Terry D EA

How about the blue mimeo graph machines. Always ran extra copies just to smell the ink. I'm talking about the hand crank ones and not the self-feeding that disappeared years ago as well. I'm a teacher and the thought of making a transparency that you used on a roll is way too funny. Comes right in line with the slide projector and cassette tape for audio. "Ding" next slide please. Gosh we are dating ourselves.

ERC straightened me out on this. I just thought I might have offended someone or violated a forum policy. All is good and I am glad to know that. Now, on with tax season. I think this is going to be a crazy year, I now have individual appointments beginning to call and schedule. I guess these folks are okay with the answer that I will prepare the return, it will sit and wait on an update as well as the IRS filing start date, when ever that may be.

I still have my Smith Corona that was one of the first models to have a correct ribbon cartridge. My professor in college wouldn't accept a paper that had white out or correct ribbon marks on it. Only if the darn thing had a back and delete button.

I just noticed that under my Avatar, it shows my status and number of posts. It also shows number of warning posts as 0. I don't see on any others. I also noticed the last post that I stared, showed it is monitored. If I have done something that someone is watching, I certainly would like to know what it is. Can someone tell me why those designations show up?

George, you may have the same condition that I had. When Jason called me, he verified that all of the clients were in the "default" folder. On your Cdrive, go to tax prep, ty2011, data, and then default. See if all of your clients are listed there. If so, open TRX and click on utilities and rebuild clients. Jason told me that doing this would not harm anything. After my second rebuild all of my clients were there. I am glad to here the update speeds are going to increase. I am trying something different this year. I am going to download the updates and save them in my download folder and install them from there. The update file remains in the download folder just incase I would need it, I won't have to wait for hours to do the update. I hope this is a good idea and not a waste of time.

Yes, CCleaner is a great tool to use. Thanks Crank for the info on the backup locations. My backups were restored from an external device which I did know the file name and location. All clients were brought back into the program but during the rebuild, not all of them appeared. Being skeptical I didn't want to move forward on my own. I know I seemed a little axious in my posts but I seriously have one rental client and one partnership that became a sunken ship in 2012 pushing to get their returns done by the middle of January. I need time to learn the new program and no matter how many times I tell these folks that the probability of me having a completed return within their time frame is slim and next to none, and they say they understand, they contact me almost daily for an update. These are very good loyal clients and I want to do my best for them. Nice to know the 1041 package is coming and even if it isn't until March that is still good to know. Now, I can relax a little and learn the program.

Doug, Jason called me and we are in good shape. I commend you for following through and helping me. Jason did verify that there is not a 1041 package with the software. Is this coming as an update? Thanks, Terry D.

<<<<Rentals if they are multiple units with several depreciable assets are a real pain when you switch software>>> You got that right. Now, another can of worms has opened. I never knew we were not getting 1041 items with this software. I assumed (a dangerous thing to do), that all would be the same as Red Gear that we used last year. Was not told anything different. Maybe the one of the problems is I didn't purchase the electronic filing for business returns. This was done on purpose as I was looking into Drake at the time and didn't want to spend any more than I had to if I was going to change software vendors. Even so, and without the business electronic filing, TaXWorks still contained the 1041. When I get my phone call, I will ask about this.

I checked the offfice call log and voicemail and someone did try to call yesterday when I was out of the office. I am here this morning and will be waiting for a call. Thanks,

Thanks Doug but I am sitting right here by all of the phone numbers that I have left and none of my phones are ringing. They can try one of the following numbers: Home: (919) 304-0922 Office (919) 304-6981 Cell (336) 684-9898

Thanks for the check list and yes, I will use it. I have been working on a practice return for a fictional individual. Without having checked all of the calculations, the entry of information is similar to Red Gear which relieves some of the pain. I did learn how to set the defaults within the return. One thing I haven't seen yet is how to complete a 1041 or any trust type returns that require those really bizarre uncommon forms. I have one CRUT that carries significant penalties if filed on the wrong forms and I need to be sure this program can be used to prepare the 5221 and 1041-A. I am aware of all of the issues with other software and the Mef requirement but you are correct that all of this is somewhat unnerving. I guess the best thing is to allow extra time between appointments. I do handle a significant amount of property owners who are in the rental business so I need time to ensure the depreciation calculations are correct as well. I don't even want to begin to think about accuracy with Scheduels M-1 M-2 and so on for Corps

