1040NR not available until 2/21?

[Kelly Dong]

IDK what is happening but the delay of 1040NR availability is just not acceptable and customer service won't give me an explanation. 

I have hundreds of 1040NR waiting to file this is killing me right now. Does anyone share the same frustration and is there any constructive opinion?

 

[Lee B]

I was with ATX for 20 years, before I left for Drake last tax season.

Every year there were form delays like this, so if you are an ATX user you learn to live with it.

Sometimes certain state forms were not released until the end of February or the first few days of March.

It is what it is

 

[Medlin Software, Dennis]

The iRS posted the form Jan 16, but the instructions were not posted until Feb 7.  I guess I could see needing two weeks to implement and test something (from the instruction posting), but I would not be happy about it either.  Could also be a priority issue, where they have to put some things in front of others based on whatever criteria they choose.

[Kelly Dong]

9 hours ago, Medlin Software said:

The iRS posted the form Jan 16, but the instructions were not posted until Feb 7.  I guess I could see needing two weeks to implement and test something (from the instruction posting), but I would not be happy about it either.  Could also be a priority issue, where they have to put some things in front of others based on whatever criteria they choose.

I concur that it might be a priority thing because 1040NR is a niche which does not stand in the front of the line. What I'm not happy with is that the estimated availability date was 2/14 about a week ago and now it got pushed back all of sudden. This screws up my planning. Anyway, thank you for your information!

[Kelly Dong]

23 hours ago, cbslee said:

I was with ATX for 20 years, before I left for Drake last tax season.

Every year there were form delays like this, so if you are an ATX user you learn to live with it.

Sometimes certain state forms were not released until the end of February or the first few days of March.

It is what it is

 

Cbslee, does Drake have efile for 1040NR? how much does it charge for each efile? Appreciate your inputs.

[Medlin Software, Dennis]

14 hours ago, Kelly Dong said:

estimated availability date

Always tough for a software vendor.  Some will take the no vaporware approach, and never announce something until published.  This was actually the best in the last century, since most computer users were also computer experts, and understood.  As time passed, most computer users are not experts, and want some idea in advance, which even when given as an estimate, is usually something the consumer holds the vendor to.

For IRS forms, they used to have a projected release date, but no longer.  You can see the actual release dates here: https://apps.irs.gov/app/picklist/list/formsPublications.html;jsessionid=KlwQmyNPDevcx81Q+EYROA__?sortColumn=postedDate&indexOfFirstRow=0&value=&criteria=&resultsPerPage=25&isDescending=true

and the draft versions here: https://apps.irs.gov/app/picklist/list/draftTaxForms.html

[Lee B]

17 hours ago, Kelly Dong said:

with tCbslee, does Drake have efile for 1040NR? how much does it charge for each efile? Appreciate your inputs.

Drake included the cost of efiles when I purchased the software.

Perhaps another user can answer your question about 1040 NR, since I don't prepare any.

[jsolinsky]

I've used ATX for years and this is the first year I have gotten so frustrated with them as of the pending approval dates were 2/13/2019 for some state forms and now moved to 2/15/2019 but today being the 15th and I still cannot print off my state returns. I'm seriously thinking about switching but have no idea where to start................... I'm so nervous about learning another program

[SaraEA]

We are used to blaming the US congress when they change the tax law in late December and IRS and the software programmers have to revamp everything.  This time blame the state legislatures.  They have been trying to assess how the new code will impact their revenues (an impossible task that those of us trying to assess how it will impact our own clients can't even get a handle on, and we're dealing with individuals, not a whole state population).  Some states are decoupling with this or that provision, some are still hemming and hawing (see another thread about VA still figuring it out).  Once each state passes their own law the programmers have to try to make the software follow it, and bear in mind that there are over 40 states they have to re-program.  This time I wouldn't be so quick to blame the software companies.  Tell your clients to call their state reps.  The federal law was passed in Dec 2017 and they took this long to decide what to do.

[Catherine]

I have SO much sympathy for the poor programmers!  Not only do they need to understand how this is SUPPOSED to work (with all the special situations, phase-outs, cut-offs, and more), but they then have to CODE that for the feds - and THEN wait for the states to figure out what they want to do, so they can code the state portions.  All the while, we are agitating for them to finish so we can file our returns!

I would offer to share my whiskey, but I think they'd drink my supply dry in a nanosecond.

[Kelly Dong]

Today I checked it is postponed to 2/25. ATX, good job. give me a reason to stay.