GeneInAlabama

I have a client with several 1099s, three of which has the payer's social security number instead of an employer number. How can I enter this in the program? When I try to enter it, the dash appears after the second digit instead of after the third and fifth digit. I can't find any place in the program where I can tell it that it is a SSN. Is there a way to enter it correctly, or do I have to put it in wrong? And if I put it in wrong, will it cause a problem? I can't think like a fifth grader.

Thanks Kea, you made me feel a little better.

Kea, J Ron said it was harder than he expected. What is your take on it? Easier? Harder? About what you expected? I have trouble remembering form numbers, code sections, etc. I have to look everything up. Think this will be a problem?

I had a massive heart attack 3 1/2 years ago. I have learned to do what I can and not worry about the rest. After all, worrying doesn't accomplish a thing. When I walk out of my office at night, I don't give any thought about what is on the other side of the door. I usually work from about 9:00 or 9:30 in the morning until about 7:00 or 8:00 at night SIX days a week during tax season. I love extensions. When I was younger, I would sometimes work all day and all night, and then go home and sleep until about noon and then go back and work until night. No more. IT ISN'T WORTH IT.

Sounds like a case for HR Block.

I too have had it with TRX. Yesterday I found out that TRX doesn't have the Alabama form 40X which is the amended return. You have to go to the forms filler and prepare the return manually. This is my second year using TRX and I still have a very hard time finding the right places to check on the worksheets. Everytime I come up on something different from what I have had in the past, I have to hunt all over the worksheets for the right box to check. I have wasted a lot of time on this program. Perhaps younger people can understand the logic of the program a lot better than I can. Next year I am going back to ATX.

>>Sure..... The spouse became disabled during 2010 and started drawing social security. So did her minor children. Their social security was included on the parents return which in effect increased their taxable income and disallowed the $1,000 child tax credit that was due them in addition to increasing their income taxes. Rental income (real estate) was reported on Schedule C rather than Schedule E causing the taxpayers to pay SE taxes needlessly. On the Sch C was listed the name of a government agency as the DBA name. The government agency was the payer of the rent on the 1099-Misc. The state return left off a deduction for taxable disability income the spouse received as well as a tax credit for the loss of the use of limbs, as well as overlooking a couple of other smaller credits.<< WOW! And some people think H&R Block is so great.

Eli, I haven't used ATX since 2009. I now use TRX. Did you show the AL state code on the W2 form and the TX code on the Texas W2? I know Texas doesn't have an income tax, but if the state code was left off, it might have carried over to Alabama. I made a dummy TR on my 2009 ATX program and it carried over as it should. Was the TP a resident of Texas at the time he worked in Alabama, or was he a part year resident? If part year, he should file AL40. If you can't do it any other way, maybe you can file a separate federal return and then file a separate state return. Alabama is not dependent on the federal return in any way. They can be filed separately. I have some clients that have to file a federal return but do not have to file a state return and I have some clients that have to file a state return but do not have to file a federal return. Hope this helps.

I try to figure what I need on an hourly basis and then I try to estimate how much time I will have to spend on a particular return and charge accordingly. I base all my work on the same hourly rate of $100.00 per hour. I tried once to charge strictly on an hourly rate but it didn't work out. Too many interruptions.

I see no reason the IRS would not mail the refund check to post office box. I'm sure I have had some in the past that went to a PO box.

Jack, where do you get the bottle of refill toner and do you just break the seal and remove the plug and refill? Tell us more. Sounds VERY interesting.

Thanks Jack. That is VERY useful information. I'm headed for the shower right now.

>>We are all unpaid IRS employees now! We should file for federal unemployment compensation during the off season.<< Where do we apply? How much will I get? Do I have to report my other income?

Don't all the PTINs start with a "P"?

It's been a couple of years since I used ATX, but you should be able to go the box at the top of the column for the last name and click on that. That should put the list in alphabetical order.

I had thought about printing on both sides, but for me I don't think it would be worth it. I think it would take longer to print that way and I feel that my time is worth more than a little extra paper plus it seems that it would take quite a bit of time to set it up to print on both sides (at least for me it would). Also, I'm used to looking on just one side of the paper when flipping through a return looking for something. When you get old, it is hard to change the way you do things.

I prepared a return with the wrong SSN and it was rejected within 2 or 3 minutes. I can't beleive how fast this is working this year.

>>clearly list it on the Sch C as Tax Prep Software.<< This is a good idea. I have been listing it under office expense but I will start listing it separately from now on. Like This Unlike

I ordered a case of Quill brand 22 pound 98 brightness paper yesterday for $49.90. I may buy maybe 4 or 5 cases a year. I don't have the number of clients that a lot of you have. I don't like to switch paper back and forth so I use the same paper for everything. I figure my time is more valuable than what I save on cheaper paper. In Alabama, they require the state withholding form to be printed on 24 pound paper if you print your own. I use 22 pound paper and have had no problem. I'm sure no one has ever noticed (I hope no one from the Alabama Dept of Revenue monitors this board). The 98 brightness really stands out when placed next to a sheet of 92 brightness paper and probably gives better results if a form is optically scanned. I e-file all my 1040s but not the few business returns I do. I keep paper copies for my files because I don't have enough courage to go paperless.

My problem was solved with the last update. For some reason I was getting a wierd message when I hit the review button and the review screen wouldn't come up, but I could go on to the tax return and everything looked fine and it would print. But now, after the last update, everything is working fine. I started getting apprehensive when I couldn't reach TRX.

Mike, you are a life saver. I didn't know they had changed their phone number. It would have been nice if they had notified us. Also the rude message didn't set too well with me. Again, thanks.

Thanks Mike, but I am still getting the same message that my call is not allowed. I'm beginning to become concerned about the situation. I have an issue that I can't resolve and need help. The 8879 does not appear on any of my returns and therefore I can't file any returns at this point. I don't know if the 8879 is not ready yet or if I'm doing something wrong. I notice that the ATX users are filing returns now.

I tried to call TRX and i got the message "Your call is not allowed PUA MI". Does anyone know what is going on? Terry D said in another post that they said that they had gone to internet based phone. I hope this is a temporary problem.

Pub 2043. Looks like deposits are being made on Thursdays this year instead of Fridays.

I don't think there have ever been any survivors to tell us what happened.