BulldogTom

The $10 RAL transmission fee that has had me up in arms lately is even worse. ATX is taking it from me, not adding it to the client fees.

Here is how it works, and you can test it yourself.

I put in a simple return 1040, HOH, 2 dependents, CTC, ACTC, EIC and a RAL. My fee for prep is (for argument sake) $100. I have an add on of $10 for the application added automatically via SBBT, and there is the $10 fee for ATX.

But here is the kicker.........

When you go into the SBBT RAL application, ATX is doing some funny math, and my prep fee is only $80!!!!!!! They are taking there freaking transmission fee out of my prep fees!!!! And my addon for the RAL application.

ATX MAX....Everything you need and no hidden fees.....

YEAH RIGHT!!!!!!

Am am as mad at them as I have ever been. This is just not right. Why are they playing these games this year?

Now for the solution to this problem....override your fee in the application. Where ATX puts in $80 where it should be $100, just override it and put in $100.

I have not transmitted a return yet, so I am not sure this will work. If not, I assume I can just up my prep fees by the amount ATX is stealing and my application fee.

Just a heads up to the rest of you.

Tom

Lodi, CA

eeeeewwwwwwwww that smell....

can't ya smell that smell...

eeeeewwwwwww that smell...

the smell of death surrounds you....

Whisky bottle...brand new car...oak tree your in my way...

there's to much coke...and too much smoke...look whats going on inside you..

eeeewwwwww that smell...

I think that is how it goes.

Tom

Lodi, CA

It seems like a lot of you are registered for E-services with IRS. I have not because I just don't want to go through another hassle of setting up ANOTHER account, probably with a password, only to get spammed every day with a bunch of crap.

Is e-services worth the hassle? I would like my letter, but that is the only reason so far that I would need to register for e-services.

Anyone who would like to share their experiences?

Tom

Lodi, CA

Thanks Danielle.

I forgot that I can't have a return open. DUH!

Tom

Lodi, CA

Help please. I want to make some chages to the billing master. Make some permanent choices (bill by form, show forms on front page of invoice). I do it every year and I think I forget how every year. Can someone please refresh my memory?

Thanks

Tom

Lodi, CA

My sentiments exactly, Tom. I am very worried about this season. You & I are not some big company that can afford to lose any clients. I think as soon as April rolls around, i will definite be seriously looking at other software.

Eli

I just went in to check the printing on the checks and it said I was not enrolled. How did I get checks if I did not enroll? Had to go through the whole process again. New passwords (I think we should all use CCHsucks123 as our passwords - everyone of us), re enter all the info again, everything I did back in Novemeber. This must be ATX's way of keeping close tabs on who is on the websites. Then I had to run the test print and allow 2 installations of programs on my computer. This is scary. When this goes down, we are not going to get any help.

Tom

Lodi, CA

I got my checks today. Using SBBT.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I am getting really scared about CCH. This is another "last minute suprise" from them. We are a couple of days away from starting the e-files and bank products, and they are just laying this "new process" on us. And it is not within the software anymore, but their secure website. It is out of our hands. I think this is going to be the worst season ever for bank products because of CCH greed. And what happens when the server or secure login does not work? Who will support this - let me give you a hint, they don't live in Carribou anymore. There will be no support. The phones will go dead just like the board last year. I am really worried.

I am bailing on them as soon as this season is over. I cannot take this kind of stress from a corporation that is just greedy and treats its customers like they own them.

I should have bailed on this company in June like I planned originally.

Tom

Lodi, CA

Thanks Nicole ! I've been reading the board and figured I might as well jump in and help out, I miss my work, never realized how much I enjoyed it until it was taken away... But I'll be here to help out when I can throughout the efile season.

I think we all appreciate those of you who are helping out. Very sorry to hear that you were let go. CCH is making a grave mistake IMHO by letting so many outstanding Customer Focused employees go.

But you are always welcome and appreciated in our community.

Tom

Lodi, cA

The 10 dollar fee will be added to any EFile that includes any Bank Product, RAL, RAC etc...

Thanks Beth. I am not happy about this, but I appreciate the response.

Tom

Lodi, CA

Nicole,

Please allow me to beat a dead horse here. Is the $10 fee applied to any bank product, or is it just RAL's. I am putting my price sheets together and would like to make full disclosure about the transmission fees going to ATX to my clients.

Thanks.

Tom

Lodil, CA

and back child support? Thanks for any help!!

Eli

Are you thinking of the Federal Agency that clips federal tax refunds? I don't remember the name, but it is a code that you get when a refund is less than expected.

Tom

Lodi, CA

Actually, I do believe there are two banks you can work with directly, Republic Bank is one of them.

I'm not sure of the other one but I'm 99% sure it's not SBBT.

I dare say the other one is Chase.

