Jack from Ohio

Howdy folks, sorry to be making changes during the tax season.

Within the next hour, I'm going to apply a new "skin" to the ATX Community Forums. It'll be more subdued and quite a bit less flashy, but all of the same functionality will remain in place...

...Bandwidth use for the site jumped about 10x last month over previous months, and this is an attempt to put the site on a little diet.

Are there any other "perks" that could be eliminated to save bandwith? Avatars, smileys, etc? I like all those things, but I am all about plain and functional if it will save expense. JMNSHO

Well, I just heard today that William is getting the boot too. Makes me furious. They are keeping him on payroll through the season, so he could go down to Rome GA and try to deal with all the problems we are having. Then he is gone. CCH has to be the dumbest company I ever dealt with, to not recognize the value of an employee like William.

This just sealed my decision about next tax year. This also includes the firm I work for too. Both of us are 5 year users of ATX.

Any company that does not retain the person with the most knowledge and experience about a program, is DEFINITELY NOT planning to keep that software around. CCH must think we have the Pied Piper mouse syndrome...

I am insulted... :angry:

Well, correct me if I am wrong, but the software has always accepted line 16b for other interest without a 1099 and e-filed it for the 5 years I have used ATX.

I have put Credit Card interest on that line for the 10 years that I have owned my business. I have been e-filing for 8 years. I used Proseries before ATX. I have never had a reject for missing 1099 info on a line 16b entry....until this year.

What changed? What is new this year? If this was always the case, why this year the rejects and not before?

Tom

Lodi, CA

Tom, your experience is exactly like ours. We (at the firm I work at) e-filed over 1,500 business returns with "other interest" on line 16b last year. The question I posted to William when I first experienced this problem was:

"It is certainly good to hear for a knowledgeable technician. I have a further question. Is this a new requirement of the IRS, or a programming issue? I have not been able to find any tax regs that support having to put an address for "other interest" on line 16b, in order to e-file."

His e-mail response to me 5 minutes later...

----- Original Message ----- From: [email protected] To: XXXXXXX Sent: 01/17/2008 4:31 PMSubject: Re: Schedule C and creating the Casey e-file

It's a programming issue. I have reported it and we should have a fix within 24 hours.

William Tasker

CS Manager, ATX

CCH, a Wolters Kluwer business

William is the most experienced an knowledgeable person at ATX/CCH when it comes to this program. I take his word for this one, since I cannot find any IRS regs to support the need to paper file if we do not include addresses for the recipients of "other income."

FWIW - I did get through, faxed the information (to another number) and actually got an efile to go through without that error...now lets see if it comes flying back now.

Someone at ATX/CCH must have really messed things up. The procedure I had to use to get my e-files to go through was simply create, and transmit. You SHOULD not have to submit your EFIN number every year.

More "enhancements" for this tax season I see.

Rant over now.

http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-utl/part_2_high...oc__sec_1-3.pdf

Go to pg 87

0337 Mortgage Interest 16a

0340 Form 1098 Name/Address 16b

The only entry on line 16b that can be sent is the the name and address of some other person receiving a 1098.

http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i1040sc.pdf See pg 5.

You should be able to include other interest amounts on Line 16b and if you put the return in an envelope, there's no problem. It just can't be E-Filed. Period.

Whoever told William it was a program issue needs a good, swift . . . nevermind.

Where would you enter interest paid on a business loan that was not a mortgage? What about interest paid on a business credit card? I cannot find the information that says this is a change from 2006. We had hundreds of business returns with interest on line 16b in the past, and no issue with e-file. This IS a program issue. If not, please direct me to the information from the IRS that says you must include an address for every entity you pay interest to, or it cannot be e-filed??

You left out the next entry on the layout form...

0343 Other Interest 16b

Which shows another entry possible for line 16b.

what happens is that the irs will take the postion that the return filed with the bank is the correct one and assess the additional tax. i've seen that before.

