Microsoft Windows 11 Not Supported for 2021 Software

  At this time, we are unable to officially support our 2021 software products on the new Microsoft Windows 11 operating system for the upcoming tax season.  While preliminary testing against the preview versions has shown positive results, the final release candidate of Windows 11 has not yet been released to us and therefore we have been unable to test our 2021 software for full compatibility with Windows 11.  After the final release candidate for Windows 11 is released to us, we will commence our compatibility testing.  The projected official release of Windows 11 is late 2021 and as such we do not anticipate officially supporting the new operating system for the 2021/2022 tax season. We will communicate any change in the support policy for our 2021 software once Microsoft officially releases the operating system and our compatibility testing is complete. Click here for more information on Windows 11.

Modernized e-File (MeF) is Unavailable Due to an Extended Maintenance Window

 MeF Production and Assurance Testing System (ATS) are currently unavailable due to an extended maintenance window.  The MeF systems will be available at 1:00 p.m. Eastern.

Please monitor the MeF Operational Status page for any future updates.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Spanish Chat Support LIVE

We here at Refunds Today have been proudly serving the Latino community of tax preparers for over the past decade. In an effort to provide the best customer service possible, we are now excited to announce that we will be offering Live Chat Support in Spanish for all of our customers. If you have any questions or concerns, please be sure to click the link below to chat with a Spanish-speaking support representative today.

Chat Now

E-file Deadline April 15th Midnight EDT

We strongly encourage you to transmit your e-files at least two hours before the midnight (eastern daylight time) deadline.

As the April 15th deadline approaches, the processing volume at the IRS will increase. Both return volume and return size will affect processing time. While you are accustomed to receiving your Federal acknowledgements within a one hour time-frame, that turnaround time will increase as the deadline approaches. You may see your acknowledgements take from 2 to 4 hours, and possibly longer.

This is why we suggest that you send returns periodically throughout the day. This will help spread out the volume and also help eliminate some of the 'deadline rush' which also impacts IRS processing.

Taxpayers have until Monday, April 15, 2019 to file their 2018 returns and pay any taxes due.

Taxpayers requesting an extension will have until Tuesday, October 15, 2019 to file.

C-corporation income tax returns (IRS Form 1120) are due on April 15, 2019 for C corporations that operate on a calendar year, extended deadline is October 15, 2019.  The deadline for C corp returns is the 15th day of the fourth month following the end of the corporation's fiscal year if the corporation is on a fiscal rather than a calendar year.

For calendar year Estates and Trusts, file Form 1041 and Schedule(s) K-1 on or before April 15, 2019.  For fiscal year estates, file Form 1041 by the 15th day of the 4th month following the close of the tax year. For example, an estate that has a tax year that ends on June 30, 2019, must file Form 1041 by October 15, 2019. If the due date falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, file on the next business day.

Expectations for Agency ACK Response Beginning This Weekend

Beginning this weekend, agencies will begin to actively manage the increasing volume of e-files as we approach the Individual filing deadline. This agency process, known as "throttling," ensures that both federal and state e-filing pipelines continue to flow smoothly while handling the increased volume.

During this period, you can expect some slower ACK responses than are typical for the rest of the season; however, slowed agency responses are normal for this time period.

How to Resolve Your Most Common EFC Rejects

Have you received one of the following EFC rejects recently?

- EFC 14 (Bank Application Previously Submitted)

- EFC 38 (Program or Forms Updates Needed)

- EFC 41 (Return Changed after E-File created)

- EFC 90 (Settlement Solutions Agreement has not been accepted)

If so, the following article outlines some of the reasons for these common rejects (and many more), as well as some easy tips (or KB articles) for resolving them:

What are the Electronic Filing Center (EFC) rejection codes for Refunds Today®, or Refunds Today® Online™?

Longer then Normal Hold Times Today

Sorry we are experiencing longer than normal hold times.
We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your patience.

Reject 91

If you have been holding returns with a Reject 91- you are able to resubmit them today.

Pre-Acknowledgement Status

To check the status of your clients pre-acknowledgement loans please visit your bank partners website.  Your bank partner will have the latest up to the minute information regarding your clients status.

Here is a list of our partners websites:

EPS Financial
Refund Advantage
TPG, 3Fund and FeeCollectPS

IRS Confirms Tax Filing Season to Begin January 28

WASHINGTON ― Despite the government shutdown, the Internal Revenue Service today confirmed that it will process tax returns beginning January 28, 2019 and provide refunds to taxpayers as scheduled.

