Due to expected Severe Weather in the Southeast, TaxSlayer offices will be closing at 3:00pm ET. Normal support hours are expected to resume on Friday, February 7th at 8:00am ET.

The site will be placed in maintenance on Thursday, February 6th beginning at 5:00am ET to release the below update. Note that deployments may take up to 3 hours to complete. During this time, access to the program may be limited.

CLIENT LIST (2018)

• Correct an issue in 2018 where the Client List was not filtering by the status filter (Issue 3777)

QUESTION TEMPLATE

• Correct an alignment issue when adding questions where the “Is Required” text and checkbox do not line up

Click here to download a PDF of our Cumulative Release Notes & Program Enhancements.

The site will be placed in maintenance on Wednesday, February 5th beginning at 5:00am ET to release the below update. Note that deployments may take up to 3 hours to complete. During this time, access to the program may be limited.

CALIFORNIA

• Correct an issue where College Access Credit was not calculating for a return (Issue 4269)

CONNECTICUT

• Correct a print issue where the Amended Return explanation was masked by XXX’s (Issue 4293)

FSA SOFTWARE

• Correct an issue where 1040-NR returns could not access Schedule OI (Issue 4258)

KENTUCKY

• Correct a display issue where the TP first name was not visible on Form 740 PDF (Issue 4309)

SUBMISSION PAGE

• Correct an issue where some returns are in a state of “Review Decision Pending” and cannot be e-filed (Issue 4185)

Click here to download a PDF of our Cumulative Release Notes & Program Enhancements.

Wisconsin has released messaging that WI returns rejected for the below reason can be resubmitted on February 11th. This would impact any return where the “Tuition and Fees Deduction” is being claimed.

Reject Code – Category: Schema Validation

The element ‘Additions’ in namespace ‘http://www.irs.gov/efile’ has invalid child element ‘TuitionFees’ in namespace ‘http://www.irs.gov/efile’. List of possible elements expected: ‘FederalDepreciation, FederalCapitalLosses, FederalOrdinaryLosses, WisconsinCapitalGains, WisconsinOrdinaryGains, OtherAdditions’ in namespace ‘http://www.irs.gov/efile’.

The site will be placed in maintenance on Tuesday, February 4th beginning at 5:00am ET to release the below update. Note that deployments may take up to 3 hours to complete. During this time, access to the program may be limited.

CALIFORNIA

• Correct an issue causing CA Reject Code: F540-750 (Issue 4252)
  • Impacted return(s) can be resubmitted at this time.

INJURED SPOUSE FORM

• Correct an issue where Student Loan Interest was not allocating to injured spouse (Issue 4250)

MASSACHUSETTS

• Correct an issue where Schedule SC is pulling 1% instead of the 100% entered in program (Issue 4251)

REFUND SUMMARY

• Display “Refund Summary” on the Summary/Print page (Issue 3926)
• Add the ability for users to collapse the Refund Summary at the return level (Enhancement)

Click here to download a PDF of our Cumulative Release Notes & Program Enhancements.

The site will be placed in maintenance on Monday, February 3rd beginning at 5:00am ET to release the below update. Note that deployments may take up to 3 hours to complete. During this time, access to the program may be limited.

ARIZONA

• Correct a display issue on AZ-8879 where the current date was listed for direct debit instead of future date listed in E-file (Issue 4173)

CONNECTICUT

• Correct a calculation error on Schedule CT-1040AW, Column C when negative values are applicable to lines 5-7, 11, 14, and 16 (Issue 4212)

DELAWARE

• Adding DE Schedule A to generate in PDF. New to 2019 form (2019 Update)

ILLINOIS

• Adjust on the PDF where “Deceased” displays when applicable (Issue 4245)

INTEREST/DIVIDEND/OID PAGES

• Removing non-required payer input fields (2019 Update)

KENTUCKY

• Correct an issue causing Reject Code F740-0041 (Issue 4246)

MARYLAND

• Correct a Two-Income Subtraction allocation issue when capitol loss carryover is over $3,000 (Issue 4204)

MASSACHUSETTS

• Update text within the “Income Subject to Tax” menu (Issue 4206)
• Correct an issue where Box 1 wages instead of Box 16 wages (from W-2) is pulling to Form 1, Line 3 (Issue 4205)

NEW YORK

• Correct a display issues on Line 83 where the Current Date for Direct Debit was showing instead of future date listed in E-file (Issue 4248)

NORTH CAROLINA

• Correct an issue where the “County” selection in Basic Information was not saving (Issue 4230)

