How to Add Tags to Quicken 2011

Adding tags to your Quicken transactions helps you better organize your finances.

Quicken is a popular personal finance program that lets you tag your transactions for classification beyond the traditional Quicken category. You can use tags to identify transactions for a specific event, person or activity. For example, you could apply a tag called "Italy Vacation" to distinguish travel expenses from similar expenses at home, such as dining or transportation. All Quicken 2011 versions let you apply tags to the transactions you enter in your Quicken registers. If you use Quicken Home & Business or Quicken Rental Property Manager, you can also use tags to identify transactions for a business or rental property.

Instructions

1. Select "Tag List" from the Tools menu to open the Tag List dialog box. This dialog box lists existing tags that you can apply to your transactions. If you haven't added any tags yet, the list is empty.

2. Click the "New" button to open the New Tag dialog box, where you can add a new tag.

3. Enter a name for your tag. This field is required.

4. Enter a description for your tag if the name you entered is an abbreviation or needs more explanation. This field is optional.

5. Enter a number in the "Copy Number" field if there is more than one use for this tag. A common reason for entering a copy number is to track multiple rental properties, particularly if you plan to export your Quicken data to TurboTax to complete your annual tax return. For example, you can use a copy number to align a tag with the separate Schedule E you need to file for each rental property.

6. Click the "OK" button when you finish adding a tag to close the New Tag dialog box and return to the Tag List dialog box.

7. Repeat steps 2 through 6 for each new tag you want to add.

8. Click "Done" when you finish adding tags to close the Tag List dialog box. You can now assign tags to transactions from the Tags field in any Quicken register.

Tips & Warnings

• You can apply more than one tag to a single transaction by clicking the "Split Transaction" button that displays at the end of each transaction row. For example, if you bought items for both your home and business at a single store, you can enter separate categories and tags for each portion of the overall purchase.

• If you use Quicken Home & Business to track finances for a small business, you can assign a tag to use for transactions related to this business when you set it up in Quicken.

References

• Quicken