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Guest Taxed

I am really getting upset each time I have to enter dividends that have foreign tax witheld. The TW Sch B dividend input page does not have a place to enter foreign taxes paid. So you have to go to page 2 of 1040 and enter it there. Just slows down the input process. Iremember Taxworks had all that in one place when you entered dividends.

The other big issue that I have with Taxwise is the lack of spreadsheet input for stock transactions in 8949 input sheet.

The print sets and watermark management is lousy. It is too cumbersome to change on the fly and it does not allow printing of "tagged" forms or printing to PDF with password protection.

If these two issues are still there for next season I am definately GONE! CCH are you listening??

Here I come some other software!

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I have used TaxWise for about ten years as a IRS TaxAide volunteer. The annoying lack of seamless support for foreign dividends has been there since day one. In my opinion, one reason that TaxWise is so slow to change ANYTHING is the massive support and training effort that the IRS would have to go thru to retrain all of the IRS employees and volunteers that use TaxWise. I know of no other tax software for which the IRS publishes a training and usage manual (Pub 4012.)

[by the way, the on-line version of TaxWise (TWO) works like a charm. The same lack of support for foreign dividends of course, but both products are STABLE.]

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Guest Taxed

I forgot that IRS volunteers use Taxwise. So i am assuming that a IRS volunteers either ignore the credit for foreign taxes paid or they curse each time they have to jump out to page 2 to input that. I think CCH is retarded if they can't make that quick change. The input form is already there just need another column.

Looks like I will be switching soon!

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I have used TaxWise for about ten years as a IRS TaxAide volunteer. The annoying lack of seamless support for foreign dividends has been there since day one. In my opinion, one reason that TaxWise is so slow to change ANYTHING is the massive support and training effort that the IRS would have to go thru to retrain all of the IRS employees and volunteers that use TaxWise. I know of no other tax software for which the IRS publishes a training and usage manual (Pub 4012.)

[by the way, the on-line version of TaxWise (TWO) works like a charm. The same lack of support for foreign dividends of course, but both products are STABLE.]

I hadn't thought of that being the reason why Taxwise has relatively few new features since the last time I used it (first two years I was with TRX, I used Taxwise, then Taxworks for 2 years).

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Guest Taxed

Don is correct that Taxwise is a stable platform. I have not had a crash or frozen software so far and hope I will not see that this tax season. I think all my prior software at least once I had a program crash or frozen screen. HOWEVER I have noticed that if you use F1 in Taxwise to go to help screen when you get back out the input screen is frozen for half a minute (no cursor movement).

So Do I have to choose between platform stability or more functionality?? If I have to I will use Taxwise as my backup software and switch to another that has advanced functionality as my main software.

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The lack of foreign tax paid is annoying to me, too. But I can't exactly sing its praises in stability, either. I haven't had freezes, but I can only print once or twice before I have to reboot the software. (LOTS of DLL error messages.) I'm not getting the I/O errors as much now -- not sure what helped that. I also periodically get an error when sending an e-file. Again, a reboot of the program will usually take care of it. I can't use my favorite DBRepair tool anymore. It always crashes which then locks of TW until I delete the Ratstorage & other temp files.

But, it did flag a child tax credit for a long time client who has a dependent with an ITIN. I did verify the child still doesn't have an SSN, but meets the substantial pressence test. So, still good to go on child tax credit. I've just been taking that for granted, so it was good that TW flagged it to make sure I asked all the right questions.

And, it does seem to do the calculations correctly. Which is more than I can say for some (OK, one).

But, yep, I'll be shopping this summer. Assuming I can stand to boot up my work computer.

EDIT: I'm also not happy with the fact that the print packets don't print in the IRS order. I've modified to get all the worksheets to the end and the 8879 as the first page. But I had to get my husband to look up all the sequence numbers so I can sort them in the print packet.

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Guest Taxed

Kea are you running Taxwise on a network or standalone? Ever since a major disaster with network several years back I have been running tax prep software on standalone computers and this year so far i have NOT had a crash with TW. It does freeze momentarily when you go to help F1 and come back into the form but I can live with that.

I can also live with the foreign tax witholding on dividends because it is not everyday you run into that. If I had to choose that over stability I will choose stability.

Where I have a major issue is with 8949 not allowing spreadsheet import and the cumbersome process of managing printsets and lack of password protection on PDF. I had to buy a software just to put password on PDFand now it is a 3 step process for me to e-mail a PDF copy of return to a customer.

I had to do serious customization of print sets so now I have them setup depending on the type and state. But it is still a memory challenge to remember which to use when you are in a hurry to print. I hate posty notes all over my monitor. I really miss the Taxworks print management system.

The fact IRS uses Taxwise for their VITA sites means CCH must pay close attention to stability issues than new feature issues. That makes it a good backup software.

So this summer I will be shopping for a primary software that has the features I want and keep this as a backup option.

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Guest Taxed

I guess TW does have a feather in its cap "Stability". I remember Taxworks always had an issue with backup and restore where it would quit midstream with an "invalid function or procedure call". You could never trust if their backups were 100% trustworthy? With TW I have done the archive backup sets each week and to test restored them on a spare computer and they seem to work good.

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I'm on a stand alone. I'm not sure why I get this problem when no one else seems to.

