ATX 2014 Release Notes

Version 14.7

August, 2015

Version 14.7 is scheduled to become the required minimum version approximately one week after the web release date.

Installing the 14.7 Update

The following installation types require the 14.7 update:

  • Stand-Alone
  • Workstation Only
  • Workstation/Server

Server Only installations do not require the 14.7 update if on version 14.5. If you are updating your ATX software from a version prior to 14.5, you must update your Server Only installation.

As a best practice, it is recommended that you close the application on all workstations and update each one separately.

Now Available: Organizer Feature

An Organizer is a pre-assembled packet of worksheets that can help you and your 1040 clients organize tax information for the upcoming tax season. When you add an organizer to the client's return, information from the client's previous tax year return is populated in the organizer worksheets. Send the worksheets to your clients so they can provide you with their personal and financial information for tax year 2015.

For more information, see the Organizers in Program Help.

1040 Organizer Forms

The 2015 1040 Organizer Forms will be available through a Forms update in mid-September. Once the forms are updated, simply download them and print your organizers using the Print Organizer for Marked Returns feature.

Version 14.6

March, 2015

Version 14.6 is scheduled to become the required minimum version approximately one week after the web release date.

Installing the 14.6 Update

The following installation types require the 14.6 update:

  • Stand-Alone
  • Workstation Only
  • Workstation/Server

Server Only installations do not require the 14.6 update if on version 14.5. If you are updating your ATX software from a version prior to 14.5, you must update your Server Only installation.

As a best practice, it is recommended that you close the application on all workstations and update each one separately.

Asset Entry Changes

Georgia and Iowa 179 Limits Revised. ATX now reflects both Georgia and Iowa's decision to match the Federal limits of 500,000 and 2,000,000.

Version 14.5

February, 2015

Version 14.5 is scheduled to become the required minimum version approximately one week after the web release date.

Installing the 14.5 Update

All installation types require the 14.5 update.

As a best practice, it is recommended that you close the application on all workstations and update each one separately.

Features

Interviews are now available for 1040, 1065, 1120, and 1120S return types. To try out ATX Interviews, open one of these return types and select the Interview button on the toolbar. Learn more in the Interviews topic in Program Help.

iFirm users can now import 990 and 1041 information into ATX and map corresponding activities to the ATX tax return.

Improvements

Checkmarks cleared for rolled over returns. In Rollover Manager, checkmarks are cleared after you successfully rollover your marked returns.

Completed returns reported on Form Update report. The Form Update report now correctly lists returns marked Complete.

Asset Entry

Georgia 179 limits updated. Georgia (GA) State limits are now correctly listed as 25,000 and 200,000 (Georgia has not accepted the new Federal 179 limits).

Version 14.4

January, 2015

Version 14.4 will become the required minimum version for e-filing on February 5, 2015.

Installing the 14.4 Update

The following installation types require the 14.4 update:

  • Stand-Alone
  • Workstation Only
  • Workstation/Server

Server Only installations do not require the 14.4 update if on version 14.2 or higher. If you are updating your ATX software from a version prior to 14.2, you must update your Server Only installation.

As a best practice, it is recommended that you close the application on all workstations and update each one separately.

Improvements

Enhanced Program Update notifications to ensure that you get all of the available program updates quickly and more efficiently.

Easier access to the Print Checks feature. The Print Checks feature (available in the Bank Manager) links directly to the check printing webpage after you log in.

Improved Rollover functions:

  • Rollover marked returns on multiple pages. When your rollover is complete, the icon is now disabled and rolled return checkmarks are cleared.
  • Rollover all your Custom List templates simultaneously.

Asset Entry

  • Truck limits (V7) are now correctly listed as $3,460 in the State column.
  • Iowa (IA) State limits are now correctly listed as 25,000 and 200,000 (Iowa has not accepted the new Federal 179 limits).
  • Calculation of Tax Year has been corrected on the Tax Year Information sub-tab of the Asset Global Settings tab for fiscal year returns ending in 2015.

Version 14.3

January, 2015

Version 14.3 will be a minimum version for e-filing in anticipation of IRS opening e-file day for Form 1040 (1/20/15).

