rfassett

Ray - my post was not intended to imply that questions and/or vents should not be posted - but rather that reading the manual is something we should all do to get the most out of this product. I have already found something that will make my life easier over the next ten and a-half weeks in the short while I have been reading it.

I get a sense that some folks are getting a litte testy responding to questions that are answered in the User Manual. Another time and another place, this would not be an issue. But with tensions running at such extreme levels, it is understandable - the response. So I am here to make a confession. I have not read the user manual. I did do ATX's "find the embedded code to win an IPAD" (I guess I didn't win) that encouraged us to study the training info. I think that helped me alot. I think the reason some folks have not read the manual is that they have been using the software "for years so why do I need to read the manual". The fact of the matter - none of us have used this software before this year. This is NOT the software of years gone by. Reckon back to the first year you used ATX, did you read the manual? This is the first year you are using the new ATX so it would be prudent to read the manual. And I have just talked myself into taking a break and reading the manual. My software has been working relatively well, although yesterday it took an an incredibly long time to do the simplest of returns - about the same amount of time it took to do a multi-state corporate return last night. Go figure. Printing is a big issue for me and maybe I can learn something in the user manual.

Log into your myatx account and check your profile to be certain that they have a vaild email address and that you are set up to receive email alerts. I am certain that you are not getting the emails not because ATX does not like you, but rather because you have not told them that you want the emails.

Pick your poison. File the 1099 with incomplete information and subject your client to a penalty. Don't file a 1099 and answer the questions truthfully on the tax return and subject your client to at least an inquiry. Don't file a 1099 and answer the questions on the tax return untruthfully and subject yourself to penalties. I never will do the third option, but the other two depend on the client and either way, I inform the client what to expect. This comes back to that old cliche, "poor planning on your client's part should not constitute a crisis on your part". This is your client's doing and you have no ownership in it, so long as you have previously informed him/her of the rules and consequences of not following those rules. All that said, my firm prepares a boat load of 1099's for our clients and I have always found it amazing how quickly they can track down the person when I remind them of the rules. The conversation goes something like this: "Mr. Client, since you paid the contractor before gathering all of the info and you can not find him now to get the info, I have to check a box on your tax return that says that you should have filed 1099's but didn't. How do you think the IRS is going to interpret that, Mr. Client". Mr. Client grumbles, "Let me see what I can do." We hang up the phone and I set my timer. The phone usually rings within 5 minutes with Mr Client calling in the missing info. It's a miracle I tell you, a miracle!

Woo hoo!!!! This is gonna be SOME ride! But just for grins, I am not going to send any efiles before Friday. I have found over the years that following the road less traveled leads to more productive hours. And also some pain - "not cool Robert Frost"!

I glanced at the email and saw that it was very similiar to several other emails I have received from ATX since November encouraging me to take the time to learn the "new" software. I did heed the request with the one where you had to enter the codes embedded in the training material to be entered to win an IPAD, I guess I didn't win the IPAD, but I am grateful I was incentivized enough to look at some of that material.

MAS, I subscribe to www.beyond415.com. Check it out. It has some good info there. As to the correlation between 2007 & 8 and 2006, if the IRS found issues that warrented broadening the scope, they certainly could look at the succeeding years, I have one a couple years ago that did that. And another one that was a no change that the only reason the scope was not broadened was because the field auditor squashed it. He realized he had wasted his time on the first one and did not want to do it on the second. The dif score kicked out both, but when the auditor determined the first was solid, he opted not to look at the second.

I will usually do one interview return per year just to see what the programmers are doing. I, of course, thoroughly review the return. And I always conclude that I could have done the return much quicker had I not used the interview. But I do recognize that we all are at different skill levels, so if that's what works for DDB, it certainly adds value to the product. No DDB, I have no insight as to when the interview will be available. Just keep checking.

I have to respectfully disagree Jack. The 4562 issue has to do more with the IRS systems than the writing of the code for the software. I might agree with you if it were a more obscure issue, but the programmers know what the rules are and should be able to program those. Depreciation is not just about form 4562. ATX's separate Fixed Asset Manager does not even have a 4562 and near as I can tell it is calculating all of my depreciation with all of the different nuances correctly. And yes, I am checking it.

