Efile form 1040X when original 1040 was efiled by someone else

[cpataxoffice]

I have a few 2019 amended income tax returns (1040X) I need to efile.  The original tax returns were efiled, but not by me.  Proseries is not letting me send the amended income tax returns to IRS because I did not efile the original tax returns and the software doesn't find the original accepted efile in my homebase.

Is there a work around for this?

[sjrcpa]

No. This is ProSeries' policy.

[dbtaxsolutions]

Oh so if we get a new tax client for amending return, we cannot use efile via proseries, still have to resort to mail, unless we previously filed the original? hmmm. I hope there is a way around this.

[cpataxoffice]

Proseries has always worked to make the customers work easier and quicker.  This policy makes our work harder and take longer.  I hope that Proseries will reconsider this policy because it seems more restrictive than IRS requirements, (it seems that IRS only requires that the original return to have been efiled and accepted, and seemingly does not require that the same tax preparer using the same software filed the original return).

Please reconsider.  This will become a bigger problem as time goes by, clients continually change tax preparers, and paper returns will continue to cause extra work and time.  Thank you.

[Just-Lisa-Now-]

At this time, ProSeries users can only Efile an amended return if YOU used ProSeries to Efile the original return.  Its a program limitation.

Intuit has told us that they hope to change this at some point in the future...but no ETA on that future date.

[TaxGuyBill]

---

@sjrcpa wrote:

No. This is ProSeries' policy.

---

I don't know this for sure, but I suspect it is a TurboTax policy.  They don't want users of TurboTax to screw things up (and to prevent tax returns being fraudulently amended by criminals), so they added that limitation.  ProSeries uses the same "tax engine" as TurboTax so that ridiculous limitation is also part of ProSeries.

[HAJI]

... I guess as time goes by the constraint will be revised and tax professionals will be able to file 1040X without any hickup.

[dbtaxsolutions]

This feature needs a lot of work. I had to amend a tax return because TP forgot 1 W2, now in paper form, I could have been done in a few minutes, but I was with tech support for 1.5 hours. There were a couple of errors, one of which indicates, I cannot efile if the original was not previously efiled. Well the file was originally efiled in Proseries and I just created a new "amended file" from the original as one should. In the end, I had to paper file. Proseries, please work on the glitches. I thought it would save me so much time and ink, but it didn't.

[Just-Lisa-Now-]

"I just created a new "amended file" from the original as one should"

You want to use the original file as the amended....dont try and use a "new amended file"  for the amended return.

I personally dont even make a copy of the file, I print out the original (or save it to PDF), then I keep that same file I efiled originally, mark the Amended boxes and Efile it.  Done several of these already, they all Efiled fine.

[dbtaxsolutions]

Well, i had expected the agent i spent time with on the phone could have directed me to do that, but didn't. Thank you, will try that next time.

[Brian in Cleveland]

I want to efile a 1040X for 2019 but didn't efile the 1040.  Has this problem been fixed yet?  Why is this issue even Intuit's business to begin with?

[taxprocommunitymember1]

I used Proseries to e-file, but transferred filed to a new computer to file the amended. It is giving me an error message when trying to e-file the amended. On the return Form 9325 - it shows successful e-filing, but the submission ID is not showing. 

Is there a fix for this??

[Just-Lisa-Now-]

Try highlighting the client and use Update Acknowledgements of Selected Returns (instead of Receive Acknowledgements) see if that pulls the submission ID in.

[taxprocommunitymember1]

Thanks, but didn't work. 

Tried it several times. 

[Just-Lisa-Now-]

When you copied the file from the other computer, did you use the BackUp option in ProSeries and Restore on the new computer? Or did you just copy the file to a flashdrive and move it over?

[taxprocommunitymember1]

Copied and transferred (all three files - cache and pmd included) onto the new one. Although, initially, saved a copy of the original as a different name, then, used the main copy to prepare the amended version - then, transferred - but maybe that is what created the problem???).

Noticed that even on the original one that was saved under a different name (ex. clientfile_original), Form 9325 shows that the return had been successfully e-filed, but oddly, doesn't have the Submission ID - when opening up on the new computer. In any case, keep getting the error message telling me that I cannot e-file the amended, as it was not properly e-filed to begin with - eventhough it was. 

[Just-Lisa-Now-]

Id use BackUp/Restore, that includes the imbedded Efile data (it also keeps the PayPerReturn data in case this were a return that you had to use PPR for), just copying/pasting doesn't, and make sure you don't change the file name.

[taxprocommunitymember1]

Can you do the backup and restore on the new computer, or do you need access to the main computer where work was done. Ask as am travelling and that is why I needed to work on a new computer.

[Just-Lisa-Now-]

Yes, you need to do the Backup on the other computer that was used for Efiling and Restore on the computer youre using.

So you may be stuck, sorry.

[taxprocommunitymember1]

That is what I thought.

Theoretically, should it work, if I tried filing the amended from the original computer?

Many thanks for your help.

Would be great if Proseries had more details on what does and does not work, and what to watch out for, especially for those who need to travel for work, etc.

[Just-Lisa-Now-]

Yes, if you file from the computer that the original was Efiled from, using the original file with the same name, should go through fine.

[Just-Lisa-Now-]

Your EFIN is only good for Efiling from one location/address, Im not sure how that works if you're constantly mobile.