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CCleaner and other utilities will check your drivers and install updates as needed, if you don't want to do it yourself.

Have you checked that the default printer didn't get changed in Adobe?

Glad I am pretty much retired.

Yes, it is. Sad to say it is not full proof or 100% either. Just responded to a CP3291A for a client who paid using Direct Pay in June of 2021 to pay the amount proposed in the CP2000 they received. We have the confirmation statement, bank account showing the draft responses etc. I had a client yesterday insist on writing and mailing a check cause they've done it this way for years. I strongly suggested the direct draft through the software. Some folks are still old school and resistant to change. I like that idea. Drake now generates a transaction summary form for the client to sign they authorized the direct draft or direct deposit. To include a form like you mention is a small task in Drake. That way the client can't say they weren't advised of the risks.

And make sure you don't include the charitable deductions paid with a QCD on Schedule A or the new charitable deductions line. They really didn't implement this in the best way and it's easy to double dip, unintentionally.

Or try the low tech approach, Have your client check Where"s My Refund? Next step depends on what Where's My Refund says.

Have the taxpayer get an IRS account, or get a POA and use eservices to pull transcripts, or call to request transcripts.

PDFs can have restrictions placed on the that include stopping people from editing them or even printing them. So check your PDF printer preferences and printer properties to see if that's happening. If you have a PDF editor program, you should be able to see, and sometimes remove, any security settings. You might need a password to remove some security settings. But my first question is why are you printing PDFs received from your clients. We love it when the clients provides PDFs, assuming they were downloaded or scanned properly, because we only work from PDFs when entering data for tax returns. Love being able to zoom in to make the tiny numbers more readable. And we use the typewriter feature in Foxit PDF reader to make notes on the client docs, including pasting calculator tapes into the PDFs. Finally when you say you 'can't print them,' what exactly happens? What do you see on your screen? Does it look like it's printing but nothing prints? Do you get an error message? What printer is showing in the print dialog? Also, uninstall any printer software that came with your printer. I would disconnect the printer from your computer. Then delete the printer in Control Panel, Devices and Printers. Then reboot your computer. Then connect the printer and let windows detect and install it. You probably won't see anything happening, but if you go back into Devices and Printers, your printer should be there. And windows will install the latest driver automatically.

I just duplicated the return so I can try that. It just seems counterintuitive to delete a form from Covered CA in a CA return! But I always say that taxes are not logical, they're just the law.

I too have lately not needed support. Whenever there is an issue I’ve been able to fix it with the knowledge base. I’m getting good at it, or just lucky.

locate a pdf file, right click, properties and select acrobat. Let me know if it works.

I was informed earlier that NC would not accept any returns until mid-February and then Drake Support had stated February 17th was the anticipated date. This notice released Feb 14th now extends it to Feb 28th. One difference, it appears you can transmit the returns but they will stay put for processing the 14th. NCDOR Issues Update On Opening Of 2022 Tax Season Raleigh, N.C. Feb 14, 2022 Tax law changes included in last year’s budget delayed the North Carolina Department of Revenue’s (DOR) finalization of tax forms, updates for tax systems, and approval of tax preparation software. Accurately processing 2021 tax year returns and issuing refunds in a timely manner is a priority for the NCDOR. Agency employees are working continuously on testing and certification requirements that are necessary in order to open the North Carolina tax season and have made significant progress. The target date to open the tax season is the week of Feb. 28. Taxpayers can expect to begin to receive refunds in early April. We continue to encourage taxpayers to file electronically. Specifically, in regards to certifying tax preparation software, agency employees are working diligently to approve these requests. Tax software providers are notified by NCDOR once their software is approved, thus allowing taxpayers to begin filing their tax returns. Some software products have already been approved. The list of approved tax preparation software products for businesses can be found at this link. The list of approved tax software products for individual income tax can be found at this link. Other products are being approved on a daily basis. Taxpayers should routinely check to confirm if their tax preparation software has been approved. The NCDOR funds public services benefiting the people of North Carolina. We administer the tax laws and collect the taxes due in an impartial, consistent, secure, and efficient manner.

Don't know what software you're using. I went with Drake back when the 2012 (I think that was the date) debacle occurred and have not looked back. I was an ATX user for a number of years, all that way back to the roaring tiger when it was Sabr until CCH bought them and it seemed the software was never the same. Drake is always on top of things but just like others, when it is out of their control, nothing they can do. Example is the Pub 536 wait.

Printer drivers do get corrupted from time to time. If you're moderately comfortable with tech stuff, go to the Brothers website and download and install the current printer driver. If not, uninstall your printer then reinstall letting Windows find and install the driver. The second approach will not install any printer management software from Brothers.

