- quote -

I said only that I used an ERO. I am not an ERO.

--
Vic Roberts
Replace xxx with vdr in e-mail address.

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- quote -

And not even that is necessary. He said he was an ERO so he
could use the Practitioner PIN, which does not require any
info from the previous return. Maybe that's why they
fingerprint EROs.

--
Don EA in Upstate NY

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Harlan Lunsford wrote:
- quote -

Good luck with that one. (800) 829-4933 has voice menus
only; one can NEVER contact a person through it. The phone
number is worthless. You need to have your client write a
letter to the IRS explaining the events.

[The menus are as follows:
Level one - choice of language: 1 for English, 2 for Spanish.
Level two - three choices:
1) Where to get a form 3949.
2) Where to file a completed form 3949.
3) How to send a letter in lieu of a form 3949.
If you pick NONE of them, it repeats the choices, then hangs
up 45 seconds later. Picking any of these choices plays a
message, then returns - never forwards to a real person. I
know because I called it in mid-February 2006 and tried all
three selections. Worthless.]

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Victor Roberts <xxx[at]lighting-research.com> wrote:

- quote -

It actually removes _all_ levels of protection when a 3rd
party is sitting at the keyboard and *neither* spouse is
present or reviews the return at all prior to e-filing using
TurboTax.

No protection what-so-ever other than knowing some
information from the previous years return, but if the last
years return was done on the _same computer_ TurboTax will
automatically find that previous return and fill in that
so-called verification data.

--
-Ernie-

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kamlet[at]panix.com (Arthur Kamlet) wrote:
- quote -

I e-filed this year using TaxAct from 2nd Story Software, an
ERO. My status was MFJ. My wife and I jointly prepared the
return, we both reviewed it and when I sat down at my
computer to e-file the return I did ask her one more time if
she was satisfied that the return was ready to go. However,
only my fingers touched the keyboard during the e-file
process and it was obvious to me at the time that the e-file
process removes one level of protection for the spouse who
is not sitting at the computer.

With no real signature on the return, there is an important
bit of evidence missing from any future investigation if a
husband and wife are feuding and one decides to file a joint
return without the other's approval. (Of course, it would
not have mattered from an evidentiary point of view if we
had both entered our own information when the return we
e-filed.)

--
Vic Roberts
Replace xxx with vdr in e-mail address.

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Victor Roberts <xxx[at]lighting-research.com> wrote:
- quote -

When the filing is done through an Electronic Return Originator
(ERO), the ERO, who has been checked out by the IRS and
authorized to file the return, certifies under penalties of
perjury that it is prepared according to the efiling rules.

__
Art Kamlet ArtKamlet [at] AOL.com Columbus OH K2PZH

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Thanks Harlan.

You pretty much confirmed what I had believed for quite some
time about joint accounts. We have clients who always get
direct deposit, but the account they have us deposit it into
only has ONE name on the check. Of course, both names could
be on the account and each person have their own checks.

I guess in the case of my friend, his estranged wife had the
refund deposited in her account (yes, without his knowledge)
but then again, she was the only one who had income and
withholding so in her view at least this was fair. I won't
comment on what his opinion is, though. <G
The single person issue was one I was really curious about.
Thanks for clearing that one up. The client who had the
refund direct deposited and claimed it wasn't her is single.
That pretty much means if she indeed did not authorize
direct deposit into her account that someone committed
fraud. She told us that she has contacted the IRS and will
be filling out a Form 3911 (I think I have the numbers right
on that--doing it from memory). We don't expect to ever
hear from her again but if we do, I'll let you know what
happens. I'll also pass along the information about
contacting CID.

Thanks!

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Harlan Lunsford <hlunsford[at]bellsouth.net> wrote:
- quote -

Returns filed electronically don't require a real signature
- I believe the only info needed is the SSN of both
taxpayers, plus perhaps a PIN number that the taxpayers make
up when they file. (It's been a couple of months since I
filed.) How does the IRS ever determine if both taxpayers
actually "signed" returns that were filed electronically?
Seems like a problem when spouses are fighting.

--
Vic Roberts
Replace xxx with vdr in e-mail address.

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clj1219[at]bellsouth.net wrote:

- quote -

No. A refund on a joint return may be deposited into either
a joint account, or other account of either spouse. Both
by signing agree of course.

- quote -

That is the hangup many times, when I ask if client wants
direct deposit and when I look at the check maybe the older
mother also has her daughter's name on the account. Dept
of Treasury (not IRS) says must be a single owner account.

- quote -

Here is fraud and a case for CID. Your client should
contact that agency of the IRS.

ChEAr$,
Harlan Lunsford, EA n LA

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I need some answers from someone who knows the reality and
not what the IRS says is supposed to be reality. <G> I
actually have three questions, but all are concerning direct
deposit of refunds.

The first question is, if a couple file a joint return is it
an absolute MUST that both names are on the account into
which they have a refund direct deposited? I know the IRS
says that yes, this is a must, but is it truly? I have a
friend who says that his estranged wife filed a joint return
which he neither gave his information to file nor gave his
authorization by signing a return. He also says that the
refund check went directly into an account with only her
name. I firmly believe she must have filed a separate
return but he says no that it was a joint return (apparently
she told him she filed jointly).

The second question is, if a person files single or HOH,
does it matter if there is a second name on the account into
which a direct deposit is requested? For instance, a parent
or significant other.

Third question, what penalties would be involved if someone
.....shall we say, misdirected a refund into an account that
it should not have gone into. Specifically, we have a tax
client who had a tax return filed for them and she claims it
was not filed by her. A direct deposit was made into an
account. She claims it is not her account, that she did not
file the return nor did she receive the refund. Obviously,
someone did file a return and did receive the refund. The
return we prepared for her is still sitting in our office
waiting for her to pick it up so we know for a fact that we
did not submit a return for her. Just curious what
penalties and charges the person who filed the return and
received the refund might face.

<< ================================================== ===== > << The foregoing is intended for educational purposes only > << and does NOT constitute legal OR professional advice. > << > << The Charter and the Guidelines for submitting > << messages to this newsgroup are at www.asktax.org. > << Copyright (2006) - All rights reserved. > << ================================================== ===== >