Chowdahead

Good idea.

So am I interpreting this to mean that the IRS has given up on holding these 8867-related returns and will simply begin releasing the refunds?

It seems that the list of problems with 2012 ATX keeps growing and the fixes seem slow. Is everyone aware that you have until 2/28/2013 to request a refund. They charge you $20 per client filed but that is low for the opportunity to switch to working software. We are getting solicitations everyday to switch and there are some pretty inviting offers.

What offers are you getting? Yesterday Drake quoted me via e-mail the standard $285 for the software and $19 per return. They didn't even bother to offer me the software for free and simply pay per return so I could try it out, which is what I wanted.

I have not called Intuit yet for ProSeries. What other offers are out there?

Ok, now I'm starting to get slightly suspicious Yesterday a client called and told me she looked up her refund on the IRS website and it was saying there was an error with the return and to check with the preparer. I have never seen this type of message on the IRS website before so I was skeptical. She was filed on Jan 31 and has EIC.

So opened Google Chrome and looked up her status on IRS.gov and it actually said something along the lines of..."there was an error on your return: There cannot be an asterisk or any symbols after the filer SSN." I opened the return and there were no errors.

I tried to print out the refund status but for some reason Google Chrome will not print that damn page from the IRS.gov website (arrggg.. another annoyance). So I immediately fired up Internet Explorer and looked up her status and now the message read "Your refund is being processed. Your refund will be issued when a deposit date is available."

How could I be getting two different results within two minutes??!!

This is worrying me that ATX 2012 may have had issues getting complete and accurate data in all e-files to the IRS. Why should be still have confidence that ATX was able to be error-free and successful in handing-off to the IRS via e-file when their entire program has been a disaster leading up to that point?

And this isn't just related to EIC. I have multiple clients who have no EIC on their returns and are still waiting and their status says it's being processed and will be deposited when a date will become available.

Either ATX screwed up the e-files, or the IRS is having major programming issues.

I saw that same post on the official board. And I replied that she's full of bull; those questions were on the form before February 7; she just didn't bother to read the %#^*+ form. If you're relying on your software to know how to do a return-well she's one reason I was all for testing.

Honestly, how many returns do you do and where do you do them? Because in a busy tax office I don't think your comments hold water. Sure if your working out of a nice cozy home office where your phone isn't ringing off the hook and people aren't walking in by the minute then you have can have the luxury of inspecting each and every form on the return line by line. Try working in an office where you have screaming kids running around, taxpayers explaining they wish to deduct everything under the Sun and then complaining about their refund, and gathering, photocopying, and documenting all of these documents for the EIC.

The fact is that we rely on the software to error-check and flag issues which may cause a problem, and then we address areas that are flags and require further attention, as well as inspecting all lines of the 1040 looking for possible carryover errors from various schedules. But ATX 2012 should be catching all all errors, especially the bureaucratic minutia like the 8867, which isn't even required if that same client files via FreeFile or TurboTax or Tax Act etc.

People need to stop making excuses for ATX. ATX 2012 is a tool to create error-free returns and the damn tool was seriously flawed.

I've been overwriting the bottom line on the input page of Sch E and deleting the 8582 - on returns that are not complex and wouldin't really need one any way even though the program insists it be there.

I have a client whose 8582 who had a zero loss. And he meets all of the other criteria to not need the 8582 but when I delete the form it will not allow it to be e-filed because the program says the 8582 is not approved for e-filing.

Is there a worksheet that has to be manually complete to signal to the program that 8582 is not required?

So essentially, taxpayers with owner-occupied 2-family and 3-family homes cannot be filed yet?

Just came across this press release posted on the ATX corporate web site on Aug. 28

https://www.cchsfs.com/press/press_28.html

Reading it almost sounds like reading an SNL skit. Some of my favorite quotes:

The new software release is the culmination of an extended development process which focused on productivity gains and incorporated more ATX user input than ever before.