Regulatory Changes

In accordance with the recently passed Tax Increase Prevention Act of 2014, the following changes have been implemented in the ATX and FAM asset entry process:

  • Federal Section 179 defaults to a $500,000 maximum and a cost threshold of $2,000,000
  • Federal Bonus Depreciation defaults to 50%

Any fields that were overridden to accommodate values other than default can be corrected simply by restoring the field. To restore an overridden field, right-click, and then select Restore. The amounts will be updated to reflect the new legislation automatically.

Version 14.2

January, 2015

The following features and improvements are included in the 14.2 update:

Features

Identify each customer's PortalSafe drawer.

We've changed PortalSafe drawer names to include your customer's name, making it easier for you to identify.

Import K-1 data into 1040NR returns.

You can now import K-1 Data from 1041, 1065 or 1120S returns into 1040NR returns. For more information, see Importing K-1 Data.

News About ATX and the Tax Increase Prevention Act of 2014

President Obama recently signed into law the Tax Increase Prevention Act of 2014 which extends several tax saving advantages related to fixed assets placed into service before January 1, 2015. We are currently implementing the changes required to comply with this legislation in the next scheduled product update. However, it is important to update your ATX software to ensure that you take advantage of the enhancements we've made in anticipation of these regulatory changes:

  • We modified the Asset Global Settings / Input tab in Fixed Assets so you can manually increase your global Section 179 deduction limits until you receive the related update. All future returns will use the new maximum.
  • You can also edit State 179 maximums from the Asset Global Settings / State Calcs tab per return.
  • You can manually select Bonus depreciation for current year 2014 assets on the Qualified Special Allowance line on the Depreciation/Section 179 tab until you receive the next update.

To date, we have had minimal feedback from individual states about the new regulations. We encourage you to continue to refer to your state tax revenue Website news for additional information.

Improvements

Setup Data tooltip.

In 14.0, we added the ability to backup and restore Setup Data. If you want a list of what's included, just click the on new Setup Data information icon.

Client Letter templates now appear in Form list as designed.

Some customers may have seen that Client Letter templates were not appearing in the list of forms in a return. Now, they appear in the list as designed.

Message appears before you delete ATX returns with FAM data.

If you try to delete an ATX return that has an associated FAM client in the FAM application, ATX displays a message alerting you to the existing asset data. This message is intended to prevent you from deleting the FAM client.

Version 14.1

December, 2014

The following features and improvements are included in our first update of the 2014 tax season:

Features

Spend less time entering enrollment data.

Now, more of your enrollment data is automatically transferred from the Electronic Filing Center into ATX. Data that is now automatically populated includes Versicom (TFTI+), Protection Plus, and FeeCollect PS.

Quick Tutors are now available.

Quick Tutors are short, easy-to-follow demonstrations of specific program features and functions. They are now available from the Support menu.

IRS Device ID Incorporated into ATX.

In accordance with the 2014 IRS identify theft and fraud initiative, we have incorporated a Device ID into all e-files generated and transmitted by ATX. The Device ID — a fingerprint of a computer that creates e-files —has been implemented according to IRS requirements.

Improvements

Itemized List totals in Calculated Fields.

If you add an itemized list to a calculated field, the list's total now appears in the calculated field.

Custom Lists roll over as designed.

Custom Lists are now rolled over along with their associated tax return.

Important Note: Custom List Templates

If you use Custom List Templates, these can also be rolled over from year to year in Rollover Manager. However, Custom List Templates are user-specific and can only be rolled over by the ATX user who created them.

Version 14.0

November, 2014

Thank you for choosing ATX for your tax preparation needs.

If you’re new to ATX, please make sure to review our System Requirements. You can test your system against our requirements with our System Analysis tool.

As a reminder, we no longer support ATX on Windows® XP.

Increased Server and Application Performance

To ensure that your ATX system is consistently providing you the experience you need, we focused on fine-tuning the server performance. We have minimized the workload on the server, which, in turn, allows it to work more efficiently. On the application side, we’ve made performance improvements in data entry and rollover of supporting data (companies, payers, etc.). We will continue to pursue similar improvements in the areas that matter most, including opening returns, rollover, and adding forms to returns.

