ATX 2015 Release Notes

Version 15.0

Date Version: November 2015

Thank you for choosing ATX as your tax preparation software! The entire team that designs, builds, tests and supports ATX has only one goal in mind: to provide you with a powerful solution that helps your business achieve improved workflow efficiency and tax compliance.

To ensure that your system is ready for the newest version of ATX, please review the System Requirements. You can also test your system against those requirements with our System Analysis tool.

Windows® 10 is fully supported for ATX 2015. Before upgrading computers that currently have an earlier Windows version installed, please refer to Knowledge Library Answer ID 15351 for important information.

The new Edge browser included with Windows 10 currently has limitations with respect to required functionality. Microsoft offers the option to use Internet Explorer 11 rather than the Edge browser and the ATX team recommends that customers choose that option until Edge is more fully developed.

How ATX Is Responding To IRS Approach To Pending Extenders Legislation

With Congress still considering legislation that impacts 2015 tax returns, the IRS has communicated its decision to leave forms in 2014 format and replace line descriptions with lapsed tax provisions of “Reserved.” Given the IRS approach, ATX will follow these guidelines to ensure additional flexibility in handling late legislative changes:

  • Preliminary form versions with Reserved fields will be released with a Draft watermark.
  • All calculations regarding expired provisions will be based off 2014 tax law in anticipation that some or all will be extended retroactively by Congress. Reserved fields will be completed, if applicable.
  • Current 2015 tax rates, limitations, and thresholds are being used within these calculations.

As always, we will continue our close monitoring of both Congressional and IRS activity so we can provide you with best response time possible when these regulatory decisions are finalized.

Comprehensive Calculations

Our commitment to excellence in automated forms continues with the following 2015 items:

  • Income Taxes Paid to Other States: No longer requires the nonresident state form to be present in the return. Individual states can be added manually to calculate the credit.
  • ACA additional support: Added additional IRS worksheets for the 8962, 8965 and self-employed health insurance deduction.
  • Due dates adjusted for Holidays: Federal and state return due dates, estimated payments and extension dates are now automatically adjusted for recognized holidays, such as Martin Luther King Day and Emancipation Day.
  • New Electronic Filing packages planned for 2015:
  • CO – 1041
  • CT – 1041
  • GA – 1041
  • IN – 1120S, 1065
  • LA – 1120
  • ME – 1120, 1120S, 1065
  • MI Detroit – 1040
  • NC – 1120 , 1120S, 1065
  • OH – 1041
  • OR – 1065
  • UT – 1041
  • VT – 1120, 1120S, 1065, 1041

ATX Advantage customers also benefit from these exclusive calculation enhancements:

  • Income Taxes Paid to Other States: Saves time and eliminates errors by automating the flow of income and state 1040 credit calculation for income taxes paid to other states.
  • Education Expense Optimization: Quickly handles the thousands of calculations required to correctly optimize education expenses for the American Opportunity credit, Lifetime Learning credit or tuition and fees deduction in order to calculate the lowest tax liability. Included in the optimization are considerations for regular tax, AMT, capital gains and ACA tax calculations for up to 5 students in a single return.

What’s New in ATX 2015?

Import Print Packets Settings

Save setup time -- create your print packets in one user and then have all other users import the print packet settings.

Discard Multiple Forms

Use the Discard Multiple Forms command feature when you want to remove more than one form from a return. This command menu item also deletes any data you have entered on that form.

Client Letter- New “Will Be Printed” Option

When you want to attach a Client Letter to a paper filed return, use the Letter Options tab and select the "will be printed" check box. The included letter text will indicate that the return will be paper filed.

ATX Launches Fully Maximized

ATX now launches fully maximized to take advantage of larger screens. It also remembers any application size settings you apply.

Enhanced Asset Management

To assist preparers who need greater asset management functionality, we incorporated several asset management features from our Fixed Asset Manager (FAM) product into ATX. Enhanced Asset Management is included with our new ATX Advantage package or can be purchased as an add-on to any other ATX package.

Enhanced Asset Management functionality gives users the ability to:

  • Duplicate assets
  • Split an asset into several separate assets based on the original asset’s basis
  • Create a multiple asset account (pool) where components of the group can be added or removed
  • Calculate the maximum Section 179 deduction for multiple assets
  • Create and assign custom groupings for assets (Asset Classifications)
  • Enhanced Reporting capabilities:
  • View, print and modify up to 13 robust standard Federal, AMT, and State reports
  • Create your own reports with the Custom Reports Wizard
  • View and print projected yearly depreciation for the entire life of assets with Asset History
  • Rollover custom reports and asset classifications into ATX 2015 (from FAM 2014)

30 Day Free Trial Of Enhanced Asset Management

To activate a free trial of Enhanced Asset Management, click the 30-Day Enhanced Asset Trial link on the Fixed Assets toolbar and follow the on-screen instructions.

Fixed Asset 2015 Regulatory Changes

Bonus Depreciation And Section 179

50% Bonus depreciation and Section 179 limits ($500,000) remain at 2014 levels based on the assumption that legislation will, once again, extend these tax advantages for assets placed in service in 2015. Updates will be issued as needed in future releases.

Vehicle Auto Limit Changes For Autos Placed In Service In 2015

The following changes are in effect:

  • Standard Mileage/Depreciation: For luxury autos placed in service in 2015, the standard mileage rate has been increased to 57.5 cents per mile and the standard mileage depreciation component to 24 cents per mile.
  • Luxury Autos (Category V, sub-category 5 and Category A, sub-category 19): For the first three tax years, depreciation limits are $3,160, $5,100, and $3,050, respectively, and $1,875 for each succeeding year.
  • Trucks/Vans (Category V, sub-category 7 and Category A, sub-category 21): For the first three tax years, depreciation limits are $3,460, $5,600, and $3,350, respectively, and $1,975 for each succeeding year.

Tax Research

Our new Tax Research menu gives instant access to some of the most powerful tools in CCH® IntelliConnect® so you can quickly find reliable answers to your tax questions.

  • CCH IntelliConnect Practice Aids boost your productivity while maintaining a high level of accuracy with interactive charts and tables, worksheets, checklists and more. CCH Tax Prep Partner Series is loaded with Microsoft® Word and Excel®-based practice aids to help you work more efficiently and reduce costs. Practice aids are available for 1040, 1041, 1065, 1120, and 1120S returns.
  • The Search Online button opens your browser from inside ATX to quickly start your online tax research. You can use Google to search and display results from the internet and your CCH IntelliConnect library at the same time with the CCH IntelliConnect Browser plugin. No more alternating between research tools! This is a FREE browser plug-in which you can use with any active CCH IntelliConnect subscription.
  • The Client Letter Toolkit contains over 400 professional letters already prepared on a variety of tax topics. Why spend time writing your own?

CCH iFirm

This release contains our initial integration of CCH iFirm Practice Manager, a set of online tools designed to help you benefit from efficiency and visibility into your accounting practice like never before.

Export Contacts To CCH iFirm

To help populate your CCH iFirm Contacts database, this new feature accesses your prior year installation of ATX, extracts Filer contact information and seamlessly rolls that information forward, loading it to your CCH iFirm site. After adding your CCH iFirm account information to Preferences in ATX, simply open Rollover Manager and look for the CCH iFirm menu.

To learn more about managing your tax and accounting business with CCH iFirm, request a custom demonstration or attend one of our tri-weekly webinars.

Request A Custom Demonstration

See Webinar Schedule