carolynm

I have mixed feelings.

There are some little things it really should do and doesn't. Other things are really nice. I like the red on fields that need completing -easy to visually see missing information. I can't believe W-2 entry won't auto calculate if there are figures in Box 12. Acknowledgment reporting isn't very user friendly. State returns so far have been a breeze. The program opens, closes and navigates quickly. It seems odd that CCH doesn't incorporate improvements in one program into its others (like the W-2 auto calculating). I agree with the dumbing down -3 places to enter mortgage interest on the Schedule A, same with property taxes - I have to really scrutinize the form to make sure I get the figure in the right field...I'd prefer to see one box filled in by completing another form.... All in all I guess I'm OK with it, not the greatest...not the worse...

Eeks...I just got off a phone call with Support...it doesn't auto recalculate Boxes 3 & 5 when you enter figures in Box 12. I'm turning off the calculation on Box 3 and Box 5 since 9 times out of 10 it will be wrong for me...

OK I entered a couple of returns and thought I'd have figured this out by now...but I haven't. How do you get the W-2 Box 3 & Box 5 forms to autopopulate?

I enter Box 1 first, and then the Box 12 boxes figuring that Box 3 would calculate - it does not. I do not have the check box filled in to turn off calcs.

Can anyone help me on this simple task?

Thanks

Carolyn

Create a new 4562 from the property worksheet you want the 4562 to link to. Then you can move the assets by right clicking on them and dragging them to the correct 4562.

I hope this helps!

Carolyn

I have W-2's created in Peachtree. Is it possible somehow to file those directly with SSA.gov and bypass importing them to ATX? I see there is an option to pay $20.00 and have Peachtree do it, but I was wondering if the .txt file is already configures for SSA? I think I'll try it.

Carolyn

You can submit the POA online and then retrieve the documents instantly.

You will then have access to accounts, transcripts etc.

Carolyn

If I fax in a POA, how long does it take before I can request data through e-services?

Husband & Wife splitting. H filed t/rs without payts, possibly didn't report all income. H was diverting mail, funds, not paying bills before he took off. He may have cleaned out a pension & not reported it on the return to further hide that from her.

Wife received one combination notice for multiple years (back to '03) with balances due but thinks it includes pen/int. Husband has some of the notices and is very disorganized. Hopefully he will sign the POA.

I've never used e-services although I am eligible to do so. What should I ask for? Can I get copies of the original notices?

I live in a community property state and have quite a few clients who file schedule c's for their husband and wife business rather than opting to be treated as a partnership.

ATX is the only program I know that has a box to tick for joint business. I know then it then allocates income to two SE schedules. Is this technically OK? Other programs make you complete two schedule C's...I just got to wondering...

Thanks

Carolyn

I was just wondering how the 1099 efiling is going this year after the disaster with ACKS last year....

Won't they be the same servers you do not want to use? Same parent company. What did tech support say when you talked to them about the demo?

I "believe" they are different servers. I didn't ask TRX support when I contacted them re the demo - I'll call them on Monday and find out for sure. I believe it's the same program as the ATX but I also believe it runs through TRX servers for efiling - but I could be wrong.

Has anyone purchased this through TRX? If so is it the same as the ATX offering? I like ATX forms for payroll reports but I don't want to use them or their servers for efiling...I'm thinking of purchasing this through TRX but was just wondering if it was the same or a different program?

I downloaded the demo but ran into problems with the install because I had the full version of 2007 MAX on my computer...

Darn, I was hoping there was an easy solution. TRX support agreed with me this is odd -and said they'd submit it as a suggestion for improvement to Taxwise.

I have a late 2007 return to prepare so I thought I'd prepare it in taxwise rather than TRX or ATX and convert it (I'm using taxwise for 2008).

I have a question on the depreciation schedule and thought perhaps someone here might know the answer. I can enter my assets with ease but once done, I want to see the schedule. So I pull up the print preview screen and there it is but it's oriented the wrong way ie it is sideways on the screen. Is there another way to view the schedule? Or can I reorient it somehow - my neck might get cricked before tax season is in full swing if I have to view these sideways!

Thanks

Carolyn

This is exactly why I haven't renewed with anyone yet! I wait until the last moment and read the latest on the boards before I commit. I am lucky I don't have a bunch of early filers, I can even usually wait until people start efiling. I do have to commit to a year end payroll solution sometime very soon.

