Guide for preparing a .csv file for contact records

You can use this table as a guide for preparing a .csv file of your contact records. You do not need data for all the column headings. To save processing time, you can remove empty columns.

Note: This is a fixed list of the recognized fields imported by CCH iFirm . If you have any column headings in your .csv file that are not listed below, they will not be imported.

Column Description

Data Format

 Character Length Limit Information
Code

The contact code may contain alpha and numeric characters.

Example: CLT001

 20

This is a required field.

For new contacts added after the initial import of your existing contact records, a client code can be assigned automatically.

Entity

[Corporation/Individual/Non-Profit Organization/Other/Partnership/Sole proprietor/Trust & Estate - Testamentary/Trust - Inter-Vivos] (depending on Firm settings)

   This is a required field.

Name

Example: ABC Pharmacy Ltd

 175 If the contact is an individual or a sole proprietor, leave this cell blank.

Title

[Mr/Ms/Mrs]

   Recommended if the entity type is set to individual or sole proprietor. The best practice is to avoid using a period at the end of the salutation.

FirstNames

Example: John

 49 Recommended if the entity type is set to individual or sole proprietor. For other entities, leave this cell blank.

LastNames

Example: Smith

 49 Recommended if the entity type is set to individual or sole proprietor. For other entities, leave this cell blank.

MailingName

Example: The Brown Family Trust

 100

Can be used if the entity type is other than individual. Use this field when the mailing name differs from the contact name. For addresses, the system refers to the Name field, however, if there is a Mailing Name this is used instead.

As a best practice for numbered companies, you can enter the name under which you are operating in the MailingName column.

Partner

[Partner Name]
The name of the user in your firm who will be a set as a partner in CCH iFirm.

Example: Robert Taylor

 50 (first name)
50 (last name)		 Recommended for reporting purposes.
Manager

[Manager Name]
The name of the user in your firm who will be set as a contact manager in CCH iFirm.

Exemple : Jane Harvey

 50 (prénom)
50 (nom de famille)		 Recommended for reporting purposes.
ContactGroup

The name of the contact group the contact belongs to. This can be a contact group that was already added to CCH iFirm or a new group that you want to add to CCH iFirm.

Example : ABC Pharmacy Group

   Recommended
Group1(Group1)

[Office]

Example: Montréal, Toronto, Vancouver

 25 This field populates the options for group 1 in the custom firm filtering and group settings (which needs to be enabled before you import the .csv file). If you entered a customized name, enter in parenthesis the name that displays when you click the button . Example: Group1(Toronto).
Group2(Group2)

[Team]

Example: Audit, Tax, Bookkeeping

 25 This field populates the options for group 2 in the custom firm filtering and group settings (which needs to be enabled before you import the .csv file). If you have entered a customized name, enter in parenthesis the name that displays when you click the button. Example: Group2(Audit)
BillingGroup

[Smith Group]

The name of the billing group to which the contact belongs to. This can be a billing group that was already added in CCH iFirm or a new billing group that you want to add to CCH iFirm.

   Recommended for Jobs & Billing
BillingGroupsMainClient

A main client must be selected in each billing group. If no main client is selected for a newly added billing group, the first client will be set as the main billing group client.

Example: YES/NO, Yes/No, yes/no, Y/N, or y/n

   Mandatory where the BillingGroup column is present.
PostalAddressee Example: John Smith (John is the contact person at ABC Pharmacy Limited) 50 Recommended.
Used for entities that are not classified as individuals.
PostalNumber Example: 456 10 Recommended.
The field can accept numbers or letters.
PostalApt Example: 1006 6 Optional.
The field can accept numbers or letters. The best practice is not to include the word Floor, Suite, Unit, etc.
PostalStreet Example: Temple Avenue 40 Recommended
PostalPOBox Example: PO Box 5100 15 Optional.
PostalRR Example: RR 1 or RR1 6 Optional.
PostalCity Example: Toronto 100 Recommended
PostalProvince

Example (Provincial): ON, QC, BC, AB, SK, MB, NB, NS, PE, NL, YT, NT, NU

Example (Provincial): Ontario, Québec, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland & Labrador, Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut

Example: (State): CA, IL, FL

Example (State): California, Illinois, Florida

  

Recommended.

Insert a two-digit provincial code or the full name of the province

Insert a two-digit US state code or the full name of the US state.

Please refer to a contact record for a list of provinces that can be supported by CCH iFirm

PostalCode Example: M2N 6X1 20 Recommended
PostalCountry Example: Canada, United States  

Recommended.

Enter the full name of the country. Please refer to a CCH iFirm contact record for a list of countries that can be supported by CCH iFirm

Salutation

[First name]

Example: John

 50 Recommended.
Consider adding a salutation for all entity types.
CommunicationLanguage Example: English, French, Francais   Optional.
Please note that there is no cedilla in Francais.
The default is English if the cell is empty.
WorkPhone Example: 416-224-2248 ext. 8776 20 Recommended
CellPhone Example: 416-224-2245 20 Recommended
HomePhone Example: 416-224-4567 20 Recommended
Fax Example: 416-123-4567   Recommended
EmailAddress Example: example@wolterskluwer.com 100 Recommended
WebAddress Example: www.wolterskluwer.ca 100 Recommended
Client/Prospect/Lead [Client] or [Prospect] or [Lead] or [Other]  

Recommended.