That would force the taxpayer to either pony up a bunch of taxes, interest, and penalties, or admit to a fraudulent return. Pretty smart on the part of the IRS.

Is there a way to delete a name from the payer manager?

Click on forms, then choose payer manager.

Highlight the payer you wish to remove

Click on delete

Then choose delete again.

!POOF! it is gone...

I also have the installer file available for PDF factory if anyone needs it.

PM me with your email address and Iwill get it tight out to you.

Kerry

The install file for PDF factory is on all the ATX disks prior to 2005.

That is what they do in the back of the restaurant to make your food hot.

Tabasco??

Could someone remind me how we make sure we have the latest version of a form in the return? I thought they updated automatically, and we process updates every morning, so I should have the newest version in this return.

In the past, there was a menu item that allowed you to replace the current form with the latest form. I think that went away? Did it?

If that is the case, then I should assume that the form is still not working properly and the interest needs to go to line 48?

Thanks for your help

Tom

Lodi, CA

That is the case. You are correct. As of 11:20AM EST today.

SECOND REPLY:

"Need release of claim from custodial mother" .....????...Why is that necesarry when there is a court decision on dependency?

The IRS is not bound by the court decision on dependency. The IRS will use its regulations to determine dependency qualifications. Without the signed 8332 the non-custodial parent will lose in a dispute.

This information is from first hand audit experience in our office.

I thought this was fixed for the interest paid to banks on CC and such without a 1099. Was I mistaken? But I rolled this client over early in the season. I thought we could update form with new form, but I can't find that menu now.

Please tell me I don't have to delete and re-enter the schedule C

Tom

Lodi, CA

Here is the thread I started about this very problem.

http://www.atxcommunity.com/index.php?showtopic=973

I received an e-mail from William stating that it was a program error and would be fixed in 24 hours. That was at least 10 days ago.

Our fix is to move the interest to line 48. I don't like doing it that way, but....

99 minutes total with "tech support"

Got all ours here at the firm today as well. Everyone Dated 1/24/08. The magic of time warpage....

IRS Pub 336:

You can treat amounts you paid during 2007 for qualified mortgage insurance as home mort-gage interest. The insurance must be in connection with home acquisition debt, the insurance contract must have been issued after 2006, and you must have paid the premiums before 2008 for coverage in effect during 2007.

This is on the PMI-US website...

Q.

Do all mortgage borrowers using mortgage insurance qualify for the MI tax deduction? A.

Currently, this MI tax-deductibility legislation only applies to eligible borrowers with adjusted gross incomes of $109,000 or less who purchase or refinance a home between 2007 and 2010, and pay mortgage insurance premiums.

Borrower-paid mortgage insurance premiums allocable to 2007 through 2010 will be fully deductible for eligible taxpayers who are married, single or head-of-household and who earn up to $100,000. The amount of the deduction incrementally phases out for those who have adjusted gross incomes between $100,000 and $109,000 annually.

In my opinion, refinance is not "acquisition debt." Am I missing something here? Does anyone have any other references to clarify? Do you think I am in error here?

I found my own answer. Just having my eyes go fuzzy already...

Refinanced home acquisition debt. Any secured debt you use to refinance home acquisition debt is treated as home acquisition debt. However, the new debt will qualify as home acquisition debt only up to the amount of the balance of the old mortgage principal just before the refinancing. Any additional debt not used to buy, build, or substantially improve a qualified home is not home acquisition debt, but may qualify as home equity debt (discussed later).

IRS Pub 336

IRS Pub 336:

You can treat amounts you paid during 2007 for qualified mortgage insurance as home mort-gage interest. The insurance must be in connection with home acquisition debt, the insurance contract must have been issued after 2006, and you must have paid the premiums before 2008 for coverage in effect during 2007.

This is on the PMI-US website...

Q.

Do all mortgage borrowers using mortgage insurance qualify for the MI tax deduction? A.

