elfling

Now beyond the 22 state returns setting idle in IRS Cleared status, 4 others have reverted back to Transmitted to Agency. Anyone else having crazy e-file quirks like this? If so, have you found a remedy? To a certain degree that status is not a problem. Most are zero balance returns. It's just buggy in respect to how we do our filing. Makes it impossible to mark thos e-files complete and annoying when trying to isolate the E-file Manager categories. For example: I like being able to look at "Accepted & Incomplete" but the cleared status interferes since they cannot be marked complete. :wacko:

We have an increasing amount of state returns sitting in the E-file Manager as IRS Cleared. I asked ATX support via email to check on 5 from the 1/20. They replied with information that those 5 are accepted and they would be re-hung to adjust the status. Still waiting. Now there are quite a few more. Is it just us or are other PA preparers waiting on ack updates? Elfling & ElvenPrincess

I've got one . . . Been my client for 24 years. Has a somewhat deadbeat 45 year old son who lives with her. Granddaughter, too (at least she's a sweetie.) I do all I can within legal parameters to maximize the household's fed refunds. They dropped off on 1/31. Called 4 times during the week to see if returns were done. That 4th call was the last straw as her son suggested the returns be taken somewhere else. I told her to tell him that if I hear one more peep their paperwork is going to the bottom of the pile and that would mean 90 returns ahead of them! Finished the returns last evening and attempted to call. Phone is disconnected! #*@!!! (Not once during any of those 4 calls was this mentioned.) Since they only live a few doors down I figured I'd zip there and knock. House is deserted. Neighbor thinks they went away for at least a few days because suitcases went into the cars earlier in the day. GRRRR! I've fired clients in the past but never did I think I'd consider doing so one that's been loyal for 20+ years.

Checked me email at lunch time and found a friend sent this (below). It made me laugh! I was walking past the mental hospital the other day, and all the patients were shouting 13. 13. 13. The fence was too high to see over, but I saw a little gap between the planks and looked through to see what was going on. Some jerk poked me in the eye with a stick. Then everyone began shouting 14. 14. 14. :lol:

Catherine, I use only Fee Collect. Refuse to do RALs or RACs. Not been having a problem with it. On the 1040 EF Info sheet, I check the Fee Collect box. Sometimes I find I must fetch the Fee Collect "form" from the program Forms list. Things flow from that point for me. Elfling

Thank you all for your input. I know the funeral director, Tom, and will speak to him. Everyone knows everyone in a small town like ours. I could end up that the state steps in due to the circumstances of his death. As for my fees, the return was never finished. Just a preliminary work up so I don't mind letting it go. On the other hand, should whoever ends up managing the estate request billing or an invoice I won't snub my nose at the offer for appropriate payment.

I received word today about the death of a client. The information came from a non-related person who lives in the neighborhood. I then confirmed the death by checking the obits. Typically, this is not an issue but in this case I still have paperwork from 2007 in hand. Calls to the now-deceased client beginning last August were never returned. He knew when he dropped the paperwork off that he would owe IRS. I don't beleive he realized how much it would amount to, in the thousands. One of my answering messages to him simply stated that the amount was sizable. I am aware of no surviving family members. His mother passed on a few years ago. He never married nor had children. But if there is someone out there I feel as though they should be notified, if nothing else, that I possess documents that belonged to him. Thoughts on how I should go about this? I considered sending a letter to the address in my files and perhaps it will forward somewhere. Or I thought about perhaps speaking to the funeral director for input. Anyone?

My thought from day 1 was that ML need never see a return. As far as I know they haven't in the past. Yes, the amount of money involved is huge, well over a $2 million, spread over several accounts held by ML including 2 trusts set up by their father before he passed in the mid-70's. Those trusts included clauses that they are to be equally divided among the 3 sons households when mother died. Brokerage activity may have ceased upon the date of death as a death certificate was sent immediately, so illegal activity may not be occurring. But I believe the trusts could continue accumulating dividends and interest until they are closed. The 3 sons are listed in the will as joint executors. This just should not be as difficult as ML is making it. I'm going to have to dig for more details on this situation and stick to what I know is correct for the final return's timeline ~ as early as possible in January 09. Thanks for the input!

