rfassett

Praise be to God and congratulations!!!!

But I did not need them "weeks ago". I have serious doubts whether the books from ATX will be anymore upto date than QuickFinders - but it could happen, since there was a much later release date. (And I know that you can go on-line to get updates with GF - but I would much rather have them bound in the book. BTW, I did receive my Tax Book (the QuickFinder look alike) the other day. For $48 it is hard NOT to hedge my bets. It is current through the passage of the AMT law.

Well, I hope I can help you get off hold. I got thru late last week with the same question and was told that they would be shipping out throughout this week.

I just opened a blank 941 and the paid preparer info was blank. I clicked on the preparer manager and, highlighted my name and clicked "enter on form". When I went back to the form, the preparer info was filled in. I deleted that return and went to the preferences under edit and clicked on the preparer manager. Under "enter this ERO's information on all new returns" it said "none". I clicked on the drop down arrow and selected my name. I then opened another new 941 and the preparer information was filled in. Hope this helps!

Evan, We are aware of the news about ATX. And it comes from a very, very reliable source (can you say William) that the layoffs were 54 in number and not the 200 plus touted by the media. And ATX renewal rates are running ahead of last year. The layoffs (which apparently at this point do not involve any facility closures) are simply a consolidation of resources - which will be done by any well run organization. Now, I did not catch which software package you are using? Ron Fassett, CPA

I do wish you luck. But I am a firm believer in putting feet to my wishes. Go to www.atxinc.com and click on "contact us" at the bottom of the screen. Then click on the email address for sales and send them an email explaining all of your contact info and the fact that you need a CD. You may be fighting a one-sided battle for the next few days. I do not know ATX's holiday schedule, so patience might be in order. But I would certainly send them off an email today.

Several years back, I tried to rollover my entire client list and eventually contacted support because it was taking so long. I was informed then, and have made it a practice since, to rollover just the return I will be working on. That makes sense, especially now, since updates seem to be a constant and continual thing.

You should call sales at your first opportunity. If you ordered the program at the beginning of the month, you should have it by now. Or if you are a continuing user, you may have already received the CD - but without the activation code. That is how it worked for me. I got the CD a few weeks ago and renewed my order two weeks ago and got the activation code the next day. If you do not have the CD, you need to call sales and make sure that they are sending you one. They may have already issued your activation code. Check under your myatx.

Let me add a few comments. I have been using ATX software since it was Saber (don't remeber that far back as to the exact year) and have been mostly satisfied to greatly satisfied in all years with the product and service. Because of the changes, I took a "wait and see" attitude on this year's renewal. Apparently I was not the only one. When I contacted sales in mid-December, they were swamped. They told me the procedure was that the order had to be placed and paid. The payment had to be cleared through accounting in Georgia (if you sent your check to Maine, it just added to the time to get the activation code). Accounting would then release the order to get the activation code released. Once I got my order placed (and screamed at all the right people) (I pray that they will forgive my ignorance) I had my code the following day. I am not convinced that the new company does not care for its customers. As a long ago ex-CCH outside sales rep, I would often be asked by the customer why they had not received a bill. The response we were to give them (as directed from Chicago (CCH's headquarters at the time) was "we bill on the 'eventual system', you will eventually get a bill". That was designed to inform the customer that CCH was putting its best efforts in producing a quality product (they were at the top of their industry by a long shot), and everything esle came next. I trust (and hope) that is what is going on with ATX. All of the best efforts are being put forth to produce a quality product, everything else is next (including the sales efforts). That is no excuse, but it might help in the understanding. We are simply dealing with a different corporate culture. Good, bad, or indifferent, that is what it is. I had a similiar disappoinitng experience with an order with Kleinrock that I will not go into here. Tax-aid I have been using for years. Great folks, great service, great product, great prices. Tax-aid and HG merged recently to form Tenenz, Inc. Ron Fassett, CPA

Actually, no I did not know. Please accept these belated condolences in the same spirit as they are offered. I cry with you - not for you!. Good luck with the new endeavor - should prove to be interesting.

A very Merry Christmas to you and yours and a very Happy and prosperous New Year to us all! Is it wrong to start getting excited for tax season this early? I mean those early morning hours and the late night hours and the every meal at the desk routine and the countinous supply of coffee through our systems and the cranky client and the missing information and the missing ack and the termperamental software and the beligerent e-file and, and, and ............. Spend some quality time with your families over the next couple of weeks. They deserve that! And God bless us, everyone!

And you can't use a rubber band why? :)

I filed a 14 enitiy consolidated tax return with ATX two weeks ago. You add the Form 851 (and Form 1122 if this is the first year of consolidation). Create custom pages and put your consolidating info there (page 1 and page 4 of the 1120 on a per entity basis) and then link the totals to the proper lines on the forms. Your page one and four will look moldy because of all of the green (due to the links), but it is really not all that difficult. Not an issue for efiling because as of 11/15/07, the 851 had not been approved for efiling (at least through ATX)