David

TP received a 1099-B that looks more like a 1099-MISC format. It isn't the normal broker 1099-B statement. The payer is IKON Global Markets Inc and shows the following: Box 7 Description- RFC Box 8 Profit or (loss) realized in 2008- $(2,964) Box 9 Unrealized profit or (loss) on open contracts- 12/31/07- $133 Box 11 Aggregate profit or (loss)- $(2,831) How, what (which boxes) and where is this information entered? Thanks for your help.

Also, something I haven't been able to find is how the credit works for a recently married couple when one has owned a home in the last 3 years and the other hasn't owned a home in the last 3 years. All instructions say the same thing- you AND your spouse did not own any other main home during the 3 year period ending on the date of purchase. Nothing seems to address my question. It appears that a spouse who hasn't owned a home in the last 3 years is penalized if their spouse has owned a home in the last 3 years. Is this the case? Or do they get to claim 1/2 of the credit on their joint return? Thanks.

I am filing an IN IT-40PNR for clients who moved to IN during 2008. On the IN EF info form the box at the top is marked that s says "Taxes have been paid in full. There is neither a refund nor a balance due". The IT-8879 form shows zero refund as well. The problem is that the TP is getting a refund. The IN client letter paragraph shows the correct refund amount and states that a refund check will be mailed. I don't know why it won't let me enter direct deposit information. When I try to create e-file only federal and the other state are options. There is no option for IN. Is this whole problem caused by the fact that a p.y. IN state tax return cannot be e-filed? I looked in the IN instructions for the IT-40PNR and it mentions efiling. Does anyone know what I need to do to get the return e-filed and the refund direct deposited to the TP's bank account? Thanks.

Thanks so much for your help. She remembered it was March or April of 1987. So this helped me tremendously. She received the survivor's payments in late 2008. When following the worksheet on page 25 it says to use Table 2 for the amount to enter on line 3. Their combined ages at the beginning of the annuity was 104. The table says to input 410 on line 3. However, the ATX program entered 120, which would mean all contributions have been recovered and the complete distribution is taxed. I overrode the number ATX produced and entered 410. Have you had that problem? I am leary of overriding numbers but I can see clearly that Table 2 says to use 410. Any thoughts? Thanks for your help.

TP's husband died during 2008 and he prepared their prior year tax returns. She knows nothing about the details of their tax situation. He received a 1099-R for annuity paid. I can't find any detailed worksheets in the prior year tax return that shows how the taxable amount was determined. Without a detail of all of the retirement income received in 2007, I can't really see how this particular annuity was handled. It appears that he did not show any of it as taxable. Is there a way for me to determine what part of this is taxable without prior year worksheet calculations? Box 1 shows distribution of $52,888. Box 2- unknown. Box 5- Employee contributions/Roth contributions or Ins. Premiums $3,436. box 9b- total employee contributions $55,613. It seems as though I should be completing the simplified method section of the 1099-R in the ATX program. I attempted to input best estimates of starting date, etc. However, nothing is transferred to box 2a- taxable amount. My questions are: Is the reason nothing is being transferred to box 2a because box 9b shows $55,613 of total ee contributions? This doesn't seem correct. Shouldn't a portion of this amount be used to offset the $52,888 amount in box 1? Also, is the amount in box 9b the original amount the ee contributed or is it reduced by some amortization amount? If I have to use the simplified method to determine what part is taxable, how do I give credit for the $3,436 shown in box 5? Is it necessary to input something in box 6 of the simplified method section for amounts previously recovered after 1986? I would think so. My problem will be that I'm sure the TP does not have this information. Thanks for your help.

Since it has been a year since I filed W-2s on the SSA BSO website, I looked for the instructions in the ATX knowledge base to see how to file W-2s. My search comes up empty. I know there are instructions somewhere because I knew how to do this last year. I stumbled through and I think I filed at least the federal w-2s on the BSO website. I selected the .ASC file and ran the accuwage test. All tests were successful. I received a confirmation from BSO that all my files were received. Is the .ASC file the correct one to send? What is the .ZIP file for? I am curious if that is the file I am supposed to send. When I ran accuwage tests on the .ZIP files, I received errors that don't make sense. Is my thinking correct that since I received a confirmation from BSO that my files were received, that I successfully filed the W-2s? Thanks for your help.