Hello everyone who might still be hanging around . . . A client dies on 1/12/08. She had/has mega bucks tied up in investments managed by Merrill Lynch. Her sons are upset that the ML is saying they cannot close the existing accounts without a final tax return. All the while the accounts remain open thousands of dollars in fees are being charged. Typically, we file the final return for a decedent who was a calendar year filer on time which in this case is 4/15/09. Is there any proper way to file this return early? I wonder if preparing it, albeit on an obviously not valid form, would be enough to satisfy ML. In 20+ years this is the first time anyone has asked for an early filing of a return. Go figure. Elfling

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Thanks, kc. It just wasn't making any sense. The return is timely in the respect that the extension was filed on time and it is not yet September. Client's estimate was pretty much on target; payment due under $100. I was done with prep back on the 1st but he hadn't signed until this past Tuesday and we had direct debit set for 5/30. Thinking about what you said I changed every date in the return to today's date (not exactly what I'd call logical), efiled it this morning, and it has just now came in as accepted. Elfling

:dunno: Try as I may, I'm just not getting what this e-file error rejection message is trying to say. Can't seem to work out the "leagal-ese". Any help would be appreciated. MEFUSFPYMT-21 Incorrect Data If the timestamp (in the GTX key or Response to Send Submissions Request) is after the due date of the return (tow and one half months after the "TaxPeriodEndDate" in the Return Header), then the "RequestedPaymentDate" in the IRS Payment Record must not be later than the date the return was received and must not be prior to five days before the date the return was received by the IRS.

Our "extension sign" did go up on March 24th this year. We have used a practice similar to John's for several years. Normally clients are fine with that. This year the media push about the stimulus money just made things a lot more quirky. Federal returns for a bunch who usually only file state, extra returns for new people as well as some folks we haven't seen in years, and just so-o-o-o many questions. Seems like the past two weeks were exhausting compared to the past few. Good thing I punctuate many conversations with bits of humor. Helps keep clients from "shooting the messenger." Elfling

I don't know about other places but radio, tv, newspapers here are blasting that "if you don't file by today, you won't get the stimulus money." I've lost track of how many times I've had to explain that that money is not lost just because an extension has been or will be filed. It will just arrive at a later date rather than in the initial distribution round. Phone rang relentlessly yesterday. "Is it true? I won't get a stimulus check if you don't file my return by tomorrow?" Well, no, not exaclty. People dropping by to see if I could get their returns done by today. Not with 40 extensions already ahead of your drop off! And they glare at me when I direct them to the sign on the wall above my shoulder -- Lack of planning on your part DOES NOT qualify as an EMERGENCY on my part! Can't wait until 5:00 pm today. The local post office closed and so do I. Unfortunatley, next Monday will arrive sooner than I can get my Things to Do and Things I Want to Do lists anywhere near complete. :blush:

The prior replies are all correct. Being born and raised in the state makes it no easier and 23 years as a PA tax preparer really keeps one on toes. Here is info to baffle you some more: > Berkheimer collects for less than half of PA. > Central Tax Bureau is the other biggy. > Capital Area collects for a section of central PA. > Berks, Lancaster, and York all collect on a county basis. > Some areas are collected by school districts. > And some school districts have multiple collection agents. > BobinNJ is correct in that many areas won't refund anything. > Getting anything back from Philadelphia is impossible and Pittsburgh is just plain flakey. Here's the local regional web link: http://munstatspa.dced.state.pa.us/Registers.aspx By going to the Advanced Search you can find the right collector using a locality or school district. Good luck!