You would have to call tech support for that.

It's a bit difficult since I can't access any of the information I used to have.

Just remember that you may not be able to enroll with a different bank at this point, because they all have deadlines and I believe they have all passed.

If you have gone through the enrollment process on the ATX website then you should be all set with SBBT.

But I would call them anyways to see why they haven't sent your checks yet.

You'll be needing those shortly.

Sorry I couldn't be of more assistance, but once again, it's difficult when I don't have the resources in front of me.

You are a great assistance, and I really appreciate your time on the board. If I sound perturbed, and slam ATX, it is not because of people like you, William, Kerry, etc, etc. The sales and support staff were always great. But management has got me stirred up right now.

Thanks again for your input.

Tom

Lodi, CA

I still can't seem to enroll thru ATX for bank products. It seems like last year was so much easier. If I'm not mistaken, by this time last year I had my checks and was pretty much set to go. I hope it's not a preview of things to come!!

Eli

Is there another enrollment step? I signed up through ATX in November for SBBT. I got a confirmation and a marketing kit, but no checks. Is there something else I need to do?

We are calling SBBT today to find out where we stand. They have been helpful in the past, so I hope to get some answers from them today.

For all you EX-ATX employees (or currently employed) - Is there anyway to bypass ATX and deal directly with SBBT? Or some other bank? I would like to take ATX out of the equation becuase they don't seem to have it together this year on the bank products. I remember a few years ago we went through this crap with ATX and banks and I lost some customers. I can't afford to lose any this year (I am just making good headway in a new city after moving my practice from Fresno to Lodi). A bank product debacle would make my practice look really bad.

I am worried - big time - that ATX is going to screw us on the bank products this year and not give a damn about it. They are going to take their fees for nothing, and leave us to explain why we have an additional fee for no service from ATX.

Tom

Lodi, CA

I find it interesting that one of the newest members (Dec 31) is named Glynn. Could this be our founder?

Hopefully, it is. And hopefully, he is looking for Mel in Hawaii to start a new product line. His non-compete must be up by about now.

But please, no airline tickets. (sorry, I could not resist).

Tom

Lodi, CA

I find it interesting that William joined this forum on the 28th of December, judging by Tom's first post.

It has been rumored that he was here all the time - incognito. This is peculiar timing that he "came out in the open" just as the layoffs in Maine were announced. Several ATX (or ex-ATX) employees have just recently come on the board also.

Since William has not spoken on the issue, we don't know for sure why he is now visable to us on this forum. I think we are all dying to know what the reason is, but because we all want his expertise for this upcoming year, we are respecting his silence.

Tom

Lodi, CA

tom - quit beating round the bush & tell us what you really think!!!

Eric would have to kick me off the site and my pastor would kick me out of the church if I told you how I really feel.

This is freaking robbery. I like the advertisement on the MAX that says "no hidden fees". I guess this is not hidden? They never told me about it, and still have not officially. In some license agreement? Who reads that crap anyway? And who understands it?.

This is the last straw for me. I am going to go to another software next year, and I am going to campaign for everyone to go also. There is no good reason for ATX to get greedy like this.

Tom

Lodi, CA

The applications through atx are working and you should enroll as soon as possible. The transmission fees are 10.00 set by atx and 6.00 goes to atx and the other 4.00 will be rebated to you later. I have been told the only place you would have heard about this fee was by the sales person that took your order. It is not documented anywhere other than the bank form in each return and even there it doesn't tell you what it is.

And this is why we need a lawyer. How is it that ATX can charge a fee that they don't tell us about? To our customers? What else are they taking? Our clients personal information? Are they selling tax return info from our clients without telling us?

I wish I knew a lawyer so I could ask if this is legal? We could have a nice class action against these dirty @$$^0!&$ if this is not legal.

I am so steamed about this - if it was not too late in the year, I would dump this pile of crap company with their lies and deception. They should be taken out behind the woodshed and have the crap kicked out of them.

No wonder they closed the other board. I am going to make it my mission this year to make life as difficult as possible for this company. They deserve nothing but the worst.

Tom

Lodi, CA

Wow, I was suprised to see you as the newest member on the stats page. WELCOME aboard - Welcome back. We missed you sweet Willy.

Tom

Lodi, CA

It seems like a conspiracy theory, but with 10 guests on the board, right after ATX canned the Maine office, do you think management is monitoring this board to check up on what we are saying about the jerks?

Remember how they pulled the old ATX board at the end of last filing season when they thought they were being bashed? I bet they are looking at this board after their latest slap at their customers.

It is NOT paranoia if they really are after you.

Tom

Lodi, CA

I am more curious about the Schedule 2, Form 1040A. If form 1040 with form 2441 is used instead will that be subject to the delay?

