How to make sure all pending returns have been efiled.

[Naveen Mohan from New York]

I am a one man shop. How do you make sure that all open return when completed gets efiled. I somehow always forget one or two return that don't get efiled because I get distracted doing other things.

There does not appear to be any listing or check box that can list return prepared but not efiled.

thanks

Naveen Mohan

[joanmcq]

I don't check that the return is complete until I get an efile acceptance.

[easytax]

I am a one man shop. How do you make sure that all open return when completed gets efiled. I somehow always forget one or two return that don't get efiled because I get distracted doing other things.

There does not appear to be any listing or check box that can list return prepared but not efiled.

thanks

Naveen Mohan

Joanmcq has a workable idea above.

If you have ATX and want to have both completed and e-filed markers - just add a column to the "Return Manager" page -- go under options "customize filed" and toward the bottom of the description box, check and rename a column. You can also -- place the column where you want on the return manager page there.

[Jack from Ohio]

There is no automated way to know if all the returns have been submitted. In Return Manager, when you highlight a client, the status of e-file shows at the bottom. I think I am going to adopt the process that easytax recommended, and then regularly highlight the clients and manually check the box in the column I added. If I do this daily, it is not so cumbersome.

At the CAB meeting, this was another issue that we lobbied for very hard. We want a column in Return Manager that shows the status in e-file manager. Currently, the two managers are two totally different programs within the ATX program. When you create an e-file, the preparation part makes a file and sends it to the e-file part.

[taxtrio]

I have complained and asked for this very thing for many, many years. Development assured me it was in the works for this year. And the efile status at the bottom of the screen is what they came up with. Not good enough!

You still have to review each client status individually and then manually "mark" the return to be sure. It still requires a lot of time and effort when the program should just automatically show the efile status in the return manager.

I was unbelieveably disappointed when I saw the result of development dept. work in this matter.

The only way I have found in the past years to make sure all returns are efiled is to print both the return manager screen and the efile manager screen and manually compare the lists. And in 2012 the efile list would not print in Alphabetical order-- so it was useless. Hours of time wasted! Development Team just doesn't get it! they don't understand what we need. I have reviewed other software this summer and Drake Software (comparable in price to ATX with many extra features included) Has a Client Status Screen that automatically shows the status of each client's return automatically!. If Drake can do it; why not ATX??

I did not want to be stuck this year with only one software company to rely on. I signed up for both ATX and Drake... I need a back-up plan. I cannot go through another year like last year. I have always loved ATX... but not so sure of them now.

I have been working with Drake and it is very different from ATX; but has many features ATX does not have. And it just simply works, and works quickly. Screens not fancy, but don't need to be fancy... just need to work. But I have decided I need to be proficient in at least two software packages so I won't be "stuck" like I was last year. ATX is better this year, but still has a long way to go.. Time will tell which software I use most this season.