Tag: Pro Online

Below is a reminder of the message sent out by SPEC last week.  Today is the opening day for many sites to service your taxpayers on EITC Awareness Day.

We have an additional report that will list all returns (regardless of status) that you may want to run prior to electronically filing the return.  It also includes the state abbreviation of any state listed on the return.

This is listed under Reports>>Management Reports

Make sure you select 2017 and select the EFIN even if you are running it at your site level.

~~  Original blog Post ~~~

VITA/TCE sites that prepared tax returns prior to January 29^th will now be able to transmit those created returns.  To ensure these returns are re-calculated based on the updated forms and instructions released by IRS to software vendors, each tax return must be opened prior to transmitting to TaxSlayer. This will ensure previously prepared tax returns have the updated IRS forms calculations applied prior to transmission and reduce the need of VITA/TCE sites having to prepare amended returns.

Sites are strongly encouraged to run a Site Production Detail management report (titled: Pro Web Returns – Detailed Return Report) listing all returns prepared prior to January 29^th to assess possible return calculations changes.  This report will reflect the original return calculations for refund, credit, or balance due dollar amounts.  Sites may also review the “Client Return History” to determine if the refund or balance due changed on a tax return.

Taxpayers must sign a new declaration (Form 8879, IRS e-file Signature Authorization) if the electronic return data on individual income tax returns is changed after taxpayers signed the original, and the amounts differ by more than either $50 to “Total income” or “AGI,” or $14 to “Total tax,” “Federal income tax withheld,” “Refund,” or “Amount you owe.”  See Publication 1345, Handbook for Authorized IRS e-file Providers of Individual Income Tax Returns, for additional guidance.

Click here for speedtest

The following information was distributed in a Fact Sheet in October, and as we move into preparing live returns, we wanted to highlight some troubleshooting tips when preparers at your site are experiencing slowness (i.e. taking a long time between page refreshes, your browser title displaying the words “not responding” in parenthesis, the screen freezing, etc.)

Note:  Check the blog or message center to see if we have a post regarding maintenance, a system wide issue, or an issue that is effecting many users.  These would typically be the Summary/Print page not displaying a calculation, a PDF not generating, or something very specific not loading.

• Make sure you are running the latest version of your preferred internet browser
  • If you have access to a different browser, close your current browser and try the same thing in a different browser.  Support will recommend that you try the same action in Chrome, or if you are already using Chrome, to log out of the application and close all instances of your browser (not just the browser tab).
• Try a hard refresh (Ctrl+F5) to clear your active cache.

There are several variables that can create slowness at a local level:

• Is your internet service shared connectivity in the host location?
  • This is common among internet provided by cable companies
  • DSL is a more direct type of connectivity but speed is controlled by the level of the subscribed provider plan.  A lot of internet providers will slow down connectivity speed if usage exceeds the allotted plan.
  • Host site employees and people other than those preparing taxes may be using the shared internet, thus decreasing available bandwidth.
• Is your internet connection wired or wireless?
  • Wired internet connection is typically faster and more stable
• Is your internet connection via a hot spot?
  • A hot spot uses cellular service, so connectivity is going to depend on how many bars of service are available and how many active users are accessing the same hot spot.
• How many workstations are connected to the internet router and active at one time?
• What else is happening on the workstation
  • Are there multiple browsers open (i.e. Chrome and Internet Explorer)
  • How many other active internet sites are open
    • Some sites are dynamic and are running advertisements and notifications
    • Most state and government agency sites that are used for research are static

It is to note that if we detect any type of interruption, we terminate the session.  This is an enforced security protocol to ensure the integrity of taxpayer data.  For example:  If your connection is slow and taking a long time to exchange data packets, we will terminate the session.

For sites experiencing slowness, send the following information with the Subject line “Speed Test” to [email protected]

• SIDN
• City/State
• Time of Test
• Internet Provider
• Connectivity — Wired, Wireless, Hot Spot at the site experiencing the slowness
• Number of computers at the site accessing the internet connection (including those accessing the internet, but not necessarily using the application)
• Internet download/upload speed from the site, this enables us to create a database of this information Click here for speedtest
• Go to a command prompt and type or copy: “tracert vita.taxslayerpro.com”
  • Copy and paste results into the email or use a screen capture function to gather the information

We have identified a change in the behavior of assigning templates to the sites under your MSA and Relational groups from your group login.

Scenario:

Previously assigned user templates have changed for users at the site level.

Reason:

Assigning the Security Template from the group level is automatically changing the Security Template assigned to the users at the site level.

