Kea

I just print to .pdf for all my printing. When I send to printer, I print the pages I want in the order I want and set it to duplex. That way, if I have something that should be on a page by itself (i.e. 8879) I can print it separately. I did find the method you suggest, but I was getting some blank pages where I didn't want them. Granted I didn't explore very closely since I already had a method I was comfortable with.

Yes, you will have to paper file (unless someone has another solution). I have a client that lives in a foreign country and is married -- only because there is no divorce in that country. Hasn't seen wife in years & she never had any connection to US. No way & no reason to get ITIN for her. In your case you may want to file W7 and get ITIN. Then you can e-file in the future. Filing status in the future may depend on advantages / disadvantages of adding spouse to tax return & if it makes sense to subject spouse's worldwide income to US taxes. When spouse has no income, MFJ is more advantageous.

That scenario does make sense. She has already talked to her employer & they were not at all helpful. I did ask her to compare to her final check stub of the year and she said she would have to look for it in storage. No idea if she has all of them or not. The employed did say the calculations changed in January, so "just go with what you got." Not sure which January they are referring to, but either way, they are still wrong. I am guessing that if hers is wrong so are others that work there. Since it is a temp agency, I'm not sure if she knows any of her "co-workers" or not. She may have better luck dealing with them if they go as a group. I suppose we can "just go with what we got" so that she can get her federal tax refund. IF she can get it corrected with the employer, it won't really affect this return. Thanks!

Humm, just right across from where I was looking. I knew it had to be there & just didn't look far enough. Silly me - trying to figure what they considered a qualified home so I only looked under the part about the home. Thanks again. Hope the rest of the season goes better.

Box 3 SS wages were $18417.06 Box 4 was $808.51 which is 4.39% If they had used the correct 4.2%, the correct withholding would have been $773.52. (OK, so I approximated in the OP. Should be $35 off not $30) I'm not sure why they would withhold 4.4% (rounding again). Tried to add back 0.2% instead of 2% - even though they weren't supposed to do either?

Thanks for the Tax Code Section jainen. When I read the 5696 instructions, this was all I saw for the definition of "home:" Who Can Take the Credits You may be able to take the credits if you made energy saving improvements to your home located in the United States in 2011. Home. A home is where you lived in 2011 and can include a house, houseboat, mobile home, cooperative apartment, condominium, and a manufactured home that conforms to Federal Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards. You must reduce the basis of your home by the amount of any credits allowed. Main home. Your main home is generally the home where you live most of the time. A temporary absence due to special circumstances, such as illness, education, business, military service, or vacation, will not change your main home. I was sure there "should be" an ownership requirement - I just didn't see it specified. Thanks for confirming.

Thanks Lion. Kinda what I was afraid of. Just checking for other options. Just the one employer & they insist they are right. (Well that's what they are telling her!)

When entering a client's W2, I noticed that the withholding in Box 4 was $30 higher than the amount the software calculated. But since she isn't anywhere near maxing out her Social Security, there is no place to "refund" the over payment. I told her to talk to her employer to see if they really did withhold the wrong amount and they owe her the $30 or if they just need to correct the W2. When they called her back they told her to "just go with it the way it is. They changed the withholding in January." Gee, no wonder the form is wrong. Any suggestions? Should I "just go with it?" Or is there another way to get it corrected? Will IRS computers catch / care that the withholding is wrong? Thanks

OK, I guess I'll start. I'm not sure if this is an issue with TaxWorks or just the TRX version or if it's will change after an update. I'm working on a Sch F for a Form 1065 (partnership). I'm entering the info for a 1099G (government insurance payment) that goes to line 4a (of the Sch F). 1099G is typed next to the input box, but it's black -- not blue and underlined. The help screen says to enter the info on the 1099G link and it will feed to this line. But... no link. Can't find 1099G in the list of forms, either. I noticed the same thing above for the 1099K, but I'm not trying to use that line. I can input the figures in the 4a and 4b boxes, but I thought all the 1099G info went to IRS in an e-file (like with W2s). Should there be "real" links for these 1099s? TRX support just said to enter the info directly on the forms. No problem. Just curious if the 1099 input screen were supposed to be there? Thanks

I broke down & called TRX. They said it's the last line of page 2 of the 1040. Yep, it's there.

Client is living in his grandmother's house. They added insulation last year. May the client claim the energy credit on Form 5695? The instructions say that it has to be for his "main home" and defines that as where he lives most of the year. I see no restriction that he must "own" the home. Thanks

Same here. As an added note, I deduct it for the year I use it (later of date purchased or put in service). Granted, I do sometimes install and test in late December but I still show the deduction in the year of primary use.

Potential new client received a letter from IRS about itentity theft and issued a special PIN. Where does this get entered in TRX Pro (Tax Works)? I beleive this is a separate PIN from the regular signature PIN, but could be wrong. He tried to file his return himself with TaxAct, and found where to enter the IP PIN (also verified with their tech support). However it was rejected with an error that the SSN belonged to a deceased person. It did mention that if it was a case of itentity theft to use the IP PIN. So even if I can enter his IP PIN in TRX, will it reject with the same error? Thanks!