OK, I know we now have the capability to import k-1 data to individual tax returns. However, I must be missing something simple in the instructions because I get an error message saying that no reports with corresponding EIN or SSN exist. The instructions say to open the 1120S. Then enter a SSN or EIN that appears on the return from which you want to import K-1 dat. WHERE DO YOU ENTER THIS? You only have the 1120S opened. So I figured that I needed to go to the Returns menu and clik Import K-1 Data. That's when I get the error message. What am I overlooking? I checked knowledge base as well and it has the same instructions. The instructions don't seem to be complete. Thanks for your help.

I am trying to electronically file W-2s. The Accuwage test for filing with the SSA is OK- no errors. However, when running Accuwage testing for Colorado I get the following message for all clients' W-2s: Error Reference- Sequence of records [Position 1 - 2] Error Description- RW record must follow RE record What does this error mean? I can't find any reference in the knowledge base about this. Thanks for your help.

Thanks Roy and Linda for your help with this. I guess it would make sense that the lesser of debt cancelled or FMV would be considered the selling price. I have 2 questions related to the disposition section of the asset entry form. 1. Since the cost basis for rental property does not include the land value, how do you reflect the land cost in the cost basis that is used to calculate the gain/loss? The only thing I can figure is to use line 13 "basis adjustment". Is that line for this type of adjustment or is it for some other adjustment? 2. Since there are other assets associated with the rental property such as appliances, I was trying to use the bulk disposition feature. However, I received a message that if E-filing, all assets must have the same acquisition date and "various" can't be used. Of course, appliances and other rental property assets aren't going to be purchased on the same day. So unless I am missing something, it seems as though the bulk disposition feature is worthless. How have you handled this situation? Thanks for your help.

Client gave up rental home in bankruptcy at the end of 2008. I am trying to reflect this in the ATX asset manager disposition tab. The disposition is showing a loss because there is no sell price. There shouldn't be a loss since the client is being relieved of the mortgage in the bankrutcy, should there? How should the disposition be done in the asset manager? On a related issue - the client hasn't received a 1099-C or 1099-A for this. Since the bankruptcy was filed in 2008, shouldn't a 1099 been received? Or do these tend to be issued the following year? If a 1099 is issued in 2009, would the adjusted basis of the property be taken against the cancellation of debt income in 2009? Thanks.

I have never e-filed 941s before. But now that we are required to manually sign the 941s, I'm thinking of e-filing them. Usually, I email the 941 to my client for them to print, sign and mail. It appears that I can no longer do that since the form has to have my manual signature. The only solution is to mail the form to the client. Has anyone figured out a better way to handle this? It seems as though e-filing 941s isn't as simple as e-filing 1099s and other forms. If I understand correctly, I have to apply for a PIn for each client and apply for a PIN for me and it takes 7 - 10 days to get approval from the IRS. By that time, the forms will be late. Is there an easier way to get set up to e-file 941s without having to get each client to apply for a PIN? Thanks for your help.

Has any of you tried using the client write up or the document manager programs? If so, are they worth loading and using? If I recall, last year those programs as well as the scan & fill program did not get good reviews from those who tried them. I'm wondering if ATX made enough improvements to make those programs worthwhile. For any who use and like the document manager- will the client folders/documents I have set up in my windows directory be able to be easily imported into the ATX document manager? Thanks, David

Client needs to make his tax deposit today and needs a blank form 8109-B. Other than the taxpayer assistance center, does anyone know where he can get one? Thanks, David