Identify if this happened

MSA groups — Each site can run the Username Report to verify the users assigned to each user at the site level.  This around the 4th column over.

Relational group — You can run the Username Report at the group level to see if anyone has been impacted.

We believe the sites impacted were assigned templates between Friday and today (Wednesday)

This does not impact other items that can be assigned.

We are actively working on a solution.  Until we have tested and delivered the solution you can do the following in order to get your security templates assigned at the site level (and not to change the template to all of the preparers at the site that have established templates)

Step 1:  Login as your MSA or Relational Group

Step 2:  Navigate to Security Templates

Step 3:  Select assign next to the Security Template

Step 4:  Place a check next to the site (if you are wanting to select all of your sites, you can use the Check/Uncheck All option)

Step 5:  Expand the list of users for the site(s)

Step 6:  Remove the checks from the boxes next to the users (DO NOT use Check/Uncheck All for this).  The example below shows that I have unchecked some preparers and not others.  In reality, I would remove the check from all users.

Step 7:  Complete Step 6 and select Continue

The following are examples of the two users that I have arrows next to above.  The screenshots are of the users from opening the Preparer(s) Menu at Kims Sample VITA/TCE Site

Example 1: Kims Site Admin with Blue Arrow where the assigned template DID NOT change because the check box was removed:

Example2 : Kim Richmond with Green Arrow where the assigned template DID  change because the check box was NOT removed:

Blog posted 01/24/2018   4:44 pm Eastern

We will be putting the returns in maintenance mode at 5:00 am Eastern on Tuesday, January 23rd to perform a series of updates to include:

• Adding several additions to the zip code database to automatically generate city and state
  • 85757 – Tucson, AZ
  • 32163 – The Villages, FL
  • 85193 – Casa Grande, AZ
  • 85298 – Gilbert, AZ
  • 85147 – Sacaton, AZ
• Removing the requirement of Taxpayer/Spouse occupation from Basic Information
  • If preparing PA returns, the occupation entered in Federal Basic Information will carry to PA Basic Information

Blog Posted 01/22/2018  6:03 pm Eastern

Scenario:

Complete the Form 8863 entry page and use the browser auto-fill feature and click Continue.  Receive the following error:

Workaround:

Click the error and the page will take you to the Institution (typically this is institution 2 if you have completed the first institution information)

Click the X (see example above) and the following page will display:

Click OK and then Continue.   The Education Summary Page will display

Solution:

This will be resolved in a future update

Blog Posted 01/21/2018  10:52 am EST

Scenario:

Navigate to the 8863 and select Cancel

Issue:

The page does not go back to the Credits Menu as expected

Workaround:

Click any link in the left navigation panel under the Federal Section or enter a new form number in the Forms Selection box

Solution:

This will be resolved in a future update.

Blog posted 01/21/2018 10:43 am EST

We will be putting returns and site in maintenance mode to apply a series of updated on Thursday, January 18th at 5:00am Eastern. This round of updates is scheduled to include the below items:

• Allowing the preparer to use the (.) period on state percentages when using Internet Explorer
• Solution for Global Carry Forward Pilot program
• ACA — Resolve the dependent difference in taxable and non-taxable income not being added to Dependents MAGI
• Reactivate Return
• F2441 – Marking a Child Care Provider as tax-exempt for Hawaii no longer requires the HI 12-digit tax ID number.

The following was sent out by the IRS Core team:

This filing season 2018; taxpayers using volunteer sites will need consent annually on whether they want their tax return information accessible to all sites participating in the VITA/TCE program. A taxpayer who consents will be able to visit any volunteer site in the subsequent year and the site will be able to populate the return with data from the prior year. This is a two-year process.

Based on IRC 7216, if the return preparer is entering the consent PIN and date into the tax preparation software the taxpayer must sign and date a paper consent form before entering the consent PIN and date into the tax preparation software. The site may give the signed paper consent form to the taxpayer or maintain at the site. Whether the signed copy is given to the taxpayer or maintained at the site, a copy of the consent in the tax preparation software with the PIN must be provided to the taxpayer for his/her records.

Many taxpayers do not want to enter their own PIN, so we have been asked about guidance for paper consents to ensure sites are compliance.  Attached is the consent form approved by Counsel with the mandatory language for a paper Global Carry Forward consent based on IRC 7216.  Use of this paper consent is only required for sites when the return preparer is entering the Global Carry Forward consent PIN on behalf of the taxpayer.

Click here to download PDF

Blog Posted 01/17/2018 3:42 pm eastern