Gail in Virginia

I was beginning to think that i was the only one that just could not quite like Drake's software. Every year I talk to them to see if they are going to be forms based, and every year they tell me no. Sigh. I hope ATX will be able to weather the vicissitudes of this year.

Unfortunately, if you are still using ATX, it looks like it will be 2/15 before we can e-file with 4562 assuming the update due out that day is not late and works. Sigh.

Eric, I think most of us feel that by setting up this forum and sticking with us, we owe you more than we could repay by doing your tax return for you. Just say the word. Also, be sure that you look at the state taxes in considering lifetime learning vs tuition and fees. I know that in Virginia, if you take lifetime learning you get no benefit on the state return, but since VA starts with federal AGI, there is a benefit to tuition and fees. Sometimes enough to change the way to go with this.

It sounds like the database has gotten corrupted somehow. I think there are instructions in the knoweldgebase for how to fix this if you are comfortable trying it on your own.

I have never had this happen as such. I am sure some of the returns that never got picked up or paid for were this type of thing, but they did not warn me up front.

I don't do bank products at all, so I may not be of any help. However, I noticed that the check number is 0, and I would not think that was allowed. Also, the last update (12.7) has to do with print issues. Have you downloaded and installed that? If neither of these is the problem, maybe someone else will chime in soon.

Taxman, that date is on my state returns as well - I just had not paid any attention. I should not be too surprised; I have never understood why the worksheet for the marital adjustment on Virginia prints even for single people. And Taxtrio, I don't think this makes much difference. ATX will not create the e-file until all those little boxes are checked one way or the other. Personally, I don't really think the same division of the treasury that is charged with collecting taxes should have to also make payments of social engineering credits and police those who claim them. But I didn't make the rules.

My favorite warning this year is on the Virginia state e-files. Virginia has an e-file mandate, so every time I run diagnostics on a return, that warning comes up. Then when I go to e-file, it creates the Virginia e-file with warnings. The warning on the e-file is that Virginia has an e-file mandate.

I wonder if the "millions" of returns includes those filed using TaxWise and ProFx? In other words, are they saying ATX has filed millions of returns, or CCH has?

Jack, I can't help with most of the issues, but on your stand alone system with the issues of printing things you tell it not to, I have a suggestion. I saw this in another thread either here or on the official board and so far it is working for me. Instead of just unchecking the box to tell it not to print (what a reasonable person would expect to work), uncheck the box. Then check the box telling it to print, then uncheck it again. Now print. Sounds silly, but I have not printed extra copies since I started doing it that way.

I am doing returns that have depreciation, just not telling the client they are done. When I get the go-ahead from ATX/IRS I will call them to come and sign there 8879's. I tell them when I take the return in that returns with depreciation cannot be filed yet.

Sorry if I wasn't clear. I don't have to click anything but just start entering information in the box or click within the box, and I get a two line toolbar. Then if I click the smiley in the middle of the top row of the toolbar, I get a range of emoticons along the bottom of the box. Is that more clear?

When I click inside the box right above the More Reply Options and Post buttons, a "toolbar" comes up in the editor, and in the center of that is the emoticon smiley face. If I click that, I get a menu of emoticons to chose from.

I only have one single taxpayer that I have rolled over this early. I don't see the field that you are talking about. The name, date of birth, signature and e-file pin fields are all blank on my taxpayer's spouse lines. I think this may be a quirky issue that not everyone has.

They are still in the task bar at the top of the posting box for me. Just lucky I guess!

I just checked, because this thread had me worried. I always save a copy to ArkWorks using the Arkworks PDF printer. Except for the filing copy, it is still accessible through the program's print manager.

System on our server is similar, but for backup we went with removable hard drives. I love the ease of back up and portability with them! I rotate between 5 of them, so we never have more than 1 days data lost.

Thanks Eric! I appreciate all that you do to keep this forum going for us!

I think he is annoying. I don't mind one or two posts trying to sell something, but I think he has posted the same thing several times in any thread that he can find an excuse to use.

If the company contribution amount was included in the client's w-2 as a taxable fringe all along, then it would definitely be part of the basis. The stock purchase plan that I was in years ago worked like that - the 15% the company paid was included in my earnings each time I contributed to the plan, so my basis included the company contributions.

And even to do a paper file return with a difference like this, I would want some explanation/evidence to explain why the W-2 is incorrect. Remember, you sign the return as well as the taxpayer. But if the W-2 is actually incorrect, and the taxpayer has all their pay stubs to substantiate the difference, and the employer refuses to correct the W-2, then and only then would I paper file with a substitute W-2 and very good explanation.

Be sure before you write such a letter for yourself as taxpayer, that you obtain consent from yourself as client to disclose information about yourself. Otherwise yourself as preparer could be in a world of trouble, even if yourself as client should choose to be understanding about it.

"If you have a new EFIN, we need to know. On the Solution Center, log in as admin and click EFIN Request in the navigation bar on the left side of the home page." This is from an email I received in November from ATX. And I seem to remember a long time ago having to send them a copy of my letter from IRS approving me as an ERO. So I would say yes, you do need to provide this information to ATX. I would have thought that it was required regardless of who your software provider was.

We use Trend Worry-Free Business Security, and so far, we are not having any problems.with the software that are related to anti-virus protection.

I would go to the ATX support site, to the download center and try to update the forms from there.