Electronic withdrawal of federal estimated tax payments

[Renee1107]

After the last update I noticed that when running the error check before e-filing a return with federal estimated payments to be electronically withdrawn the first quarter estimated payment now says "Installment 1 of 0.00 due 05/17/2021" and then installment 2 due on 06/15/2021 is the total of 1st and 2nd quarters amounts.  IRS did not extend the estimated tax payment due dates (as of yet) so why is ProSeries set up this way?  Won't the 1st quarter estimated payment be late?

[Just-Lisa-Now-]

yea, the diagnostic review has a mistake in it

[Renee1107]

Is it just a mistake in the Diagnostic Review or is that how it is going to transmit?  I don't want to take a chance on the client having late paid estimated tax.  This issue came up last year and there was an announcement that the estimated payments did not transmit as expected. 

[Just-Lisa-Now-]

The ES worksheet shows the correct date, the client letter shows the correct date, its just that diagnostic screen thats got the funky date info in it.

[Renee1107]

I think the issue is more than just a diagnostic review bug.  Based on the issues with electronic withdrawal of estimated tax payments last year I think this will be a problem in the future.

[Bertax]

My Proseries appears to have this error too. I scheduled a 1st qtr payment for April 15th, and it shows that way on the 1040-ES but my EF Instruction says it will be withdrawn on May 17th.

I checked my bank account and no USTreasury payment has showed up yet.

[IntuitAustin]

We’ve reported the issue to the EF team. Please be advised, the 1st quarter payments will be withdrawn today, April 15th, 2021, rather than May. The program issue does not impact that actual payment date. 

[FILLIASH8]

I am in Texas, and had an email from a client bright and early this morning, the SIXTEENTH of April, stating that his 1st schedule ES for April 15th DID NOT draft out yesterday....

Thoughts

[Just-Lisa-Now-]

IRS is behind in payment processing, even electronic payments, its being reported by preparers in multiple other tax groups. You can call the EFT phone number (its on the 8879) to verify that its scheduled, but dont be surprised if it takes up to 2 weeks for the funds to pull.

[BobKamman]

The government is so busy sending out those $1,400 checks that they don't have time to collect any money!

[MargaretJ]

I would appreciate a phone call from you about this issue. I will provide my phone number to you but I am not sure if this response is being read by just Austin or the entire forum. I am beyond angry about this problem. I called the evening of 4/15/21 to report this problem & was treated disrespectfully. The representative(s) had no clue what I was talking about. Your solution is very time consuming on the tax preparer end. Our clients may very well be penalized for late payment through the fault of Intuit. Many $$ are at stake. How can we be certain that the 4/15/21 payments will be combined with the 2nd quarter payments? I had a client only making the 4/15/21 payment & not the 6/15/21 one. What if it gets screwed up again? Our clients look to us for assistance & going through EFTPS or direct pay is beyond their ability level. There was a similar problem last year & we had to apologize to our clients. Now, a second time. You should have been better prepared this year after last year's screw up.

[gbman]

Please also keep me informed.  I let this know about days before the 15th.  They have got to make this right and take care of the problem.

GBCPA

[qbteachmt]

"but I am not sure if this response is being read by just Austin or the entire forum."

Entire Public Internet.

[gbman]

I let them know of this a few days before the 15th.  There response is totally unacceptable.  We are talking about real money here and our reputation to the client's.

[abctax55]

@MargaretJ  - maybe you want to apologize to Austin/Intuit?

************

DIRECTLY from the IRS:

Attention:  Return Transmitters and Authorized IRS e-file Providers/EROs

We identified a delay in processing Form 1040 balance due, Form 1040-X amended, and Form 1040-ES estimated tax payment requests submitted via Modernized e-File. The issue has been resolved, and pending payments are being processed. The taxpayer's account will be credited with the original requested payment date(s). Taxpayers should not re-submit these payments.

If a taxpayer re-submitted  any of these payment requests due to the delay in processing they may cancel them by calling 1-888-353-4537. Cancellation requests must be received no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern time, at least two business days prior to the scheduled payment date.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

[gbman]

What am I suppose to do with the File # or the Sub ID, how do I back reference to the client?

Why are you making this so difficult when you were notified of this before the 15th?

[abctax55]

@gbman 

"I"m not making anything difficult.  I just a fellow software user.

[BillG]

It is a software issue!!!  I have 2 clients that should have had sizable (hundreds of thousands) taken out on 4/15, and after wasting many hours, today Intuit posted an alert that the problem is payments for 4/15 are being added to the 6/15 payment.  We now have to contact IRS and change the 6/15 est tax payment to the correct amount, and go onto direct pay and pay pay the 4/15 payment.

[MargaretJ]

I am a sole proprietor paying $6,586 annually to Intuit for tax prep software. I am Intuit's customer. Why would I apologize to Austin at Intuit? I tried to report the problem on 4/15/21 & was ignored. If the issue was with the IRS, folks at Intuit should have worked with the IRS quickly & an alert should not have taken this long coming. The 2nd alert contradicted the 1st alert. I am losing confidence. I am still waiting for the 4/15/21 estimates to be withdrawn. (based on alert #2) If abctax55 is lucky enough not to have angry, upset clients, good for him/her.

[gbman]

How arrogant of abctax 55,  we are talking about a real life serious issue, and she wants us to apologize.

WOW!!!!!!!

[gbman]

Do you still feel an apology is in order, when this is a pro series problem?

[Just-Lisa-Now-]

If you add a column to Homebase for 1st estimated payment, then look at clients filed in that date range,  you should find a group of clients that could be affected....using the submission ID from that portal, you should be able to find the clients affected in that group.

[qbteachmt]

"Do you still feel an apology is in order, when this is a pro series problem?"

You are barking up the Wrong Tree.

"Why are you making this so difficult when you were notified of this before the 15th?"

You are overlooking that this is not Customer Support. Stop complaining to peer users. It helps to Inform. It doesn't help to harangue.

This is a peer user community on the internet. These are discussion topics. Not Tech Support and not Intuit Staffers.

[gbman]

ABCtax55, wanted us to apology to Austin with Pro Series, because she thought this was an IRS issue, when it is clearly a Pro Series.

[MargaretJ]

Thank you to all for helpful messages or shared experiences. I know which of my clients are impacted. Given that I am working 7 days a week on the upcoming deadline & pretty much all year, I have made a practical decision to eat any penalty & wait to see if the payments are withdrawn in June as we have been told (in certain situations). I fear that by re-submitting the 4/15 estimates by mail and/or changing the 6/15 estimates, things may become further muddled & I no longer have confidence in the software. Fortunately, most of what I scheduled for 4/15 were electronic extension payments which I was applying the overpayments to the first quarter estimates. Those went through, but not on 4/15 so that was originally alarming. One of the alerts acted like all electronic payments were going through; they were just delayed. The delay does not seem to be the case with the electronic estimates, only the extension payments. This has not been a good tax season.

[qbteachmt]

"because she thought this was an IRS issue, when it is clearly a Pro Series"

Clearly, it's Both. The IRS stated it. Austin stated it. All of this text is right here in this topic. Debating that it is or isn't one or the other, doesn't accomplish anything, when Both Texts are in this topic. There's enough responsibility to go around.

Personally, I would start with my Congressman, but he's nearly impossible to find.