I spent way too much time re-creating "expired" efiles.

[schirallicpa]

My clients rarely come in the day I get it done.  But they usually come within the week.  But by then, we have to go back into their file and re-create them...again.  It makes sense if they sat out there for a month or more.   But a few days is too short.  Time is of the essence and I shouldn't even be here wasting time complaining about it.

[Abby Normal]

We went through this last year and, especially as some state forms were updated, some returns changed, so I had to open the PDF of the return to locate the differences. So far this year, no returns have changed, so fingers crossed. But, yes it does add hours to the process.

ATX needs to give us an automated way to recreate efiles, and if neither the federal or state balances due/refunds have changed, then a lot of time will be saved. I'd like to be able to mark all the returns in the Efile Center that have expired and batch create new efiles.

[Slippery Pencil]

If you don't have a signed 8879, you don't have authorization to efile, thus you shouldn't create the efile. 

[Pacun]

1 hour ago, Slippery Pencil said:

If you don't have a signed 8879, you don't have authorization to efile, thus you shouldn't create the efile. 

Efile gives you suggestions and rejections when you create that are very useful.  For example, when I create a new MD client everything seems to be OK. Federal is OK, state looks good, and a lot of times I have told the client, MD will refund you this much, just to find out that the program doesn't pick up the county tax which makes a huge difference and a lot of times turns a refund to a balance due. Another one that I have noticed is the penalty for early 401k/IRA withdrawal. Sometimes the program doesn't open the form soon enough. As someone said, put your tools to work for you and my computer is my main tool.

I came back to state this:  You don't need authorization to create efile files, you need authorization to transmit the return to the efile system(s). 

Let's go back to the time when paper was standard. When did the client authorize you to send by mail the 1040? When he signed it, correct? Following your advice, the first thing you would tell the client would be: "please sign this blank 1040 form so I can start working on it". Wouldn't make any sense, would it?

[Gail in Virginia]

I don't create e-files until the 8879 is signed.  Unless something has changed, I understood that we had so many hours to efile after the authorization was given to us to do so.  And I never mailed my clients returns, so I did the return, they picked it up and signed it and mailed it themselves.  I don't know why I would need to have a blank form signed to be able to prepare the tax return. 

 

[Abby Normal]

We make the preparer create the efile as the final step to make sure it can be created. Also, the 'included efile forms' page doesn't populate until you create the efile, and I use that to determine which forms I'm required to print for the client.

We use the efile manager to see which 8879s we're waiting on. If you try to use return manager to see this, it will be muddled up with all the in progress returns, which is a lot less useful.

And, if recreating the efile causes changes in a return, we can alert other preparers that forms have changed and to be aware.

But, to each his own!

[Jack from Ohio]

I just change the date in the 1040 efile screen.  Sent 600+ already, and over 2,000 last year  using the same method.

[Abby Normal]

14 minutes ago, Jack from Ohio said:

I just change the date in the 1040 efile screen.  Sent 600+ already, and over 2,000 last year  using the same method.

I don't understand this process. If you change anything in the return, you have to save it, and saving cancels any existing efiles.

[NECPA in NEBRASKA]

I always create the e-file before I get a signature to check for errors. I recreate it if it is signed later to make sure that there were not any form updates.

 

[Slippery Pencil]

19 hours ago, Pacun said:

Efile gives you suggestions and rejections when you create that are very useful. 

You get the same suggestions by checking the return.

With the number of "I accidentally efiled a return" posts on these bulletin boards, I wouldn't suggest anyone create an efile they don't have authorization to send.

[TaxCPANY]

I must disagree:  one does not get "the same suggestions".  My experience accords with Pacun's:  UNIQUE problems surface upon attempting to efile a return which are not divulged merely by checking the return.
That some small number of returns have been efiled prematurely is the lowest but not common denominator to which I do not feel compelled to stoop.

[jklcpa]

I also disagree with Slippery Pencil. Drake gives some messages within the program's calculation function and many more messages when one looks at the notes and e-file error messages that are part of the return that has been created.  I always flag the "e-file ready" box to hold the return so that there is no way anything can be inadvertently e-filed in advance of having signed authorization forms.

[PaulH]

If I'm not ready to create the efile, my final check is typically to try to create the efile without filling in the signature date, and look at any errors other than the missing date error.

[Pacun]

8 minutes ago, PaulH said:

If I'm not ready to create the efile, my final check is typically to try to create the efile without filling in the signature date, and look at any errors other than the missing date error.

The only problem I have experienced with your approach is that the State(s) return(s) are not checked.  I usually create the efile files for both the IRS and the State, when I read the errors or suggestions, I make the corrections and save the return. That eliminates the efile file and marks it red.  If no errors are found, I go and delete the date you are talking about and save it.