2021 S-corp Alabama Business Privilege Tax - Bug Report

[AlabamaTaxman]

Lacerte - 2021 S-corp module for Alabama - Bug Report

Business Privilege Tax (BPT): The program seems to assume that if this is the first return filed through Lacerte that the BPT is the Initial BPT (which is due 2 1/2 months after the company is created). The program requires an incorporation date in 2022. The Critical Diagnostic has ref #2057372.

This doesn't make sense. If the company was incorporated in 2022, there wouldn't be a 2021 S-corp return.

For companies created in a prior year, e.g., 2019, that year should be allowed in the inputs, and a regular annual BPT form (Form PPT 2022 for 2021 returns) should be generated. I have to suppress the BPT in Lacerte so I can file the return and then create the BPT form outside of Lacerte which makes for extra work.

Can anyone push this up to the programmers and see if they can fix this?

I consider it a serious bug because I can't generate the correct BPT form within Lacerte. One thing I like about Lacerte is that all of the forms I need are included, even if some can't be filed electronically.

It would also be helpful if electronic filing of the BPT could be enabled. The form is required for every entity registered in the State of Alabama so electronic filing would help all Lacerte users of the Alabama modules.