Randall

Yes, usually the local taxes are based on where you work, not where you live.

Medlin, I liked your analogy, but it doesn't give me much confidence. Numbers and Jack, thanks. Not knowing the guts of the matter, I'm getting that same feeling.

I'm not a techie regarding programs. In the past, I've heard ATX was a spreadsheet based program. Not being a programmer, I always assumed this is why it was slow. This year, there was supposed to be this major overhaul. I'm not sure of the details, but is it still a spreadsheet based program. I'm wondering if this is the reason it is even slower than past years. Maybe they just tried to do too much with this type of program. Jack of Ohio and others may know more about this.

I think I found my answer on Q&A link of CTEC regarding out of state tax preparers not required to register. And can prepare CA returns.

Is there a CA licensing requirement for out of state preparers to efile a CA return? Only one return? Or a minumum number exemption?

Seems even slower.

RitaB, can you send me some seedlings of that tree?

ATX didn't sell itself to CCH. The people who started and built it up sold to CCH and were probably paid a very large sum of money.

If you have Acrobat, you should be able to convert the pdf to Acrobat. I use pdfprofactory and I have the acrobat icon in upper left. I just click it and I have the document in acrobat, which has a lot more functions available.

I closed program. Reopened. Back to portrait. Whew!

Suddenly I had a return print out in landscape. Looking for the reason. Any help is appreciated.

Cathy, I've stayed with ATX too. I don't think we're stupid. We made decisions and we'll all make out decisions in the coming year. Some will stay with ATX, some won't. I don't know what I'll decide yet.

I filed one recently. Everything seemed to go ok.

I recall getting offers in the past after April 15 for free software. Not sure if those were demos or the full version. I will check some out and try to do extension returns on two or more programs to compare. I'll see how ATX works this out between 4/15 and 10/15. I've not had the big problems many have had with crashes, rollovers, lost returns. But the program seems slower than previous years, the print manager is really cumbersome and slow and some other quirks have been more than annoying.

jklcpa, that's what I'm thinking. I always print a pdf copy for me anyway. When questions come up, I can quickly look at the return without going into the program.

I'm not seeing any speed improvement.

I think if ATX survives, they will have to fix 2012 by the end of 2012 filing season. My plan is to plow thru to 4/15, not renew ATX early, look at other programs, make my decision in the fall.

The trust stuff sounds like overkill.

Thanks Lion, that's what I'm seeing elsewhere.

Yes, Lion, ordinary income when she took it out and the 1099-R was issued. But when the stock was sold, the brokerage issued a 1099-B but didn't show basis. I believe the $10k is ordinary income but she still gets stepped up basis because she did inherit the stock. It would be as if the father didn't die, took the stock out of the plan, had to report $10k as ordinary income, then later sold, he would have cap gain, maybe short term, maybe long term if held long enough and his basis would be less. But she would get stepped up basis and it would be long term because she inherited the stock. My question is would she also have the $10k as additional basis to the step up FMV.

Client inherited father's employer stock. Had stock transferred to her own brokerage account. Received 1099-R showing gross distribution $60k, taxable amount $10k and box 5 net unrealized appreciation in employer's securites $50k (round numbers). Later sold stock from brokerage account. If the $10k from 1099-R is reported as ordinary income and she gets step up basis (FMV on date of death) on the stock sold, would she also get the $10k as added basis to her stock? I'm not sure where to start to look this up.

I'm loving it. You wanted spending cuts. You got em. I couldn't believe they passed that when they did. It's probably the only thing they did worthwhile.

It's kind of a hassle. Once you've created the pdf file and saved it somewhere, then in ATX, there's the efile tab at top with an option to attach pdf.

Anyone download 12.10 yet?

joanmcq, I don't see a reference to a bulk line item. The instructions seem to say if no 1099-B, then list each transaction.