taxtrio

Man called today... wanted to know if I could prepare his return using Turbo Tax. He said Turbo Tax always gets him 2,000.00 refund on his taxes. I explained that it's not the software it's the information you put into the software that creates the refund, and would come out the same if done on my professional tax software. Could not get him to understand that it isn't Turbo Tax that is getting him that refund. Then he asked if I knew anyone else who uses Turbo Tax... I told him I have a friend that uses the professional version of Turbo Tax (proseries) and he said Good, give me her phone #.. So I did.. Hope she's still speaking to me! Taxtrio

Hurray! We can efile the MI 4884.. !! Taxtrio

Who pays the 10,000.00 for college? Did the student take out students loans that she will have to repay? If so then she would most likely have provided more than 1/2 of her support as she would count the loans as support provided by herself. Taxtrio

I have had two returns with the 5405 problem... I reported both to support by faxing information to them. Nice to know they are listening! Taxtrio

Rent paid to the owner of equipment; when the owner operates the equipment is called rent received for the use of personal property. It goes on Sch C. with the appropriate deductions. It is NOT treated the same as "rent" received for real estate that would go on Sch E. Do not put on Sch E... His company "rents" his truck from him and just pays him separately for it. I have seen this several times before.. Sch C., and SE on the profit. after deductions. Taxtrio

I've noticed the same... Another question we have to ask! Taxtrio

I faxed support about a problem with the calculations for the Michigan Rent Credit for Seniors. They responded in just a couple of hours asking me to send them the return to work on. The MI 1040-CR, page 2, line 42 had a credit but line 45 is blank when it should be carrying down to line 45. (Income was low, so no further reduction in credit). So I played around with the form as they are totally revamped due to tax law changes in Michigan for 2012. The computer is correctly showing a worksheet 4 computing the "alternate" rent credit calculation. That calculation is used if it results in a LARGER refund than the regular credit. I believe the ATX program is using it INSTEAD OF the regular credit. The alternative credit was zero; and that is what ATX is using instead of the more than 500.00 regular credit gives the senior. Right now the only workaround I can figure is to override the credit on line 45 and have the client mail in the return. With the override it won't efile. Or have the client wait until it get's fixed.. no idea how long that will take.. Taxtrio

My printing is much faster now.... Wow! I am going to hold my breath to see if it stays that way. Taxtrio

Did you try "change printer" option? Click on "return" look down the menu to "change printer" choose the printer... It should become your default printer in ATX. Taxtrio

Look at this notice from my NATP Newsletter: EITC Due Diligence Checklist Filing Required The IRS has noticed that a large number of returns with the Form 8867, Paid Preparer’s Earned Income Credit Checklist, have incomplete information. Although the IRS will not reject a return if information is missing on Form 8867, these returns will be suspended causing a potential delay in refunds if the information is missing. Paid tax return preparers are required to file Form 8867 with any federal return claiming EITC. Form 8867 is the same due diligence checklist that is currently required to be completed and retained in a preparer’s records. Now they tell us! Taxtrio

Add forms, choose 9325, open forms... done. Taxtrio

In preferences, print preferences, there is a box to check to "mask sensitive information" on client copy. That may be what you are looking for. Taxtrio

You have to click on "click here" in the sentence at the top of that screen. It will take you to another screen where you can click on one of three items at the top... "submit idea", "my ideas", or "rate ideas.".. You can submit your own idea, or rate other ideas. The my idea button only works if you have submitted ideas. then you see what status your idea has with ATX. Taxtrio

I have tried every suggestion for slow printing on the ATX Website.. One of them was to exclude ATX from my Norton Antivirus scanning. No change. I just uninstalled my malware scanning program... Adaware (from Lavasoft).. removed it completely. Printed two returns. They printed much better, pretty normal speed, no pausing between pages. But that is only the first two returns since I restarted ATX... Hope this printing speed continues... I'll get back to you tomorrow and add an update. Willing to try anything right now. Taxtrio

Nope.... I have been suggesting that ATX add a report function... like clients with EIC, or Clients with Estimates, etc, etc... Go to the MyATx site, go to suggestion box, and rate the suggestions there, You can make your own suggestions. That's where ATX get's it's ideas from. The more of us that "vote" for a suggested enchancement.. the more likely it will be implemented. Taxtrio