In Drake, all I have to do is check "yes" on the dialog box of the entry form. I would guess yes!

I'm not saying that this isn't true in the OP's case, but for other readers in future, this isn't always entirely true and is dependent on what else is on the return, where the taxes were paid, and if the tax is creditable or not. While the 1040 instructions do give this as general criteria of when the 1116 may be bypassed, if one reads the instructions to form 1116, it is an election to not include the 1116, and one must still consider whether the general limitations apply, whether a tax is actually creditable or not, and must still figure any amounts that would be shown on line 12. I'm sure that there are returns that should include the form 1116 that don't and are never caught by the IRS.

I've rarely needed help over the years, but I've mostly gotten excellent support. For the past 6 or so years, we've Advantage and that comes with Concierge Support, which has their best people in it. With Max support, you're mostly getting temp help who just enter your question into the Knowledge Base and read you the answer.

Could this possible be foreign taxes accrued the previous year and being paid this year? Or taxes accrued this year which will be paid next year?

If someone filed last year jointly with two kids 8 and 10 (for example), and this year is filing Separate, don't forget that this person will get on line 28, $4,500 as child tax credit and on line 30, it will get $1,400 as stimulus. A lot of people don't bring the stimulus letter and when you ask them about the stimulus, they say "I received all the stimulus" and it is easy for the preparer to forget to click on line 30.

From what I know, this fund pays dividends on the investment. Just guessing, I would say it should have shown on the 1099-div. Like I said, just guessing.

When I have the 8879 signed after returns review, I also have the client(s) initial the payment pages that they have confirmed the direct deposit/debit amounts AND the bank routing and account numbers whether for tax refunds or payments and/or estimates.

I have one that I did exactly that. Efile went through fine. Son sent payment by 1040-v.

The AICPA and all 50 state CPA societies have formally requested the IRS postpone the schedule requirements another year. Hopefully IRS will do so and quickly.

Here's a link that than links to both FREE short classes (15 minutes and 10 minutes, maybe): https://on-demand.compasstaxeducators.com/courses/k2-k3-brief-discussion?fbclid=IwAR3cqKMeUC4XhEUBT_i-5QAxtikiYk8EstgBAH2fvtIWlFj342h7tN_5yW8

Years ago after I got out of the Army, I worked for the Postal Service for several years, before I decided to go back to college. All tracking means is that the postal service employee at the point of delivery scanned the bar code on the piece of mail being delivered.

As it currently stands this is what the ATX knowledge base says about the topic: ATX™ and TaxWise® will not be supporting Schedules K-2 or K-3. If you need to file these forms, please reach out to your account manager for information on using CCH® ProSystem fx® Tax or CCH Axcess™ to access these forms.

And all the 8915-Fers: "Did you count the 3,000 you told me to let them keep?"

EFTPS might be too hard but Direct Pay is pretty darn easy.

These rules are going to change because it's unworkable as is.