When I used TaxWise in TY 2008, it would only print to my old HP printer & not to any other or to the built-in .pdf -- for me.

Guess I'm just lucky.

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Guest Taxed

Have you called support and have them look at your support? If it is standalone it should not have those issues. I have run it on Windows XP and Windows 7 and not had issue like that. The only time i get a scare is when F1 causes the whole program to freeze but taskmanager says that the program is still running so I just wait for it to unfreeze. Once in a while on a new form I have to use F1.

With printers you have to make sure you have the latest printer drivers otherwise strange things happen. I switched one Brother model and forgot to change the driver. It worked fine 90% of the time except with certain graphic characters and bar code. It would go haywire!

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Yes, I've talked to Tech Support. They've shown me how to use DBRepair & to reindex the database. They have gotten DBRepair to run from DOS. For me, sometimes yes, sometimes no. But rebooting program seems to work just as well. They'll run one of these or repair program from Control Panels and tell me I shouldn't be having these printing problems.

I'm using Windows 7 & all drivers are kept up-to-date. I'll muddle through the next 2 weeks.

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Guest Taxed

After the tax season, you may want to reinstall Windows 7 (Fresh install) and then reinstall TW and see if the problem is still there.

My son had an issue with one of his software and finally in an act of desperation he formatted his HD and reinstalled Win 7 and the application, and guess what the issue went away!!!

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I did (re)install a Windows shell on my Mac. But I haven't gotten around to installing TW. I plan to look at that as a back-up depending on level of problems over the next couple of weeks.

One reason I haven't installed yet is that I still don't have my CD. And I've just been too lazy to copy the installer to a thumb drive or to re-download.

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Guest Taxed

Where did this Mac come from? Try running TW on a Windows 7 (non Mac laptop or computer) and see if it works fine?

You should have received a CD when you ordered. If not ask them to send one. You paid for the S&H??

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I am currently running TW on Win 7 Toshiba laptop. My old PC laptop is a Vista machine -- another possibility.

I have used Parallels on my Mac to emulate PC with acceptable results. (Done when travelling so as to only take one computer.) I've heard that Fusion is better and downloaded a 30 day trial - but really haven't tested yet.

I've asked 2-3 times for the CD in the last 3-4 weeks. Have not received yet. I know others have said they got theirs. I tried to call today regarding a NC e-file reject but they didn't return my call. I'll try again tomorrow. This part is unusual because they usually answer my call fairly quickly without having to leave a voicemail.

I have now created a print packet that sorts the schedules & forms in IRS order. (I somehow managed to get kind of caught up except for a return that needs research & my own. I know this won't last!)

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Guest Taxed

Vista was bad news right from the get go. I got one and then had to fight with Microsoft to give me Windows XP Media edition because Vista kept on crashing my applications. I would not run any business applications on Vista.

My Windows XP system is showing signs of age. Last week the fan started whining read bad. So i gave it a few drops of light machine oil. It has quieted down a bit but I know it is just a matter of time before the age catches up.

How do you deal with password protecting your returns in PDF format for clients that ask it to be e-mailed?? TW does nothing unlike taxworks.

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Taxwise has been pretty stable. My real issue was when I had the option with the history lists. I would enter in something not on the list and it kept defaulting to an item on the list, so I turned off the feature and it's been working OK.

The client letters are a real PITA (much better than TaxExact). Taxworks had a Bank Account Confirmation page, Engagement Letters, Privacy document, etc. I've created client 'letters' for these. I do not like how it handled pricing state returns. You have to manually enter in those forms so you can bill your client.

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Guest Taxed

Just did a 1040X using TW and now the original return was saved as read only (red background) but it will NOT let me print the original return? Anybody know how to print the original return after 1040X was done. I can see it but the print button is greyed out.

If that is by design then it is retarded. Also there is no way to put a Header Title on top of the return "Amended".

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Guest Taxed

As a parent of a developmental disabled child, it makes my skin crawl to see the term 'retarded' used in this fashion.

Did not mean to hurt your or your kids feelings. It is just a term used rather loosely and I am not one for political correctness in a blog.

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I always print my returns to PDF. So, in this case, I would still have the original file for printing after doing the amendment. That may not help now that you have already amended.

Did you make major changes or minor changes? Perhaps you can delete your changes & print to PDF. Then put the changes back in.

If your are using Adobe Reader version 11, you can use the "Sign" function to write anything you want and place it anywhere you want. Then you can save the "signed" version. I've been using this feature to add a date next to my electronic signature on the bottom of the 8879. I actually learned about that feature from one of the TRX videos way back in January.

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Guest Taxed

After fuming for a bit that is what I did. I restored that client from by backup (throwing out the amendments) then printed a copy and then redid the amendments. What a waste of time!

Going forward I will print the original to a PDF first before I do any amendments.

I would really love a place to put a line for header right in the software. If you recall Taxworks allowed that and I would put Amended Return.

So yesterday I hunted down my old stamps (stuff I used years back with paper filings) and i did find one that has Amendment. But the rubber is crumbling so I need to order another. I doubt if CCH will change their software. I was trying to get out of using rubber stamps!

On 8879 your printed name is as good as your signature for IRS purpose. I do not sign it personally.

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