Catherine

Even with the "regular" program (not PPR), I've had several pdf printing glitches this year. Including returns that seemed to print fine, but when I go to open them, I get a "this file is damaged" report. Re-booting has worked in all cases (so far!) for me this year. But since machines take so long to boot up, it is a pain. Catherine

I could tell that it was a server/traffic/bandwidth problem. But if no one else is noticing the issue, then it's probably a local phenomenon. Folks getting home from work and logging in to World of Warcraft.... then I can't reach the ATX servers before the connection times out. But, if others were having trouble too, then it would have pointed to the ATX servers getting overloaded. Thanks. Catherine

This sounds not right in a bunch of ways. First off - why is he not an employee of the S-corp? Next - what is the wife doing to get a 1099 instead of a W-2? Does she have other work? How much is the 1099 for -- a small sum (under a thousand or so dollars) -- or more? Next - I'd consider very carefully if you want this client. The appearance is of people (including the supposed accountant doing the books) who have no idea what they are doing, what they are supposed to be doing, and don't care all that much about getting it right. Catherine

Kathy -- There's more information needed here. "No social security tax" can mean lots of things, from the accountant is incorrect to the box checked to he's already maxed out. What does the 1099-MISC say? Box 7 - non-employee compensation? Box 1 - rents? Box 2 - Royalties? What was the person's W-2 salary? Tell us those things, and we can help. Catherine

Has anyone else noticed this? This year, I can e-file all day long and returns go through. HOWEVER -- between about 6PM and 9PM (Eastern time), I can't connect to the EFC servers _at all_. No submissions, no rejections (can't say I mind _that_ part), no acceptances, -no acks of any kind. Get a red-type "cannot connect to server" error. I could understand doing daily maintenance, or having busy times -- but several hours, _every_ evening??? So, folks, -- do I just have really bad ATX-evening karma? Or is this more widespread? Catherine

I e-filed an S-corp this morning and got the acceptances (Federal and State) back within two hours. It was my easiest e-file yet this year. Catherine

Even a _space_ character is read by the program as an "entry". Try going into both fields and hitting "Delete" - to remove any invisible entries - and then create the e-file.

You and others... <grin> In addition to the Sch INC (included in ATX when you do the return), when I paper-file a Mass. return, I also _include_ the W-2. However, you _don't_ attach it! Mass returns are scanned and machine-read (all that fancy coding on the top is the actual return info; the stuff on the lines down below is just so you can see the data is OK). The only thing people do is check the bottom of the first page for signature - then off to the machines. So likewise, do NOT staple the paper return together. Any paper enclosures (and sometimes you have to send them) go _on top of_ the return _loose_. I usually put a blank cover page and then paper-clip the whole thing together. Catherine

Pre-review comment: Just heard a comment from someone who uses TaxWise that their error checks finds potential e-file problems during the regular error check. That's one thing in TaxWise's favor -- one annoyance about ATX is that you can clear up any errors or problems, then go to e-file and discover a whole slew of other little glitches that will cause an e-file bounce. I've started running the e-file check as a secondary error check before I finalize a return. Catherine

Don't assume; ask. Lots of Canadian companies keep US-dollar accounts for paying US vendors. Others convert before sending paperwork -- you may end up converting something that doesn't need it. Catherine

It took them three days to resolve this issue, and it turned out to be both innocuous and royally annoying. Turned out the client e-file went through just fine! What happened after that is somehow the reporting-back-to-me portion got corrupted -- and once it was corrupted, I kept getting the same inaccurate results: file rejected for a variety of bogus reasons. My client got his refund check yesterday -- I hope to have the correct e-file acknowledgment tomorrow. So, for those of you with returns stuck in limbo -- be aware of this possibility. So yes it was innocuous. It also cost me too many hours over a couple of weeks. Sigh. Catheirne

For those preparing Massachusetts returns, be aware of a problem that has been dogging one of my returns for two weeks now; don't know how widespread it is. I've just finished my _third_ long phone call to them with no resolution. One client return has been rejected by ATX EFC three times now. Each time the purported error is different, makes no sense, and doesn't even apply to this return. And when I call tech support, they tell me something _different_ from what the error codes tell me. I get "information" such as "Line 25 of Form 2 mis-calculation"... well, MA Form 2 is the _fiduciary_ return, not individual; there's no way that could be the problem. I've sent the file to tech support and they promise to get back to me tomorrow. Just like on Saturday they promised to get back to me on Monday (yesterday) but didn't. But at least they have the file now; perhaps I'll learn something useful. And will keep folks posted if there is something endemic. But there is some major e-filing problem in Massachusetts this year. Delays are bad enough, but this mangling of returns is very worrisome (and time-consuming). Catherine

Absolutely MA Form 1 NR/PY can be e-filed. Many programs don't carry the form, however, which very effectively _prevents_ that program from e-filing. One reason I switched to ATX was that my previous software did not carry the PY/NR MA forms, and I get several every year. They take _forever_ to do by hand.... and it looks tacky, as well. Catherine

When folks give their evaluations after tax season, could they please include at least _some_ pricing information? Possibly including pay-per-return pricing? Lots of the vendors do _not_ put pricing on their info sites -- on purpose, so potential customers can get all excited about the functionality before they can get turned away by price. But for me, at least, price is a big issue. While I'm not averse to paying more for something that really suits my needs, neither am I in a position to buy a $20K program for a one-person office. Yet if that same program had a per-return pricing scheme that would cost me, say, $2,000 -- then it might become a contender. It's also easier to compare features of price compatible programs. "Just what _can_ I get for $1,000 - $1,500?" "How much extra _does_ the jump to $2,000 buy me?" That sort of thing. Catherine