FREE class here: https://on-demand.compasstaxeducators.com/

Or the one I'm using for the company and the partners or shareholders: [Date] [Entity Representative] [Entity Name] [Address] Dear [Entity Representative], Starting with 2021 tax returns, pass-through entities must file Schedules K-2 (at the entity level) and K-3 (with the Schedule K-1) to report various international activities. Until recently, it appeared this new, complex reporting requirement was limited to pass-through entities with international tax attributes. The IRS recently released revised instructions on these new schedules that indicate otherwise. The revised instructions require all pass-through entities to determine if each partner or shareholder 2021 tax return contains Form 1116, Foreign Tax Credit, or other international-related tax form. If so, then you are required to file Schedules K-2 and K-3 with your 2021 tax return, even if you have no foreign income, no foreign assets, or no foreign taxes paid. We enclosed a questionnaire you can use to solicit the partners or shareholders; we recommend you retain the completed responses for your records. You can choose your own method to collect this information, but we strongly advise it be in writing and that you retain responses with your tax return records. If you prefer not to make these inquiries, we can simply prepare and include Schedules K-2 and K-3 with your 2021 tax return; additional fees will apply to the added compliance requirements. Penalties may apply if you fail to properly include Schedules K-2 and K-3 on your tax return when they are required. By [deadline], please sign by your choice. If you don’t meet this deadline, an extension may be required to complete your tax returns. Sincerely, [Preparer Name] [Preparer Firm] [COULD NOT KEEP THE FORMATTING, BUT THEN THREE BOXES TO CHOOSE 1 TO SIGN...] Please prepare Schedules K-2 and K-3 with the entity tax return. We are not going to survey our partners or shareholders. Please prepare Schedules K-2 and K-3 with the entity tax return. We surveyed our partners or shareholders and it is required. Do not prepare Schedules K-2 and K-3 with the entity tax return. We surveyed our partners or shareholders and it is not required. Developed by Fred Stein, CPA, EA and Thomas A. Gorczynski, EA, USTCP [NEW PAGE] Important Notice! For [Entity Name] to prepare its 2021 tax return correctly and to give you accurate information necessary to prepare your individual income tax return, please read the following and complete this document. We need this information to determine if we need to prepare and file Schedules K-2 and K-3 with our tax return and to provide you a Schedule K-3 to accompany the Schedule K-1 we usually give you. If you file Form 1116, Foreign Tax Credit, or another international-related tax form on your individual tax return, we must prepare these schedules. By [deadline], please complete the appropriate selection and return it to us. If you don’t meet this deadline, there will be a delay in providing your Schedule K-1 and accompanying documents. If you are unsure how to complete this notice, please consult a tax professional. Thank you in advance for your cooperation in this matter. Sincerely, [Entity Representative] [Entity Name] Name: [FOUR BOXES FOR PARTNER OR SHAREHOLDER TO CHOOSE 1 AND SIGN] I will file or anticipate that I will file Form 1116 on my 2021 Form 1040 return, or another international-related tax form that impacts my federal tax liability. I did not pay or accrue foreign taxes during tax year 2021 and have no foreign tax credit carryover to tax year 2021, so I will not file Form 1116 with my 2021 Form 1040 return. I paid or accrued foreign taxes during tax year 2021, but the total is $300 or less ($600 joint), and I plan to take a foreign tax credit on my 2021 Form 1040 without filing Form 1116. I paid foreign taxes during tax year 2021 but will elect to deduct them on my 2021 Schedule A and will not file Form 1116 on my 2021 Form 1040 return.

The partnership versions will be released later this season and the S-corporation versions 22 June or so. You can find a couple FREE short videos online by instructors such as Tom Gorczynski and CYA letters such as Schedules K-2 and K-3 Client Statement Owner Name:-----------------------------------------------Owner SSN: Partnership Name:__________________________ Partnership FEIN: The IRS has instituted 2 new form requirements (K-2 and K-3) comprising 39 pages of disclosures that could double or even triple your company’s tax preparation fee. These forms are not required if your partnership or S-corporation has no foreign activities and if the individual partners or shareholders are exempt from filing IRS Form 1116 (Foreign Tax Credit) with their 2021 individual Form 1040. I you do not acknowledge that you are exempt from filing Form 1116 with your 2021 Form 1040, we are required to complete these new forms and your fee will increase dramatically. IRS Notice 2021-39 allows us to rely on a good faith safe harbor of your statement that you do not personally have to file IRS Form 1116 with your 2021 individual Federal income tax form. If you are not required to file Form 1113 with your 2021 individual Federal income tax return, please sign below. Please reproduce and have all other owners individually sign as well in order to awoid our required filing of Schedule K-2 and K-3. “I confirm that I am not personally subject to filing Form 1116 (Foreign Tax Credit) with my 2021 individual Federal income tax return Form 1040.” Signature of above individual:___________________

Yes, and for many of my older clients as well. I really don't like scheduling the direct debit through my software but may be encouraging this method for a select few that just can't seem to remember to pay the balance due with the 1040V. They are also the ones that are habitually late in paying their quarterly estimates.

For my clients, I think using Direct Pay or EFTPS is too far outside of their comfort zone. I am thinking about having them sign a letter that it's their choice to pay with a check by mail ?

Yes, similar except my client's check from December cleared but IRS still sent another notice. At this point we aren't sure if it just crossed in the mail before the next notice was generated. I try every year and most of mine just won't do it.

"If the payment hasn't been credited and your check hasn't cleared, you may choose to place a stop payment order on the original check and send another payment. If you choose this option, the IRS won't charge a dishonored check penalty. And you may be reimbursed for bank charges related to stopping payment. See the Form 8546, Claim for Reimbursement of Bank Charges PDF for more information on claiming reimbursement of bank charge." I am advising all of my clients to stop mailing checks to the IRS.

You need to report these on line 2 of form 4835 or your client will receive a CP 2000. Box 3 is the gross crop sales to the coop. Most likely you will need to deduct storage....etc cost to reflect his net payment. It might be to his advantage.

