Maribeth

The client letter is working but I still cannot figure out how to add a sentence or two to the letter for a given client. When I click the edit button, a window opens but the language is not there to edit.

Maybe its me but it was easy to modify language in to 2011 ATX version.

You cannot edit the letter this year; you can only change the font. If you wish to have a different format/wording/layout, then you have to use the templates. I set up templates for every type of return that we do and still hated the way they look because the margins are so off. It does not present a professional appearance.

One of the posters on the "other" board indicated that he was simply copying the letter into Word, making changes, and then using that as his letter. I have started doing that, it is a little bit more time, but the product is so worth it.

Maribeth

For those that do not completely understand there 2 types of databases:

1. embedded where the database is included in the software like ATX and the software is shared(not supported method)

2. server database where database is pulled out from software. this scenario you install software locally on each workstation and you map them to the database location.

So my peer-to-peer network, using one workstation as the "server", with two other workstations connecting to that server, is option #1 or is it option #2? The database is on the server but the program is not installed on each workstation. Well, let me look to see if it is . . . . . . . working . . . . . . .I cannot find it on my workstation, I belive I am just linked to the program on the server.

Very confused,

Maribeth

I check the other board for solutions to problems but I have given up reading all the rants and curses. It only gets me down and I do not need any more negativity in my life right now.

I believe that many of the problems others are having with ATX belong to their operating system and their RAM. My office switched to Win7 and brand new computers last May and I am so glad that we did.

I have had no problem with efiles so far -- what trouble are you having?

Maribeth

Rita, your have backed up your returns, right? Then you should not lose anything by entering an activiation code. I have updated, ran the forms update, and have been working in v12.8 with no problem (knock on wood).

Maribeth

Don't want to spook anybody but I just downloaded version 12.8 from the website. Took just a little over a minute.

Maribeth

S corp shareholders' medical premiums are not subject to FICA/MC, only income tax. It is reported on the W-2 and then deducted on Page 1.

Maribeth

Try deleting the return and then rolling it over again. This has worked for us and we do have FAM.

I do not understand the OP's details either but I believe it has to do with having a "real" server versus having a peer-to-peer network. I believe the OP has a real server and that the problems with Raven deal with running a true network.

Our system is a peer-to-peer network. We have had crashes that were fixed by deleting the assets folder. We have had no issues (knock on wood) running the workstations other than slowness. Our IT guy has been here twice, reconfiguring the AVG and doing other IT stuff and has increased our speed. He is installing SSD's tomorrow and I expect the speed across the network to increase substantially.

My biggest complaint with ATX this year is the client letter and the billing. I have resolved that by generating letters in Word to use with the returns and the billing will be done through our time&billing system. We just won't use those function in ATX. This is a pain in the ass but it will work for this year.

Maribeth

ATX TV is reporting that version 12.8 will probably be delayed until Saturday, with the efilable form 4562 being released after that time.

They don't want to release something if it isn't working correctly. (almost a direct quote)

Maribeth

Is anybody having any trouble importing returns. When I have a return sent from a different computer via e-mail attachment I am not able to import it.. I get a message that says the file is corrupted. Have tried it a couple of times. Same message.

Mike, I have not tried to import/export this year but I was warned that that function is not functional this year and not to use it.

Maribeth

I too have believed that the depreciation in Drake was too “loose”, too easy to make a mistake and just not sophisticated enough. With the input sheets and not-really-a-depreciation program, Drake would not be suitable for my practice.

I have been buying Fixed Asset Manager for 3 or 4 years now. It has always had its issues – rounding being the biggest problem. But the depreciation codes, lives, methods, etc., were all built in and all I had to do was categorize the asset correctly and the depreciation would be calculated correctly.

This year FAM has been rebuilt and is linked with ATX. Make a change in FAM and it, in theory, will be automatically changed in ATX. I believe that so many of our problems this year have been caused by the link and its not working property. ATX crashes because FAM cannot be found or FAM is using the same client.

I have almost decided to uninstall FAM and use the ATX depreciation module for all of our accounting clients. This will get us through tax season but it will not get us through the year. ATX has got to fix FAM and its interface with ATX2012.

Maribeth

If you are on a network: network drive/ATX2012/CCH Small Firm Services/ATX2012/Assets.

If you are on a standalone, I belive that the data path is c:program data/CCH Small Firm Services/ATX2012/Assets.

You delete the entire Assets folder; then go back into ATX2012 and update forms.

I do not know why it has been working, but it has.

Good luck,

Maribeth

this is very sad how their customer support is. I promise you I will not be signing up with them again next year and will be letting everyone around me to use them lol.

but yes I will make sure everyone knows how horrible their customer service is.

my sales rep went on lunch break last week and I guess went MIA. ATX has not been staying open and crashes frequently and locks my computer up. (anyone else having problems like this?). and then when I call the 1-800-638-8291 I am put on hold forever.

- last week I was on hold from 9-6 and they failed to fix the issue.

- today I am trying again and have been on hold since lunch break and it is now 4:00

anyone else getting ticked like I am?

Have you tried deleting the Assets folder and then updating all your forms again? That has been a pretty good fix for me this year. Don't know why but it seems that forms are getting corrupted and then ATX won't open or crashes.