If productivity means sitting around doing nothing while the software takes 7 minutes to start after the 16th crash of the day then he's correct. Plus it's so efficient that it didn't even notify you of certain forms that needed to be completed! Hey, it's technically more efficient to just skip pages of required forms. And....

ATX 2012 delivers improved efficiency, expanded client customization options and a fresh new user interface.

Again with the efficiency.. seems to be a theme here. And...

The new software also offers tax professionals more opportunities to customize the way they manage their client relationships, from the way returns are presented to the content of client communications.

Yeah, I can see how the client letter is more efficient, because it's quick to just close it and to use Microsoft Word to create my own instead. Finally...

"Tax professionals told us they needed software which met their unique needs and didn't force-close them into cookie-cutter solutions," explained Gramlich.

ok.. I added the word "close" after "force". Seemed appropriate!

Is he the guy from ATX TV?

The comments on there are quite interesting. Even a mention of the infamous 8867...

How much does ATX charge to e-file 1099s if paying on a per return basis?

I told her I'd call her back yesterday and didn't because I have been leaning against it. Honestly, I have enough headaches to worry about this year. I really don't want to deal with a situation with this many gray areas and unknowns!

My only thought was to see if it were possible to help her get her taxes doe so I figured I'd look into it a bit. If the bar owner issues her a 1099-MISC, this would be more clear cut correct?

I would be surprised if an EFIN was used for this fraud. My guess would be IRS' free-file system, since max earned income credit would be under the income level to use free file. And I don't think you have to have prior year's AGI to use that. Been a while since I have helped someone use Free FIle to do their taxes.

Article says they used TurboTax. No EFIN is required for a taxpayer to file using TurboTax.

Loyal? I used to be loyal to ATX. I have been a customer of theirs since 2004. I have had problems but they were survivable. This year the blatant problems with ATX 2012 have harmed my business and I can't cannot believe they didn't know these errors didn't exist before releasing it. They have had an entire year to produce a stable, bug-free, and accurate program. They failed immensely on all counts.

For the first time in 9 years I have actually contacted another software company (Drake) to try to snag a deal this year and try i out. I downloaded their 2011 program because it is the only one available for evaluation. I hate the look of Drake. it looks outdated and archaic but I cannot go through again what I have gone through this tax season so I must move on.

Honestly, I love the look of ATX 2012. I just hate everything else about it.

Creating a "New Record" W-2 input screen in a rolled-over return generates a 6th record, leaving W-2 records 2-5 blank. This is sloppy

I havn't downloaded 12.9, and I have this issue. have had it through several upgrades. Not just the W-2s, but you have to watch on 1099-G's as well.

Yes I forgot about that. Actually it's worse with the 1099-G because the program will automatically enter State Income Tax on a 1099-G if the client itemized last year. This is normally a convenience, unless the automatically created one is already there but is "hidden" as record 3 or 4 or 5 and you don't see it and mistakenly re-enter the 1099-G that the client was mailed. Then you are counting it twice.

Fortunately I have caught this when reviewing the 1040 Pg. 1.

Woman came into the office today and says she works as a bartender at a local establishment. She had business card with her name on it and title as bartender and the bar t-shirt. She claims that she works cash only, much of it tips. She doesn't have a bank account. Nor does she have a state bartender license (I asked).

She says she earns approximately $22K in the year.

She has children so obviously she would qualify for the EIC. With the IRS being aggressive on EIC claims this year, I want to make sure I get everything right.

She wants to know if I can accept a notarized letter from the bar owner indicating that she is a full-time batender there. I asked her for bank records but she has no bank account. She says she pays all her bills immediately and in cash through bill pay merchants.

How should a situation like this be handled? She has no expenses to claim. And she has no bank records or license, and I don't doubt she tends bar..

But do we have to enter a specific name for the Payer? Or can we simply enter a term like Tenant 1 or Tenant 2?

I could file WI right away but have found that it works better to separate the State from the Federal at the top of the State E-file Info sheet. There is a box to check. A couple of times WI rejected and I had to refile it so have done all of them separate since then.