Simplified Backup and Restore Processes

Based on your feedback, we re-designed the process with ease-of-use in mind. The new process lets you:

Stay inside ATX for all backup/restore needs.

You don’t have to go to the Admin Console anymore to restore your program database or change the backup location to restore returns.

Change Backup and/or File Storage locations from Preferences.

Customers with Stand-Alone and Workstation/Server installation types can change locations in the Preferences dialog box without needing to open the Admin Console.  Changes made in ATX are automatically copied to the Admin Console, and vice-versa.  See Backup and Files Preferences.

Make additional backups easily (manual backups). 

The re-designed interface lets you make backups directly from the Backup dialog box.  Simply select a new location, such as a flash drive, and ATX backs up the data. You can restore from that location in the Restore dialog box. See Manual Backup.

Restore returns and other data to a different ATX machine.

We made the Backup and Restore folder structure and file names consistent throughout the application. This will make it easy to restore data to different ATX machines.

Backup and restore what you need, when you need it.

We’ve redesigned the Backup and Restore dialogs so that, along with returns, you can now backup and restore any combination of the following:

    • Companies
    • Payers
    • Preparers
    • Form Rates
    • Hourly Rates.

To see the new designs, see Manual Backup and Restoring Returns.

Backup and restore your Setup Data.

A new category called Setup Data can also be backed up and restored. Setup Data includes all Preferences, Security groups and users, Print Packets, custom client letters, customized master forms, EFIN enrollment data, ACKS that aren’t related to returns, FAM-specific data and PRS data.

Backup and/or restore returns on multiple pages. 

To help make Backup and Restore more consistent with other parts of ATX, we added pagination to the re-designed dialog, so you can now backup and/or restore selected returns on multiple pages simultaneously. 

Maintain consistency in your backup and file location folders. 

Your default backup and file storage folders are now year-specific: ATX 2014 Backup and ATX 2014 Files. Even if you change your backup or file locations, ATX will automatically add a year-specific folder to the new location. This helps you distinguish between data from year to year, and also prevents other data from getting mixed in with your ATX data.

Choose from a list of your last five backup or file locations.

ATX will remember your last five selections (so you don’t have to keep browsing).

Find specific backups in Windows® Explorer easily.

Backup files now contain an embedded Return Name, which makes identification easy.

See when returns were “Last Modified” and “Last Backed Up.”

Moreover, dates and times are now relative to the current time, so it’s easier to tell if you’re choosing the correct version.

See the progress of each backed up and restored item while it’s happening.

Return names and file names (such as Companies) appear in the progress dialog box.

Existing backups and files are no longer automatically transferred to newly-selected locations.  If you change backup or file locations after you’ve already stored to other locations, ATX no longer moves previously-saved data to the new location. Rather, to avoid mixing other system files with ATX data, you’ll get an alert to manually copy the files from the old location to your new location.

Set a Global Preference for E-file Status in Standard Client Letters

By default, standard client letters refer to returns that "have been e-filed" or "will be e-filed" based on e-file status when the letter is generated. If you prefer to show customers letters that reflect a static result in the process, you can now set “has been e-filed” or “will be e-filed” as the global preference on all standard letters.

New Bank Account Form

A new form has been added to centralize a taxpayer’s bank information in a single location.  Users can select different bank accounts for each jurisdiction in the return.

Pay-per-Return Funds from Any Computer

When you purchase PRS funds from the website, the funds are now visible from within ATX.  When you create a return, the cost of the return will be deducted from your PRS funds, and you’ll be able to see that in ATX. See Creating PRS Returns.

New Settlement Solution: FeeCollect PS Package

Our new FeeCollect PS package offers a variety of preferred services to assist EROs in multiple areas of their business operations. A "solutions fee," which will apply to each unique SSN/TIN, will include the following services listed below:

  • Return status notification via text, email, or phone for all returns;
  • ERO fees collected on both Refund or Balance Due federal return;
  • Multiple taxpayer options including direct deposit, debit card, or direct debit from bank account (paper check is available for an added fee);
  • Appropriate disclosure and bank application forms are automatically loaded into the return;
  • Optional Protection Plus and Check Printing add-ons are also available.

Customers in IL, NY and ME who process refund settlement products must purchase the FeeCollect PS package.

