NC EFile Form

[Burke]

I cannot find any form (other than the worksheet) for efiling in NC. Is there nothing the taxpayer has to sign for the preparer to keep on file? (Other than the federal 8879.)

[erchess]

I hope there is not because I have never used any

such thing. Someone speak up if there is. I also don't know and would like to know whether NC can be filed electronically even though Federal is going paper or getting filed later.

[Jesse]

http://www.taxact.com/tsupport/FAQDisplay.asp?Question=315

Looks like Piggy Back preferred but will accept stand alone.

[Burke]

Thanks for the link. Good info. So no form for TP to sign for NC. Virginia has its own 8879. So TP's have to sign two, fed and state.

[FEDUKE404]

Some clarifications

Thanks for the link. Good info. So no form for TP to sign for NC. Virginia has its own 8879. So TP's have to sign two, fed and state.

Most of the returns I efile are for NC. Most of those returns are filed at the same time as the Form 1040, using Form 8879.

I also efile several VA returns. Most of those returns are filed at the same time as the Form 1040, using Form 8879 and Virginia Form VA-8879. (Side note: Although it may have differed in recent times past - more state info? - the VA form is now virtually identical to the federal form .)

At rare times I have filed a "state only" return for NC as well as for VA. In those cases, it appears a "copy" of the federal return goes along, but is not "filed." A unique DCN apparently does get created for such (state only) filings.

NC does not have its "own" Form 8879, although apparently some states now do.

In (a poor) answer to the question raised by Erchess, I am quite sure that to efile with NC you better somehow be going through a Form 8879. (Your tax software/efile provider should automatically handle that for you.) Since I am certain NC "uses" (and likely requires!) information from the federal return, I think you may face a bit of a challenge should you provide federal information that, for all intents and purposes (at some point), might not be correct.

Of course, I can't realistically figure out why you would ever want NOT to efile the federal return but DO want to efile the state return. If the federal return is now complete and finalized, I'm sure "only" the state would work.

And then one other small thing: WHAT are you going to put on that required Form 8948 for the IRS? (I don't think there is a box on the form for "my computer can efile NC but cannot handle the completed federal return.")

FE

[Burke]

Well, in my case I am filing the federal and NC returns via efile, and having the TP sign only one 8879 -- the federal. So I am assuming it will work okay. I have another NC return, which I am efiling on the federal, but the state has to be paper-filed due to MSCRA. I haven't yet come across one where fed is not efiled, and the state is.

[FEDUKE404]

Confusion

... but the state has to be paper-filed due to MSCRA.

Huh??

As for the fed+NC efile issue - that is common operations for me and a single (federal) Form 8879 is all that is needed.

FE

[erchess]

Reason

I efile NC and file Federal on paper or efile it later several times most years. The reason is that the client owes on Federal and is getting a NC Refund. That hasn't happened this year so far so I don't know what this year's Federal F8948 has on it but last year there was a choice that the taxpayer wanted things this way and an "other". In my opinion either could be made to work in my situation since the client surely will request that I not efile the Federal return when I tell him or her why that course of action will make life easier for them.

[Burke]

Huh??

As for the fed+NC efile issue - that is common operations for me and a single (federal) Form 8879 is all that is needed.

FE

Sorry, should have said MSRRA. Military Spouses Residencey Relief Act, amending the Servicemember Civil Relief Act - SCRA.

[FEDUKE404]

Simple solution exists

I efile NC and file Federal on paper or efile it later several times most years. The reason is that the client owes on Federal and is getting a NC Refund. That hasn't happened this year so far so I don't know what this year's Federal F8948 has on it but last year there was a choice that the taxpayer wanted things this way and an "other". In my opinion either could be made to work in my situation since the client surely will request that I not efile the Federal return when I tell him or her why that course of action will make life easier for them.

Not to confuse things, but:

You can efile a federal balance due (without payment) return and a state refund return at the same time, if that is the issue here.

Payment is not due until April 17th anyway.

Around that time the client can go the prehistoric way (provide client a Form 1040-V and snail mail to IRS with check) or the more logical way (authorize at the time of efiling a bank debit on a selected future date). Either way the client can finalize his tax filings now, and then get in line for receiving the state refund.

I have many (most!) clients who use the "pick a date" option if they have a balance due. My "regular" client debit date this tax season will be on 04/09/2012. (I actually efiled such a return this weekend.) That leaves some reasonable time before the payment deadline to certify the payment was processed. FWIW: Within the next few weeks, it is quite likely I will have several clients who file "now" but will owe money to both IRS/NCDOR by April 17th. Getting those returns completed and out of the way now is certainly, at least to me, better than having more stuff to deal with when crunch time rolls around in early April.

As for the Form 8948 issues: Why create an otherwise needless problem? Even if the client's "reason" is legit, you still better have some additional backup information in your own files to substantiate his decision.

FE