Limited to one form.. What?

[Kimberly K]

I am ready to throw this ATX Program out the window. I am working on a return that my client changed jobs as a truck driver in 2009. My first 2106 for Pa was fine, everything carried over, but my second 2106 is not showing up and did not carryover. So I added a duplicate Pa UE and still is not adding the amount to the amount already deducted. So I went to check return to see if it showed a diagnostic. Sure did. ONLY one PA UE is allowed. What, Since when ????

Any ideas what to do? I tried overriding(I was willing to file the PA paper), it didnt work.

[Lion EA]

Why not one 2106 for one employee even though two employers? Not as clean and as easy to track, but you'll never have that old employer again, anyway.

[Kimberly K]

Why not one 2106 for one employee even though two employers? Not as clean and as easy to track, but you'll never have that old employer again, anyway.

Thanks, I guess I will have to do this, I just dont want any letters from Pa for my client. Pennsylvania UE wants Employer Information (address phone number ect) when deducting Employee expenses from the 2106. If its too high for that employer, a letter is sent wanting a Letterhead letter from the Employer stating the deductions that the employee were necessary and that they do not reimburse/ or only reimburse up to a certain amount. Along with the letter my client will have to send in all his log books ect and prolong his refund. I just want to avoid all of this.

I still want to throw ATX out the window.

[Gail in Virginia]

I am not familiar with PA returns, so I am assuming from your posts that PA allows multiple forms 2106 but ATX does not. Have you tried putting a suggestion in to the suggestion box about this and explaining why it is a problem? I don't know how responsive they will be to this, but I have seen others post that suggestions were sometimes acted on right away. What have you got to lose?

[Margaret CPA in OH]

Is it possible to provide details on the linked sheets to the specific line items? That is, explain what each expense is for each company. The federal form can be identified for specific activities; there is no possibility for PA to do that?

I, too, would be loath to have to provide all stuff you said would have to follow a letter. There must be some workaround. But then, is it possible that the combined figures would exceed the "allowed amount" anyway so maybe your client should start gathering the supporting docs now...

[BulldogTom]

Bert,

I am not familiar with PA returns. And I am not going to defend the software if it has a major flaw like that.

However, I have found in the past that if you call ATX (right now the lines should not be very busy) and explain that it is not handling a state return correctly, they will look at it, and generally very quickly. Before you chuck the software, you should at least give them a call. Most of the time, if it is a valid state requirement as in your case, they will fix or find a workaround for you. At least they used to before they became CCH. I have not had an opportunity to test this since the sale to CCH.

Tom

Lodi, CA

[Lion EA]

Don't use ATX anymore, but I remember one client that had both the usual Form 2106 and also a separate 2106 for disability expenses that are not subject to 2% Now, if your client is over the 2% anyway, could you not use one of each type of form to separate the two employers? It would be incorrect in purpose but would reach the same tax result and give you separate forms for each employer.

Or, did he have travel or other items that must be reported on Form 2106 of both employers? If not, could you use one Form 2106 for the employer with travel, etc., and put the other employer's unreimbursed biz expenses directly on Sch A misc 2% to keep them separate?

[RitaB]

I don't know if it's an ATX issue. I think that's the way you do it, one 2106 per taxpayer.

I have no idea about the two PA UE deal, but maybe the diagnostic is right, and only one is allowed by the tax gods.

I don't know, but it may be one of those things where ATX is just reporting the news, not making the news.

[Kimberly K]

Okay, I figured out how to get it done. I have one 2106 for both jobs on the federal, and I left my two UEs for PA. After deleting the one 2106, the program let me override the state to show the total Employee Business expenses on the PA-40.

I will have to send the Pa return by paper, but atleast I am giving the state what they want.

Thanks for all your suggestions, I really appreciated the help.

Rita: if the Tax Gods say its true, then I guess it is. But after sitting at my desk at HRB for over 10yrs, I have never heard of only one 2106 allowed. We(meaning myself and 20+ other people in our area) did it all the time.

Is that what the Tax Gods say " Only one 2106 per Taxpayer" ? Or " ONLY one UE on the Pa return allowed"

If it is, they never told us we had been wrong all those years, or is it new quidelines?

[RitaB]

Well, I looked around a little, and I was wrong. I found where you could have no more than two Forms 2106 per individual if you are e-filing. So, I stand corrected, and I guess it is ATX, afterall. My bad.

[taxxcpa]

I tested it using Drake's 2008 program and was able to create two 2106s. I don't know if it would e-file, but apparently it could be used for paper filing.

[elfling]

We do hundreds of PA returns every year. Many of them have multiple UEs on them. Never a problem, e-file or otherwise. No error messages and no need to override. Multiple 2106 does not trigger an error either. Go figure.

Sorry, I don't have any idea what is wrong or suggestions on how you can fix the error. Maybe it is a matter of exactly which program you are running. We are using ATX Max.

We do find it important to review the numbers that flow from 2106 to UE. Sometimes they will double-up on certain line items. I can tell you that we encounter strange follow-throughs if the first UE on a return is discarded. The program will not simply move a second one into first position. Knowing this we make sure the first one is kept. That can at times make it necessary to type the whole UE over with info from another and then discard the later one.

Something I wish ATX would consider is a drop down list for UE. It makes sense to me that the payer list or at least a list of the W2s on the return should be accessible for the UE. Having to re-type on the UE everything that was just entered on the W2 input is redundent. We've made this suggestion to ATX every year for the past several. No one seems to be listening. And we do realize that each state has its own oddities making it hard for the programmers to work things in that are not necessarily needed by a majority of users.

[Kimberly K]

"We do find it important to review the numbers that flow from 2106 to UE. Sometimes they will double-up on certain line items. I can tell you that we encounter strange follow-throughs if the first UE on a return is discarded. The program will not simply move a second one into first position. Knowing this we make sure the first one is kept. That can at times make it necessary to type the whole UE over with info from another and then discard the later one."

I had hoped that another Pa Preparer would chime in! I will chalk this one goof of the program as an oddity, and I will keep your work around in mind. I just assumed that everything would flow nicely!

Rita, thanks for looking that up, I started to doubt myself.

Thanks Everyone!!!

[RitaB]

Something I wish ATX would consider is a drop down list for UE.

This is totally unrelated. Sort of. But, I have always wished we had a child care provider manager for the Form 2441. I said that one time on the old forum, and one of the contributors at that time who just wanted to "one up" everybody said I oughta have them all memorized cause I live in a small town.

Precious memories.

BTW, in my small town there are MANY child care providers. So there.

Bert - I started thinking about it (duh), and realized it would be very illogical to only allow one 2106, when people can have more than one employer. I did get that message once this year (only one per taxpayer). I think. Not sure of anything at this point, though. LOL.

[jklcpa]

I don't do any PA returns with multiple UE's, but after the OP I did a test through trying to create an efile. I have ATX TTO with Max. Not even having a PA return in the test, the program wouldn't let me create the federal efile with more than one 2106 in the return.

This obviously needs a fix. Because elfling wasn't having troubles, I wonder if a recent update is causing this?

[Kimberly K]

Okay I finally called support (I seriously didnt want too, been there... done that), they will work on the issue with only one 2106 (I hope anyway). I am able to efile the Pa (the override is not preventing it), come monday morning after client signs. Whoo hoo.