Ultra Tax Efile Access

Key tips and advice the working tax pro can use.
#1
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We have switched to Ultra tax this year. Am I correct in thinking that there are no built-in controls for e-filing? My employer is the only one in the office who signs returns, but it appears that I could, if I care to, create an e-file and send it in at pretty much any point.

Is there a way to restrict access? What we would like is:
Preparer (me): Unable to e-file, but helpful if I could retrieve acknowledgements
Employer: Able to create an e-file and transmit
Admin: Able to transmit but not create an e-file.

In other words, employer has control over what is filed, but can delegate the actual transmission to an admin person. We have adequate controls for handling Form 8879.
 

#2
sjrcpa  
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Setup, Security Configuration. Different Groups have different rights. You assign Users to Groups. You can limit efiling, overrides, etc.
 

#3
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TYVM. That is most helpful.
 

#4
makbo  
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SumwunLost wrote:We have switched to Ultra tax this year. Am I correct in thinking that there are no built-in controls for e-filing? My employer is the only one in the office who signs returns, but it appears that I could, if I care to, create an e-file and send it in at pretty much any point.

Is there a way to restrict access?

At a very coarse level, that is mostly incorrect, in that the requirement to efile a return under UltraTax is to have MFA enabled for the user login. So, if only the employer (owner) is set up for MFA, then only the employer can originate efiles to the transmitter (vendor providing efile service).
 

#5
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Re UltraTax efiling: the only issue I've had with UT efiling has been their efiling tracking. About half a dozen times over the past two years the efile status of returns was simply missing. "rebuilding" for the missing client or all clients via the local app never fixed that. Would have to call TR and they would have to "rehang" some or all of the clients for a particular year and type of return. Had to do it for 2017 1040 yesterday.
 

#6
makbo  
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lenraphael wrote: About half a dozen times over the past two years the efile status of returns was simply missing.

From previous posts, I assume you have multiple workstations in your firm? Are they server-based for UT software? I don't think you would have this problem as a solo, at least I never have. Are you sure that efile acks are always being downloaded on just one central workstation?

I normally download acks on my desktop workstation, and then regularly copy the "office sys" directory to my backup notebook workstation, to keep them in sync. Otherwise, the acks I download on one workstation would never be seen on the other (the ack is not part of the client tax datafile, it is stored locally as part of the sytem config).
 

#7
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yes multiple workstations, server based UT. The problem can't be that uncommon because first tier techs know what to do .
 

#8
makbo  
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lenraphael wrote:yes multiple workstations, server based UT. The problem can't be that uncommon because first tier techs know what to do .

Agreed, it's probably not uncommon. As a former techie, I'm inclined to defend it on behalf of UT as not so much a bug, but rather a configuration problem, one you could probably avoid if willing to take extra steps, but one that it is also easy to work around, by contacting support.

By the same token, you as a customer have every right to expect the configuration to be easier to implement than it appears to be.

My goal being, to point out this isn't necessarily a failure in UT's efile ack process due to unreliable/buggy software or vendor servers being flaky.
 

#9
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maybe, but never had that problem with ProFx or GST.

Scary when you know you submitted a 1040 extension with a multi million dollar payment, that you got an acceptance email, but there's nothing showing on the UT efile status list.
 

#10
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lenraphael wrote:yes multiple workstations, server based UT. The problem can't be that uncommon because first tier techs know what to do .


We have the same issue. Server installation, all acks are downloaded on the terminal server (not local machines). After having several years in a row of about 50 - 100 per year we had one year where it topped 500.

An internal review and conversation with UT revealed it happens when we send more than 10 - 15 returns in at a time. Particularly if more than one person tried to access efiling while someone else was downloading acks.

MFA has mostly fixed this as we had one partner who refused to abide by set efiling times by the other partners from March to April.
 

#11
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Happened to me several times over last two years. Never sent in more than half a dozen of anything at a time.
 


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