I don't have a cut and try answer here, but believe there is confusion over what it means to have a home office and deduct mileage. With a home office established as your principal place of business, you are allowed mileage for any business travel away from there. The key here is that your home is your place of business. However, I don't believe there is any written authority that says you must have a home office in order to deduct mileage form your home. Consider the case of an log truck driver owner/operator who leaves his home at 4 am to go pickup his first load of logs in the woods 30 miles away. I would not consider that commuting and prorate his depreciation, diesel...etc. Those are ordinary and necessary business expenses that start at the first turn of the key in the morning. While I do not have any authoritative cites to back this up, in reality, the principal place of business for the log truck and full time "uber/whatever" driver is behind their respective steering wheels; and while there are differences between the two cases there are certainly similar fact patterns. I do not have any uber driver type of clients but would dig in deeper if I did.

The whole covid tax stuff was a mess. I thought this tax season might be better. But now I'm having to file some MFS and look for them more EIP3 and CTC.

In ATX on the 1099-R data entry screen, scroll down near the bottom and check the box for QCG and input the amount. It subtracts it for the taxable amount on page 1. I've been doing this since the first year and just keep the support documentation in my files. I have never attached to the return. Sort of like the expenses and non-1099 income on Sch C, I guess. Make sure you have the support if needed.

This applies to clients as well. I had one client who wore too much of sickeningly sweet smelling perfume, and sometimes she's hug me and I'd smell her perfume until I went home and took my clothes off. Thank goodness for the pandemic and working from home!

I did the same thing with a PA return and still feel guilty. If ATX has a two-year comparison, that might help you notice the discrepancy before it's too late. I view the two-year in UT for every return I do. NJ, MA, and others also tax some items federal does not. I guess all of us should learn to look at all the state entries when we enter the W2, especially when working with a "foreign" state, because the auto-populated ones can be wrong. And I disagree that PA is not complicated! With the local tax and school tax and all those reciprocal agreements, PA is hardly straight forward.

Years ago the firm I worked for had a retailer of fresh fish and seafood. OMG, that smell permeated the papers and the clothes of the poor staff person that worked at their site. I was very thankful that it was not assigned to me! I worked on it in later years back in the office, and the smell would be on my hands from working with their journals. It was just gag-me awful.

To jasdim better squash than poop. To Abby. A competitor used to smoke something awful. Folks would go in and have him chain smoke. Before he finished one cigarette he would light the next one and duck the partial butt in his ash tray which was overflowing. Clients reportedly left his office smelling as if they had been in a tobacco smoke house.

The mistakes always happen on the persnickety ones - I agree - bad karma. I just did a PA return for someone and forgot that federal wages and PA wages are not the same when there is retirement deduction on the federal. They marched in this afternoon all up in arms. Ugh. I don't know why the program can't catch that one. I feel like it used to. PA returns became more complicated in ATX over the last couple years, and PA is not complicated.

Let me assume that the wife makes less than $50K and that the old child is 7. If the mother claimed the old child, she will not have to return any of the $1,500 she got in advanced and the husband will get $6,600 as child tax credit. If they split the children, they will get $1,500 less child tax credit. Regardless, don't forget that the new born will also get $1,400 stimulus.

Hubby could claim one child and still get the credits, because he didn't claim the child last year. Obviously, claiming both children will get him more! If wife's income is high enough to have to pay back, try each with one child to see if the household as a whole does better. We're spending more time on each client. I'm going to get some pushback on my fees this year!

I can't believe people don't know if they got money or not. Family of four, $5600 and they don't know that $5k was just dropped into their account (or even $1400). Some of the stimulus letters are just now arriving. I only got mine the other day. Some clients who have brought their info to me already are calling saying they just received this letter. Then there are two letters for both the stimulus and the advance CTC. Some clients only bring in one letter thinking the other one is just a duplicate. Watch for those receiving Social Security. They may have received refunds by check in the past but IRS got their bank info from SocSec and made a direct deposit for the EIP3.

See this thread: No reporting of PPP loan forgiveness on 1040/Sch C - General Chat - ATX Community

All I know is it's covered on page 23 of 2021 Instructions for Form 1040, but I don't see it in the 2020 Instructions. Admittedly, the only place I looked in the 2020 Instructions was the same general place I found it in 2021. All mine who took these funds got them in 2020 and as far as I know they were forgiven in 2020. My clients didn't talk about it much after busting my chops to get their Sch Cs done. It was astonishing how habitual October filers were suddenly on the ball. Anyway, I feel like we're supposed to report the forgiveness that occurred in either 2020 or 2021 on the 2021 return. One more thing. Hugs.