direct deposit goof up

[Bucky]

I filed a return with direct deposit in which I put the routing number in as the account number. I can't believe the client and I didn't notice. I almost always make them verify before signing. Anyway, Does anyone know how long it takes for the IRS to issue a paper check when this happens. The good news is it is really unlikey the bank has an account number the same as thier routing number so the money should kick back to the IRS pretty quickly..

[erchess]

sheesh

I assume that you also put the routing number as the routing number. If I'm right, you simply put in a non existent account number. (Since Account Numbers and Routing Numbers have different numbers of digits, neither this bank nor any other has an account number that matches its Routing number.) My prognostication would be that the case will be similar to any other where a non existing account number is used. Your client will get the money in June or July. Say what you will about H and R Block and their practices, when I worked for them their software would not let a direct deposit be sent out of the office until the same banking information was put in the same way on two consecutive tries by the preparer and later input the same way by a transmitter who was often not the preparer. Errors still happened, and in my area it was Block's practice to give the client the money as a no interest loan that had to be repaid only when the IRS gave money to the client. Block's software when I used it, Drake Software when I used it, and WWWebtax Inteelitax now insist on the correct number of digits for each of the numbers. I have never tested Intellitax, but Drake and HRB software recognized certain possible illegal numbers. I have often wondered why the electronic system used by the IRS does not key on name and address as well as the banking numbers.

Meanwhile, be glad you did not happen to match a real account number. In those cases the IRS does not give the money to the right person unless and until it has been recovered from the wrong person. The wrong person can require that to take years and frankly such cases are not high priority in the eyes of the IRS or local law enforcement, who must be involved.

[Chief]

Direct Deposit

If your software does not require double entries of routing and account numbers you need to be changing pronto.

[taxmandan]

If your software does not require double entries of routing and account numbers you need to be changing pronto.

And the easiest way to do that is to Copy and Paste the numbers to the second entry line. That way they match, even if they are the wrong numbers.

[Bucky]

Okay here is the story. I use drake. they do make you enter twice. I did copy and paste. I copied and pasted the routing number on all four entries. Yes I am an idiot! I just want to know how long it takes the IRS to do a paper check. I know this client and have no problem lending the money if it going to take months instead of weeks.

[Gene V]

Okay here is the story. I use drake. they do make you enter twice. I did copy and paste. I copied and pasted the routing number on all four entries. Yes I am an idiot! I just want to know how long it takes the IRS to do a paper check. I know this client and have no problem lending the money if it going to take months intead of weeks.

I believe I've read somewhere that it takes about 10 weeks, I had one a few years ago and it was less then 10 weeks.

[erchess]

I hope

I hope it is ten weeks or even less.

[ecb34691]

I'm surprised your software didn't catch it the first time that it was wrong. The RTN must be in specific range numbers and the 9th digit is a modulus 10 check digit. First 2 digits are 01-12 and 21-32.

[Bucky]

Why are you surprised. The routing number was correct. It was that i also used the routing number for the account number. I guess the software company could make do something to alert you that you used the same number four times but it was my screw up..

[thomtax]

And the easiest way to do that is to Copy and Paste the numbers to the second entry line. That way they match, even if they are the wrong numbers.

Fellas, it looks as if using this cut and paste technique just shortcuts the safeguards of having to look at the figures twice so that if you made an error the first time, you confirm your error instead of looking the the real information again to enter the second set.

LT

[Gene V]

That’s one thing I remember when talking to Drake users, that they had to enter the bank and account number twice and reenter it every year, the program didn’t carry it forward.
Is that the same way they do it now?
Seems like that’s where you errors are going to happen, if your program carried the information forward every year, you wouldn’t have that problem. I always ask my clients to check the bank and account number. Have never had any deposit goof-up (except for the one I mention earlier –that was just bad typing-knock on wood-it wouldn’t happen again).

[Bird Legs]

Bank Acct. No.

Your program carries the Routing No. & Acct. No. fprward each year, great.
What if it does and your client changes banks?
That happened to me just today. The client was here and I was getting ready to
E-file the return when client said let us verify the acct. no. Lo and behold he had
changed banks. I thanked him profusely for asking about it.

[thomtax]

I think that Drake will allow you to bring the bank information forward from year to year, but I always set mine to not allow this to happen. Too many people change bank accounts from year to year. This forces me to get the current information from each client. I figure the fewer times that I have an opportunity to screw up, the fewer times that I will.

As I tell the clients when I ask them to check the numbers, "I have never had the money sent to the wrong account, but I have a feeling that it would be a nightmare to try to get corrected and I do not want to find out if that is true."

LT

[Gene V]

Your program carries the Routing No. & Acct. No. fprward each year, great.
What if it does and your client changes banks?
That happened to me just today. The client was here and I was getting ready to
E-file the return when client said let us verify the acct. no. Lo and behold he had
changed banks. I thanked him profusely for asking about it.

That happens occasionally, that's why I always ask and verify the bank routing and account number. Then of course I would have to retype the new numbers, but most of the time everything is the same, just like the W-2 and 1099-R information. The less typing and entering numbers, the less errors I make, its bad enough using reading glasses, sometimes I have to get out the large magnifying glass.

[thomtax]

Gene

You obviously have a more stable clientel than I do. :-) Unfortunately, the ones that have 4 or 5 W2s are the ones that have 4 or 5 NEW employers the next year. Sometimes I think that I lose more time deleting W2s than I gain by carrying the info forward. Oh Well, I guess if it looks too easy, there would be more grumbling about the price being too high for the time that it took to do the return. :-(

Hope all of you are having a good season.

LT