• Account Management
  • Update Firm Information
  • Update Addresses
  • Update Login Information
• PPR/ EF Activity
  • Increase PPR Balance
  • Client E-File Status
  • SBBT Funding Status
• Product Information
  • Download Products
  • Order Status
  • Product Licensing
  • Release Dates
• Support
  • Support Home
  • Top Support Topics
  • Newsletters
  • Phone Support

ProSeries Frequently Asked Questions

How do I prepare and send an Early RAL/RT Advance for my client?

Products Affected:

• ProSeries Express/1040

With ProSeries Express/1040, you can offer Early RAL/RT Advances to the following qualified clients that have their employer's Form W-2 or final 2006 pay stub in hand.

• Early RAL Advance - An Advance Loan on the Refund Anticipation Loan (RAL) in the amount of $1200 (requires a minimum refund of $2800 exclusive of fees) or $1900 (requires a minimum refund of $4500 exclusive of fees).
• Early RT Advance - An Advance Loan on the Refund Transfer (RT) in the amount of $500 to $1200. The amount of the Advance Loan is determined by the refund amount.
  
  Note: An advance Fee of $55 is deducted from each Advance Loan before it is distributed. Please refer to the SBBT Refund Processing and Refund Anticipation Loan (RAL) Application and Agreement for information on how fees are charged.

Starting on December 29, 2006, at 12:01 a.m. (PT), you will be able to begin transmitting Santa Barbara Bank & Trust RAL/RT Advance requests. Early (pre-season) RAL/RT Advances end at 12:01 a.m. on January 26, 2007. If you attempt to transmit early RAL/RT Advances after this date, you will receive an Intuit Electronic Filing Center customer service message and the "Transmit Early RAL/RT Advance Only" menu selection will be deactivated in ProSeries Express/1040. You can still file regular season RAL/RT Advances.

Important: When you offer Early RAL/RT Advances to your clients, you will be sending ONLY the RAL/RT Advance during the Early RAL/RT Advance period. When the Intuit Electronic Filing Center opens for e-filing on January 12, 2007, you will need to electronically file the corresponding tax returns for all of your Early RAL/RT Advance clients.

To transmit your client's Early RAL/RT Advance:

1. Before transmitting any Early RAL/RT Advances, select Update Installed Products from the Update menu and install all available updates.
2. Complete your client's tax return.
3. Open the RAL & RT Worksheet in the return and select the Bank Product Type for either a RAL or RT. Your client can receive the refund as a check you print or a debit to a refund cash card.
4. In the section for RAL/RT advance, make sure to select Check box to apply for an advance on a RAL or RT.
5. Important: If the refund is based on a final paystub, make sure to select Check box if advance was prepared using a paystub. Selecting this checkbox will allow wage and withholding information to be entered on the Form W-2 worksheet without requiring the employer's EIN to be entered yet.
6. Check the return for errors and correct all errors that exist in the return. Note: Early RAL/RT Advances cannot be transmitted if any errors exist in Final Review, except for the Payer's EIN on W-2 if the Advance is based on a final pay stub. Also, all forms that are part of the return must be final. Any non-final forms must be temporarily removed to process the return for an Early RAL/RT Advance. (How do I remove a form?)
7. Save the return.
8. Select the Go to EF Clients button on the toolbar.
9. Select the return in the EF Clients tab. You can only select one return at a time in the EF Clients tab when transmitting RAL/RT Advances.
10. From the E-File/Bank Products menu, point to Electronic Filing and select Transmit Early RAL/RT Advance Only. The tax return is NOT being transmitted.
11. Go to the E-file/Bank Products menu and select Check EF & BP Acknowledgment to see if the bank has approved or declined the Early RAL/RT request.
12. Information for accepted and declined clients will be listed in the EF & BP Acknowledgment log. This information is also displayed in the Advance Status column in the EF Clients tab.
13. Clients approved for Advance Loans will appear on the Bank Product Clients tab. Print your Early RAL/RT Advance checks from the Bank Products Clients tab.
14. When the Intuit Electronic Filing Center opens for e-filing on January 12, 2007, you can electronically file your client's tax return.

To electronically file your client's tax return:

Note: To locate client tax returns that were processed with an Early RAL/RT Advance, select the EF Clients tab then scroll to the right to the Early RAL/RT Transmit Date column in HomeBase. Click the top of the column to sort by the date that the Early RAL/RT was transmitted.

1. Open each return and make any necessary changes or adjustments to each client's tax return.
2. While in the return, select Check for Errors to make sure the client's tax return is ready for electronic filing.
3. If you processed an Early RAL/RT Advance based on a final paystub, make sure the Form W-2 information has been verified and that the employer's EIN has been entered.
4. Save the return.
5. Select the Go to EF Clients button on the toolbar.
6. In the EF Clients tab, select the return to transmit. Make sure that the return has a status of Return Marked for EF or Return Ready for EF in the HomeBase Status column.
7. When you're ready to transmit the return, select the Transmit EF Return button on the toolbar. Select Convert and Transmit selected returns/extensions, then click OK. The ProSeries Express/Electronic Filing software connects to the Intuit Electronic Filing Center.
8. The Online Connection indicator shows the progress of your connection. When ProSeries Express finishes transmitting returns, the Electronic Filing Transmission log indicates whether each return was successfully transmitted, and, if any returns were not successfully transmitted, the reason why they were not successful.

Additional Information

• How do I electronically file a return?

Did this information help you? Yes     No Does Not Apply     Comments about this page:   Note: You will not receive a personal response to your comment.