MA at least _used_ to require a pre-registration with them. However, I don't know if it's still in effect. They're really pushing e-file for their own reasons. I'd say to try -- you can always warn your clients that you don't know if it will go through, and will provide a paper-filing copy if it doesn't. Also be warned that there have been lots of e-filing problems in MA this year. Some are ATX problems (the program was deleting leading "0's" in SSN's - and because of the SSN numbering system, _lots_ of MA people's SSN's start with "0"). Som e are MA problems - many associated with the new MA-HC form with the newly _mandated_ health insurance coverage that they put the MassDOR in charge of enforcing. (Other errors, too: I had a couple that just moved here rejected because their SSN's didn't match DOR records, then tried again and it went through). There have also been lots of delays in getting ack's. So good luck, but this is an even-more-frustrating-than-usual year for dealing with MassDOR (completely separately from any/all ATX issues!). Catherine

Great spreadsheet; thanks _so_ much for sharing! I had a return I was working on yesterday; put it aside (for when I had more time and energy) for just this situation. Looking forward to tackling it with better weaponry today! Catherine

How about Q for "Q Continuum" from Star Trek? There are times I would love to change a few basic physics constants... like stretching out time so I can get more stuff _done_ in the same number of hours! Catherine

You could look at QuickBooks Simple Start -- it's free, but limited as to how many vendors and clients can be entered. I have a tax client (computer consultant) I put on QBSS -- they have two or three corporate clients, and their main vendors are Staples (and equivalents), internet access, and stamps. It works _way_ better than the Excel spreadsheet they used to give me, where I could barely tell income from expense the crazy way they tracked it all. Rewards: you get clearer records for taxes. income in the "off" seasons. if you're good -- and they're not -- they'll think you walk on water. Risks: that you'll spend eight years fixing the same mistakes time and again and explaining that "available checking balance" is way different from what the bank teller says is in the checking account because the bank _doesn't know_ about those six checks you just mailed ten minutes ago. How do I know these things, you ask? You get _one_ guess. Catherine

Thanks for this tip -- as well as others who responded. In general, I don't print much of anything to _paper_ from ATX itself. I order items that need to be single-page first (cover sheet, instruction letters, etc), then all the rest -- and then I print to pdf. Once I have the pdf, I can print double-sided from my printer. Roughly half as much paper for my and my clients' files, at the price of a bit more clicking and choosing, and slightly slower printing. Glad to know I'm not the only one who sees this glitch. Catherine

Has anyone else noticed this? When I go to print, in the "Client Letters" section of the print page, I expand the choices. I prefer to print the return cover page and to _not_ print the options and privacy notice, so I need to click to check/uncheck the correct boxes. But if I click too quickly, the program _closes_ the expanded list and the _moves_ the letter section higher up in the print queue!! This has happened numerous times both this year and last (and probably before that, too, but memory gets hazy), and I am _not_ doing the highlight-and-drop thing that does rearrange the queue. It's not exactly bad -- but it is annoying to have to be careful and to have to re-arrange things when I'm not going slowly enough. And heaven knows that it just gets harder from here to go extra slow on some persnickety little detail that should just go by rote. Anyone else? Perchance any fixes? Catherine

Was just able now to send 3 returns -- but could not get ack's. Tried several times earlier w/out being able to get through at all. Will settle for sending successfully and waiting until later for ack's.

I have a one-person office and evaluated a good half-dozen packages a couple years ago before choosing ATX. I _really_ like the forms-based approach. I _really_ like being able to "drill down" (i.e. follow the "jump-to bunny") when I have a question as to where number comes from (although I _don't_ like it when the bunny hops in a circle and brings me back to my starting point!). I _really_ like the completeness of the forms -- that was the reason for ditching my prior package; there were too many instances of forms I had to fill out by hand because they were just _not_ available. I was able to do 1099's and W-2's for my corporate clients on-site instead of wrestling with their QuickBooks printing functions; much smoother, better-looking, better form "line-up" -- just better overall. When I switched to ATX, I was able to _double_ my annual number of prepared returns (and more than double the revenue therefrom) while _lowering_ my stress level significantly _and_ easing my work flow (I think those two are strongly related). I really hope that CCH keeps the ATX line, at close to the same price level, and doesn't force me out. I can't afford a pricier package for my practice. Drake was the second runner-up in my evaluations - but I really despise the worksheet-based entry system (and lack of "drill-down"!). It is not a good match with how I work and think. Catherine

I also watched part of the eclipse (eventually the need to get to _sleep_ won out), and it was really pretty. But I've tried taking pictures in the past, and they rarely come out to be worth looking at. Unless you set up a telescope, with a 35mm long-exposure camera. We have a friend who belongs to amateur telescope societies and _he_ takes some lovely pictures. But he also does several-minute-long exposures. Catherine

I've been having the same problem, as well. Since 8:30AM (EST) every time I try I get the error. Came here to see if anyone else had, as well. So it must be on their end, not ours. Wonder if they're having weather-related problems? Heard there was sleet and ice in the southeast. Catherine

I have actually done it _both_ ways for one return -- and can't get rid of this duplication no matter what. And in the other return, I have no asset entries whatsoever, and just filling out the worksheet doubled the depreciation number. Which is why I suspect a program glitch. I've also had some other problems with itemized lists adding correctly on the worksheets and then _not_ flowing through to the form or schedule and having to put them in as overrides. Lots of oddball little quirks and glitches this year. Some I can live with, but I really don't like having to override numbers that should flow from itemized list or worksheet straight to a form or schedule. Catherine