IRS Maintenance Outage Notice from CCH

[Yardley CPA]

Just received this email from CCH:

IRS Maintenance Outage Tonight; State E-filing Tip

The IRS will take its Modernized e-File (MeF) system down for maintenance at 11 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday, April 10 to apply modifications to improve efficiency. The IRS expects to bring the system back up by 7 a.m. Eastern on Thursday, April 11. At that time we will pick up any outstanding acknowledgments and submit the e-files sent to us after 10:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 10.

What does this mean to me? You may continue to send returns to the SFS Electronic Filing Center and we will hold them until the IRS system is reactivated. At that time we will pick up outstanding acknowledgments and submit the e-files sent to us after 10:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 10.

We will keep you informed of IRS system status on the ATX Blog and TaxWise Blog.

E-filing Tip - "Unlink" States from Federal Return

In order to timely file your state returns between now and April 15, we recommend that you unlink state returns from the federal return before you transmit the federal.

In ATX, at the top of the state EF Info form, check the box to unlink the state return from the federal.

In TaxWise, when you create the e-file, choose to unlink the state from the federal.

For more information on linked and unlinked state returns, see the program help in your tax software.

[Catherine]

Thanks for posting; I have been too busy to check the email address that CCH uses for these notices.

[Ray in Ohio]

are you *&^&^$((%&)(*&(_()*&&^ KIDDING ME?????????????? :wall:

Why can't something go smoothly for ONCE this season???

[Guest Taxed]

It is not a big deal! I would rather have them fix it tonight than the system crashing on the 15th.

[Ray in Ohio]

um.... sorry.. .but it is a bit of a big deal when I have 290 Federal e-files in "Created" status waiting to be transmitted. I have a stack of signed 8879s that came in yesterday and today that I wanted to transmit when I leave the office tonight. I have not been able to download the acks for two days now because whenever I start to "recieve acks" it is starting way back on Feb 5th, and I have to cancel out of it so I can use the program to get some work done. And since I am only about 250 returns behind last year's schedule, I suppose that's not a big deal either. I agree I would rather have them fix the system before it crashes, but please do not assume it's not a big deal. If you want to volunteer to come and "unlink" those 290 returns for me, then you are welcome to do that. Thanks for letting me vent!

[Jack from Ohio]

um.... sorry.. .but it is a bit of a big deal when I have 290 Federal e-files in "Created" status waiting to be transmitted. I have a stack of signed 8879s that came in yesterday and today that I wanted to transmit when I leave the office tonight. I have not been able to download the acks for two days now because whenever I start to "recieve acks" it is starting way back on Feb 5th, and I have to cancel out of it so I can use the program to get some work done. And since I am only about 250 returns behind last year's schedule, I suppose that's not a big deal either. I agree I would rather have them fix the system before it crashes, but please do not assume it's not a big deal. If you want to volunteer to come and "unlink" those 290 returns for me, then you are welcome to do that. Thanks for letting me vent!

I have a fix for the ack problem, but you probably won't like it. How many clients do you have in the program? Standalone or network?

[Guest Taxed]

Do you have to receive all the acks before you transmit any new e-files?

At night I start the e-file transmit procedure and then do something else. I don't have to be there in front of the computer.

I can understand the frustration if you are 250 returns behind.

[grandmabee]

um.... sorry.. .but it is a bit of a big deal when I have 290 Federal e-files in "Created" status waiting to be transmitted. I have a stack of signed 8879s that came in yesterday and today that I wanted to transmit when I leave the office tonight. I have not been able to download the acks for two days now because whenever I start to "recieve acks" it is starting way back on Feb 5th, and I have to cancel out of it so I can use the program to get some work done. And since I am only about 250 returns behind last year's schedule, I suppose that's not a big deal either. I agree I would rather have them fix the system before it crashes, but please do not assume it's not a big deal. If you want to volunteer to come and "unlink" those 290 returns for me, then you are welcome to do that. Thanks for letting me vent!

Can I ask how you handle the 8879. I do the return create efile print out including the 8879 and call client and then when they come in for pick up appt. they sign the 8879 then I open return and change date of signing and recreate efile close then send off. with the program so slow this year it takes me so long to get this process done. Is that how you do it?

[joanmcq]

I create the efile when I print the return, then transmit once I get the signed 8879. It's is an issue for CA, since CA rejects Ny efile that's created more than 2 days before transmission. CA has Lways been standalone, so I unlink any other states I might file. Just works better that way.

[Ray in Ohio]

I have a fix for the ack problem, but you probably won't like it. How many clients do you have in the program? Standalone or network?

Jack,

I am willing to try any fix. I started the transmission process when I left the office at 10:00 last night. This morning (5:00) the system was still receiving acks and was all the way up to 2/09/13. We currently have 2200 clients in ATX on a network. Server plus 6 workstations.

Thanks

[Ray in Ohio]

Do you have to receive all the acks before you transmit any new e-files?

At night I start the e-file transmit procedure and then do something else. I don't have to be there in front of the computer.

I can understand the frustration if you are 250 returns behind.

I can transmit the Federal e-files without receiving the acks. But then the States do not get released (like they are supposed to) if I do not receive the acks. I really do not want to go into all those files already created to unlink the states. I also start the efile transmit procedure when I leave the office at night, but this week when I come back in the morning it is still receiving acks, and no where near to being finished.

Taxed - Don't take my frustrations personally.... I know it was not your intention to put me over the edge. And I agree it is not that big of a deal compared to some of the other issues we have had this season. I just do not have time to do still more extra crap that the program/ATX/IRS should be doing.

Otherwise, life is just peachy!!

[Catherine]

It's a measure of how this season has affected me that I read the message thread title as "IRS Maintenance Outrage Notice" - doncha think?

[joanmcq]

I got the ACKs I sent last night. So it looks like they're coming through.