Maribeth

I understand completely your frustration with Drake. I think I have looked at their software every year for the past 5 years. I love that they are a family-owned business, I love that they have never sold-out by being bought-out, I love that Stephen Drake emails me several times a year and calls me every year to see if it is time for me to use their product. i love what I hear about their customer service and their support and that they are efiling 4562 returns today and not stalling us until next Friday.

Having said that -- I simply cannot work with an input sheet-based software. My brain does not think that way and my comfort level just isn't there with their software.

I will stay with ATX, I will live through the crashes, I will continue to delete the Asset folder and I will get through this tax season. I know that next year will be better and I know that it was time for ATX to join the 21st century. And RitaB, it is good to know that you will be here also.

Maribeth

I did that this morning, too, and am cautiously optimistic. That's why I posted the link, but didn't want to get anybody's hopes up in case it didn't work. Not been able to work any because people have been dropping off and chewing the fat. I'm about to get started...

Thanks, Maribeth, for the update. We are all in this together, and I'm so glad to have you all!

Hmm . . . . Rita, didn't you switch to Drake? Am I remembering that incorrectly??

This morning we could not save any returns that we had rolled over this morning. So I did the "when in doubt, delete the assets folder" and all is now working. This must be the universal fix for ATX2012.

Maribeth

Oh my! There they are!

Spoke to ATX this afternoon. They are aware the 4562 is crashing the program. Will be addressed in 12.7. They do not have a target release date. Am doing the same thing Maribeth is regarding sending out 1120sreturns with form When I get back the 8879S, I put in my file the day I received it and further detail the return was not e-filed same day/next day and why. When the return is actually filed, what date should be put in the tax program?

I had thought that I would use the date that the efiling was allowed. Figured that we would take all the "held" returns in the office, enter the date, create efile and send. That way the "held" returns would all be sent together. Also -- just thought of this -- have the client sign the 8879 but not date it. Then put date on it when permission is granted.

Maribeth

I did my personal corporate return today. With depreciation. The 4562 does not populate the depreciation amount but at least the draft is off. We use the Fixed Asset Manager so the assets "rolled over" from FAM. Deprecciation was fine, beginning balances were fine.

No problem with the return, no problem with error checking. Of course, cannot efile yet. And I did the return on a workstation.

I am going to start on the other corp/partnership returns and put a disclaimer on the client letter that the return will be efiled once the IRS has given me permisison to do so. Going to have the client sign the 8879 with the undersanding that the date will be added once permission to efile is obtained.

At this point, the IRS be damned with its signature/date requirement.

Maribeth

Does the cover letter and the Templates allow you to add your own personal letterhead?

I have a particular type font I like to use. And change the client letter accordingly.

Rich

You can add your logo and you can add a personalized signature. You cannot use a font that is not supported by ATx and this year they only have 3 fonts they are supporting: Arial, Courier, and Times New Roman.

Maribeth

Robin,

You have to attach the templates. You do that by going to Form, clicking on Client Letter, and it takes you to a screen that shows the "dynamic" client letters (two of them) and the templates.

To attach a template, highlight the template and click the "attach' button on the menu bar.

I learned this by watching the free webinar that ATX wrote about last week. It was only 2 hours, it was free and it was well worth the time spent. If you have not watched that webinar yet, I would recommend that you do so.

Maribeth

Anyone with success being able print a cover letter please share how you did it? I imported the template, edited and previewed it many times over but I cannot find a way to make it print. I am able to add the federal and state template without a problem and also print it, but no luck with cover letter. Any help will due.

thanks

I set up the cover letter as a template -- imported the one that downloaded from ATX -- and it works just fine. Attach it to the return and it prints out.

Maribeth

Rita,

I finally set up letters using the templates because the client letter looks so bad. The margins on the templates are awful - too close to the left side and too far from the right side -- not "centered" on the page at all. It looks like crap but I am going to use it for this year.

I checked in the manual and it says that the Page Setup function is not functional at this time. So I guess that means the margins are what they are and we will have to live with what we've got for this year

I will say that I am liking ATX2012 and I bet that 2013 is going to be a fantastic product.

Maribeth

Okay, I have read the appropriate parts of the User Manual and I have watched the webinar. I have determined that the client letter looks like s**t and is not appropriate for our office.

I have just spent about 2 hours, formatting, editing, changing, etc the Individual Tax Due template. I have entered our logo, have customized the signature, have changed wording, added, deleted, and all-around fine tuning.

It looks great. EXCEPT for one thing: the margins. The letter is too close to the left margin and too far away from the right margin.

So my question is has anyone been able to tweak the margins? I have tried to tab, to use the space bar. I have created the letter in Word and then imported into templates as the User Manual suggests. The margins are still wrong. (Of course the User Manual indicates that "Page Setup" is not a function currently suported.)

RitaB or Joanmcq -- I believe one of you was able to get a decent letter using the template function. Any help here? Anyone else?

Maribeth

Everyone's expericence varies. We use the same network configuration as you. Program is slower but has been improving with each update and seems to be working ok on our systems (all are Windows 7 Pro with 8GB RAM and SSDs). No issues with printing to an HP LaserJet 4300N. Our office doesn't get busy for another week, so we have only rolled over 3 1040's as of this morning.

Thanks for the info. Seems like your system is the same as mine, except for 4200 HP, so am crossing fingers and going to launch into ATX2012 today. Thanks so much!