{My hubby brought this home from work and thought others might be amused.} The federal government is sending $300-$600 rebates. If we spend that money at Wal-Mart, the money will go to China. If we spend it on gasoline it will go to the Arabs, if we purchas a computer it will go to India, if purchase fruit and vegetables it will go to Mexico, Honduras, and Guatemala, if we purchas a good car it will go to Japan, if we purchase useless crap it will go to Taiwan and none of it will help the American economy. The only way to keep that money here at home is to buy prostitutes and beer since these are the only products still produced in the US. Thank you George W for your help! :wacko:

It's been a few years, but I have filed 2 returns in the same envelope in a similar situation to the one you describe. However, I did not staple the two returns together and I attached the brightest post-it notes I had on hand to each[/u] return stating "2 returns enclosed." They processed just fine inside of 2 months. Elfling

First, possibly only, 8332 of the year. (Usually only see one or two.) I thought I read that the 8453 and 8332 could be faxed rather than mailed to processing center but can't find any reference to that now. Anyone else recall such a thing or is my mind just so tired that I'm remembering things I didn't really read? Elfling

Is there such a thing as an amendment threshhold? This situation seems absolutely ridiculous. A client discovered two quite small ($24.10 & $17.11) dividend statements from 2006. Running a 1040X creates a balance due of $2. Seems almost silly to file it. Client has not received any correspondence from IRS. It's true that to be totally accurate, an amendment should be filed. But is it sensible? What say some of you? Elfing

Gee, how non-personal! I rather like the time spent with our clients. This year we've had 320 sit down appointments and quite a few others who chitchat a moment or two during either drop off or pick up; nearly another 400 in that category. Then there are the dozen where I grab my laptop and go to them, primarily due to health issues. Plus another 20 who are handled via a combination of email and snail mail. Perhaps it's because we live in a cluster of small towns separated by rural areas dotted with family farms, lakeside cabins, and mountain retreats. We're fond of joking around that "it's okay if you don't know what your doing because the neighbors probably do!" We're such close-knit communities that at times I feel like I can't go anywhere without being recognized or stopped to ask a question about one thing or another. But that's all part of the charm of northern Pennsylvania. Granted, at times we probably would get more done in quicker fashion if we shifted the office to all mail-in or simply stopped the appointments but I don't think either us or our clentele would be happy that way. Elfling & staff

RCooper, I'd lean more your way. Show them the door. It's not worth compromising what you know is correct to please this "head guy" or anyone else. Is their lawyer going to support you if the proverbial sh** hits the fan? There is no way to forecast what could result with a change like that. In PA the changes would be crazy - state mandated worker's comp, both employee and employer unemployment comp payments, local services/systems taxes, possible reclassification to a corp with franchise and corp stock taxes, etc. TN may not have to deal with all that but, still, treating partners as employees just isn't proper. If they believe a lawyer knows more about accounting than the accountant, then let the lawyer handle the tax return, payroll, and every other part of their business. More than my 2¢. Elfling

Perhaps my partner and I are in a rut. We looked at several tax software programs last summer into fall and just didn't feel comfortable with the processes they used. Most likely we're just so comfortable with the ATX Max program after 10 years that change is not something we care for. Is it a waste of time that would be better spent with my grandchildren to sit at my desk experimenting with software that we don't like in the end? Even if CCH makes somechanges to the ATX software we hope they won't be stupid enough to totally rework the processes within it. So even though I waited to renew last year, I may choose to renew early this year. Have to think about it. :unsure:

If you need to get into MyATX to get to the board, how many of us won't be able to even go there to check it out? I've been locked out since the end of January. No tech rep seems to have a solution. For the most part, I don't care. It would be nice to be able to access the knowledge base but since I have all of you to lean on that's not really important either. Elfling

Lot of good that does for those of us who haven't used a 1040A in years! No check box on the 1040. Congress just loves throwing a monkey wrench into a system that is already highly fraught with problems of every sort. :spaz:

Not true for many in PA. Anyone -- senior, child, deceased -- with $34 or more of any taxable income (which includes interest, dividends, cap gains, jury duty, gambling winnings, etc.) in PA must file a state return. $100 in dividends, for example, won't require a federal return. We have dozens of clients in that situation. And there were many with state only returns already efiled prior to the stimulus hubbub. We spent a morning calling those people asking if they would appreciate our lining up the 1040 for the stimulus payment, free of charge as most are long-time clients. They are popping in one-by-one whenever convenient to sign an 8879. So far all have been ack'd as accepted.