You can leave this cell blank to set the contact type as "Client."
Supplier [YES/NO, Yes/No, yes/no, Y/N, y/n or Supplier]   Recommended
If the Client/Prospect/Lead cell is left blank, the contact type will be set to "Client."
TaxYearEnd Example: Jan, Mar, Dec, None   The field will default to "None" if the cell is left empty.
AnnualAccountsMonth Example: Jan, Mar, Dec, None   Recommended.
If there is no date, leave this cell empty to set the field to "None."
ChargeInterest [YES/NO, Yes/No, yes/no, Y/N, or y/n]   Recommended for accounts receivable.
CustomInterestPeriod [From Due Date, From 30 Days, From 60 Days or From 90 Days+]   Recommended for accounts receivable.
In order for this field to be imported, these values need to be entered with the exact capitalization and spaces.
CustomInterestRate Example: 1, 1.5, 2, 3, etc. 15

Recommended for accounts receivable.

Only two decimals after the period are allowed. If some clients have custom interest rates, to prevent warnings, enter 0 in the cell for clients without custom interest rates.
SendInvoiceReminder Example: YES/NO, Yes/No, yes/no, Y/N, ou y/n  

The default value is Yes.
ClientForm Use the Mmm dd yyyy date format.   Optional.
ClientUntil Use the Mmm dd yyyy date format.   Optional.
ClientType Example: 11 - Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting  

You can leave this cell blank.

NAICS codes are used. To know which NAICS codes to use, consult the related list on the Statistics Canada Web site.

ClientTypeSubcategory Example: 111110 - Soybean Farming  

You can leave this cell blank

NAICS codes are used. To know which NAICS codes to use, consult the related list on the Statistics Canada Web site.

InBusinessSince Use the Mmm dd yyyy date format.   Optional.
NumberOfEmployees Example: 1, 10, 100, etc. 7 Optional.
SIN

This field is only for individuals.

Example: 223 223 223

  

Recommended for purposes of integrating Taxprep products.

The SIN can be entered with or without spaces.
BusinessNumber

This field is only for the following entities: corporations, non-profit organizations, others, partnerships and sole proprietors.

Example: 987654321RC0001

 15

Recommended for purposes of integrating Taxprep products.

The BN can be entered with or without spaces.
AccountNumber

This field is for trusts only.

Example: T33123456

 9 Recommended for purposes of integrating Taxprep products.
DateOfBirth Use the Mmm dd yyyy date format.  

Recommended.

CCH iFirm will notify you of your contact's birthday using a dashboard widget.
DateOfDeath Use the Mmm dd yyyy date format.   Optional.
Invoice/StatementDelivery [By Email, By Post]   Recommended
PhysicalAddresse Example: ABC Pharmacy Limited 50 Optional.
PhysicalNumber Example: 1120 10

Optional.

This cell can accept numbers or letters.
PhysicalApt Example: 1A 6

Optional.

This cell can accept numbers or letters. The best practice is not to include the word Floor, Suite, Unit, etc.
PhysicalStreet Example: First Avenue 40 Optional.
PhysicalPOBox Example: PO Box 1 15 Optional.
PhysicalRR Example: RR1 6 Optional.
PhysicalCity Example: Toronto 100 Optional.
PhysicalProvince

Example (Provincial): ON, QC, BC, AB, SK, MB, NB, NS, PE, NL, YT, NT, NU

Example (Provincial): Ontario, Québec, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland & Labrador, Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut

Example: (State): CA, IL, FL

Example (State): California, Illinois, Florida

  

Insert a two-digit provincial code or the full name of the province.

Insert a two-digit US state code or the full name of the US state.

Please refer to a CCH iFirm contact record for a list of provinces that can be supported by CCH iFirm.
PhysicalCode Example: M2N 6X1 20 Optional.
PhysicalCountry Example: Canada, United States   Enter the full name of the country. Please refer to a contact record for a list of countries that can be supported by CCH iFirm.
OtherAddressee Example: John Smith (John is the contact person at ABC Pharmacy Limited) 50 Optional.
OtherNumber Example: 321 10

Optional.

This cell can accept numbers or letters.
OtherApt Example: 4th 6

Optional.

This cell can accept numbers or letters. The best practice is not to include the word Floor, Suite, Unit, etc.
OtherStreet Example: Bay Drive 40 Optional.
OtherPOBox Example: PO Box 1 15 Optional.
OtherRR Example: RR1 6 Optional.
OtherCity Example: Vancouver 100 Optional.
OtherProvince

Example (Provincial): ON, QC, BC, AB, SK, MB, NB, NS, PE, NL, YT, NT, NU Example (Provincial): Ontario, Québec, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland & Labrador, Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut

Example: (State): CA, IL, FL

Example (State): California, Illinois, Florida

 50

Optional.

Insert a two-digit provincial code or the full name of the province.

Insert a two-digit US state code or the full name of the US state.

Please refer to a contact record for a list of provinces that can be supported by CCH iFirm.
OtherCode Example: V5Z 2B6 20 Optional.
OtherCountry Example: Canada, United States  

Optional.

Enter the full name of the country. Please refer to a contact record for a list of countries that can be supported by CCH iFirm.