Currently, this MI tax-deductibility legislation only applies to eligible borrowers with adjusted gross incomes of $109,000 or less who purchase or refinance a home between 2007 and 2010, and pay mortgage insurance premiums.

Borrower-paid mortgage insurance premiums allocable to 2007 through 2010 will be fully deductible for eligible taxpayers who are married, single or head-of-household and who earn up to $100,000. The amount of the deduction incrementally phases out for those who have adjusted gross incomes between $100,000 and $109,000 annually.

In my opinion, refinance is not "acquisition debt." Am I missing something here? Does anyone have any other references to clarify? Do you think I am in error here?

I have never seen a banana "frick." Can you describe that to me??

Hello Again joanmcq,

I am sorry you are having a bad day. I have no job as of yet and an excrutiating ear infection.

What program did you order?

Monkeyman

I ordered MAX and have not see the "User Manual" that the description said would be included. By the time I get it (ha ha) I will have figured out all the problems the hard way (wasting a lot of time), and won't need it.

Why can't everyone just wait till the legislation is passed by both houses, and signed by the President. Then there will be "FACTUAL" information to give answers from.

Our news media is a total bunch of twits...

Until the legislation is signed into law, it is all just hypothetical political rhetoric...

It looks like my initial feeling was correct. The only things of value are the two clamshell CD cases...

The rest is dumpster fodder....

I receive, via FedEx, the "Marketing Kit" "2008 tax filing season" from CCH. It is entirely materials to promote bank products. Posters, hand-outs promoting the "Audit Shield", CDs with radio and tv spots, etc.

I do NOT understand. I get NO users guide for my $1,100 software, but I get a marketing kit for something I do not (for at least 3 years now) offer, and did NOT ask for.

If anyone on the board wants this kit, it is yours for the asking. Just send me a PM and we can exchange info. I will ship it on my dime. The kit was only opened to see just exactly what was in it.

Just let me know.

I got a new computer. It works w/VISTA. Normally when we do updating the state forms come in the program. Not with VISTA. I am talking about OH IT-1040. I kept the old computer(using Windows XP) and out of curiosity I did the updating: the state form came, no problem. But again with the new computer I have problems, because of VISTA, apparantelly

So, I went to Myatx, downloading center, I followed the steps. It seems that the downloading is done. What next? It seems that it is downloaded in a temporary file(ATXNewFoems.zip) but I do not know how to install it to go into Atx,

I would appreciate some help. VISTA makes me mad.

My recomendation - - - - -

Put your Vista Computer away till May 1.

Vista I a nose-heavy, intrusive, slow pig of an operating system. JMHO

I update twice daily at the firm, once daily at home. No problems so far.

I have a suggestion for you to keep the software cost down. It is not pretty, but it works...

...Not sure if this works for you or not. Its the best I got.

Tom

Lodi, CA

I was told quote: "If you install the software in another location (address), you must purchase a second license. The only exception is that each license will allow you to install on a laptop for mobile use."

Your solution is way too much effort for our situation. We will probably have 300 people at the satellite office this year, and want to keep all the records separated.

I would not have been upset, if I had gotten the second answer the first time I inquired.

I e-filed 3 returns yesterday, two came back accepted, one had name error. No problems here so far.

I update everything first thing in the morning, and at noon every day.

[email protected]

I was told in May when ordering the software (same I have used for 7 years), that since I only had a home office and main office I would only be charged for one instance of the network version of the software...

...It looks like I will be exploring other software options after this tax season. ATX/Total Accounting Office has lost it's appeal at all levels - price, quality and customer service!

I, and several others have experienced the exact same issue, with exactly the same "misinformation" being distributed by "knowledgable" (?) sales staff.

Check out our posts in this thread.

http://www.atxcommunity.com/index.php?showtopic=980

By the way, any comment from a sales rep that includes a line like "the big boys now" is inappropriate, in my mind, when asking me as a customer for more money.

This issue cost the firm I work for an additional $1,100 just like you, for the satellite office.