Elfling

I don't file 1040A's. My clients go 1040EZ or 1040, and the EZ is more of a marketing pitch than a form preference. It takes the same amount of time to do a simple 1040 as a simple 1040A or EZ. So the Schedule 2 won't impact me.

But the education credits and residential energy credits will impact about 25% of my clients

Tom

Lodi, CA

How many of you are going to offer to file the tax return without the education credits and residential energy credit, and then amend at a later date? Will you charge for the amended return

Just Curious?

Tom

Lodi, CA

There are those who have lost data - and those who will soon.

I worked for a company that had a religeous backup proceedure. It was done every night, and in the morning, the tape would be removed and put in a box on top of the server. When the building was burning, the accountant who devised this brilliant plan asked the plant manager to run into the fire and get them. Because he was having an affair with her, he was willing to try. The owner stopped him from going into the building just before the roof fell in. This is a true story. I was hired a few months after the fire and the firing of the accountant.

Try getting your AR recreated when you have to rely on the customer to tell you how much they owe you. Try fighting a vendor when they insist you have not paid an invoice and you don't have any records to show you paid. Try working with your bank to to get copies of all the checks that cleared (those service charges for back statements and front and back copies of checks start adding up in a hurry). And worse of all, try filing your quarterly and year end payroll returns with no records. Oh yeah, this was a farming operation with over 600 employees, most with "questionable" documentation. Those who had their last paystubs actually got a fairly accurate W2. The IRS was kind enough to waive the penalties for the late filing of the returns.

I make a data cd of all returns, QB company files, and all my documents every night during the tax season, and once a week or so in the off season. CD-R's go on sale for about $5 per 50 every once in a while, and I buy a couple of spindles when they do.

Tom

Lodi, CA

Can someone show me how to print RAL, ERC check from ATX software. I am using Republic Bank.

When I click print check on ATX software, it direct me to website of Taxwise log in page ? How do I have customer#, used ID and pass form Taxwise ? Thanks for your help.

Tom

NY

It has been over a year since I was with Republic, so this may not be the case anymore. 2 seasons ago (2005 tax returns processed in 2006), you would not print the check out of ATX, but out of the Republic software itself.

The process went something like this: Prepare return, transmit to ATX, ATX transmits bank app to Republic, IRS issues ACK, ATX transmits ACK to Republic (at this point ATX is out of the equation), Republic sends you a check authorization, you print the check out of Republic software, you transmit check info to Republic via their software, Republic sends you info when IRS funds account, when check clears bank, and when your fees are deposited.

You needed to connect to the bank every day for your information. The communication between ATX and Republic was not very good, leading to lots of "Where is my ACK and why haven't you sent it to the Bank" phone calls and posts on the other board to ATX. It is why I switched banks last year. HSBC is integrated into ATX, making the process smoother (last year was the best year I have ever had with bank products - even though I don't process very many of them). I did not have a single bank product problem last year (I think I did about 12 between Rals and ERC/RT's.)

I hope this helps. It may not be the way Republic works this year, but it was how it was done in the past.

Let me know if I can be of more help to you.

Tom

Lodi, CA

Aw, gimme a break. This whole thing has been a fiasco, and its the prez's 'tax cuts' that caused the AMT to affect the lower income people in the first place (sure I'll cut your taxes, but won't tell you the reduced bracket will put you into AMT, so its really not a tax cut), as well as the sunset provisions to make the decreased revenue streams palatable.

Blaming all of this on Bush is not fair. AMT has been a problem for years, and multiple congress' and the presidents have been including the revenue projections from AMT into their budgets knowing that they were never going to tax the middle class via AMT. It is just getting harder and harder the longer they put it off. This happens to land in GW's lap, but it ain't all him. It is not his tax cuts that caused all of this, even if they were a contributing factor.

Mostly, it is politicians lying, then blaming someone else, then lying some more that got us into this fiasco.

Tom

Lodi, CA

I guess the desire of both partners is to achieve a break even. The remaining partner retained all business assets and liabilities with net assets (partner capital accounts) of $25,000. The partner who left took a significant amount of business with him. Both partners agree to call it an even swap.

Is there any wording in the final dissolution that can achieve a net zero tax consequence on both sides?

OK, this may not be correct, but if I remember my partnership classes, you may be able to get to that result.

I think you need to do a complete close of the book at the time of the split, and get a complete accounting of the capital accounts. Get the hard assets accounted for next. Hopefully, you will be short about 5K (25K X 20%). Value the intangible for the difference. Distribute his capital back to him in the form of the intangible. It is creative accounting, but if you do it correctly, it might work so long as all the income is properly accounted for and included on the K-1s.

This is total unresearched. I am not an expert on Partnership taxation. I am just recalling some stuff from some classes I took.

Tom

Lodi, CA