The 1099-R does not have the IRA box checked which is correct since it is a withdrawal for excess contributions from the employee's 401K plan. Does it matter if I mark the IRA box when the 1099-R that was filed with the IRS doesn't have the IRA box marked? I noticed if the IRA box isn't marked, the software inputs the taxable amount on line 7 as non W-2 wages- disability or deferrals (1099-R). Is this the correct treatment? Also, the excess contribution withdrawal shouldn't be subject to the 10% penalty, should it? Believe it or not, this is related to a 2006 tax return. The TP is behind and I am getting them caught up. The excess contribution was related to 2005 but the distribution was taken in 2006 and the check was received in June of 2006. Another thing I found out is that even though the 1099-R shows $5K as taxable distribution, the TP only received a check for $3K. The difference is the employer's match. Shouldn't only $3K of the excess contribution distribution be shown as taxable income on the 1099-R? I can't see why the TP should be taxed on the employer's match that was pulled out of his 401K plan, especially since he didn't receive the funds. If this is correct, how do I handle adjusting the $5K taxable income down to $3K taxable income? Thanks.

Client received a 1099-R with code 8 for excess contributions withdrawal. The 1099-R also shows the amount as taxable on line 2. The ATX software is not treating this as taxable income. I thought this was OK since the TP probably did not get the tax free benefit of the excess contribution. However, the TP says that this was due to his company making adjustments to their 401K plan because of the top heavy rules. TP says that the letter he received from HR indicates that this should be included as taxable income on his tax return. Is ATX treating this correctly since the broker used code 8 in box 7? How do I get the software to treat this as taxable income? Thanks.

Can we still e-file an estate tax return that is on a fiscal year? The estate 1041 was prepared in the 2007 program. I don't have the activation code for the 2008 program yet. However, that shouldn't matter should it? The efile was created, however, I have had an efile that was created be rejected and the message says that it has to be paper filed. I don't want the client to sign the efile authorization form and then I have to tell them that I can't efile the return. Thanks, David

Can we still e-file an estate tax return that is on a fiscal year? The estate 1041 was prepared in the 2007 program. I don't have the activation code for the 2008 program yet. However, that shouldn't matter should it? The efile was created, however, I have had an efile that was created be rejected and the message says that it has to be paper filed. I don't want the client to sign the efile authorization form and then I have to tell them that I can't efile the return. Thanks, David

Is e-file still available for those client returns that have fiscal years. I have a couple of clients with 11/15 due dates and want to make sure I can efile before I send them the efile forms, etc. I know we could e-file last year. The reason I am asking this question for this year is because of the big deal ATX made about 10/20 being the last time anything could be e-filed. Thanks.

The bookkeeper for a dentist's office sent me their QB file. She listed 75 assets in the asset list. What have those of you done who use ATX software when you have such a huge asset list? Is there a shortcut we can use instead of inputting all 75 items into the asset manager? Thanks, David

I am getting an e-file error that says I have to paper file the return because UPE are included on line 4 of the SE form. I looked at last year's return and it looks the same and I was able to e-file it last year. Anyone know what I need to do to get it to e-file? Thanks, David

TP lived in house for 6 years and then converted the house to rental property. She rented the property for 1 year. In the ATX program, I set up land and house separately for the rental property since land is not depreciable. She sold the property in 2007. Of course, she gets the sec. 121 exlcusion since it was her primary residence for more than two years. I can't figure out how to link the two assets to the sale and take the sec. 121 exlcusion for both the land and the house. The only option I see to use for the land is "converted to personal use" and then that portion of the sale isn't reported. How have others of you who use ATX handle this? Thanks, David

I have to file children's returns for K-1 information they each received. Does anyone know if ATX links the family returns so the correct information is entered on form 8615? Thanks, David

I used to be able to change my printer to Adobe (I have v. 8) and send a PDF copy of clients' tax returns. I now get a message that ATXB cannot be embedded because of licensing restrictions. Has ATX changed this so we have to print to their PDF now? I can't use the PDF print button in the ATX program because worksheets and detail schedules that are converted are too small for the client to read. Has anyone experienced this and know a work around. Thanks.

Thanks. Why does a return with an IRC 1341 have to be paper filed? I wonder why the error message didn't tell me that it was not allowed to be e-filed? Instead the message just said that the amount on line 70 had to match the amount on one of the 3 forms. Thanks for your help.

Thanks, but I haven't had much luck with tech support. I am still waiting for them to get back to me on two different issues from months ago.