1040 Planner WAY out-of-date

[TaxCPANY]

ATX's 1040 Planner has not been updated since *November*! This aggrieves me, because I typically include it with the returns I send to my clients -- i.e., I think it's almost as important to forewarn clients as it is to report their pasts. (And, yes; I jettisoned BNA Tax Planner once its price was trebled . . . . It always was a hassle to perfect, and an ugly thing to show to a paying client.)

It's bad enough that we still don't have Form 1040-ES approved -- and had to wait til 'today' to get 8879 workable.

If my complaint resonates with you, please get on the horn to ATX.

VTY, TaxCPANY

[Yardley CPA]

As a matter of course, I provide all of my clients with a completed ATX 1040 Tax Planner for the following tax year. I base my information on the return I just completed and let them know, as long as things remain relatively equal, you can expect a tax next year that is estimated as whatever the planner shows. I also tell them that, if things change during the year, please contact me and we'll have another look and see if we need to do any additional planning. So I am also disappointed that the ATX Planner has yet to be updated and remains in "draft" format. I emailed ATX today and received the following email response:

"I do apologize for this inconvenience, But there is not a estimated date on when this will be updated. Pleas check for updates often to watch for the updated version.

If you need further assistance, please contact our customer support department at 1-800-638-8291."

Given where we are in tax season, how can they not have this form updated? Maybe with February 14th rolling around, it will be updated shortly thereafter. I certainly hope so.

[Mike D]

Me thinks that they will update this when they can extrapolate more bucks from you'se guys. They do need to keep up their reputation.

Mike Dubin CPA

[kcjenkins]

I expect that the real problem holding this up was the late changes in the code, which we all knew where coming, but no one knew until late Dec just what they would be. And then the programmers were busy working on the tax program itself, knowing that that was more important at the start of the season. I'm sure we'll get the Planner updated soon. Let's not expect miracles, there were lots of changes, and many of them while similar to a 'roll-back' to last year, did not, in fact, roll everything back, exactly. Cut them a little slack, the IRS is not yet up-to-date either.

[Yardley CPA]

I expect that the real problem holding this up was the late changes in the code, which we all knew where coming, but no one knew until late Dec just what they would be. And then the programmers were busy working on the tax program itself, knowing that that was more important at the start of the season. I'm sure we'll get the Planner updated soon. Let's not expect miracles, there were lots of changes, and many of them while similar to a 'roll-back' to last year, did not, in fact, roll everything back, exactly. Cut them a little slack, the IRS is not yet up-to-date either.

Well said, KC. I'm sure the programmers at ATX have been extremely busy with all of the changes that were needed.

[Randall]

I expect that the real problem holding this up was the late changes in the code, which we all knew where coming, but no one knew until late Dec just what they would be. And then the programmers were busy working on the tax program itself, knowing that that was more important at the start of the season. I'm sure we'll get the Planner updated soon. Let's not expect miracles, there were lots of changes, and many of them while similar to a 'roll-back' to last year, did not, in fact, roll everything back, exactly. Cut them a little slack, the IRS is not yet up-to-date either.

We may get lucky next year and not have this problem since the Dec law was good for two years.

[kcjenkins]

OH YEAH, LIKE THAT IS EVER GOING TO HAPPEN.......!!!!!!

I'm afraid the days when the tax code was only changed every few years are long behind us. These days, they change it almost monthly. I'm sure they will make numerous changes, most small but several large, before the end of the year.