MA delays

[Kea]

I got 2 state rejects Wedensday (10/6) rejects. Both were MA. Got them fixed (I hope) and resubmitted that night. I still don't have any acks or rejects for the re-submission. Does MA use the same 3 day grace period as the fed? What if they don't send the (2nd) reject in that window? Each has a small balance due ($7 & $39).

(I'm hoping they'll ack this time, but I am paranoid since it's already the 18th!)

Or, it doensn't matter since MA won't accept the extension if there is still a balance due, anyway?

[Guest Taxed]

MA will give you 5 days from the original reject date to fix it. Also you only get 5 tries so if you resubmit within the 5 days and get 5 rejects you MUST file by paper.

The Acks should be issued within 1 day after submission. If it is late check with the transmitter or with the DCN you can call MA DOR efile customer service. On the website they have a electronic filer handbook that is helpful.

[Kea]

Thanks for the info. I'll check out the handbook, if I don't get acks tonight.

I know states always take longer. I got the original rejects within a couple of hours of each other, but the returns were sent 2 days apart. So, I guess I'm not too surprised that these resubmissions take a while to ack (or reject).

I can try contacting the transmitter, but I would imagine they are closed for the weekend now that the season is over.

[Guest Taxed]

If you don't see the ack pls. call Monday. You got til 10/22 to fix. They open at 9am I think.

If you do not receive an ACK file within the time frame, contact your Transmitter first (if appropriate), then call the
DOR’s Customer Service Bureau at (617) 887-6367

[Kea]

I will. Thanks for the phone number.

[Guest Taxed]

Did you get your MA acks by now??

[Kea]

Nope. I guess I'll be making some phone calls tomorrow.

[Jack from Ohio]

Did you go to MYATX and see if there is an ack from MA? On the same screen, you can "rehang" it so your software can pick it up.

[Kea]

This is inTaxWise not ATX. Both are CCH, so TaxWise may have equivalent. I'll have to look into that.

[Kea]

I was able to find the area of the Solution Center where I could query those returns. Both show "awaiting ack." There is nothing to rehang. Neither went to MA as MeF.

I may still call TaxWise & MA tomorrow.

[Guest Taxed]

Kea on the Return Query check the date CCH transmitted to the state.

I suggest you talk to Taxwise support before you call MA. If it was already transmitted by CCH to the state and they did not pick up the Ack, then they will have to do that for you.

[Kea]

I talked to Main Street (the TaxWise reseller I used) this morning. The rep said the 2 efiles were sent to MA in the same batch and still awaiting ack. He said he would ask TaxWise to research & call me back.

[Guest Taxed]

I think that is one weakness when you buy through a reseller. If you don't hear by this evening, 10/22 is your final date to get it fixed.

[Kea]

I didn't hear back from Main Street today. I guess I'll have to go straight to an MA rep tomorrow. The Main Street guy didn't sound like it was a big deal so I really thought they'd get back to me today. (Really strange since I don't tend to be an optimist.)

Ah well...

[Guest Taxed]

Please contact MADOR tomorrow your last chance. These resellers are notorious to dump you after they have made the sale. They obviously do not have the support structure that CCH has.

[Kea]

I guess everything is OK. I called MA, waited on hold about 10-15 minutes. Then the CSR was getting and error message and suggested I call back. Then she rebooted the application. She had both returns. I tried to clarify that both were "accepted" and she said she didn't know if everything was correct on the return. Tried again to clarify and she said she had both "in-house."

Still no acks through the software or through the CCH website.

[Guest Taxed]

You are ok. then. With some vendors the reject is NOT what you did but what the vendor did when they transmitted the return. Most of those are corrected between the taxing agency and the transmitter without your involvement. Recall at the start of the season CCH was sending daily e-mails about returns that they had to fix in bulk. MA was one state that I complained to them.

I should have asked way before, what was the reject for?

[Kea]

For one return - there was a sale of a PTP, that kicked out income to a bunch of states. Reject said if there was business income (referring to the "Ordinary Income") that there should be a Sch C or Sch F. I moved this to the state Rent / Royalty... line.

For the 2nd return - there were 3 errors

1) Name / SSN mismatch. Primary on return changed her last name 3 years ago. Fed wants new name, MA wants old name. (I've been filing this return for several years - client's husband is part of MA partnership and files MA NR every year. Catherine helped me a lot with this return the first couple of years I had to deal with it -- thanks again!) I keep hoping that some day MA will update their list.

2) Penalty mismatch - I generally let Fed & state send bills for interest & penalty. I overwrote the penalty on Form 1, but not on M-2210.

3) Number of statements referenced does not match number of statements attached - Not too sure about this one since this was all handled in the software. I didn't (manually) indicate number of statements anywhere in their form. But there were required statements for the interest / dividends they had (none of which was from MA). I made some changes to that. I'm not sure if that's where the problem was, but was the only thing I saw related to statements.

I still don't have acks from TaxWise.

[Guest Taxed]

#1 On the MA Form 1 right at the top there is a box that you have to check to say that name and address changed. That will prevent that error. MA for some reason takes for ever to change names on their databases. i have that problem with newly married or divorced ladies with a name change. So What I do is check that box for 3 years or until they get any type of correspondence from MADOR with their correct last name then I know that it is fixed.

#2 Obviously you realize it is an error if you change on Form 1 you got to match M2210. The software should have given you a warning when you overwrote a calculated amount?

#3 MA is a stickler about that because in MA interest from MA banks get an exemption. Also if you have any tax exempt interest in the Fed, you have to provide an explanation on the state if it is also not state taxable. So depending on how many 1099's you had they had to add up correctly for the correct type.

I could go on with the quirks of the MA return, but in future if you have a MA return that is very complex and the taxpayer is non resident, paper file it. I have done it with returns that have multiple Sch E. When you paper file there is an additional form that requires signature it is called EFO (for paper file only)

[Kea]

Thanks for the info.

[Guest Taxed]

You are welcome. Hopefully next tax season if you are still filing in MA it will be less stressful.

[Kea]

Agreed. I only anticipate the one with the MA K1. He keeps saying they plan to move the partnership to Texas. I'll believe it when I see it!

[Kea]

Got the acks today. Both officially Accepted!

[Guest Taxed]

That must be the longest time to get an Ack that I have seen in all these years i have been e-filing in MA.

[Kea]

Do I win a prize?