EFILING

[HarleyBabe]

HAS ANYONE HAD A CLIENT RECEIVE AN ERROR AND NOT LET THEM EFILE BECAUSE OF INTEGER PROBLEM? CAN'T SEEM TO FIND WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. I'M THINKING IT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE & SIGN IN THE PLAN NAME?

[ACox]

HAS ANYONE HAD A CLIENT RECEIVE AN ERROR AND NOT LET THEM EFILE BECAUSE OF INTEGER PROBLEM? CAN'T SEEM TO FIND WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. I'M THINKING IT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE & SIGN IN THE PLAN NAME?

You are correct. The name cannot contain any symbols. Take the & out and any other symbols out and you should be able to file.

[Tom Poje]

we've had a 5500 accepted and there is a '&' in the plan name so I'm not sure if that is the problem

[HarleyBabe]

we've had a 5500 accepted and there is a '&' in the plan name so I'm not sure if that is the problem

Great, this whole thing is just crazy. Also it seems you can't have parenthesis so the plan administrator phone number also must go in it's entirety because relius automatically inserts the parenthesis on area code.

[Tom Poje]

don't know. we use a different software for the 5500s - while we haven't filed many yet, so I don't have other examples, as I said , there was certainly no problem with the '&' symbol. there is always the chance the problem is at the software end - I'd be more curious if others are having the same problem you are.

[pmacduff]

We use Relius Gov Forms. I'd like to add a problem I had today with the validation - RGF did not like the "NY" for New York State. It told me that I had used an invalid foreign address code.

Now I know we can be "special" here in NY (hee hee), but what's up with that? I'd hate to get these returns to our clients for EFAST2 filing and have them reject for that.

Not to mention having to go through all the Plan names and delete the parenthesis from 401(k)!!

[HarleyBabe]

Relius has said you absolutely can't use () so, we'll be deleting that from all our 401ks. This is kind of nuts.

[D Lewis]

Our software (Ft. William) does not allow and will not save an entry if it has an "&" in it.

[mwyatt]

Anyone getting that old feeling that filing early is kind of a "no good deed goes unpunished exercise" at this point? I'm waiting for about the 3rd or 4th service pack myself before diving in on our filings.

[Lori H]

we have been told that they do not like "&" either.

[K2retire]

No &s or () is consistent with the online SS4 application process, so it shouldn't be a complete surprise to anyone.

[Tom Poje]

interesting. using ft william as well. 1 plan has already been accepted that has '&' in the company name. have 2 others out there, not completed, but the edit check produces no warning message about the use of '&' so maybe its where you are using the symbol.

[Guest Kristina K]

This is software specific.

Originally, EFAST2 was not going to allow the & or the ( ) in the Plan Name, but there were many comments and now Plan Names can have & and ( ). Some of the software providers apparently left their programming as it was originally written.

While Plan names can have ( and ), but Sponsor Names can not. Sponsor Name is the field designation for not only for the 5500 and 5500-SF, (#2a), but also for Schedule A Line 1a, Insurance Carrier Name. Normally this is not a problem unless the insurance company is John Hancock Life Insurance Co. (U.S.A.) John Hancock (USA). The Parentheses must be removed either by you or by your software.

[Lori H]

had nothing but problems with relius software. do you think they will automatically extend deadline for 2009 plan filings? especially since its right on top of EGTRRA?

[MJ Hartman]

has anyone tried to file a return directly in the dol website using ifile? I just spent a good hour loading up a late return for a client (yes they gave me all of their filing info so I could log in on their behalf) what a nightmare! there is no way this is going to work with the general public... I have never encountered such a contrived process to file an informational return online.

[K2retire]

had nothing but problems with relius software. do you think they will automatically extend deadline for 2009 plan filings? especially since its right on top of EGTRRA?

ASPPA suggested a blanket extension earlier this week. Will they grant it? Stay tuned!

[PAL]

I try to remain upbeat when after days of testing, retesting and help desk communication we find out the issues are with the software and will be "fixed with the next release". With that said, the latest release has done me in! We can no longer print 2008 Form 5500s. Last week we could, this week we can't. So, for amended form we did last week that needs one small change - we appear to be out of luck. I guess we could shift everything to the new forms & electronic filing but we've seen errors in that testing as well. (question: how could the software company's internal testing miss a validation warning that says 1 plus 1 does not equal 2?)

I don't remember the change to barcoded forms being such an issue but perhaps I'm wrong. However, there is one thing we now know for sure - EFAST2 Certification does not mean that the software actually works...

PAL

[Bill Presson]

has anyone tried to file a return directly in the dol website using ifile? I just spent a good hour loading up a late return for a client (yes they gave me all of their filing info so I could log in on their behalf) what a nightmare! there is no way this is going to work with the general public... I have never encountered such a contrived process to file an informational return online.

We've filed two of the directly while waiting on everyone else to test Relius Web Client for us.

I agree that it's pretty ridiculous. Not sure I would post anything about the credentials.