NOL carrybacks make those past years eligible for 1040X -- even if the carryback years are more than 3 years previous.

I only print labels to send out New Year's cards (subtle reminder that tax season is approaching). So I haven't done anything since then. I printed the labels from 2012 (after rolling over everyone from 2011). The only issue I had at that point was for the 2 clients that moved. I entered their new addresses, but the labels still printed with the old address. Since it was just 2, I handwrote them. I'll guess I'll find out in another 11 months how it goes for next year.

Ryan, Thanks so much for the updates. This works for me. My biggest concern was the F8938 keeping me from e-filing a (minor) monster return. Attaching as a .pdf definately works for me! I'm VERY glad to hear I can e-file! The 3520 A & 3520 being form filler only is just a laziness issue on my part. Since they can't be e-filed anyway, the form filler is OK. Thanks for popping in to answer our questions.

OK, you caught me. That's the real reason I posted today. Maybe he'll see it when he checks in today.

Hi Mike, Thanks for the info. Yes, I got the impression from the above discussion that the payroll forms left something to be desired. My confusion is more related to the differences in the packages. Last year & this year I ordered the Tax Works Premium package & thought I had them since I had the business returns & could e-file them. However, I only recently noticed the name of the program is "TRX Pro" (not Premium) and that I didn't have any 943, W2, 1099, etc. So my 1st question is whether I am I getting the correct program. If so, what is the best way to handle the very few W2, 1099s that I need to do? Just handwritten on the IRS carbon forms? If not, I'll need to contact TRX to see how to get the correct program. I have gotten along OK with the Tax Works program, but I do understand that they have contract issues to deal with. A "home-grown" product will probably help them (and us) in the long run. But I hope they have all the forms included and all the bugs worked out before that becomes our only choice. I'm glad you will be helping them develop a robust TaxExact program. Good luck!

I have a client who will have to file a Form 8938 this year. It's a new form for reporting foreign assets. I don't see it in the list of available forms although it is in the Forms Filler List. Since it's not part of the program, will I be able to e-file this return? I know there is now a .pdf button for attaching files when you are in the review screen. Will I be able to attach from the Form Filler & then e-file? I haven't used this feature yet & not quite sure how it works. Last year, I had a client who had a form that was only available from the Form Filler. But I don't think the .pdf attach button was there -- at least on for the 1040 series. After checking at that time, the only option was to paper file. I really don't want to paper file this other return as it will be fairly large (compared to the ones I do; but not compared to Romney's 200+ pages). Another possibility -- might this form be added to the program later in the season? It doesn't feed to or from any other forms; it's informational only. So I don't think it should require complicated programming. I won't be working on this return for another month or 2, but wanted to ask now so that I can suggest it be added to the program if the .pdf won't work. Thanks PS, I'd really like to see the 3520 & 3520A added to the program - not just form filler. Those will still have to me mailed anyway, but a "live" form would reduce my typing!

On a somewhat related topic, I did purchase (or think I did) the TRX Premium package last year and this year as they gave me the lower price (after the ATX kerfuffle). I figured I had it since I have the business forms and could e-file the one partnership I did last year. But now I've noticed that the 2010 & 2011 programs are called TRX Pro (not Premium). I have all states, but no W2, W3, 1099, 1096, 943, etc. I am using Tax Works, not TaxExact. Should I have these other forms? (I do have them in Form Filler, if that counts for anything.) I'm only doing 1 each of: W2, W3, 1099Misc, 1096 & 943. I prefer e-file options, but it doesn't sound like it's practical to just through the hoops to set that up. I can print from Form Filler, but that doesn't give me the Red IRS copies. But at least I can send the employee a printed copy. If I pick up blank forms, I have to fill them out handwritten (not so professional looking). Am I missing any options that I should have? Thanks

I brought up this issue last year and got some good responses. Be careful with what info you supply because you don't want to be liable for your client's mortgage.

Wow, I'm glad to see I'm not alone, either. I'm fairly tech savvy, but also am not interested in paying for text messages. Fortunately, my cell phone doesn't charge me to block texts. I have internet connection available most places I go so I'm really not interested in getting another one just for a phone. So I went a compromise route and got an iPod Touch -- all the features of a smart phone without the phone or the monthly service plan. My "dumb phone" still works fine. I considered a tablet but liked the portability of the iPod. I must admit that I am completely addicted to my iPod now. And I added a MagicJack App so it is a phone, too - at least when there's internet! But hopefully someone will chime back in about Square.

I agree. It is possible to have a business without expenses. It's just a due diligence question since most businesses will have expenses. (My very lame attempt at humor.)

3 Schedule Cs with no expenses on any? I "heard" that was a hint that they weren't "real businesses." (And if they CPA did it correctly, the $8505 was the fees he paid in 2010, not for the 2010 tax return.)

Bump?