Mainetaxman Posted January 21, 2008 Report Share Posted January 21, 2008 Based on what I'm reading below, it doesn't appear that a lot of ATX workers "relocated" to TaxWise. So here we are struggling to use our ATX program, and at least 50 experienced ATX workers are standing in the unemployment line when they could be helping us. During the Depression, they use to say "Brother, can you spare a dime?" Well my question is "Brother, can you spare an experienced ATX tech support person?" Caribou: Labor team sets ATX sessions for Friday 1/3/2008 Source: Bangor Daily News By Jen Lynds CARIBOU, Maine, Jan. 3, 2008 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- Members of the Maine Department of Labor's Rapid Response team will be in Presque Isle on Friday to assist the approximately 50 ATX workers affected by the recently announced layoffs at the Caribou tax software firm. Sessions also will be held to assist the estimated 30 temporary workers who also were affected by the cutbacks. Adam Fisher, spokesman for the Department of Labor, said the first Rapid Response session will be held at the Presque Isle CareerCenter at 10 a.m. Friday, Jan. 4, for Kelly Services (NASDAQ:KELYA) temporary workers who were employed at ATX. Another session for ATX employees will be held at 2 p.m. at the CareerCenter. Employees at ATX, which is located on Sweden Street in Caribou, learned last week that they were being laid off. A former employee at the facility said the unexpected news was delivered during a meeting last Thursday afternoon and came as a "total shock" to those who were affected. The layoffs took effect immediately. Fisher said the Labor Department had planned to contact each of the affected workers to provide additional details about the sessions this week, but the department has been unable to get contact information for the workers from the company. ATX set up shop in Caribou in 1992. Its parent company, CCH Small Firm Services based in Rome, Ga., acquired ATX in September 2006. In 2003, ATX had more than 150 employees at its Caribou facility, up from roughly 50 employees in 2000. Company officials have not returned phone calls seeking comment about the situation. This week's Rapid Response sessions will provide workers with information about resources available to those who have lost their jobs, including CareerCenter employment services, unemployment benefits, health care, and other state and federal services. Workers do not need to RSVP to attend these meetings. Individuals who can't attend a session may contact the Presque Isle CareerCenter, 66 Spruce St., at 800-635-0357 or TTY 888-697-2877. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Phelan Posted January 21, 2008 Report Share Posted January 21, 2008 I really don't feel like giving these people (CCH) another cent of my money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tax1guydc Posted January 23, 2008 Report Share Posted January 23, 2008 Well, I guess while the laid off ATX employees are standing in the cold, the rest of us are in the cold too. This is going to be a long, cold winter for all of us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MN2V Posted January 23, 2008 Report Share Posted January 23, 2008 I had a hint that this was coming when I attended their "training session" this fall. The instructor (?) was from Rome Georgia and rather than teaching us anything about ATX...her goal was to learn from the 20+ people who had paid good money to attend the training session. She admitted she had never used ATX...never even filed a tax return more difficult than W-2s....and I have not heard a word from my request for a refund of at least my gas for the 180 miles I drove for the "training session". I am already looking for other software for 2008... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgeM Posted January 23, 2008 Report Share Posted January 23, 2008 I'm getting the feeling that Mel better have a program in place for next year, after this season with CCH they wont be able to sell anyone the ATX package. I am just hoping that I don't have any problems, in past years they have been very few for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tax Prep by Deb Posted January 23, 2008 Report Share Posted January 23, 2008 I'm definitely considering other options, and I have been with ATX since I believe 1999. I hate to leave, but I hate not having a company I can rely on either! Deb! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmallard Posted January 23, 2008 Report Share Posted January 23, 2008 I'm definitely considering other options, and I have been with ATX since I believe 1999. I hate to leave, but I hate not having a company I can rely on either! Deb! I'm definitely going to do the same. Tax Relief Express is looking very good to me. I am a small one person operation and I only do about 50 returns per year. Almost all my clients e-file, so my software cost just went from $420 to $670. Had I known back in June when I renewed the software that they were going to charge me for e-filing, I would not have renewed. Jerry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howard Posted January 24, 2008 Report Share Posted January 24, 2008 I'm definitely going to do the same. Tax Relief Express is looking very good to me. I am a small one person operation and I only do about 50 returns per year. Almost all my clients e-file, so my software cost just went from $420 to $670. Had I known back in June when I renewed the software that they were going to charge me for e-filing, I would not have renewed. Jerry Jerry, I am here in Moreno Valley, CA, and that was the 1st thing I noticed when I renewed