Charitable contributions not carrying down on Schedule A.

[Jim-from-Ohio]

this just started about an hour ago.. Schedule A total is not including charitable contributions.. I had a return over 25,100 in deductions.. efiled return.. they client asked for a pdf of the return. opened up return again and the donations show on schedule A but are not being added to the total itemized deductions. be careful!

[Just-Lisa-Now-]

Yikes!  I saw a similar post over in the FB group, unless that was you that posted there as well.

So now you cant tell if it EFiled with it correctly then changed afterwards? or was it wrong when you Efiled it.

[Jim-from-Ohio]

I am part of that fb thread.. a recent update broke Schedule A.. .. I submitted with a correct Schedule A.. ran updates.. went back into return to create a pdf of return for the client and contributions show on Schedule A but are not adding down.. reverted to lower standard deduction of 25,100

[rbynaker]

Wow.  Seems like the Quality Control Team was on vacation this week.

[Just-Lisa-Now-]

You sure the standard plus the charity on the front page, isnt more than itemized?

[Jim-from-Ohio]

25,100 on page 1.. before the update it was over 32,851

refund dropped by a lot!

[jeffmcpa2010]

Just checking. So is this a second copy of the return for the Client?

(My apologies for possibly changing the subject)

You did provide them a copy of the return to review so that they could correctly sign the 8879 where they declare that they had examined a copy of the return prior to authorizing it's filing correct?

I am asking because I like to better understand how others administer their practice's to see if I can find a way to be more efficient.

Thanks

[Jim-from-Ohio]

yes, 8879 showed a Schedule A with 32,851 in total deductions.. I left the office for my home office. restored files, ran update.. went back into return to get pdf of return to client.. and only 25,100 being deducted.. schedule A shows the huge contributions but the total on schedule A is not including those contributions.. I hope it got transmitted with the correct figures, which i transmitted at my office away from home where I meet with clients.

[Jim-from-Ohio]

seems like a widespread Schedule A being broken. others reporting it on fb group. 

[IRonMaN]

So they fixed estimate vouchers today.  They fixed one part of the voucher and wrecked another part.  But that was not enough damage for the day so they went and trashed charitable contributions.  I may have mentioned this before but here goes again -------------------------- it's going to be a loooooooooong tax season.

[dd4vols]

so here is what I discovered.  I had 2 clients that didn't have enough to itemize, but had enough contributions to get the 600/300 add on.  So I had entered their contributions directly on Line 11 of schedule A.they were accepted, etc. When i open them up to print my return copies a few moments ago, I get an error on the blank line on the 1040/1040SR page where the contributions amount carries to.  It's . showing blank there, not the amount I entered directly on Line 11 of Sch A. Trace it backwards, and there is no amount on the 60% test page.  BUT, if I entered the same contributions amount on the CASH CONTRIBUTIONS SMART WORKSHEET (instead of directly on Line 11), it then carries to the 60% test page, and to the 1040/1040SR page section.

[Jim-from-Ohio · Accepted solution]

OK. not an official fix but if you put the contributions on the Cash Contribution smart worksheet Schedule A will add up properly. Do not put the amount on line 11.. let the smart worksheet flow to line 11.

[Frustrated-in-IL]

I think the Quality Control Team has been out to lunch for now the third tax season in a row.  Whether it was the kiddie tax not calculating correctly on 2019 or 2020 returns, or the home mortgage interest deduction worksheet not working correctly on 2020 and again on 2021 returns after working perfectly on 2019 returns, or now this with the estimated payment vouchers, it has been quite frustrating dealing with ProSeries.

Personally, I am on the back end of my career and really do not want to learn a new program for one or two more tax seasons.  But if I was a younger preparer, I would sprint so fast and far away from this program.  Stuff sits in my office waiting for ProSeries to fix something and in many instances the fix never comes.  So you spend precious time trying to find a workaround to a problem which shouldn't exist, and more precious time dealing with impatient clients who want their taxes done, period.   I feel like anything I say related to the software sounds like a lame excuse to the client.  Tomorrow I have to tell a senior client who does not have a computer that I cannot give her the estimated payment vouchers after telling her two weeks ago that the program said I would have the vouchers on February 17th.  Not looking forward to that discussion.  And it seems it is never ending.  Remember last year the Form 8606 wasn't working properly?  I could list more things but it is continual, and their communication is next to non-existent.  When one calls in, the person who you speak with can't address your issue even if they remote into your computer, so they have to type your concern to someone else whose ability to understand the problem is left to the mercy of the communication skills of the person you are talking with.  Seems to be incredibly inefficient if you ask me, but hey, no one asked me.   As a result, trying to get an answer is almost impossible, let alone an accurate answer.  Even something as simple as the search feature in the accountants community is dysfunctional.

If you are a younger tax preparer, do yourself a favor this summer and explore other options.  Intuit has forgotten what customer means in customer service.

[jeffmcpa2010]

Just received another update about 15 minutes ago. The ES vouchers now have the correct years on them (at least on my system) printed a sample to make sure.

