Critical Situation : Texas taxpayers caught in a bind over ProSeries lack to filing date changes

[DennisM]

All individual and many business taxpayers are directly affected by IRS' extension of time to file and pay tax returns until June 15 due to the severe weather impact.  There are three scenarios which affect these returns:

1.  We file with the current deadlines:  file/pay ES by 4/15 and 1040 by 5/17.  ProSeries Pro allows this and is currently set up to handle these dates.  However, these dates do not (will not?) allow the extended due dates for Texas residents.

2.  We file with the extended due dates of 6/15 for both ES and 1040.  The return will error out and not allow electronic filing if the preparer places the 6/15 date in the return payment.  There's also no way to change the ES withdrawal dates.

3.  File the return on 6/15 and the first and second ES installments the same date.  The problem is that method causes the TP to have to deal with IRS Direct Pay for all three amounts at the same time, amounting to a very large 'hit'.  As tax professionals, this is not a responsible approach to our clients who trust us to handle all these items and for them not to have to 'deal' with IRS themselves, even if they're able.

When can we tell our clients that all this will be fixed??  They can't understand and certainly don't appreciate the "Oh, my tax software decided not to fix this problem so you have to do it yourself" comment we tell them in explanation.  They say "Hey, the software shows that we live in Texas so the other dates should apply".  I must admit, I agree.

ProSeries, are you going to fix this ??

[TaxGuyBill]

I could be completely wrong here, but I don't think ProSeries has EVER accommodated the payment dates for extended deadlines due to state disasters.  Assuming that is the case, I doubt if they ever will.

The taxpayers need to suck it up.  If they want the convenience of you setting up the payment, they can pay it on April 15th.  If they really want to pay it later, they need to take responsibility and pay it.  Your clients are not children; they should know how to pay their own bills by themselves.

[dascpa]

I agree with TaxGuyBill.  Clients are able to take on their own responsibility of paying their own bills.  I'm sure you're aware the taxpayer can pay at https://www.irs.gov/payments or they can set up for future payments at www.eftps.gov.

It's okay to offer a service but it's not our responsibility in every situation.  We need to stop babying our clients.

[Mark Brockman]

I believe this is an IRS e-file problem, not a tax software problem.

On 4/14/2021, I tried to e-file an individual income tax return for a client who lives in Texas.  The IRS rejected the e-filed return because the payment date I had chosen was 6/15/2021.  I have to choose a payment date no later than 5/17/2021.  So even though I had unchecked the box for error checking (in Pro Series) at the time of submitting the tax return for e-filing, the IRS still rejected the e-filed return, solely due to a scheduled payment date that is after the due date of 5/17/2021.

Obviously the IRS e-file system is not set up to differentiate between tax returns for Texas residents vs. tax returns for other taxpayers.  This is an IRS e-file problem, not a problem that Intuit can fix.  Intuit is stuck the same as the preparer.  None of us has the ability to change the e-file system.

I am not happy with the IRS.