joelgilb

Like I said, she is a poor LIAR!

The exact wording was: No Longer an ATX User as of 02/13/13, just here to help. Will I be back next year? Depends on ATX. Updated news, Kimmie did reinstate my access. She indicated that I had to remove my tag line and that she would be monitoring my posts to insure I don't mention The DUCK (Drake) or any other tax software. Of course she also mentioned that it was complaints by others who thought my posts were offensive that got me banned. THinking she is a pretty poor liar. Ahh but that's right she is management! And Tom, I had been wondering who was "IDONTLIKECCH". At this point I don't like CCH either! lol Love the Duck though!

Kimmie indicated my tag line was reported as offensive by some members and therefore had to be removed. I agreed to remove and she restored access. Can't find any posts though suggesting my tag line was offensive. Wondering who might have had a problem with it?

My thoughts exactly Lynn, although the more I get comfortable with Drake (and hopefully soon its client Write-up) the less I am leaning that way. Also, with the price difference, I am considering adding a SuperForms (or, CFSTools Online forms, or Laser Librarian, or even Intuits Forms product all about the same price) subscription to take up what I lose from leaving ATX. I use CFSTools for some other things and they have some nice products.

Purchased Drake on 02/15/2013 and at that time my sales rep at Drake indicated that about 500 ATX users had purchased Drake this year. My thought is that that tons means 2000*X. Sure quite a few more have since then, but who really knows how many. Know that JohnH is with me at Drake though!

Jack, What do you consider a True Server Network? I presume a stand alone sever that no one is using, but just want to be sure. Small office here so I use my machine as the Server and have just 2 workstations connected to it. DO you perceive the same issues with that, because I had bee considering this option once I finish the 3 more returns in ATX that I didn't intend to move to Drake.

E-mail sent to Kimmie. Judy, Thank you for providing her email BTW, any reason no-one posted her full email in here, rather than the pm?

Having been with Drake now for about just 10 days and ATX for 12 years, I find that I don't even miss forms based input. And support! Drake answers the phone almost every time on the 3rd ring with LIVE SUPPORT that is knowledgeable and can actually answer my questions in minutes. By far the best support I have ever experienced for tax software!

Beta testing means that they should have had a lot of users test the software. While one will have little or not problems, others will. This is why developers beta test. ATX clearly did not do that, but rather issued a software in the Alpha stages. Plus the programmed the software in Raven DB, an open source database engine. A company with the money CCH and their parent company has saving money by using a Free DB... really? Unconscionable!

Intuit is currently offering a 70% discount off of ProSeries, bringing the price down to $1500 plus the Network module for another $599, with a 5 year price lock. It is forms oriented and you will be up to speed quickly. Drake is not offering much of a discount, but then its software is reasonable at $1495.00 and renewals at $1095.00, network module included. Still they will give you a $100.00 discount. Drake's input is database oriented, and you would think that it would take more effort to get up to speed, but it just isn't so. Drake also provides a good Document Manager and Client Write-Up software Free. I went with Drake and the software SCREAMS SPEED. Even viewing a return after any input is almost instantaneous. Within just a couple of days, feel like I have been using Drake for years and really love it. Finally churning out returns. My thoughts, it is not too late to switch. Do it now!

Not giving up. Does anyone have an e-mail address for Kimmie or other top management?

Too funny, but also probably a mistake. Wolters Kluwer, CCH's owner has MEGABUCKS! They can easily suggest that this is Libel. Although truth is a defense to Libel, who has the money to fight Wolters Kluwer? Not providing any legal advice here, but if anyone knows who that is I would suggest they tell them to rethink that site.

I essentially stopped bashing them, but like here I changed my signature to add the following line (not sure of the exact wording anymore): Switched to Drake and No longer and ATX User, only here to help. And I have only been over there for the following reasons: 1. To truly help others use ATX, when they chose not to move on; and 2. To get what little help I needed to finish off the the last few returns I started in ATX and decided to complete there. Today I went there because my ERO and Preparer information just disappeared from ATX, my DCN reset to 1 and I couldn't e-file a return. Tried to put it back in, but every time I did... POOF it would disappear again. Finally I resorted to self-help - rebooted ATX 2012, added my preparer and ERO information back, reset my DCN and everything worked. They have left a very bad taste in my mouth and even Listerine doesn't help!

