Efiled a return by mistake. it was not even started!

lam · ‎03-09-2021

Yikes, I mean to efile the extension 7004 but in error I efiled the corporate and state corp tax return! The tax returns hadn't even been started! How could Lacerte have let it go thru with no revenues, the balance sheet out of balance...I got no error diagnostics, no prompts, nothing! Immediately tried to call Lacerte to possibly unwind this submission; on hold 45 minutes. Had to leave for the day. Very unhappy with their service these past couple of years. Anyone have this problem? How to resolve? Just submit a paper-filed return? Would it have to be an Amended Return? Any way to avoid this in the future? Thanks for any guidance, can't find any guidance in Lacerte's 'online help' either.

George4Tacks · ‎03-09-2021

Join the club. Many of us have done it. There is absolutely nothing Lacerte can do about it. Once submitted IT IS GONE, GONE, GONE!

Now line everything up to do the amended return. Begin the amended BEFORE making any new data entries. That way the "as filed" is filled in for you.

At least now we can e-file amended returns, much better than the dark ages when we had to do paper.

Answers are easy. Questions are hard!

TaxGuyBill · ‎03-09-2021

Was it actually accepted? As you say, all of the errors should have caused a rejection.

PhoebeRoberts · ‎03-09-2021

Under Settings, Options, Tax Return, Tax Return Options, change Computer Date as PIN Signature Date to No. You don't need a date to e-file an extension; without a manually-entered signature date the return won't e-file. You'll want to change that for all your modules.

There's no e-file rule that says an entity return with no revenue isn't e-fileable; my guess is that if you look at Forms, the balance sheet will be blank (because Lacerte thinks it wasn't required) so being out of balance isn't an issue, either.

lam · ‎03-11-2021

Thank you! (what a pain, I am usually soooo careful on these, specifically because of this...)