Updates are nothing out of the ordinary at hsp. The team behind Opti.Tax released version 22.0.19 at the start of calendar week 38. It comes with a host of new features, including the Opti.Tax Cloud concern. In „hsp live at 11“, hsp CEO Paul Liese presented and discussed the new features, as well as various support cases from the past few weeks.
Paul begins with the first new feature in Release 22.0.19. This concerns the import of bulk data from Excel templates. This is done via „File → Import → Save client/project data template“. Incidentally, this is also where you’ll find the two individual data templates, which have now been updated. The „Email address“ field has been added to the individual data template. If the client enters their email address there, an Opti.Tax Cloud user can be created when importing into a project under “Owners/Parties” by right-clicking on the relevant person.
Paul then moves on to the other Excel template, which is version 3.2.0. This template also now includes a new field for email addresses. Under „Economic Units“, details regarding property tax exemptions or relief can now be entered. The relevant details are entered under the heading „Exemptions & Relief“. Under the heading „Cadastral districts & parcels“, the standard land value can now be entered (from column O onwards).
In Opti.Tax itself, under „Property“ in the project, the option „Property tax exemption/reduction“ is only displayed if there are any exemptions or reductions. For this to happen, the box next to „Property tax exemption/relief“ must be ticked in the „Declaration for the determination of the property tax value“ section.
A wide range of output options for reporting
We now turn to the topic of reporting. By clicking the small arrow in the top right-hand corner above the report display, you can now view a report that excludes exemptions and concessions. Another new feature is the display of the „Declaration for the Determination of the Property Tax Value“ report. This generates a report listing all the details that have been recorded or could have been recorded. Where no data has been recorded, the missing information is marked with a red X. During the course of this week, we have already received enquiries as to whether the report can be generated without the missing entries. This will also be possible in the near future.
Some users, and also in the live chat, have asked: Why does the document „Declaration for the Determination of the Property Tax Value“ not have a signature field? According to Paul, this was discussed internally with those involved and hsp’s solicitor. It emerged that most law firms have already regulated the handling of the document in the power of attorney they have issued. For anyone who has not done so, or who requires additional information below the signature field, individual wording will be required in any case. An additional document, to be signed by the client, is suitable for this purpose. A generic text for the signature field applicable to all law firms and clients would simply not make sense.
The hsp team has received a number of enquiries regarding the print function for reporting. Release 22.0.19 now includes the function to print reports. This makes it possible to send a report to the DATEV DMS printer.
Further valuable feedback has been taken into account in version 22.0.19
The hsp received a further enquiry regarding batch dispatch. There may be instances where batch dispatch is not possible, even if a valid certificate has been uploaded. This is because the status shows „in progress“. If the approval process via Opti.Tax If the system is running in the cloud, the status changes automatically as soon as the client’s authorisation has been retrieved. However, there are some who obtain this authorisation via traditional methods or other sources. If the client’s authorisation is therefore granted by other means, the status must be manually changed to „Authorised“ by right-clicking. If no Elster validation has yet been carried out, the „Authorised“ option will be greyed out.
The next section deals with plots of land without streets or house numbers. Specifically, this concerned a harbour site comprising several buildings. To identify these, refer to the section „Cadastral district and parcel number (to be completed only if no street name or house number is available)“. The relevant details can be entered there.
Next topic: Importing from ALKIS files. Under „Agriculture and Forestry“ in the „Information for determining the property tax value“ section, the green plus sign offers the option „Import from ALKIS file“. This allows you to select a file and import the data it contains. This includes parcels of land, types of use and further details. Currently, only the structures for Bavaria and North Rhine-Westphalia are available. Other federal states are set to be added, but to do so, the hsp team requires ALKIS files from the other federal states.
In addition, further improvements have been made. And the next update is already in the pipeline. Version 22.0.20 is scheduled for release on 4 October, which is about a week and a half from now.
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