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Thank you all for your thoughts. AbbyNormal, thank you for making plan a fillable form. Very helpful and relatively easy to complete.

What an excellent reply! The "young staffer" tip is likely a game changer. Finding opinions which make sense and are accurate is always a challenge. There are so many who post things to get ad money, so a good amount of the information returned via any engine search is simply wrong. Of course, I am long in the tooth enough now, that unless someone backs up their opinion with money/insurance, I investigate it myself.

I purchase AnswerConnect. (I'm a ProSystem fx user, not ATX.) I like it. I learn more about it the longer I use it, and it has become more intuitive over time, guessing what I meant even if my phrase isn't how the tax code words it or if I misspelled something. I can use it from within a tax return, so it knows where I am and what I might be asking, and open it on its own and even when Googling or using another browser. Make sure you install the browser app. Then whenever you're searching for something, if there are AnswerConnect articles/laws/explanations/code/etc., an AnswerConnect pop-up will appear at the top of your results; you can open it if you're seeking a tax answer or ignore it (it takes up very little space) if tax is not what you want. Also, if you have young staffers who Google for any question, AnswerConnect will still pop up to lead them to substantial authority. The CCH tax experts, writers, and lawyers are constantly adding new information and rewriting old. I have found them responsive to my questions and suggestions. I love the charts and other more visual aspects, too.

ATX cut-off is 6 PM Eastern Time Zone on 12-22, 1 PM Hawaii time zone. Sad to me that they cut off so many days ahead of actual closure by IRS....

I have a client who just sent me their info to complete 2018 1040. She inquired as to when it would be completed, to which I reminded her of the million(s) of pieces of mail sitting in tractor trailers at the service centers. She agreed that it will be best to wait until the January 2021 e-filing opens, especially since they expect a sizeable refund.

Isn't efiling the real better option?

Cat out of the bag! This is something I discovered years ago by accident. I now always try to have a modest balance due. Like any business, the IRS seems to process profitable envelopes first.

I would write across the top in red ink, "Resubmitted With Requested Forms"

If they sent back your paper amendment, then send them the entire amended return -- as you did before plus with the formerly missing form -- making sure everything is included this time, and signed, etc. With their cover. Send everything.

That is correct. I find hard to believe that a competent appraiser would find any goodwill in this case where continuing success of the business was dependent on the deceased sole proprietor. I would ask to see an accounting of the business and the estate, including a date of death value and current value of the assets. Also ask how long before the estate is expected to close. If your client then has major concerns you would advise her to see an attorney. Other than that, she waits to see what flows from the estate until it closes.

I would resend my prior emails to the client. If some or all of my client communication had been via telephone, I'd email a list of dates we talked via telephone "as a reminder of what he already knows." In a separate email, I'd suggest client call the telephone number on his latest IRS notice to hear the IRS response for himself. If I received any further requests from client, I'd call my E&O carrier to ask what they want me to do. I would almost certainly fire the client, but would consider the timing so it doesn't appear as retaliation for his threats or for a lawsuit if it happens. In normal times, I would say wait until the amendment is processed, but that could be after next tax season, so no to that.

I've looked at Pub 4557, a security plan from BrassTax.com, one from Drake, and others. For my SMLLC home office with no employees but with a professional IT person who specializes in tax preparer and lawyer offices, I found the Pub 4557 Safeguarding Taxpayer Data's "Use the Safeguards Rule Checklist" of four pages (14-17 out of 21 pages) as a good starting point. However, I have not done anything else besides checking off the appropriate boxes in that checklist -- and having an IT pro on retainer and following his instructions.

I am surprised at guts of this pro bono client. Have this client call IRS directly & find out more details.

TerryD, tell the client to call the IRS himself! Give him the date the original was filed and the amendment, and tell him to ask why he is still getting bills. Then he can have it from the horse's mouth. More often than not, I have the clients call instead of me when it's not a complex notice because I do not have the time to wait on hold for half the day. I have a hunch, though, that maybe your client can't quite substantiate that extra deduction and fears it might be rejected. Why else would he be looking for an excuse to blame you? Warn him that IRS doesn't have to accept amendments, but you won't know if they do or don't until they process the return.

Go here. It will have your codes and the software. https://support.atxinc.com/download/ATXProgramDownload?year=2020 Go here for all your install codes for recent years, and print them to a pdf for your reference. https://support.atxinc.com/myinformation/MyProducts

After thinking this over some more, I'm beginning to see the light. Yes, Bulldog Tom is recommending the better position on this.

You would think by now, some one at the IRS would've figured this out and had software companies insert a "Resubmission of a paper filing" check box to avoid any confusion.

I am kinda on the other side of this. If the client wants to know when and who you talked to at the IRS, just tell them. By acting like you have something to hide, you fuel their concerns. I would "dummy down" the notes if they are very detailed. Change to something like "Spoke to Mr. West ID#1000XXXXX on xx/xx/2020 concerning client 1040X. Mr. West confirmed that IRS is still in backlog and that interest and penalties will clear up when 1040X processed". And that is the truth, so why not put it in writing. What is he going to do, sue you? Wait till he sees the backlog at the courts because of Covid. He will get his refund, and the next 3 or 4 refunds, long before he gets a hearing. Sometimes, people just don't trust anybody and they are looking for a reason to be upset, especially now. If you give him the notes, or the summary version of the notes, the problem goes away. My humble opinion. Your practice, your decision on how to proceed. Tom Modesto, CA