[Skylane]

2/17 Results

Intuit.Developers...                                         Community 

Fix 1      Break 2                                              Workaround 1

@Jim-from-Ohio    Your workaround is accepted. You are entitled to a stipend of  5000 ACME Anvil Stamps.  

For those of us patiently waiting forms updates..................    (at least some) of the promised 2/17/22 forms updates have been released... (yay)

[Skylane]

@IntuitGabi  If this one is going to take a while to fix, you might want to put this up on the Grand Marquis (the yellow bar alerts we all get to see).

[IRonMaN]

On average only about 12 people ever actually read those alerts but it does save 12 posts from showing up here.

[RedDub]

So do you suggest that we just put cash donation as name of charity, since there are multiple charities.

[dd4vols]

yes... just use the Smart worksheet, and it flows properly, it appears.

[Just-Lisa-Now-]

thats the only way Ive ever done it...I didnt even realize you could just plunk a number onto Line 11 or 12 of the Sch A!

[The_AntiTax_Man]

I completely agree with you Fr-In-IL.
This software could be so good, but it does not reach its potential. And it is falling further short of being what it could and should be in each succeeding year. It's really a shame.

[The_AntiTax_Man]

Over many years of using PS software, it seems like using the PS worksheets causes fewer problems when something gets broken in an update.

[rbynaker]

This is not a bug, looks like it was intentional:

https://proconnect.intuit.com/community/proseries-tax-news-updates/discussion/changes-to-schedule-a-...

Clearly done by someone who's never run a tax practice.

[sjrcpa]

Nice of them to tell you after everyone notices the returns are incorrect and started complaining.

[IRonMaN]

Intuit is just putting their fabulous communication skills to work once again.

[Camp1040]

I'm ready to go back to pen and carbon paper, okay I would like to upgrade to a copier, my first one was the size of a small refrigerator, kept my lunch in the supply cabinet below the copier !

[The_AntiTax_Man]

Ok, Intuit PS21 was having e-filed return rejections by the IRS on returns with Sch A charitable contribution deduction limitations.  PS21 needed to fix this.  So, the PS21 update fixed that problem and in so doing created this new problem that can be remedied simply by using the charitable donations worksheet on Sch A.  However, some PS21 users have never used that worksheet and had no idea what happened to the returns that they had previously completed. 

FUBAR.

[IRonMaN]

So are we having fun yet?  😀

[Frustrated-in-IL]

They can claim it was intentional all they want but those of us that have been around here for years know how things have worked without issue for many tax seasons.

My guess is they screwed up, again, and this is a nice way to cover it.  Give it a week or two and then they will tell us "as a result of customer feedback received and our longstanding  commitment to be responsive to the concerns of our customers, ProSeries is proud to announce charitable contributions in total can now be entered directly on line 11 without having to use the smart worksheet." 

[IRonMaN]

I guess it all depends on how you prepare a return in ProSeries.  Like Lisa, I didn't realize you could enter the way that a lot of other folks evidently have been doing it for years.  It would have been nice if they had announced that you needed to change your ways, although even when they do provide alerts, it appears that a majority of folks never bother reading those alerts.  Sometimes Intuit is cursed with the dam if you do and dammed if you don't scenario.

[dd4vols]

That's a CYA statement if ever I saw one. The IRS actually accepted the returns, with Line 11 input AND the extra gimme on contributions on the 1040/1040SR.  I'm sure I'll probably be persona-non-grata for that opinion. 

[Jim-from-Ohio]

Ha!  an alert just popped up saying to use the smart worksheets.. I wish it would have popped up before they changed it.. oh well.

[Skylane]

@Jim-from-Ohio    Congrats!!!!! you made the Grand Marquis.. 2/17/2022 ALERT..Chages to Sch A Charitable contributions 

Great Job

[ljr]

and now all the returns that were completed and sent to clients last week are coming back and then I file and get a efile reject for the charity. I have to go fix them and refile. So now I have to find the time to recheck all the completed returns before I efile them? Double and Triple work. Oh and be careful, after I removed the 600 and reinput it on the worksheet for it to "flow" the final number changed by a few dollars. Why? If I put in 600 took out 600 and put back in 600 shouldn't it be the same bottom line?

[IRonMaN]

I always compare the refund or balance due on the 8879 to the return before I transmit - you never can trust that the return hasn’t been changed by an update.

[Just-Lisa-Now-]

same!

[Camp1040]

I started doing that after reading that a bunch of smart folks on this forum were doing it.

[garman22]

I agree with my esteemed colleagues....

I've been double checking prior to efile for quite some time. For sure since that EIC fiasco a number of years back. I've become weary of Intuits programmers when they update the program. Ive been around for some time to remember when programming was one thing I never worried about. 

[jeffmcpa2010]

How about when you open the file to enter the date pin entered (I never do that until the 8879 is signed which AUTHORISES ME TO ENTER THE DATE), you simply double check that the tax amount is still the same as the 8879. Would only take a couple of seconds.