Hmm.. interesting. Didn't know this was possible.

The issue is far too complex for your poll to have any value.

Why? You could either e-file state returns along with your federal returns when the E-File season started or Jan. 30 or you couldn't.

Here I could e-file MA and CT, but not RI on Jan 30.

Very few of my clients have received their refunds. Many have EIC but some don't.

I have been checking a few of my early returns and now those filed on Jan 30 produce the following vague message:

Your tax return is still being processed.

A refund date will be provided when available.

Any return filed on Jan. 31 or later reads the following message:

We have received your tax return and it is being processed.

You should get your refund within 21 days from the date we received your tax return.

I'm assuming that after today, this message will be applied to those who filed on Jan. 31, and then tomorrow Feb. 1, and so on.

This doesn't look good. Clients are calling me and I have no answers because others are receiving their refunds quickly. I may have to send out a mailing to my clients effected by this.

I was going to post regarding this as well. It states that we must enter "Payer Name" for "Other Income", which is linked from the "Rents Received" field.

Does this mean we must enter the name of each tenant?

Each year I cannot e-file any of my state returns through ATX until around a week after Federal e-filing starts because the RI E-File Info form is never available in a timely fashion. This causes me to have a backlog of state returns that I have to re-create afterwards, and quite frankly I am still so busy that I don't get to many of them until February sometimes. Then I get people calling me, and it just becomes stressful. Imagine this year!

This year, with ATX 2012 being so slow, it can take me upwards of 2-3 hours to create and send 50 state returns directly to the state.

None of my competitors seem to have this problem with their software (usually CCH's TaxWise), yet ATX tends to hang the blame on my state tax agency. I'm just trying to gauge what others are encountering with state forms in other states.

Thanks!

We have spent $0.00 this year. If we replace the last 4 oldest machines, we will spend approx $2,500 or less. Count 3,000 clients with returns and that is peanuts.

A Geo Metro meets minimum requirements for transportation of one person. To match your analogy. Why have larger car with bigger engine if a Metro will do the job?

A Metro meets the minimum requirements for getting from point A to point B. But if it has 4 flats, putting a turbocharger on the Metro won't get you to point B any faster. ATX 2012 doesn't meet even the minimum requirements of being a stable software for many users of both high end and low end syetems (well.. pre-12.9).

If the software were performing sluggish yet stable and I the user wanted more speed in processes, then of course more advanced hardware will yield faster processing times.

However, I have yet to see my Intel Core i3 3.3GHz even pass 10% is usage while using ATX, so processor capacity has not been an issue for me. Only 70% of my total RAM has ever been used at one time by the entire system. In fact, running any other software package on my PC, including MS Office 2013 has not been an issue.

I haven't even seen an application on Android is bug infested as this one is quite frankly.

These frauders were doing paper returns with Turbo Tax. Not likely they have EFIN.

The article states that they were using e-file. They were most likely impersonating the individual taxpayer and submitting the return electronically through Turbo Tax. I haven't used TurboTax in years but I'm guessing they have to buy a copy for each fraudulent return. Small investment when you consider they are reaping in $3000.

My guess is that EIC defrauders will be using TurboTax as their next tool since the IRS is clamping down on Paid Preparers and the EIC. When you file through turbo tax there is no 8867 to worry about!

Nobody asked for MY fingerprints. I got my EFIN in 2007, I think, when I went out on my own.

Back when I got my EFIN.. 2004 I believe, I had to be fingerprinted by my local police and I had to mail my prints to the IRS for a background check. So they don't even require this anymore, and they were just approving folks over the phone anyway based on a good story?

Wow... and the IRS wonders why fraud is rampant.

"but at least the IRS has their fingerprints on file and can more easily track the preparer."

I didn't know that the fingerprints were included in the e-file!

No, but your fingerprints are in your EFIN, and you include your EFIN with every return your file.