Gail in Virginia

Now that I can e-file VA, I finally have my first sets of accepted returns. And like you, I cannot print the history. If anyone has discovered the fix for this, please share.

The Virginia e-file forms should be available as of today, 2/2/13. They were in the testing phase with VA until sometime Friday.

ATX now has the forms available to e-file VA individual returns. I guess they passed the test!

Glad you are sticking with us even though leaving ATX. I am sure you are not the first to leave this year, and you probably won't be the last! Let us know how ProSeries works out for you.

And wasn't there a court case where casino winnings and losses at the same session could be netted?

ATX has still not received approval from Virginia for their e-filing forms. The date has been pushed back from 2/3 to 2/4 the last time I checked the download center. I don't know why they haven't gotten approval, but it is making me crazy not to be able to file both federal and state.

I installed on the server and one workstation in December, played with very little because so few forms available. Installed on other workstations early January, installed each update as it came out. We have not had the major problems I see on here. Couple of returns would not open after rollover, fixed with 12.5 update. Slow to open the first time I open a newly rolled over return. Getting used to the new print manager. We are networked, and I replaced the server over the summer, and all workstations are fairly new (within 2 years) and running Win 7 Pro or Ultimate. Server runs SBS 2011.

I like the Zebra M-402 myself. But if I am going old-school, i prefer a #3 Ticonderoga.

i got off to a rocky start, but ever since the 12.5 update I am fortunate that our software is working. It is really, really slow when I rollover and open a return, but once the forms are all updated and I re-open the same return, it is much faster. I suspect a large part of the slowness is having to convert each return from the old platform to the new, and there probably is no way to avoid that. But, like so many have said, I am not a systems person and could be wrong. Maybe the speed is something they could have fixed. Last week, I was ready to scream, pull my hair out, and ask to be converted to TaxWise, but this week is going much better.

If you are using ATX, the IRS provided identity protection pin goes on the filer info tab page of the 1040, about halfway down. Right before the direct deposit information for paper filers.

I have opened it a couple times, but it was just because the cursor was in the wrong place. I didn't mean to do it.

Jackie, I had a return that I had rolled over earlier that would not open. 12.5 was supposed to be the answer. When I first installed the update, I got a message "cannot open rolled over return." However, I deleted the previous roll over, rolled it over again, and Miracle of Miracles, IT OPENED! I don't know if this is your issue. Good luck!

You tried, Jack, but your post said "admin" not "Admin" and this year it matters!

If you will go to line 21, and bunny hop to the supporting page, Canceled debts is on the line 5 up from where you start entering your own language. This will get the income on the return. After 2011, no bunny hops.

I agree with all of the above. When you make a mess, you have to pay to clean it up.

We are networked, with Server 2011 and Windows 7 on workstations. I have only had one crash so far, while entering data on a sch. C. Lost everything on the C. Re-opened return, saved every couple of entries, had no problem. But we are mostly using the payroll program so far doing W2s and 1099s. Your mileage may vary.

We usually charge a minimum fee of $25, for up to 5 employees or contractors. Everyone over 5 is charged at $1.50 each. If we do payrolls we will do the 941 and Virginia Unemployment filing for $40, but if we don't do the payroll the quarterly reports are $75. The 940 is an additional $25. Other charges may apply if the data is not in good, usable format.

Our wild swing was last week too. On Sunday, the temperature was in the 70's - unusually warm for winter. By Thursday, it was snowing (and sticking!). This week it is very cold for our area, in the low 20's and upper teens. Should be a little warmer by the end of the week, but forecast is for a wintry mix by Friday. I will be inside anyway since it is that time of the year, so let's get this cold weather now and I will try to be ready to enjoy spring when it comes!

How would you know if they elected to be treated as an S-Corp? I think in most circumstances, I would err on the side of caution and send the 1099.

I am not yet ready to give up on ATX. Our problems have not been as severe as some, despite running on a network. I really don't like change. We used Drake a few years ago, and while their customer service was excellent I prefer the forms based software of ATX. I did get an interesting email offering $300 off this week only on Pro Series, But I really like ATX usually.

We usually only roll over when we are ready to do the return. So far, we have rolled over 7 returns - a test return, 3 very simple 1040's, 3 1120S returns, and 1 - 1120. Of those, only the 1120 is giving us problems and can't be opened. We are in a networked environment - in fact we just replaced our server this past summer. From the sound of things, we got lucky! But I don't know how much trouble we will have as we go forward, and the program is still incredibly slow!

From something that KC posted on another thread, ATX might not have had a choice on this. If the IRS tells them that they cannot let users edit the forms they don't have any choice in the matter if they want their software approved for e-filing. And how useless would tax software not approved for e-filing be?

So far, the only return that I have rolled over that I cannot open is an 1120. I get the same error message APF mentioned on that return and it will not open. I am waiting to see what happens, but I feel like I will be on line with tech support over that return. I have had that error message in previous years for an occasional return, but usually opening and closing it in the prior year program solves the issue. This time it did not. I have not printed any returns yet.

I would have thought that to qualify as step-children for any purpose there would have to be a legal relationship, such as marriage. But who knows? Anymore you can't even be sure of the definition of marriage....

Personally, I prefer doing payrolls and corporate/business returns. I feel like this is an area that challenges my knowledge and requires more of me than doing plain W-2/standard deduction tax returns. Just as a matter of principle, I don't think our tax code should be so complex that the average taxpayer needs to add insult to injury by having to pay someone to do their taxes. That being said, I do the plain tax returns if requested because some people find that their time is more valuable doing something else, or because anything that says IRS gives them the shakes, or they are illiterate (yes, occasionally) or they just don't want to do it. It is not my decision to make for them. But I hope that I bring some value to every client.