Sure - - I would LOVE one!

Can you tell me how to get it?

Thanks!

Terry O

Sure PM me with your address and I'll let you know shipping costs. I also have a 2007 one too if you want it...just doing some pre-season office cleaning!

I was going to chuck this out and thought perhaps I"d ask first if anyone wanted this? It's yours for the cost of shipping (media mail is pretty cheap).

Carolyn

I need Iowa.

And on another note -is there a way to back up the state software to a cd or something?

I just realized something awful. I needed to add a state to a late 2007 state return I'm preparing in Intellitax -guess what? The servers are no longer there to log into. Wonderful. I don't have an archive CD with all the state information on it. What happens if my computer crashes? I called TRX Support and they don't have anything they can give me. Oh great. If my computer crashed tomorrow, how would I access all this info -what good will a backup do if I can't reinstall the program.

Did anyone get an archive release or at least a late release later in the season of Intellitax?

Thanks

Carolyn

I'm encountering this same issue with a return I'm working on now.

What is the CORRECT depreciation calculation for a vehicle whose business use decreases say from 100% to 60% business use?

I would think the current depreciation calculation should ignore prior depreciation claims...

I use 101fax.com. It's free to receive and you can pay as you go for sending which I like. I send most of my faxes on my Canon Pixma MP780 which allows me to fax directly from mycomputer. I like to receive my faxes in email as a pdf because then I can just save them in my customers directory. I'm really moving towards a paperless office and this was just one more step I could take towards that mission.

Carolyn

Thanks for the posts folks and especially thanks to Lion. I contacted Dennis and had a good chat with him...it looks like this is a pretty good program. It may very well be my 2008 choice.

Actually their pricing is more competitive than that. I called today:

Their new user package is $1695 and includes business entities, 1040's , all states and unlimited efiling.

Through NTSVision (a reseller) the same package is $1050 - isn't that just about what MAX is?

I was just wondering has anyone trialed Taxworks? I received a demo last week and think it might be a suitable ATX alternative. I also see NTSlink.com is a reseller of Taxworks and their price looks like it just about matches ATx pricing.

Has anyone dealt with support for Taxworks? NTS?

My biggest pet peeve with ATX was support. Love the program (except for some idiosyncrasies I have with it) , but support sucks.

I'd love to hear what others have to say about Taxworks, any problem areas etc. I do a real variety of returns and returns in about 35 states. It's important to me that states are done well.

I think I've narrowed the software field to TRX1040-tw (TRX's offering of Taxwise) and Taxworks (or NTS's version)

Thanks

Carolyn

On the subject of taxslayer - I downloaded it to test out the other day and thought it was pretty interesting. One question I had was on navigating the K-1 input screen. I had to enter the # of the field to get to each different field, I couldn't just cursor to it with the down arrow - have you found the same thing? I thought that would drive me nuts having to enter the line # of each field before entering the figure - I'm so used to just pressing enter to get to the next line.

I'm going to make a list of "questions" for support and see what that brings me.

I am also considering Taxwise but through TRX not CCH. I was very happy with TRX efiling this year, and think that might be a good option, heck I only wish TRX would contract for ATX then I would be happy. I could call TRX for my support questions, and their efiling was so much smoother than ATX's.

Carolyn

If I'm wrong about this, someone correct me, but I think the $699 program is a reseller's version of TaxWise. If so, aren't you just playing into CCH's hands by purchasing it? They may not get as big a mark-up profit if you buy it thru a reseller, but they still succeeded in converting an ATX user to a TaxWise user, which everyone seems to think is a danger, they've succeeded in keeping you with CCH, and who knows, next year they could terminate their agreement with TRX and force you to buy it from CCH directly if you didn't want to switch again.

I am a converted ATX to TRX user looking for a couple more bells and whistles which I may find in TRX-TW. You raise a good question, one which I will ask TRX -how long is their contract with CCH for taxwise? I'm wavering between the TRX-TW and DRake (I used Drake for my corp/partnership returns this season, and TRX for personal). I've ordered a demo of TRX-TW to run through its paces. I already have Drake. My only peeve with Drake is the data entry - I find it tough to get used to, but the program sure does run fast since it's not generating screen images all the time.

Geez at one time 1 GIG of ram was considered lots, I bet I need more.