Doug, You have personally taken time to e-mail me asking if my problems with the 2012 software have been resolved. I do appreciate your concern and desire to help me. However, all of my problems have not been resolved. I have worked with two different support agents for the last four days. Finally, last evening, I managed to get the program updated and the CID and PID numbers installed and the program registered. I still need help with getting ALL of my clients from 2011 back into the 2011 program program after a Windows re-install. Ther person whom I spoke with last evening said she would call me first thing this morning. It is now 9:35 Eastern Time and 8:35 your time and no phone call. I can't call in as the recording tells me your office is closed and the person's extension is not a valid extension. Here is the rant: Your customer service is really beginning to leave a lot to be desired. Yes, I know we have some time and filing season has not officially started. However, the software is new to many of us which we were forced into without a choice and there is a significant learning curve. I do have rental properties and a couple of S-Corps beginning to come in and I can't process anything or retreive their information from last year yet. As many others have stated, the learning curve should have taken place back in October not now. I have used your products for the last four years and I am seriously questioning whether I will renew or not. I know you are tired of hearing this from all of us but you need to do something to ramp up the customer support with all of these problems. I have read threads where you state your years of experience within the tax industry and I respect that. With that said, you do understand the need for each of us to test a new software regardless of who the vendor is. After 17 years, I must say this is the first tax season that I feel so uncomfortable and almost to the point of panic to try another program. Please do what you can to expedite my concerns. Terry

I had a similar scenario with ATX and ATX did pay the interest and penalties. <<What is the liability of a tax software company if their programming is faulty that causes a calculation error because of no fault of the tax preparer and the client has to pay interest and penalties.>> If I remember correctly, there was a blurb in the study material that I used for the 15 hours that mentioned the IRS considers it a lame response to blame the software for an error.

Thanks Doug and I have sent you an e-mail. I hope I gave you enough information to solve this problem. My computer had to have windows reinstalled and I still need help with restoring my clients from last year. I need to do this for 2010 as well but that can wait till later.

I know one thing that is for sure at this point. This will indeed be my last year with TRX. I have been following this forum all along and am not impressed with any of he reponses from Doug Hughes. I agree that talk is cheap and let's see some action.

While the rest of you are concerned about updating and waiting to see if the product performs, I would just like to get mine installed properly. I received wrong CID and PID numbers and if the documents surrounding them are correct, I have someone else's EFIN as my CID. Apparently, the numbers are needed to get the program to even update. Called support three times today,left messages and still no help. A request for a refund may be in the very near future for me. Then again, from other posts, a refund request might not be a good idea either as some who have requested it appear to not have received it either.

Agree completely

Apparently, you will be receiving Tax Exact and not a Red Gear product. I don't understand how they can take money for a product they failed to deliver and make the choice for you that their own product will substitute. A better way to handle this would be to offer their product in place of the original product they were unable to provide or give a refund. It should have been our choice and not theirs.

I don't mean to rain on the parade here. But, after all of the negative comments about TRX as well as all of the conflicting stories, how can you trust them. I too renewed early with the same false promises of Tax Works being available. I have also tried the in house product and have concerns about it as well. I would also like to know the outcome of all of the folks who did not get the service bureau fees from TRX as promised. You can google those articles and they are interesting to say the least and will leave you to wonder if you will actually get a refund. If I end up staying with TRX this year, it will definitely be my last. How can Doug Hughes say they have outstanding customer support when the reduced their support office hours to normal business hours during peak season? I am curently previewing other software and I agree as a unit together we should have some clout.

Here is a link to a good and inexpensive website where the required CEU's and exam prepar can be purchased for $49.95. Now, I know that cheap isn't always the best way to go but sometimes neither is the most expensive. I am half way thru this course and it is pretty good and approved by the IRS. All scores are submitted to the IRS each day. http://www.apluscpe.com/

This is a good question for M.Malody. A church has contacted me regarding the proper accounting for donations for religious workers who are going on a mission trip abroad. Some folks in the congregation want to allocate their donation to a specific individual. My take is the donor can do this but his donation cannot be deducted on the donor's schedule A as a charitable donation. The church should just record the donations as normal or setup a separate income account and allocate the expenses to the mission trip using the appropriate accounts. The church must pay for all expenses and not make payments to the workers going on the trip. To the best of my knowledge, the folks going on the trip are workers or volunteers of the church and not missionaries. If there is a better method, please let me know.

Taxpayer has the right to claim his dependent child. I completed the child's tax return and the parents. Apparently, I overlooked checking the box stating the child is being claimed on someone elses tax return and the parents return got rejected. Would you remove the dependent from the parents return, transmit the return and then amend it a month later along with amended the dependent child's return. Or, would you mail the parents return in? At this late date, I would think the e-file then amend option is the best but I want to hear from others. This is a direct result of being tired and overworked.

I know we all have been kicking this around a bit but it is really really irritating that at this late time if there is a problem, TRX is not open over the weekend or anytime past normal business hours. When it is crunch time for us, I feel it should be crunch time for them. Their business has only one way to go if they give outstanding customer support. Without it, the outcome is almost inevitable. Frankly, I have not renewed and still wondering if I should. It is safe to say the cost of the software isn't the issue but no matter how cheap or expensive, it is hard to place a price on good customer service.

I created the attachement and followed the instructions. Only problem is I couldn't see the file attached although it said it was there. So, I guess all went well.

Well the only person I had to convince was me. I am down to three returns to complete, one of which is mine, and one crut and one invididual with many trades. This has been a very different tax season for me and I am so glad to see if come to an end. Two weeks off and back to all those wonderful extensions and after that time to go see that 101 year old grandmother who is well on her way to 102. If I could call it, I bet she lives to 105. Heck who knows, maybe longer.