Medlin Software, Dennis

Drafts: https://apps.irs.gov/app/picklist/list/draftTaxForms.html Released: https://apps.irs.gov/app/picklist/list/formsPublications.html The search field works well, and you can sort by the column header (such as posted date). These pages are updated once a day, at roughly midnight eastern.

Checksum Most w2 uploads are "safe" for the tax agency, because they can easily hold you responsible for any errors. In this case, like most, there is a "total" record which is checked against the sum of the individual records. One odd exception is to be able to even prepare a 941 upload, the software vendor must provide personal information, which is lunacy, since the software vendor has no access to, control over, or liability for the data (unless they elected to take on that role).

If you have the knowledge to access the MD file, you probably have the ability to edit it, to contain the SWH (if your software really is not including it, and it is not calculated/entered in such a way to make zero be correct). Don't forget the totaling fields.

The "other" Catch-22. Change = profit...

We (those who vote) can, but we don't. The enemy is us! It is the old Catch-22. In my case, we have a many term congress person, who has ascended to a good level of power (through longevity), which likely brings "back" money a new person could not do. So, does one vote for the powerful incumbent, or put in a newbie, who will likely not be able to do anything for several terms... Then there is the gerrymandering issue...

The second trick is to know when to let them go. For me, it is the first instance of unprofessional behavior (such as a nasty-gram message), threats to leave, threats to sue, etc. As long as the person remains civil, I will not give up. The one I wrote about earlier involved more than 60 messages back and forth, but the last one was not civil, so it will be the last one, other than stock replies or excerpts from the program documentation.

The software should be checking the file for valid entries, or at least, gracefully handling invalid file data, such as deleting it (as suggested by their support) or some sort of plain text error message. A generic "we are not handling the error, so Windows is" is never acceptable.

The result is the caller will blame you for whatever the mess is, even if their fault. Just the way it works now-a-days. Kind of like mine who ask for a solution to "cannot" (without saying what they are trying, or what happens when they try (Carnac the Magnificent is not a real person!).

Oh for the voice or writings of one customer who accepts responsibility for their own actions... Yesterday and today have been filled with a customer who has no problem telling me about their background and how they overcame it to become well educated, yet the person is unwilling or unable to follow simple directions (click this, type that) and instead, goes on a rant to blame me for having to become vert direct and blunt to get the click this, type that steps actually done, and to discover the error was because of an action the customer took almost three years ago... then the customer again reminds me of their education, and refers to me in an unflattering way. The interesting part, is their last message clearly is a "vent", and.or some sort of self comforting message, since, after the rant, it has a PS of something along the lines of not telling others how they feel.

I was going to make a comment, but the current state of big time politics is simply too disgusting, no matter which side of the aisle you sit on.

1040 Sch A was posted on the IRS site Jan 12.

"But it has always worked before" "But X did theirs that way" "Really? To download and install, I need to click the 'Download & Install' button? Your instructions should be more clear!" -- Although I do somewhat understand. As I get older, I notice the things I "always" have done before, such as leave my keys in a certain spot, do not always happen. Can't explain it to myself as it must have been one of the kids, since they have moved out, moved in, moved out, moved in, moved out (current status). For those that "suffered" through this far in my message, today started off with an upset employer/customer. They have "employees" who are having trouble with a certain self prep tax program, as it is not accepting their one digit W2 control number. The employer is telling me the employees say the tax program requires a two digit control number... I used to be amused at being asked to provide free support for the software of others, but sometimes it is too much! (Sent the employer a snip from the IRS W2 instructions, pointing out the W2 is correct. Any issue with the tax prep software is something the employee needs to take up with that software vendor.)

Other than the printer and display, file manipulation is the slowest part of computing... Many prefer to pretend their software is faster appearing by handling some file manipulation when the software is not opening or closing.

