Proseries Software SNAFU

[DMICPA]

A couple of weeks ago, I posted a question as the client could not e-file because, according to the error code:

"Estimated tax payments may not be greater than taxable income for electronic filing"

I had never heard of this. I spent over an hour on research and could not verify this claim. Nevertheless, Proseries would not let the return be e-filed.

I called Proseries technical support and got some tech who basically said if that is the the code is that must be the law. Worthless info. It gets me mad that I pay so much for the software and receive little, if any, guidance. Grrrrrrr!

I called the IRS and they said they could not help me with the answer.

I posted the quandry here and you wise folks were skeptical of the software error and were of better wisdom than the IRS and Proseries.

I finally decided to just paper file the return.

This morning I get a "newsflash" from Proseries that there is an error in the software program and they will fix it on or about February 24. Duh, I thought there was an error but the Technical Support people did not research or check into it.

Gee, that makes me feel warm and fuzzy about the tax returns I have already completed and mailed. What else are they going to reveal about whats wrong about their software?

Now we have to be on alert for the software as it may cheerfully generate inaccurate returns.

Beginning to think it is us against the world.

[David1980]

You can check the IRS rejects when in doubt. If they are filing legacy, it's in 1346. If they're filing MEF this is fairly current:

http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-schema/for_posting_ty2011v4_0_crosswalk.pdf

For example, if I wanted to see what the rejects are for estimated tax payments I might try doing a search on the document for "estimated" and see if any of the rejects apply. It would be easier if you're able to call technical support and ask specifically what reject code or business rule will stop the return. Hopefully they can provide that info, but it would probably depend who you get. Even the best software relies on seasonal employees for suppot who may or may not care about the job.

[taxea]

A couple of weeks ago, I posted a question as the client could not e-file because, according to the error code:

"Estimated tax payments may not be greater than taxable income for electronic filing"

I had never heard of this. I spent over an hour on research and could not verify this claim. Nevertheless, Proseries would not let the return be e-filed.

I called Proseries technical support and got some tech who basically said if that is the the code is that must be the law. Worthless info. It gets me mad that I pay so much for the software and receive little, if any, guidance. Grrrrrrr!

I called the IRS and they said they could not help me with the answer.

I posted the quandry here and you wise folks were skeptical of the software error and were of better wisdom than the IRS and Proseries.

I finally decided to just paper file the return.

This morning I get a "newsflash" from Proseries that there is an error in the software program and they will fix it on or about February 24. Duh, I thought there was an error but the Technical Support people did not research or check into it.

Gee, that makes me feel warm and fuzzy about the tax returns I have already completed and mailed. What else are they going to reveal about whats wrong about their software?

Now we have to be on alert for the software as it may cheerfully generate inaccurate returns.

Beginning to think it is us against the world.

I would complain about the tech to ProSeries. I have used it since 1994 and have never run into a tech that didn't stay on the phone or chat with me until the problem was solved. If I ever run into this tech his/her supervisor a piece of my mind.

[Koss]

Workaround

I don't use an Intuit product. But I'm interested in this sort of problem. It looks like there is a workaround that involves submitting the return without error checking.

Read this entire thread, and make sure you go to the second page...

http://community.intuit.com/post/detail/ceQeDiucqr4yUOacwZ5xHE?page=1

You're not the only one who is ticked off about this. The thread actually contains a fairly detailed discussion of how the bug got into the program.

Your experience with the Intuit support rep is a textbook example of what I call the tail wagging the dog.

"If that's what the error code says, then that must be the law."

I've posted about this before, so I'll try not to beat a dead horse. But this is some of the most dangerous and wrongheaded reasoning there is, and I think we are all guilty of it occasionally.

It affects many aspects of our lives that have nothing to do with taxation. It is simply more prounounced, and perhaps, in some cases, more easily recognized and identified, in our field.

Assuming that the computer program is correct, and then reasoning backward from that assumption to explain why you are getting a particular result or outcome is a recipe for disaster.

And when I say disaster, I mean that literally. This kind of wrongheaded thinking can lead to a plane crash or an accident at a nuclear reactor.

Fortunately, the guy over at Intuit is not flying a plane or running a nuclear reactor. But the tax code is arguably just as complicated, if not more so...



BMK

[David1980]

"If that's what the error code says, then that must be the law."

I've posted about this before, so I'll try not to beat a dead horse. But this is some of the most dangerous and wrongheaded reasoning there is, and I think we are all guilty of it occasionally.

Oh absolutely. But in other ways as well. "The software let me do it, therefore it must be allowed" is equally as bad as "The software wouldn't let me do it, therefore it must be disallowed."

[jimmcg]

Calling ProSeries is like eating a box of candy. If you don't like what you get try another. Never hesitate to hang up if you have an idiot on the line. Dial again. Usually about the third or fourth time you get someone astute. Other than the tech support variety they have a fairly good product.

[Bees Knees]

All software is subject to error. It is your job as a tax pro to know the law. Your software is a tool that can make mistakes, just like a hammer or a nail gun. If your software makes a calculation error, the IRS will penalize you for letting it go through, not your software.

If it were me and a tech on the phone said it must be the law, I would have simply said, no it’s not the law. Let me talk to your supervisor if you can’t help.