OHIO

• Correct an item within OH returns that is breaking the real-time calc (Issue 4218)

PENNSYLVANIA

• Correct an item within PA returns that is breaking the real-time calc (Issue 4170)
• Correct a PDF Display issue where the site name is not carrying to PA-8879, Section 2 (Issue 4207)

REJECT CODE

• Reject Code S3-F1040-136 related to F5695 being included with return. Once live on Monday, impacted returns can be resubmitted (Issue 4226)

RESIDENTIAL ENERGY CREDIT

• Add back Nonbusiness Energy Property due to Federal Extenders (2019 Update)

Click here to download a PDF of our Cumulative Release Notes & Program Enhancements.

Below are bullet points from our opening presentation of the All Partner Call before opening up for Q&A from the field.

E-file

• We had good participation in controlled launch last week.
  • Exposed some state rejects that we were able to get fixed
• All years of e-file are turned on
  • 2019
  • 2018
  • 2017
• The ability to send State Only e-files has been turned on
  • If you send the federal without the state, you will have to wait until the federal return ack is received back before you can edit the return
  • Remember that you must choose a federal electronic filing type even though you are just sending the state…marking the federal return paper will prevent the state from being sent
  • You MUST send “state Only” returns from the submission page
• Rejected Returns
  • You can manage them from rejected clients menu
    • Displays both Federal and State
• Validation Errors
  • You can manage them from the rejected clients menu, just change the drop down to validation errors
    • Things that need to be fixed on your side before we send the efile.
    • We do secondary validation and will kick the efile back if we know it is going to get rejected

Application

• We delivered the fix that allows you to edit or delete security templates that were created at either the site level or group level
  • The ADMINISTRATOR template the we assigned is now called ADMINISTRATOR (TS)
    • We recommend you do not create templates with the same name and capitalization as the ones we assign because both will show up in your list of templates when adding preparers

Federal

• Delivered the additional of the PMI field earlier this week
• Working to add back the Energy Credits pages
• Waiting on final instructions for the Kiddie Tax
• Delivered Medicaid Waiver changes
  • Added a question to W-2 if you want the amount entered for Medicaid waiver to be included in earned income (for credit purposes)
  • Added a box to enter Medicaid waiver payments to the 1099-Misc, as well as the questions
    • These will be added to prior years as well
• Strike Benefits
  • We have tax law guidance, but we are still waiting on e-file guidance

States

• Updating the blog with state issues that impact e-file and calculations
• Updating the blog when the states send us messages about their processes

Return Tags

• We strongly recommend you create a return tag and assign it to any return you need to go back and file at a later date due to outstanding changes in the app

Blog

• If you are not already getting daily blasts of updates, you can now register on the blog to have them sent to you.

Contacting Support

• What do you need?
  • EFIN
  • Exact error and where you were in the application when it happened (if applicable)
  • Last 4 digits of a return if you believe there is an issue and the return needs to stay in the state of potential error

Q1: When will watermarks be removed from state returns?

• Watermarks are removed as we receive form approvals from state departments. All state returns can be electronically filed and it is safe to provide taxpayer copies with watermarks.

Q2: Is there a platform to practice preparing tax returns using the software?

• Yes, the Practice Lab. Visit www.vita.taxslayerpro.com and click on Practice Lab.

Q3: FSA Links – can they be shared publicly?

• No.

Q4: After a return is transmitted, we can no longer see our returns in Client List. Why?

• Client List view depends on the Security Templates assigned to users at your site(s). Check your Security Templates to make sure they are set up how you wish them to be set up.

Q5: Error when starting a return about EFIN not in database?

• Please reach out to VITA/TCE Support with EFIN so this can be reviewed.

Q6: Foreign students – can we e-file 1040-NR and Form 8843?

• Form 8843 can be electronically filed with a 1040-NR, but Form 8843 cannot be e-filed by itself.

Q7: Can FSA returns be printed and mailed by taxpayers?

• Yes, but when mailing, advise Taxpayer to physically sign their returns before mailing.

2/3/2020 – This was resolved with the update this morning.

We have a high priority issue reported (Issue 4248) regarding future direct debit payment date entries in e-file reflecting as the present day when transmitted to the IRS and/or State Department. For example, if you choose Federal Direct Debit Return Type and choose 4/15/2020 as the debit date, the current date (i.e. 1/31/2020) is being transmitted. If taxpayers are coming to your site and wish to have a future direct debit listed for their return, we advise their returns not be transmitted until this post has been marked as resolved.