Not cool Robert Frost - I love it!

Oh, and in the "for what it is worth" department, I am running a network with Server 2003 and XP running on the workstations. The whole system is pushing seven years old.

Michael, my only complaint has been with the slowness of printing but I have resolved that by printing to pdf first (much quicker). January has never been a high volume prep time for me but I have successfully prepared seven returns without issue. Two were 1120S, one was an EIC 1040, one was a Schedule F and E 1040, 2 were multi-member LLC filing as partnerships, one was a schedule E 1040. I have not installed the new update yet, I will wait until I come in tomorrow morning and do it then. I usually get in the office sometime between when the west coast folks quit for the day and the east coast folks are still sleeping. That way I can download updates without all of the other noise. I DID get a real treat today, though. One of my delinquent 2011 corporate clients emailed me his info, so I get to work in the 2011 program. How cool is that?

The update may or may not be released between 10 and 11. According to a post by CCH Rep Kim last night, the update is scheduled for between 10 and 11. This IS my day job and I do not plan on pulling down the update at least until tomorrow. Go to work.

Now THAT was funny!

Thanks Kim. I really hope this update does what everyone is hoping it will do.

At the risk of asking the obvious, and I apologize in front for sounding simplistic, but have you run all of the updates? I have been reading about most of the issues folks are having, but yours is new to me.

Frannie, you are fortunate that the program is working for you. Others running practices similar to yours are having all kinds of problems. Others on networks like myself are having all kinds of problems while my only problem seems to be slow printing. I am an adapter not a complainer, but there has to be a basis from which to adapt and not all the folks are getting even that. I have said right along that ATX will get it figured out and I still believe that. As to why I don't take my business elsewhere? I have been with ATX for a very long time and subscribe to most of their products. It fits my practice and I have not found the software wanting. In the for what it is worth department my practice does a substantial amount of write-up and payroll work and quite a few tax returns. I have a masters degree in taxation and think ATX does a great job. ATX has not changed. The software has changed. And when the dust settles, it will be a good, if not great, software package for my needs.

That was fun!

I can never decide whether to believe Jack. OK Jack, I am coming to see. How far into Ohio are you. I can be to Ohio in seven minutes.

I had a hard time finding the return cover sheet also and finally went to the knowledge base and found a download of just that. It is called Federal Cover Sheet.rft. I downloaded it, added it to the templet in the client communication area and then changed the name and some of the info on the sheet and made one for the State as well. But I guess you don't have that problem? Isn't your state one of those that does not have a state income tax? Or am I just imagining that? Working on my second return for the day. Thought about opening it while the other return was opened just for grins. But decided against it and decided that I will try that on April 15th.

Maybe some of you have already seen the humor in this and I missed the post and apoligize if I am duplicating. The humor? We are suppose to be able to open a second return return while working on the first right? Like that is going to happen. Most of us would be happy to just get the first open. Great feature though!

Yeah Joan, I discovered that Thursday night. I printed a partnership return but fortunately to Paperless Plus (which prints it as a pdf). But it had the watermark all over it. If I wanted it on there it looked great, But I did not want it on their. I will mark that one up as pilot error. I have now unchecked the box in preferences and I just printed a 1040 and there were no watermarks. Somebody on another board also suggested printing to pdf first. It does require an extra step but the printing seems to go faster.

Joan, I have not had that problem. I was in a couple of times yesterday without issue.

As far as being paid, new clients pay before the reports leave our office. Once I am comfortable that I won't be abused, we bill them at the of the month.

I think some of the discussion needs to be qualified. Where I work and play, doing quarterly payroll reports mean a 941, state w/h report, local w/h report, unemployment report and 940 calculation. We do the Eftps and state withholding filings mostly in house because I don't trust my clients to do them right and I have learned it is cheaper to do it ourselves than fix their mistakes. The local return requires a complete listing of every employee complete with address, gross pay and withholding and should the employee move during the quarter, that requires a double entry and an allocation. Oh yeah, and then there is the Local Services Tax (different from the local withholding). I know some of you have more complex filings, but not many. But just for W-2s and 1099's as an add on to our monthly write up clients? $10 each. The rest are by the hour.