Form 5471 dormant filing not possible (Proseries)

[LesEdy]

I would really like to know why Intuit/Proseries went to so much trouble to implement Form 5471, but did not make the very small additional feature of enabling a dormant (e-)filing, which would have required only implementing a check-box to activate an automatic text ("Filed Pursuant to Rev. Proc. 92-70 for Dormant Foreign Corporation"), and a relatively small amount of additional programming (compared to the whole 5471 implementation). For those of us that need to file dormant 5471's, we CANNOT use Proseries, we still have to use a 3rd party form set and attach as a PDF. This is completely unbelievable. It must have taken Proseries 100's of hours to implement the 5471 form-set, and it would have increased the developer load maybe 1% to implement dormant filing. I can only surmise that this omission was INTENTIONAL. Dormant filing, AFAIK, is possible in Lacerte and Proconnect.

[1040up]

I have ProConnect Tax and am trying to get the e-file diagnostic for Ref #32702 stating PDF Attachment #1: Sent to nonexistent Form 5471. I am attaching a Form 5471 prepared by another company and the Form 5471 is a Dormant corporation. What do I need to do to get this to clear out so that the Critical Diagnostic can be cleared and the Form 5471 e-filed?  

[1040up]

I figured out how to fix this e-file diagnostic for Ref #32702 stating PDF Attachment #1: Sent to nonexistent Form 5471. You will need to go to the Form 5471 and action the following:

1. Click on the three lines next to where it says "New Tab".
2. Next to "NO." 1 under "FILER", type the taxpayer's full name and click on "Details".
3. Go to the bottom of the page and tick the "I reviewed Form 5471 for diagnostic with reference# 2055537".
4. Enter a "1" in the box for "1=delete this year".  This prevents the printing of Form 5471.

When you are ready to print your final tax return to provide to the taxpayer, check that the "General Info." filing instructions page shows the "PDF Attachments" under "Federal" for Form 5471 Other with the name of the file you uploaded (e.g., 2022 Form 5471 (E-File Attachment) .pdf. PDF).

[1040up]

So, the e-file got rejected after I used the above. I had changed it by ticking the box below and putting code 3=skip this year (proforma only) and it got rejected again. I have resubmitted with unticking the box and only showing 1=delete this year.  Will let you know if it works.

[1040up]

So, it got rejected again with all the above steps.  However, I found the solution to the rejected submissions.

The solution that actually successfully transmitted and had the federal and state tax returns accepted were by deleting the Form 5471 tab completely from the input section within the tax return section. In below screenshot, you should not complete the Form 5471 at all and all the previous solution I mentioned above should not be actioned.

You should go to the e-File Attachment section and only attach the 2022 Form 5471 but do not link the e-file attachment to the Form 5471 drop down.  This is what caused the errors when e-filing.  Then, you will need to print out the return to PDF and you will need to check that the 2022 Form 5471 document is showing as an attachment to the federal and state tax return as a document that will be e-filed when transmitted.