“We are committed to ensuring that taxpayers receive their refunds notwithstanding the government shutdown. I appreciate the hard work of the employees and their commitment to the taxpayers during this period,” said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig.

Congress directed the payment of all tax refunds through a permanent, indefinite appropriation (31 U.S.C. 1324), and the IRS has consistently been of the view that it has authority to pay refunds despite a lapse in annual appropriations. Although in 2011 the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) directed the IRS not to pay refunds during a lapse, OMB has reviewed the relevant law at Treasury’s request and concluded that IRS may pay tax refunds during a lapse.

The IRS will be recalling a significant portion of its workforce, currently furloughed as part of the government shutdown, to work. Additional details for the IRS filing season will be included in an updated FY2019 Lapsed Appropriations Contingency Plan to be released publicly in the coming days.

“IRS employees have been hard at work over the past year to implement the biggest tax law changes the nation has seen in more than 30 years,” said Rettig.

As in past years, the IRS will begin accepting and processing individual tax returns once the filing season begins. For taxpayers who usually file early in the year and have all of the needed documentation, there is no need to wait to file. They should file when they are ready to submit a complete and accurate tax return.

The filing deadline to submit 2018 tax returns is Monday, April 15, 2019 for most taxpayers. Because of the Patriots’ Day holiday on April 15 in Maine and Massachusetts and the Emancipation Day holiday on April 16 in the District of Columbia, taxpayers who live in Maine or Massachusetts have until April 17, 2019 to file their returns.

Software companies and tax professionals will be accepting and preparing tax returns before Jan. 28 and then will submit the returns when the IRS systems open later this month. The IRS strongly encourages people to file their tax returns electronically to minimize errors and for faster refunds.

IRS Announces MeF Shutdown and Cutover Dates for Business Returns

IRS has announced the shutdown and cutover of the Modern E-File System (MeF) for Business Returns as a precursor for Tax Year 2018. To ensure that all Business tax returns e-filed through the MeF system are processed in a timely manner, submissions must occur before IRS completes its shut down of the system on Wednesday, December 26, 2018 at 11:59 p.m. (EST).          

In order to allow the states ample time for processing these returns, the Wolters Kluwer E-File Center (EFC) will stop accepting business returns (both federal and state) for the current processing year at 7:59 p.m. (EST) on December 21, 2018. E-file submissions for Tax Year 2015, Tax Year 2016 and Tax Year 2017 are included in this change.  Because not all state agencies process returns in “real-time”, this schedule should allow sufficient time for agencies to post their acknowledgements for the WK EFC to pick up prior to the system shutting down. 

After the shutdown occurs, the WK EFC will not accept business returns (federal and/or state) until IRS comes back online in early January 2019.  This includes preparers being able to pick up any outstanding acknowledgements. The WK EFC will stop accepting communication requests for these Tax Years on December 26, 2018 at 11:59 p.m. (EST).

IMPORTANT NOTE:

Tax Year 2015 returns will no longer be eligible for e-filing after 7:59 p.m. (EST) on December 21, 2018.

IRS Announces MeF Shutdown and Cutover Dates

IRS has announced that the Modern e-File System (MeF) will commence its annual shutdown and cutover maintenance period on Saturday, November 17, 2018, at 11:59 p.m. in order to prepare the system for the upcoming Tax Year 2018 Filing Season

See the full text of the announcement here.

Preparers should note that all 1040 returns will need to be held until e-File production resumes in January 2019 or will need to be paper filed during the shutdown period.

The Two-Step Verification Process

In October 2018, Refunds Today (or National Tax School) will incorporate a Two-Step Verification Process when logging into certain solutions. This security process leverages two authentication factors to increase assurance that the individual attempting to access vital data is who they declare to be. The authentication factors that Refunds Today (or National Tax School) use are:

• Possession factors (Something you have, such as a key fob, smartphone, or external email account)
• Knowledge factors (Something you know, such as username and password or answers to security questions)

The Importance of a Two-Step Verification Process 

Cybercriminals would have a difficult time accessing your client’s data. Here’s why: after entering the password, our two-step verification process requires first-time users to enter a one-time passcode that is sent to a registered/validated telephone or email. That code must be entered within five minutes to verify the user’s identity. This criminal would need physical control of the user’s mobile device or would need immediate access to the user’s email address. Here is the current list of Small Firms Solutions that are impacted by the two-step verification process: 

• Online Check Printing (OCP)
• Support Site for Refunds Today
• National Tax School