Gail in Virginia

As far as the signature goes, if you don't have a stylus, use the pad of your finger (not your fingernail!) just like you would do anything else on a touch-screen device.

The rollover dog is gone also. I am sad.

I have not tried using it, but the 2012 program now has an option under Reports to allow you to print or export a client list. I don't rollover returns until I am ready to do them, so I really won't find this that helpful for a while. But it does seem to be there.

I got the 1040 Express Answers yesterday I think. I know it is here, and I think it was the last of the three to come. We go in for overkill and get QuickFinders, Tax Book and Express Answers. We also got our Master Tax Guide several weeks ago.

I have never had this problem to the extent that you are talking about, but I have occasionally had a return that acted this way. Because it was occasional, I always just opened the return and closed it in the prior year, and then attempted the rollover again. This is not unique to this year's program, so I don't know how easy it will be for ATX to fix it.

Personally, I think it is time for them all to grow up. None of them really seem interested in doing the job they were elected to do - lead and govern.

That is a bit further west than I am located. But if you come back to Virginia again, let me know and perhaps we can get together somehow!

Happy New Year!

I have not looked yet, but since there is now a separate module for payroll forms, could that have anything to do with your missing rollover items?

JohnH, I have a cousin in India doing a year-long service project teaching women to make a living sewing and working with textiles (or something like that). Not sure what part of India, though. Lion, I live in Virginia, near the Blue Ridge Mountains. Curious what part of Virginia you were in this summer.

I wasn't thinking about how they were sorted but how they are entered. Years ago, on TaxWise, when I entered the EIN on a W-2 (for example) if I had already used that EIN the rest of the information populated as soon as I entered the EIN. Likewise, once I entered a zip code, the city/state information populated. Saved a lot of typing and I did not have to look at a payer manager to see if the information was there.

Elrod, I think you are deducting your investment and depreciation twice. It would be 8025/3000=2.68 - .56=2.12 taxable income. No cheating on hypothetical scenarios!

Cathy, I can't say about 2012 but I know that the 2011 program computed the correct wages for SS and medicare if you had the W-2 set to calculate automatically, once you input the adjusting item with its correct code. For example, if you put $10,000 in box 1 for wages, and then entered $2,000 in box 12 with code D, the program calculates the box 3 and 5 amounts as $12,000 and computes the amount that should have been withheld based on the adjusted numbers. I agree about the state i d numbers though. And I wish that if you enter the employer identification number and it matches a payer in the payer manager that it would populate that information automatically.

I am in Southwest Virginia between Roanoke and Martinsville - actually in Franklin County where the movie Lawless was set.

Usually when I close and reopen a return, or when I run the diagnostics, if a required form is missing ATX will add it. I have in the past used TaxWise and Drake before going to ATX, and of the three I prefer ATX. Drake has great customer support but for me the interface was not what I wanted. To actually see the tax forms I had completed required going from the input screen to the tax form screen and I like to see the actual tax return information on the actual forms as I enter it. TaxWise had some good points, but ATX provides more forms for the same money, and in the past has provided some payroll oriented forms that other tax programs did not. I don't know how to really compare diagnostics because in our office we don't rely on the program diagnostics. Good luck with whatever program you chose!

This was previously discussed on this forum, and some reference links were posted that you might find helpful. I tried to post a link, but every time that I clicked the button to add a link, the forum grayed out and I could not post. If you can't paste the above link and get to the previous discussion, just search for "student loan disability" and this thread and the previous discussion should be the only ones that come up.

One of the reasons that I have stuck with ATX through some of the recent issues has been the payroll forms as part of the program. If I can just buy the payroll program, then I am free to use any tax software I like.....

Please let us know when the surgery is scheduled so we can be sending prayers for you and your doctors especially that day! You mean a lot to us on this forum.

Be strong, KC. You are in my prayers.

I prefer the live updates as well. I usually attend meetings of our local chapter of EA's, at which I sometimes teach the topic we are reviewing. For me, having to prepare to teach about something is the best way to learn about it. I also have attended the VIrginia Society of Enrolled Agent's conferences, the Virginia NATP chapter's meetings, IRS tax forums, NCPE's seminars on Individual, Non-Profit and Corporate/Partnership, Thomson's seminars,etc. Some speakers are better presenters than others, but most are knowledgeable about the subject they are discussing. And quite often they are willing to answer questions that might come up after the seminar and will provide contact information for that purpose. Plus many times IRS or Va. Department of Taxation employees participate in these educational forums, and I have the opportunity to network with people whose assistance I might one day need. Plus it is fun to get out of the office and associate with other professionals to exchange ideas or just gripe about the ins and outs of the tax business.

Thanks for all that you do!

Happy thanksgiving to all of you! And Margaret, I am sorry for your loss. Sometimes holidays can be a bit sad when it is the first since the loss of a loved one, but I hope you (and KC!) will be able to remember the happy times without letting it overshadow the good times to come. God bless you all!

Sounds a little rough, but it could have been worse. I am glad you made it through the storm, and are getting back to normal!

It is hard to say what the unemployment commission will decide - sometimes their decisions are reasonable, but they tend to weight in favor of the employee. However, is the self-employed TP in the construction business? Did the worker provide his own tools, set his own schedule, provide his own insurance? Were there any sub-contractors involved? Who hired them? Who got the building permit and was listed as the general contractor? Was this the same kind of work that the worker was doing for other people? When the TP and worker decided on $15 per hour, was any mention made of whether or not he would be contract or employee? Was any written contract drawn up? I think I would ask at least some of these questions in order to be prepared to present a case for my client.

Thanks, Eric! In my experience, it usually is more complicated, takes longer, and costs more than your expect - whatever it is! We appreciate all you do to provide this forum for us!