Why so negative?

[HV Ken]

In previous years (dating back to the stone age), putting a negative number in these fields was acceptable. This was useful when we needed to enter reductions to provide an easy-to-see trail.

This year, it is not allowed.

UGH.

 

[Abby Normal]

Technically, we were never supposed to put refunds of prior year deductions on Sch A. They're supposed to be other income. But I always felt that if the deduction and the refund were in the same year (like a house sale), then netting was fine.

Will it also reject if the negative is in an itemized list, but the list adds up to a positive number? I know it's more work and it's harder to review but it could be a work around.

[WITAXLADY]

I agree - I hate it!! but in most cells - if you go to itemized list, you can usually do a negative

[HV Ken]

5 hours ago, Abby Normal said:

Technically, we were never supposed to put refunds of prior year deductions on Sch A. They're supposed to be other income. But I always felt that if the deduction and the refund were in the same year (like a house sale), then netting was fine.

Will it also reject if the negative is in an itemized list, but the list adds up to a positive number? I know it's more work and it's harder to review but it could be a work around.

All I heard after Technically was blah blah blah!     Like the teacher on Charlie Brown!

[Burke]

Can you show it on Line 3a?  i.e, (NYS Tax Relief  $ - 124) just as an information item? 

[Slippery Pencil]

14 hours ago, Abby Normal said:

Technically, we were never supposed to put refunds of prior year deductions on Sch A.

I put negative adjustments in all the time and not a single one of them was a refund of prior year amounts.  This is another typical bullshit move on the programmers part.

[Medlin Software, Dennis]

10 hours ago, Slippery Pencil said:

I put negative adjustments in all the time and not a single one of them was a refund of prior year amounts.  This is another typical bullshit move on the programmers part.

I see both sides (I am a programmer).  In my case, I came to find out a few of my customers were creating negative amount paychecks.  Problem is, there is no such thing.  I know what they were doing and why, but they failed to realize the consequences.  The reason for the error (and it is an error in their processing) is they never figures out the consequences were never having correct payroll records, and not accounting for the tax consequences of essentially providing a gift to the employee (in their payroll records).

Indeed, they were handling the "issue" by collecting money from the employees, but it was not accounted for in their payroll records.

I do spent a large amount of time trying to anticipate "moves" which a human might make, versus the "old days" when all computer users were experts in their own right.  Whether or not allowing something makes sense has nothing to do with it, if a field is not supposed to be a certain thing, I cannot let it be entered incorrectly, as it will certainly come back to cost me in some way since modern computer users believe and expect their hardware and software makes them an expert, and will prevent them from making ANY mistakes.  (The "I just paid to use your software, not teach me how to process payroll" syndrome.)

Having come from a write software for my own use, to write canned software, it is a constant battle to remember canned software must try to handle even the most unexpected human actions (some say 90% of code is to prevent loose nut at the keyboard issues).

[Slippery Pencil]

Creating a negative payroll check and entering a negative line on a data input worksheet for Sch A are worlds apart.  Probably galaxies apart.  There is no comparison.  As you said, there is no such thing as a negative paycheck.  Everyone who has passed Accounting 101 knows there are adjustments made on worksheets.  That's what worksheets are for.  This is typical ATX bullshit programming from people who have no idea how to operate a tax practice. 

[HV Ken]

17 hours ago, Slippery Pencil said:

Creating a negative payroll check and entering a negative line on a data input worksheet for Sch A are worlds apart.  Probably galaxies apart.  There is no comparison.  As you said, there is no such thing as a negative paycheck.  Everyone who has passed Accounting 101 knows there are adjustments made on worksheets.  That's what worksheets are for.  This is typical ATX bullshit programming from people who have no idea how to operate a tax practice. 

Tell us how you really feel!  (And I agree with you)

[DBerg]

What if ATX is just complying with the e-file schemas at they are given?

If they are told by the state not to send negative numbers, should they still allow you to send the negative number only to get a reject?

I have noticed over the years that more fields are not allowed to be entered as negatives, I assume this is based on requirements from the states. Because in the past I was never stopped from entering a negative number.

I have seen this when ATX started to support FL business, and last year there were more fields that could not be negative.