Major faux pas. This means the program itself is not handling the error, leaving it up to Windows, and 99.9999% of the time, Windows has to close the program. The usual suspect is an array bounds issue (if there are ten items, trying to access something other than 1 through 10), a memory corruption (but these days, most programs do not need to directly rear and write to specific memory locations), or an overflow (for example, a numerical value of a byte, and trying to set it beyond the range of a byte (say to 257). But, for a zip code, assuming it is a zip code field causing the issue, zip codes are usually stored as strings (text) not numbers, since even in the US, we have the dash in the plus 4. Thus, if it is a string (text) field actually causing the issue, there is more likely a memory corruption, which may be causing as yet unseen data issues elsewhere. So be careful... For me, this would be a 100% stop and focus only on this issue, should I ever get this reported. (Good therapy for me to write this out, as it reminds me of what I have to be wary of as well.) What is very puzzling is the program actually staying open after the Windows message. The windows message is usually only shown when the program does not handle an error (just before the program is terminated by Windows, unless there is some sort of "we really don't have a clue as to what the error is, but we will let you keep going anyway" error handling, which does not show a custom message and shows the windows message instead. Normal practice is to never rely on the Windows message/termination, sine it gives the programmer no clue as to what has happened.

Given my customer base, and how the support questions come in, a fair number of employers doing their own payroll will wait until next week to prepare W2 forms... Some will be later, despite being reminded multiple times to get them out on time.

Accuwage is now an online tool only. It used to be a downloadable program (which at least for a few years, required Java to be installed as well).

A camera can be in a ceiling/wall/wall corner. Covers the whole room. A sign on the door announcing the surveillance for safety (or whatever is required in your state). At the least, it will likely create a more civilized environment. At best, it can protect you and yours from (or help you deal with) something untoward. If this were not a public forum, I could share more, which would explain why I use all available protections and deterrents, even in settings which most people would not worry.

As one who has cameras around and recording 24/7, how about video/audio in your office? No more "they said, I said" issues. I have come to accept I am nearly always being recorded, if not by me, by the street cameras, the light pole cameras, and all the business, home, and dash cameras. The new "good fences make good neighbors" is "good video and audio makes good neighbors". Caveat: In some states, such as mine, attempting to using audio as evidence is a crime. There are exceptions, one of which covers my audio recordings.

That is the real skill in what you do, and in part, what I do. Giving advice which does not make you worry, handling customer mistakes without risking your reputation, and all the while keeping the income flowing. Personally, I have a tough time dealing with people who do something wrong, and they usually know is wrong, but then again, I am not signing any returns, so I try to point out the mistake, then 'let it go". For instance, the owner/employee who waits until January, to see how they can pay less tax, and back dates themselves one paycheck for December. Their "I always do it this way" argument is never one I can win, so I point out what they are doing is not correct, to seek professional advice, and "let it go". Those types of folks will not change unless caught, and since I am not the "catcher", that is all I can do, since it is not my worry. I do save those emails, just in case they try to put me in the collection chain.

Any V code on a W2 form can be left off a tax return. "Taxpayers and tax professionals are urged to enter the verification code when prompted by software, as it can speed the processing of the return and the issuance of the refund. However, omitted and incorrect verification codes will not delay the processing of a tax return." (Emphasis added) https://www.irs.gov/individuals/w-2-verification-code

The RT record is the "total" type record. The RW record is the "employee" record. The message is saying the actual number of RW records, since the last RE (employer) record, is not the same as the number reported in the RT record. The date contains 7 RW (employee) records. IN the RT record (the total record) there is some other employee count given.

To offer certain efile options with the IRS, one must provide personal information, even if the software creating and sending the file has zero responsibility for the information being reported. They want to be able to dun the messenger.

Just guessing the code is created using some of the data on the form (similar to how one can verify a CC number is not invalid). This way, the SSA/IRS can decode it. The code will be useless once the algorithm leaks, which it eventually will. Unless there is some sort of method where the software vendor has to provide the code to the IRS, and the code can be created in many ways. It will be interesting to see if this "group: ever makes the code process available to all, or whether this is yet another attempt to block out those not "in the know", so they can pretend their software is "better" because it generates the code. Or, "he he", it needs to be used by the software companies who put employee data online, and have been hacked

IIRC, it was something which a group, including the IRS/SSA and certain stakeholders (big software vendors) came up with. It is not required for all, but those who get on on their form, can use it on their returns. I suspect it will not be required of all, since they likely do not want to let us "common" folk in on the algorithm. https://www.irs.gov/individuals/w-2-verification-code "The IRS has partnered with certain payroll service providers"

Unless someone is aware of the ramifications, those types of payments are always under withheld. Few want to use the supplemental rate (since the employee would be upset), and few want to do the math for aggregate. Most employers will even fudge those checks, removing other deductions, to make the bonus look bigger - knowing no employee will ever complain about getting too much money. Had two of the exact same question in the last half hour!