setup window and then clicking the Statement Setup button. You can use any Windows printer to generate statements. You can specify the font you want used, the paper size and source, and whether you want envelopes printed with statements. You can let Tabs3 Billing calculate the statement width automatically based on the font you specify, or you can specify a fixed statement width. If you plan on using the nine lines specified in Customization for the statement heading, you can specify a heading font. As an alternative, you can include a bitmap of your firm's letterhead allowing you greater formatting flexibility. If you will be using the custom page layouts created by the Statement Designer, you must select the Enable Statement Designer Layouts check box.
The next level of defining the statement format is defined in the Statement Templates window. Statement templates determine many options pertaining to the format of the billing statement. These options apply to all clients who are assigned the specified template. Each client is assigned two statement templates—one for draft statements and one for final statements. Once a template has been defined, any changes made to a statement template affect all clients who are assigned that template. Some firms will have separate statement templates for each timekeeper.
Each statement template includes a General tab, a Fee Format tab, a Cost/Payment Format tab, and a Layouts tab. The General tab is used to specify invoice or statement formatting, billing history options, past due messages and statement notes. The Fee Format tab is used to determine whether fees print and, if so, whether timekeeper initials, dates, hours, hourly rates, and amounts are included. Subtotaling of fees is defined here. An optional fee recap by timekeeper, timekeeper level, or rate can also be set up. The recap can include hours, timekeeper levels, rates, and a total amount. The Cost/Payment tab is used to specify whether expenses and advances print and, if so, the format used on the statement. You can also indicate whether payments will be shown in detail, subtotaled by date, or totals only. The Layouts tab is optional and is used to designate which custom Page Layouts created by the Statement Designer will be used when statements are printed for clients that are assigned this template.
The next level of defining the statement format is defined in the Email Templates window. Email templates are used by clients who are set up to receive statements via email. Email template options apply to all clients who are assigned the specified template. Once a template has been defined, any changes made to an email template affect all clients who are assigned that template. Some firms will have separate email templates for each timekeeper, category, or billing frequency. If desired, email templates can also be defined for specific clients.
Each email template must have valid Email Identification information defined to identify the From Name, From Address, and a Reply To Address. When sending via Microsoft Outlook, the Reply To Address is unavailable and instead is controlled by Outlook. Additional recipients can also be defined, including entering a firm email address in the Bcc Recipients field to ensure that a copy of the sent email statement is retained in a single account. The Subject and Body of the email message can be defined using variables from the Available Fields list. Using variables in place of text allows email statement to easily be customized for each individual client or matter that is set up to receive statements via email.
Statement Designer
The next level of defining the statement format is the Statement Designer. The Statement Designer window lets you create customized layouts for your Tabs3 Billing statements that allow you to position images, text, and data. You can control the placement of various fields from Client Information and Bill To records, and add customized text, images, and other layout elements to the statement. Once a page layout has been designed, it can be applied to one or more statement templates.
The next level of defining the statement format can be found in the Client Information window. These options are specific to the individual client.
- The Setup tab of the Client Information window includes the billing frequency for defining client batches.
- The Billing Options tab includes courtesy discount information, sales tax rates, and finance charge options.
- The Billing Preferences tab allows you to specify whether the client will receive statements via mail, email, or both. It also allows you to specify an additional Bill To contact to use when a client is to receive a duplicate statement or when a client's statement is to be sent to a third party.
- The Statement Options tab is used to designate the draft and final statement templates that will be used for this client, an option to combine matters on statements, cover statement options, and trust integration information. This tab also contains Beginning and Ending Statement Notes that allow optional unique statement notes for the client to print at the beginning and end of the client's statement if desired.
The final level of defining the statement format can be specified when printing the statements using the Generate Statements window. You can specify a range of clients, timekeepers, categories, billing frequencies, locations, open dates, and close dates. You can also select clients based on status (i.e., active clients, progress billing clients, billable clients, email and/or mail statement clients, and/or task based billing clients). Individual transactions can be included based on transaction type (fees, costs or payments), date, transaction code, working timekeeper, category and cost type.
The Options tab allows you to specify the statement date and the minimum fee, expense and advance amounts to be billed. You can select if you want to print reminder statements or statements for clients with current work. You can include only clients with past due amounts greater than a specified number of days. If you number statements at the firm level, you will be prompted to enter the beginning statement number. If you print draft statements, you can elect to print reference numbers for the individual transactions, generate pre-bills for review and approval, and select whether you want billing notes and instructions included. You can select whether you want statements for task based billing clients to include or exclude task based billing information. You can specify the number of copies you want printed, and whether or not you want to include Statement Run Totals and a Criteria Page. If generating PDF files for statements, you can elect to generate individual PDF files for the statement run. You can select to print cover statements only. If desired, you can override individual statement template options or specify a different statement template for a particular batch of statements.
Trust Note: When Tabs3 Billing is configured to integrate with Tabs3 Trust Accounting (Trust), trust information can be included on statements. Much of the Trust terminology shown on the statement can be customized in the Bank Account window of Trust.
Reprint Statements, Statement Information, and Pre-Bill Tracking
When reprinting statement(s) using the Reprint Updated Statement feature, viewing the Statement Information, Final Statement Information, or Pre-Bill Information windows, or generating a final statement via the Pre-Bill Tracking window, the statement is generated without displaying options from the Generate Statements window.
Tabs3 Billing uses the current statement template, statement terminology, statement messages, printer settings, and statement designer layout. Therefore, the layout and amounts of the reprinted statement may not exactly match the original statement. Any changes to statement form terminology and statement customization will be reflected on the new statement. See Notes About Reprinting Updated Statements for additional information.
| See also: | Tabs3 Statement Formatting Guide |
| Adding a Letterhead |
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