"Easy" Electronic Filing

[Black Bart]

I know all the techno-buffs here love EF, but I sure do miss giving clients their two envelopes for the post office and then I was through with 'em.

Guy calls today, direct deposit didn't show up for the second week. I call EF,who says it WAS sent to the bank. Customer's checked three times (including today) -- it isn't there. EF gives us a "problems" number (800-829-0582). We call; a solid one and one-half hours of Mozart later, a clueless, chirpy ("Everybody be happy!") temp grills me for 10 minute about MY pedigree -- never mind facts about the client (what's that 1040 checkbox good for anyway?).

Chatter, chatter, chirp, chirp, canned response, "don't know, don't know, possibly, etc." and, two more holds later, she breaks the news that, while a trace CAN be initiated, ONLY THE CUSTOMER can do it -- not us. This client's old, hard-of-hearing, and gets in out of the rain -- that's about it. After an extended technical conversation with one of those government robots there'd be nothing left of him but his glasses.

Awww, nuts! I swear I'm throwing in the towel after this year to go pick up cans on the roadside.

[David1980]

So if the return had been paper filed with direct deposit instead of e-filed with direct deposit what would be different?

[S T]

Where's My Refund

BB,
You can check online first, might save you a phone call and hold time

http://www.irs.gov/individuals/article/0,,id=96596,00.html

Sandy

[Black Bart]

So if the return had been paper filed with direct deposit instead of e-filed with direct deposit what would be different?

I wasn't sending most of my paper filers direct deposit.

[veritas]

was there a state refund?

Did it make it to the bank?

[Black Bart]

Did it make it to the bank?

Yes............

[veritas]

I have in the past

had clients who thought they had not received a tax refund direct deposit when in fact they had.

Possibly this has happened in your clients case.

[Black Bart]

Yeah,

had clients who thought they had not received a tax refund direct deposit when in fact they had.

Possibly this has happened in your clients case.

there's a good chance it's the bank, but IRS said the return was pulled for a "random check" (first I've heard of such) and the rep didn't know what-all was involved in that, so I'm wondering if it's not lost somewhere in cyberspace.

[David1980]

I wasn't sending most of my paper filers direct deposit.

That doesn't seem like an issue with efile versus paper file then. Because you could still have a paper check sent to the taxpayer regardless of whether you efiled or paper filed. And you could have done direct deposit on a paper file return. Does sound annoying though.

[S T]

As posted

BB on this one client, you have already made the phone calls and spent a lot of time.
Go to the Where's My Refund - Enter the info and then you have a print out of the amount and the deposit date.

I always have my clients also sign and acknowledge a Bank Account Verfirfication form that is provided by my software - so maybe you can also reprint that for the client as well.

give that to the Taxpayer and have him take it to the Bank to research.

Otherwise you will have to go through the next set of steps.

I have had several clients that state they didn't receive, but once I print out "Where's My Refund" they find out that they actually did receive it.

Sandy

[okie1tax]

Wheres My Refund

When this says there may be a problem, delay, etc. you can give the client the number for FMS (Financial Management Services) to see who has taken part or all of their refund. Or to verify IF someone has requested the refund be snagged. FMS # 800-304-3107.

[Black Bart]

Well,

That doesn't seem like an issue with efile versus paper file then. Because you could still have a paper check sent to the taxpayer regardless of whether you efiled or paper filed. And you could have done direct deposit on a paper file return. Does sound annoying though.

it's an issue to me. And, yeah, I know I could do paper check or DD either/both ways, but I decided that as long as IRS has mandated EF that I'd just go ahead and jump in with both feet to get in step with everybody else and keep up with the times. So I'm e-filing all clients and sending all refunds (those willing) direct deposit.

Most of my older, solid clients didn't care -- DD or paper -- one way or the other. They've got money, still carry checks instead of debit cards, and aren't in any hurry for their refunds. So, I could send them all paper and it worked fine -- if something went wrong IRS sent a CP and I didn't have to hang on the phone for hours during the rush season.

Anyway, I thought it was a whole lot less stressful, but....everybody to their own preference. I was just venting a bit.

[FEDUKE404]

Some more

I'm not quite sure I see what a "bad" deposit has to do with efile vs paper return.

FWIW: My (major) state will not go the direct deposit route with a paper return - only returns that are efiled can get a direct deposit in the first place.

Virtually all of my returns are efiled. Everyone who receives a refund opts for the direct deposit route. The vast majority of those with a balance due (feds) opt for a bank debit, on a date they specify. Why anyone would risk losing an incoming check, or in most cases writing an unnecessary check in the first place, is far beyond me.

One other thing: Never overlook the fact that since a paper return was involved the IRS data clerk perhaps entered the bank information incorrectly and/or could not read the numbers provided on the paper return.

[tpnl]

Bank lost the deposit

Last year one of my clients experienced something similar. The IRS said the direct deposit was sent to the bank, the bank said they never received it. Turns out, it was in the banks system but did not post to the clients account. Computers sometimes do mess things up.

[Black Bart]

Okay,

I'm not quite sure I see what a "bad" deposit has to do with efile vs paper return.

Strictly speaking, it doesn't have anything to do with it -- I'm merely associating electronic filing with other electronic problems in general and I don't like it.

...Everyone who receives a refund opts for the direct deposit route...

About half here do.

...The vast majority of those with a balance due (feds) opt for a bank debit...

.
None of my clients has opted for that yet. They prefer to write a check instead of letting anyone debit their bank accounts (call it distrust of government).

...Why anyone would risk losing an incoming check...

We have a very good post office -- it's quite rare to lose a check in the mail here. And I don't have to hang on the phone about it.

...or in most cases writing an unnecessary check in the first place, is far beyond me.

Well, I like to write checks. Call it an anomaly.

...Never overlook the fact that since a paper return was involved the IRS data clerk perhaps entered the bank information incorrectly...

We're in agreement about that. IRS clerks make errors, but they used to simply write letters to be solved at the client's (and my) convenience.