Email Aerts

[MWynn]

Is there a way to turn on email alerts to myself or my clients such that we receive an email to confirm that a return was accepted by a taxing authority or if the return or extension was rejected? I have been informed by others, including an IRS Appeals Officer, that this is a feature of some other tax software but I have not yet found this in the ProSeries settings.

If this isn't currently available, it certainly would seem to be a worthwhile addition to the program. It could provide substantial proof to avoid penalties if the IRS errs in processing a tax return and it can help tax preparers to avoid missing a notification that a return was rejected.

Michelle

[dd4vols]

not sure what world you live in.... but I spend a whole lot more time on the ProSeries screen than I do looking at my email.  And, in the EF Center 'PENDING'  tab.... when a  return is rejected..it lets you know immediately...in the EF Status column with " XXXXX rejected" in bright red letters.  AND... if you click on the bright red letters..if gives you Electronic Filing Client Status History report... which seems much more official than an email....just my humble opinion.

[MWynn]

Tax filings are a very small part of my practice as a tax attorney, so I do not spend so much time in ProSeries on a daily basis. But I am very diligent about checking the status of the returns I submit. However, I have represented many people in penalty abatement requests because their tax preparers did not notice a rejection notification and have had issues where the IRS did not process a return even though the e-file status shows that it was transmitted to the IRS or accepted (there are even Tax Court cases with similar situations). 

[lulusispri2991]

I need your email to send you the rejection from Intuit

[TaxGuyBill]

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@MWynn wrote:

their tax preparers did not notice a rejection notification

where the IRS did not process a return even though the e-file status shows that it was transmitted to the IRS or accepted 

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1) In ProSeries, the "rejected" is in RED font.  It is completely the preparer's fault and stupidity if they miss that.  Personally, I would be much more likely to miss an email.  Even if preparing returns is only a small part of your business, it really isn't difficult to check e-file acknowledgments every couple of days.

2)  If there was an acceptance email, it would come from Intuit, not the IRS.  The IRS does not send out such emails.  So if Intuit shows it as accepted (the software shows it as accepted) but the IRS did not process it, Intuit wouldn't know about that, so there wouldn't be a rejection email anyways.

[TaxGuyBill]

As a side note, Intuit is known for frequently sending out incorrect and/or misleading emails, which would make that system pretty much useless with Intuit.

[MWynn]

2)  If there was an acceptance email, it would come from Intuit, not the IRS.  The IRS does not send out such emails.  So if Intuit shows it as accepted (the software shows it as accepted) but the IRS did not process it, Intuit wouldn't know about that, so there wouldn't be a rejection email anyways.

I was not suggesting that the email would be from the IRS. However, if there were a notification email that a return was accepted, it would be proof to provide to the IRS in a penalty abatement request that Reasonable Cause criteria were met and that the taxpayer and tax professional acted with ordinary business care and prudence. 

I am simply suggesting this because taxpayers currently have to rely on their tax professionals to inform them if their return is accepted or rejected and an automatic email from the tax preparation software could be a valuable tool for the taxpayers to ensure that their returns were actually filed. While it may not be an issue I have ever had in returns I prepared, many of my clients have had issues with other tax preparers where the client thought their return or extension was filed only to learn in response to a penalty notice that it was not actually filed. 

[dd4vols]

I am simply suggesting this because taxpayers currently have to rely on their tax professionals to inform them if their return is accepted or rejected.

Well, they currently rely on those same tax professionals to properly prepare their returns don't they?

and an automatic email from the tax preparation software could be a valuable tool for the taxpayers to ensure that their returns were actually filed.

So, you are saying you want the Software to email the client when a return is  rejected?

I've always said, attorneys and economists will be the ruination of America... I believe it more every day.  SMH

[bd2you]

Mwynn Great point!