The My ATX support site has a suggestion box where we put our requests. There is a place to rate the suggestions. ATX will apparently review our suggestions and record how many high ratings that suggestions gets for the suggested enhancements. The more of us that "rate" the suggestions highly, the more likely they will consider that item as important to us. My question is: "How many ATXer's know about, use, and rate the suggestions in the suggestion box?".. I know we are all busy and stressed, but over the year it would be good to visit the suggestion box and "rate" or "route" for your favorites.. What do you ATXer's say? Are you willing to participate? Taxtrio

No more templates... we all used them but they are no more... But, there is a workaround that works just as good. Create a new return, First name: Template. Last Name: 1040. (or whatever you want as long as it starts with number) Because the Numbers always appear at the top of your return manager list... it will always be at the top of return manager. Now, include whatever forms, check whatever boxes, fill-in the information you would have put in the old template... Save return. Now whenever you have a new client... mark the "1040 Template", click Returns, Duplicate Return. And you have a new return ready to use for a new client. Just rename the file and you are ready to go. So if you make 6 templates, they are all there ready to use at the top of your return manager. This workaround was suggested by one of the ATX support people. Works good for me.. But I share your pain.. don't like things to change.. Taxtrio

Have you tried "clicking" on that refund/ bal due button? It automatically adds the Tax/ Summary sheet to the return.. I use the Tax/summary a lot. I found that little tid-bit in the manual one day when I was doing a little lite reading. It's a lot quicker than going thru the Add Forms icon. I don't know if it worked that way in past years, but I'm glad I know about it now. Taxtrio

Isn't that Fed 1040, pg 2 in the signature box.. special box for the Identity theft pin? Taxtrio

On the MyATX community board Kimmie is posting tonite asking for information from those of us that have slow printing issues. Says to email [email protected] the particulars. See Kimmie1201 post 1/30/2012 Titled "slow printing -- need some information for the developers". Taxtrio

Do you have the birthdate in filer's information screen? Age is a qualifier.. at least 25 and less than 65 yrs old. Taxtrio

ATX Blog says most state efile is now available. I downloaded my Michigan Efile!! Tomorrow I can get busy finishing these returns.. Taxtrio

Well I just finished looking at their short "videos"... found some useful tips in them regarding the Client Communications Mgr, the Client letters, and print packets... Might as well spend my time learning something while I wait for Michigan Efile to be released.. ATX might have sent this out due to the complaints from many of us trying to figure out how to use these "features"... After looking at what is in them I think this was a way of trying to help us use these functions in the program. If you stay with ATX and ride out this storm now might be a good time to study up. I know we don't like change. We don't like spending our time this way; but I need to learn how to use this stuff now.... not in June! So I'm using every opportunity I have to make my life just a little easier this tax season...if I can. Taxtrio

I am up to 16 returns... not efiling yet.. I try to open the return the day before client is due in. If return won't open... I make a new file and start from scratch so I will be ready for the client when they come in. Usually I rollover returns the morning they are coming in. Not this year. Booking appts 2 hours apart instead of 1 hour. Program is so slow, and printing is slower. Hope this fix on Monday cures our problems.. I can spread appts out now, but not in a week or so! Here's hoping for the best.. Taxtrio

Back to the basics.... If they are "single" (no children)... Then they file as "single"... unless Texas is a common law marriage state... Then they might qualify as common law married. You have to research that issue, I am not in TX. The qualifcation for deducting real estate taxes and mortgage interest is that you are liable for them and you have paid them. If they pay the mortgage payment out of a joint account then they both are contributing to the payment and both could / should claim their portions. If the mortgage payment is paid out of just one person's account, and all money is provided by that person then that person should claim all of the interest and taxes as they have paid it all. If joint account, mixed money from both people... could claim 50% each or their portion. As long as they don't double dip... would be ok. Just be careful about which name and SS# is on the 1098. If person claiming the mortgage interest deduction is not the name on 1098.. fill out appropriate information on mortgage interest input worksheet (click on the jump to green arrow on the mortgage interest line). Taxtrio