my ATX software last April...that there was now a charge for efiling, so I had to upgrade to the MAX package to avoid paying the efiling fees. With my 300 clilents, it woould havebeen way to costly to have paid for efiling. When I spoke with ATX about it lat April, they said that it should not change the way most of ATS's clients do business....lol Howard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrisbry Posted January 24, 2008 Report Share Posted January 24, 2008 Here's another preparer looking very strongly at another software option for 2008. It's unfortunate that ATX Customer Service took a spiral downward -- I like the software. Always have since they were Saber and had limited forms. But the late availability of the 940/941 E-file was just unacceptable in my book. Shouldn't they have been approved for e-filing long before January 24th? I would think so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cristy222 Posted January 24, 2008 Report Share Posted January 24, 2008 Here's another preparer looking very strongly at another software option for 2008. It's unfortunate that ATX Customer Service took a spiral downward -- I like the software. Always have since they were Saber and had limited forms. But the late availability of the 940/941 E-file was just unacceptable in my book. Shouldn't they have been approved for e-filing long before January 24th? I would think so. You're not kidding! Now I have the forms, but no support with the status error messages. Are you having trouble creating more than one efile per client? I can create a 941 but get an error on the 940 or vice versa. I get "Rejected by EFC". What's up with these people...whoever they are...ATX? CCH? Taxwise? Kleinrock? Where'd everybody go??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrisbry Posted January 24, 2008 Report Share Posted January 24, 2008 Christy, you have to create separate files for each client --one for 940 and one for 941. Then you should be able to create an efile for each form. I had no problems -- it was just time consuming to go back into each Form and create the efile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cristy222 Posted January 24, 2008 Report Share Posted January 24, 2008 Christy, you have to create separate files for each client --one for 940 and one for 941. Then you should be able to create an efile for each form. I had no problems -- it was just time consuming to go back into each Form and create the efile. Thanks, I guess that would be a way around it...but it's rediculous to have to do it twice. Oh well...already weighing my options for next quarter. This process worked fine with the zillion forms program last year. Way after I bought the program this year (read: way after the refund period), I was told that zillionforms no longer supports efiling....Surprise!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrisbry Posted January 24, 2008 Report Share Posted January 24, 2008 Christy, you have to create separate files for each client --one for 940 and one for 941. Then you should be able to create an efile for each form. I had no problems -- it was just time consuming to go back into each Form and create the efile. Oh and then for the remaining quarters, you need to make a NEW 941 file. I usually just make a copy of the 941 file, relabel it (ie 941 1Q) change the dates, data and then efile. It worked just fine last year doing it that way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cristy222 Posted January 25, 2008 Report Share Posted January 25, 2008 Oh and then for the remaining quarters, you need to make a NEW 941 file. I usually just make a copy of the 941 file, relabel it (ie 941 1Q) change the dates, data and then efile. It worked just fine last year doing it that way. Thanks...that just how I did it last year too. Only this quarter I have to include the 940 and it doesnt want to create efiles for the two of them together even though both boxes are checked at the top of the EF form. Oh well....guess it's too complicated for ATX to handle more than one thing at a time. I'll separate the 2 into 2 files and it should work. Good think I have this site to rely on for support! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janitor Bob Posted January 25, 2008 Report Share Posted January 25, 2008 Thanks...that just how I did it last year too. Only this quarter I have to include the 940 and it doesnt want to create efiles for the two of them together even though both boxes are checked at the top of the EF form. Oh well....guess it's too complicated for ATX to handle more than one thing at a time. I'll separate the 2 into 2 files and it should work. Good think I have this site to rely on for support! Last year I bought super glue and stuck two 940s together and made one 1880....This season, I'm going for a triple! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAXBILLY Posted January 25, 2008 Report Share Posted January 25, 2008 You should be using the 2006 program for your fourth quarter 941 and the 2007 program for your 2007 940. taxbilly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrisbry Posted January 25, 2008 Report Share Posted January 25, 2008 Not what I was told last year OR this year TaxBilly. I did try that last year (efile 4th quarter 2006 in the 2005 program) and it wouldn't allow me. Of course, it took 2 weeks for Support to TELL me that. {Edited to correct years!} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAXBILLY Posted January 26, 2008 Report Share Posted January 26, 2008 I'm glad I don't efile. :~)) taxbilly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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