Comprehensive Calculations

Our commitment to excellence in automated forms continues with the following 2014 items:

    • More K-1 Input Worksheets for 1040: Added for the following states: AL, DE, HI, MO, MS, OR, RI, SC and VT. 
    • Revised Form 8283-Noncash Charitable Contributions: Based on your feedback, we’ve added more functionality to this form and have improved the data entry. 
    • Income Taxes Paid to Other States: We continued to enhance the flow of income and state 1040 credit calculation for income taxes paid to other states.  
    • Foreign Address Linking: Added the linking of foreign address information to every form supported within ATX (over 5,000 forms).

New Electronic Filing packages planned for TY 2014:

    • CT – 1120, 1120S, 1065
    • IL – 1041
    • MO – 1120, 1120S, 1065
    • MT – 1120, 1120S, 1065
    • NJ – 1041
    • WV – 1120, 1120S, 1065

ATX Program Help Now Hosted in the Cloud

If you’ve used Program Help, you already know that it contains a lot of information! For this very reason, we removed all those help files from your ATX install and have moved them to a cloud-based server. Not only do you get a speedier ATX install, but this move also frees up space on your system and gives us the ability to post updated Help more frequently than full version releases. In more ways than one, Help is now dynamic!

As a finishing touch, we’ve given Program Help a “facelift” to help improve readability.

Making TaxResearch® More Accessible to More Customers

To help preparers be more productive, we’ve made it easier to get your tax questions answered. Click the new Tax Research button on the toolbar to access your tax compliance library. Streamline your workflow when preparing a return by getting line explanations within the application. Simply right click and select the Tax Line Research menu option when on a form. Last but not least, access your Master Tax Guide with a simple click. Right click on any field and your Master Tax Guide is available for quick answers to essential tax questions. 

See TaxResearch® and the Master Tax Guide.

Other Enhancements

Search by SSN Without Dashes!

Find clients by entering the 9-digit Social Security Number without dashes in the Find field.

Rollover Client Letters and Templates from 2013 to 2014.

When you roll over 2013 returns that contained any type of client letter, the letter and all of its customizations will be rolled over with the return. What’s more, any Client Letter templates that you customized in 2013 for your business can also be rolled into ATX 2014. See Rollover Manager.

Import and Export Improvements

    • When importing returns, you can now choose between replacing the existing return or importing as a copy. See Importing Returns.
    • A new Export progress dialog box shows the progress of each return as it is exported. This dialog box also shows you the system path to which the return is exported. See Exporting Returns.

Add Lists to More Areas on Forms.

Insert itemized, text, or custom lists in many additional areas, such as Schedules C and E.

Set a Default Fee for Protection Plus

Increase revenue by applying a standard fee to returns for Protection Plus customers. See Enrollment Manager.

Fixed Asset Management

We’ve made the following enhancements to help you manage fixed assets:

    • Added messaging to Sale of Personal Residence feature to make this more intuitive.
    • Changed label names for Install Sale and Casualty disposition types so they are easier to understand.
    • Added messaging to “Converted to Personal Use" and "Do Not Calculate Gain/Loss Changes” disposition types to clarify usage.
    • Bulk Sale functionality improvements, including:
    • Removal of Property Type filter (which restricted types of assets that could be added to a Bulk Sale)
    • Removal of the “Various” default for Purchase Date (users should enter actual Purchase Date if e-filing)
    • Improved system messaging to provide more information on regulations and restrictions.
    • Changed the Save and Close buttons to OK and Cancel on the Bulk Dispositions dialog box.
    • Moved the most common business activities to the top of the Activities sort list.
    • We have simplified when and how assets are saved: they are saved when you save or close the return in ATX. As with all other return changes, ATX will prompt you if you’ve made asset changes but haven’t saved before trying to close the return.

The following 2014 regulatory requirements have been met for Fixed Assets:

    • Provided field on the Global Settings tab where you can change the Federal Section 179 maximum deduction.
    • Removed or revised retired Elections on the Global Settings tab in accordance with changing legislation.
    • Added messaging to the Asset Entry tab informing users when the Section 179 limits have been met.
    • Updated the Standard Mileage rate and the portion taken as depreciation to 2014 rates.