No Response to Efiled Return

[erchess]

When I transmit a return to my software company and a couple days go by with no ack from the IRS what response should I expect from them? This is the first time in my career that I have failed to get acceptance or rejection within 48 hours of the drain a return was in. My software company didn't say anything about it until I emailed them. They said that when I have not heard from a return within 48 hours of the time it drained I should contact them but that nothing will happen until I do.

Do some companies offer better service than this?

[Lion]

Screen

I do have a screen that shows Accepted, Rejected, Transmitted, etc., and enables me to get some details. But, I have called to get more information, too.

[erchess]

TY Lion

I just asked support at my software company if I have access to the screens you mentioned and I will likely hear something tonight and if not then first thing in the morning. I already know that I have a number I can call during a large part of the 24 hour day and people I can email and get quick response from a larger part of th 24 hour day and after hours emails are answered early the next business morning.

I have always said to myself "I efiled the return and someone will grab me and shake me if there is a problem and until that happens I don't need to do anything ever." My software company says that sometimes there are computer glitches and I need to call or email any time a return has not been accepted or rejected 24 hours after the drain by the IRS. If as I suspect, I have screens that will give me info on my efilers, then I can develop the habit of tracking them and perhaps some day when my business is big enough have someone else who tracks them.

So I guess my real question is "Does every practice pay close attention to their e-filed returns until each is accepted or do some among us use filing centers that take this job away once the returns get to them?"

[S T]

Efile and Tax Software

My Software also provides an efile screen which will show returns submitted, in progress, and accepted. From that screen I also retrieve my ack's and confirmations - so I can pretty much tell at a glance what the status is. It is updated regularly during the Jan - april 15th filing season and then usually at least once a day during the April 15th to Oct 15th filing. Partnership and S Corps are submitted hourly - so it could be anytime throughout the day.

Extensions - that I efile - similar scenario I have access to transmissions, acks and confirmations.

S

[MLINDER42]

E-file Returns

During peak season do to the number of returns I check status of all e-filed returns the next morning .Most problems are on our side that the return for some reason was not e-filed by the preparer.

[Lion]

I watch out for acceptances

I keep the Form 8879 in a stack and watch for "Accepted" and the date on my screen. I also receive an email telling me (or my client, but I have it sent to me so I can add info about their state and to contact me if they receive any correspondence, blah, blah, and then forward it to them if I have an email address for them) the IRS accepted that return. I print the email and staple it to the F8879. NY accepts pretty quickly, but CT is about a day after the IRS and doesn't seem to work on weekends or overnight. Once all returns show "Accepted" I file away the F8879 in my DCN folder. I try to remember to check each morning or at least once per day; the stack of unfiled Forms 8879 reminds me to check. During tax season, I try to check each morning and after Noon (CT sometimes shows up during the day but not first thing in the morning) and after Midnight, too, since I'm up anyway! When "Reject" shows, I can jump on it fast, make any phone calls to my software company, IRS, state, client, etc. Only had a couple rejects, such as new client with son with two middle names where IRS used one of them as his last name in their computer so we didn't match.