importing 1098s with Link

[Channell6]

I am testing ProConnect Tax and Intuit Link and was wondering what I am doing wrong. I am trying to import 2 different mortgage interest statements but it seems the program only takes the last one I import? I am sure it's something simple.

[Terry53029]

I use link with ProSeries, and I find it to be quirky at times. This year I went to Encyro, and find it much more user friendly. You can check it out at:  https://www.encyro.com/

[itonewbie · Accepted solution]

Usually (although not always), a problem like this is relatively simple to solve:

1. Check that the document has PDF as the extension.  Sometimes, your client may not have saved the PDF with the proper extension for various reasons or that it may have dropped off somehow.  This may entail downloading the document, renaming it with the extension, and uploading that back to Link again using the Act as taxpayer function;
2. When you have the Link drawer open, check that the document has the right document type selected.  In this case, it would be 1098;
3. The import also depends on whether the PDF was saved as a searchable document to start with.  If it is not and it is not legible enough for OCR, it may not work very well or at all.

When you run into problems with import, you will need to judge for yourself whether it's worth the time and effort to "make" it work.  Sometimes, it may just be more expedient to manually make the input (unless, of course, you have tons of data that can't be input as summary entries and supported by a statement).

In terms of usability, you should have no problem with Link if you have no expectation beyond it being a rudimentary client portal.  Problems generally arise when people want more control over the structure, access (especially if your clients need access by both spouses or where there is a change in email address), or more functionalities that Link is designed to provide.  One more factor you should take into account is that data in Link, whether for current or prior years) is accessible only if you have a current subscription to Intuit's tax products, such as PTO.  In other words, if you decide not to use Intuit anymore for TY2020, you will no longer have access to any data for prior year returns even though you had subscriptions to those years.  That's not a deal breaker; it just means you need to download everything from Link to your own storage periodically.

It's good that you are testing Link out before taking the plunge.  You need to be well-versed in the operations and limitations, not only to tailor your own workflow, but understand the quirks well enough to be able to field questions from your clients and resolve issues encountered by them.  You may also find it helpful to search this Community for discussions about Link.

Link used to be our primary client portal some years ago but we have since moved on to using VeriFyle.  A number of PTO users also utilize GruntWorx in place of Link.  Although external solutions will give you much better control, you will, nevertheless, lose the integration with PTO (which is somewhat limited at this time).