Two Year Comparison for Schedule F

[taxshack]

Please add a Two Year Comparison for Schedule F.  I've been asking for 20 years.  This is a business form just like Schedule C and Schedule E and deserves a two year comparison!  I don't understand why there isn't one already.

[BobKamman]

IRS receives about 25 million returns each year with Schedule C.  They receive less than 2 million with Schedule F.  That's out of about 150 million total returns (not counting those this year from "nonfilers.")  Providing a feature that may be useful for 15% of returns, may be useful.  Providing one for less than 2% of returns, raises the question of whether those of us who would not use it should pay for those who do.

The same situation applies to state returns.  The two-year comparison is offered for California, where 18 million returns are filed.  It's not for Arizona, with only 3 million.  

Of course, I may use the two-year comparison on only 15% of the returns I prepare (in my case, it's probably less than 10%), but for those returns it can be very helpful for spotting errors or omissions. But I could do the same, looking at a paper copy of last year's return.  I have only one Schedule F filer, 50% fewer than I did a couple years ago, and I don't want to pay more for bells and whistles that I might use only once a year.  

[The_AntiTax_Man]

@taxshack  it makes sense to replicate a feature into Sch F that has been written into the PS program twice already [Sch C & Sch E].

@BobKamman  Intuit is going to increase the software price to you each year whether they add a feature, fix a problem, or do nothing.  

[BobKamman]

@The_AntiTax_Man  Intuit is going to increase the software price to you each year whether they add a feature, fix a problem, or do nothing. 

That might be true if the government owned Intuit, which one might argue is the case because when IRS tells them to jump, they ask how high.  But we still try to maintain the illusion of free-market, private-enterprise competition in this country.  If Intuit raises the price, there are still competitors that cost less.  They may offer fewer features, but I can still do returns without all those bells and whistles.  Does anyone else have OIH for Schedule F?  How much do they cost?

[IRonMaN]

It doesn't matter anyway.  To get a request to reach 50 points is about as likely as having a COVID vaccine being ready by the end of the week ----------------- keeping in mind that we don't have the great medical system that Russia has.  But it is nice that Intuit has the nice scoreboard in the corner of this page letting us know the status of all of these great ideas.  The good news is at least the number of suggestions under review is keeping pace with the number rejected.

[The_AntiTax_Man]

@BobKamman  Intuit added this Idea Exchange.  Whether they have time to program all of the ideas or program none of the ideas put forth here remains to be seen.  At the very least Intuit is showing some interest in what the users think would improv their software.  So, Bob, cheer the ideas you like, ok?  The price of your software is going to go up every year.  (By the way, I'm tired of paying for your Sch C two-year comparison that I never use, but voting for Intuit to save some money to get rid of this feature will not lower the cost of the software to me.) 

@IRonMaN Maybe this Idea Exchange will turn into an Intuit software improvement lottery.  Most cheers gets in? 

[IRonMaN]

"Maybe this Idea Exchange will turn into an Intuit software improvement lottery.  Most cheers gets in?"

I think you have a better chance of winning if you bought a real lottery ticket. 💰💰💰

[taxshack]

@BobKammanThey specifically asked for us to put in ideas and suggestions and so I did.  This is something I would find useful and should be easy to program in.  If we go by paying for bells and whistles we don't use, well there are PLENTY of features I don't use that I'm paying for.  That's simply not how this works.  And yes I can do the same looking at a copy of last year's return or creating an excel spreadsheet on my own.  I can do a lot by myself, manually, and if it is necessary I do.  But the whole point is to submit ideas that would save us time as preparers and this is a very small tweak that I would absolutely use and I'm sure many other people who use Schedule F would.  Some preparers don't ever prepare Schedule C's and some don't ever prepare Earned Income Credit and some don't ever prepare FBAR, etc. etc. etc.  You give votes to the ideas you like and skip on passed the ones you don't. 

[IRonMaN]

"They specifically asked for us to put in ideas and suggestions"

But Intuit doesn't really plan on using those ideas.  It's just their way of trying to make us feel better.  I remember back when i was young and trusting reading a post about someone asking to add form 5227.  One of the moderators at that time posted to say they would add that to their list of enhancement requests.  I think that was back in 1963 if I remember correctly, but it has been so long ago I may be wrong about the date.  But look no further than your own post here mentioning that you have been asking for the schedule F enhancement for 20 years ---------------- and you are still asking ------------- just in a different format.  If Intuit can't find a way to charge extra for an enhancement, they really don't want to hear about it.  But they do like everybody to keep dropping notes down the enhancement wishing well ----------------- they want to keep providing folks with the illusion that they really care.

[IntuitGabi]

Thanks for the idea. We are changing the status to "Open for voting" since it is no longer considered "New". If you have any questions on the life cycle of an idea, check out our Idea Getting Started Guide for more information.