> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://pernee.com/help/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Exporting your client list from Lacerte

> Export to File from the Clients tab, comma delimited.

Lacerte lets you pick exactly which fields come out. Takes a minute longer than the others and gives you a better file for it.

## Steps

<Steps>
  <Step title="Pick your clients">
    **Clients** tab. Highlight who you want.

    Press <kbd>F3</kbd> for **Client Group Selection** if you're picking a lot of them.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Client menu, Export, Export to File">
    All three, in that order.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Pick a folder">
    **Browse** to somewhere you'll find it, or take the default:

    ```text theme={null}
    C:\LACERTE\YYTAX\IDATA\EXPORT
    ```

    `YY` is the tax year — `24TAX` for 2024.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Name it">
    Or leave it as `EXPORT`. Lacerte won't take `/ ? * : < > " |` in the name.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set the export type to Comma Delimited">
    That's the setting that gives you a CSV.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose your fields">
    `(+)` expands a category in **Available**. Double-click an item, or highlight it and click `(>)`, to move it into **Display**. `(<)` takes it back out, **Up** and **Down** reorder.

    Worth including: client name, entity or return type, tax year, client number, email.
  </Step>

  <Step title="OK, then Exit">
    You'll find `EXPORT.CSV` in the folder you picked.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Warning>
  Don't open it in Excel and save it again. Excel eats the leading zeros on ZIP codes and a re-saved file keeps the damage. Send Pernee the file Lacerte wrote.

  If you do need to look at it, format the ZIP column as **Special** first.
</Warning>

## Or run a client listing report

If you'd rather work from CLIST than the export dialog: run the report, choose **Print to file** in the **Report Display** options, and pick the comma delimited option for the file type.

Lacerte offers to filter the client list before it runs, which is handy when you only want part of the book.

## Then bring it in

Drop the CSV into the card in Getting started, or open **Clients** and choose **Import clients**.

Pernee reads the file, proposes a name, entity type, return form and tax year for each row, and shows you the lot on a review screen. Nothing saves to your book until you hit **Import**.

<Tip>
  Keep the Lacerte client number in the export. Pernee holds onto it, so a later import updates the client you already have instead of creating a second one.
</Tip>

Running something else too? See [Getting your client list into Pernee](/help/guides/overview).


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