Well I think I might have made the ATX Oscars! ATX has removed my access to to its community forum. Not sure which Oscar I win though. Now since I am still a paid up customer of ATX, I wonder if they have the right to do that, when there is no other working means of support. As a tax and business lawyer (contract etc), my own legal opinion is that Community Boards are a privilege. I would say that the software companies aren't legally required to offer them, unless they add it in their licensing agreement. As we all know here, when CCH first took over ATX they closed the forum completely, CCH only reopened it due to the backlash and probably this community. I think we would all agree that ATX is obligated to provide its customers support under its current licensing agreement. Due to the overwhelming problems, other forms of support are virtually non-existent. Phone holds are over 7 hours and then you usually get cutoff before speaking to anyone. Emails to support get an auto-response that they will contact you in 3-4 days, and go unanswered from there. So, since the community is ATX's only remaining line of support, I think this is a compelling argument that they would be contractually obligated to continue to provide a user that level of access. Maybe it is finally time to sue them...?

ATX will not only switch you over to TaxWise for free, you can actually get them to let you run both simultaneously (in other words get Taxwise for free and still keep ATX active). I did. That being said, although TaxWise is better that ATX at the moment, it too has problems, especially in a network setup. Further, my staff and I had issues with TaxWise and found it much more cumbersome. We found that the time to prepare the same return that we had already prepared in ATX, was essentially the same (45 minutes). This with all ATX's slow lagging behavior. Efile errors were more difficult to correct and more difficult to create. The return manager was severely lacking in information, and IMHO almost certain to lead to a missed efile. Tha said, I switched to Drake (it was that or Intuit Proseries). Drake screams speed. Same return a third time (ok, doing the same return 3 times does lead to some speed increases but...), 15 minutes!

Thx to both of you

You might find that the lender walks away from the Recourse Loan. I am currently in Las Vegas, and am finding that this is a common occurrence here. Also, since Nevada is a Trust Deed State, if the lender doesn't follow certain procedure, they can not come after the borrower later, even on a recourse loan. And virtually all the lenders are failing to follow proper procedure here. It is likely that he will receive the 1099-C next year or even in 2011 when the lender eventually sells the property for a Big Bath! I see this happen here routinely, unlike back in Illinois, where the lenders are still pursuing the deficiencies.

I have to amend a 2008 1040 and was wondering if I could still use the 2008 ATX software to do it, since it used the old form, or do I now have to do it manually with the updated form in the 2009 package. Obviously it would be easier to use the old software.

A lot of mixed advice here. All good too. There are multiple legal issues here Tax Law issues and Family Law/Divorce Law issues which are the responsibility of the the Divorce Court, not IRS. As stated above, current Tax Law creates an exception to the custody and support issues by allowing a custodial parent ot transfer the right to claim an exemption by signing the 8332. Not only am I a Lawyer, I have fought this very battle for myself and won (albeit with representation from a Family Law Attorney) . The Divorce Court, most certainly has control of the parties Judgment for Dissolution, Child Support Orders (a decree which is modifiable by the way)and the related issues connected with these decrees. Each State is different and it is up to the Court to determine whether it is appropriate to enforce an order forcing a spouse to sign the 8332, to meet the terms of there Judgment for Dissolution. Not IRS! Now I am not a Family Law Attorney, so my advice is to tell your client to talk to their divorce attorney and see if they can get a Judge to write an order directing the ex-spouse to sign the 8332. And then if the order is issues and the ex-spouse still refuses, they could be held in contempt of Court and sent to jail until they comply. But it is not for us, myself included, to give legal advice in this area.

Not sure what they have as a conversion option. I will be looking over the software after 04/15. For me though I already bought it. Even if I don't use it as a tax prep option, the price for the research package alone is worth it. As for the Drop dead date, you might want to call them and ask directly. I understand from someone else I sent their way, that they realized a 3/31/2010 date is unrealistic. I think they might have extended that date, but only until 04/30 or 05/31. Remember last year when they offered ATX so cheaply, everyone that sat on the fence did NOT get the DEAL! So almost certainly you will not be able to wait until 12/31/2010.

Admit I never used it, so thx for the correction. I had looked at briefly one time and just remember not liking it. Guess I didn't quite remember it's interface. Darn that Oldtimer's Disease!

Does it? Did the IRA have a beneficiary designation? Did it pass outside the Estate and go directly to her? Who was the check made payable to, the deceased? And if so, how did she cash it? Ok, nothing but questions here but they need to be asked by someone, hopefully you asked them and if not you need to. Where's Jainen when you need him. Hate doing his job. :)

You will need to read the Trust documents, but generally an Irrevocable Trust is a "Complex Trust that must be reported on a 1041. The income may then flow through from the 1041, like any pass-thru entity to her 1040

and remember, you will need to report the entire 1099 to him and then show the client paid portion separately as an expense

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