Rolling Over

[Kimberly K]

New Client comes in and files 2010 return, after a long conversation, I told them that if they want me to take a look at last years to bring it over. Sure enough I found a mistake last years preparer had made. Not only did the paid preparer, not sign their return, the preparer bought DIY software from the department store. But thats another topic that has been talked about alot.

Instead of repeatedly entering in the past years client info for returns like this, I was wondering if there is another way to do this in ATX? I know at Block, we had to enter in client info again in the earlier years programs, in other words, rollovers were doable just not rollbacks.

[grandmabee]

YOU CAN do it by alone on the 1040x just put the correct figures in. it depends on what kind a return. can you pencil it out on the copy of 2009 with the correct number and input into the 1040x or should you input all of 2009. what kind of errors were there?

[Kimberly K]

Thanks Colleen, I thought maybe there was another way to do it that I might not have known. I already got half of it in, I might as well continue. I want all of it to carry onto the PA also. I would have done it that way, if PA had an amended form like the federal. W2 Mistakes on both and a dependent not claimed.

[Pacun]

Rollback?...not such an animal.

The easiest is to enter by making the same mistakes as the previous preparer. Then, invoke the "amend return" command and enter the correction.

Before amending, get as much information from your client as possible.

A new client came this year without his 2009 return. I prepared his return claiming two children. He made about 30K with his wife and had two children under 17. Nothing was withheld and I felt I was going to give him a bad news. I told them that their refund for this year was only $1500. He said that's OK. He asked me if I could check his previous return because at that time they claimed their 19 year old daughter plus the two children under 17 and they only got about $300. They also told me that they made only 25K on the previous year and that only them and the 3 children lived in the apartment in 2009. I asked where he filed his return and he said he didn't know because his father filed for him.

He faxed me his return and I told him... "you only claimed your oldest daughter last year and that's why you got a little refund". I also told them that I could amend the return but I asked him to check with his father what happened. He called me back and told me that they were not going to amend because his father claimed the children and they didn't want to cause him trouble. I explained that he might be in trouble already because the grandfather didn't live with those kids. No amendment happened.

[Lion EA]

If a return is not in my software and I need to amend, I do not try to match the erroneous return -- sometimes you really can't, your software won't let you. I prepare the return the correct way. Then, when I call up an amendment, I do NOT let it transfer the numbers; I leave my numbers in the amended column. I then type in the original wrong numbers.

[HV Ken]

I do it the same way that Pacun does (enter the erroneous return, using overrides if necessary, then using the amend feature and making the amended return correct). The amended return is so easy to create with the ATX amended return feature. One of the features of ATX I absolutely love.

[Kimberly K]

Rollback?...not such an animal.

The easiest is to enter by making the same mistakes as the previous preparer. Then, invoke the "amend return" command and enter the correction.

Before amending, get as much information from your client as possible.

Call me lazy I guess, I had just entered in all of the filers info, dependent info and w2 addresses on the 2010 return. Wouldn't it be great if the software techs figured out how to do this in the program?

I think the mistake that the other preparer made was not getting all of the information about the dependent. 19yr old daughter lives in a trailer on the parent's property but had less than $3650 in income and nobody else claims her. Mom and Dad help out with food and utilities in return for helping their elderly grandmother. The Parents were told that since their daughter is over 18 and not a full time student they couldnt claim her exemption on their return.

Off to start the day, have a good one!