If we put estimate payments into the 2019 tax form will they proforma to 2020?

[roz2]

The estimate payments in the past have not proforma'd to the new tax file in November.  Has this been corrected or is it still a suggestion.  We do not want to spend time putting this information in only to have to repeat it again once we move to the new year.

[DAS13]

Is this question regarding an individual tax return? The estimated tax payments DO proforma, but you have to indicate whether or not they were paid. If all were paid and paid timely, then all you have to do is put a "1" in the box at the top of Screen 6, where it says to treat all voucher amounts as paid. If the tax payments were made for different amounts or on later dates than what the client was told to do on the vouchers, then you have to enter dates and amounts paid in the section below, underneath where the proforma'd amounts are listed. Hopefully that answers it.(?)

[roz2]

I will attempt to be more clear in my question. Yes, we can enter the payments in to screen 6, for completing the 2019 tax return.  However, we are sending checks this year (2020) and auto withdraw payments for the 2020 tax return.  Several years ago we entered the checks into the program, but when we proforma the amounts did not go to the new tax year and we had to re-enter them again.  The 2020 estimated payments are entered in Screen 7.1 I believe, and it does have a screen where you can enter the description and amount.  Does this transfer information entered here go to the new 2020 Lacerte Individual in November when we receive the proforma instructions?  I do not see where you enter a date.  There is a box to check for Proforma descriptions, and I am not sure what it means by the Proforma descriptions.  

[PhoebeRoberts]

Proforma Descriptions inside the Ctrl+E popup means exactly that - you want the entered description to carry forward to the next year, so you can see the identical notes in the identical field next year.

Lacerte's estimates (either calculated or overriden in Screen 7.1) will proforma as memo entries to the next year's Screen 6. You'll get a diagnostic asking you to confirm payment dates and amounts, either by entering a 1 in the "1 = treat all "Voucher amount (memo)" entries as "Amount paid" entries or by entering actual payment amounts. For dates, either leave the field blank to treat them as paid when due, or enter actual payment dates.

There has been no change to this process in at least 15 years, so it's not clear to me why it didn't work for you last time.

[roz2 · Accepted solution]

Thank you, Phoebe, and I am sure we didn't do something right in that process to make it happen.  We will try again this year. 

[roz2]

Phoebe,

    Maybe I need to restate our issue in getting our estimate payments to roll to the next year.  We have personally entered what the client has paid in 2019 Lacerte for estimate payments for 2020.  When we proforma'd the information we entered (date, check # amount) did not roll to 2020.  You mentioned putting a 1 in the top box, but it says if ALL estimate payments were made put a one.  We have many that have not made all of the estimate payments and not paid exactly what the estimate payment suggested.  Do we need to delete the ones that were not made in 2019 before proforma is done?  That information is still not rolling. It looks like once again we have to re-enter all of our detailed information again. Please help.  We are very confused.

[abctax55]

It is TOO early to be rolling/proforma the returns.  There WILL be updates, and corrections.  Be patient.

[sjrcpa]

It won't roll 2020 estimates actually paid. It never has rolled the subsequent years payments. It will pro forma what was "suggested" to be paid as Phoebe explained.