Could you e-file your state returns thru ATX on Jan. 30?

[Chowdahead]

Each year I cannot e-file any of my state returns through ATX until around a week after Federal e-filing starts because the RI E-File Info form is never available in a timely fashion. This causes me to have a backlog of state returns that I have to re-create afterwards, and quite frankly I am still so busy that I don't get to many of them until February sometimes. Then I get people calling me, and it just becomes stressful. Imagine this year!

This year, with ATX 2012 being so slow, it can take me upwards of 2-3 hours to create and send 50 state returns directly to the state.

None of my competitors seem to have this problem with their software (usually CCH's TaxWise), yet ATX tends to hang the blame on my state tax agency. I'm just trying to gauge what others are encountering with state forms in other states.

Thanks!

[Jack from Ohio]

The issue is far too complex for your poll to have any value.

[Lion EA]

My clients tend to come in later after they've received their 1099-Bs and K-1s, but I do e-file CT, NY, PA, NC, VA, IL, and a few other states. So far CT has filed fine from the beginning. None of my NY commuters have come in yet, but I understand that the state of NY was rejecting in error and had to fix their glitch. ProSystem fx then resent NY e-files. I love ProSystem fx. It's worth every penny I spend.

[Chowdahead]

The issue is far too complex for your poll to have any value.

Why? You could either e-file state returns along with your federal returns when the E-File season started or Jan. 30 or you couldn't.

Here I could e-file MA and CT, but not RI on Jan 30.

[mcb39]

Why? You could either e-file state returns along with your federal returns when the E-File season started or Jan. 30 or you couldn't.

Here I could e-file MA and CT, but not RI on Jan 30.

I could file WI right away but have found that it works better to separate the State from the Federal at the top of the State E-file Info sheet. There is a box to check. A couple of times WI rejected and I had to refile it so have done all of them separate since then.

[Chowdahead]

I could file WI right away but have found that it works better to separate the State from the Federal at the top of the State E-file Info sheet. There is a box to check. A couple of times WI rejected and I had to refile it so have done all of them separate since then.

Hmm.. interesting. Didn't know this was possible.

[mcb39]

Hmm.. interesting. Didn't know this was possible.

The box says "Check here to separate the state MeF from the Federal. I have not had any issues with state since I have been doing that.

[jklcpa]

No clients bring me anything before the beginning of February, so I don't know about efile capability at that date. The states I file are DE, NJ, PA and MD. I can tell you that as of 2/9 I couldn't efile a NJ return because ATX didn't have NJ payment voucher approved for paper filing. I was told it was a holdup with the state, but it might have been the state's specific problem with something wrong specifically with ATX because Drake's form was ready to go. In past years I've been held up on some Delaware returns which I've suspected that it is because we are small state and probably have a limited number of ATX users, that ATX didn't give my state as high a priority as the large states.

[North Idaho Rich]

Idaho takes about a week longer at most. Atx must give us a medium priority.

This year Idaho requires the Fed ack first.

I thought it would be tough to track but the software automatically releases the Idaho return after acceptence by the Fed's.

Handy...

[joanmcq]

CA has been separate from the federal efile as long as I've been efiling-2003 tax year. I didn't send any CA efiles until the 30th since I wait for the federal to be approved until filing the state.

[B. Jani]

I always hold state until federal is approved. ATX MAX in efile setup you have option. I do file NY, NJ, CT, MA, CA, OH, and few more.