Updates for 2023 Editions of Tax Preparer
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Final releases for the 2023 filing season:
Tax Preparer 1040 Release 2023.01g
California 540 Release 2023.01a
Partnership 1065 Release 2023.01
As we transition to the 2024 filing season (for tax year 2023 returns), make sure you have the latest changes for the tax season just ended.
You'll need them to make sure you file the most accurate amended or late returns and to view or print previously filed returns mnost reliably.
If you have already installed Release 2023.01 or later, you can update to Release 2023.01g from this page.
Unless you already updated to release 2023.01a, this release is MANDATORY for anyone who will prepare any returns with dependents because it adds Schedule 8812, which is required to figure
and claim the child tax credit or credit for other dependents.
The complete program for Tax Preparer 1040 is also available for on-line download
(or immediate shipping for those who order a CD).
Those who already ordered a 2023 Tax Preparer product should have received an email from us with a link to their private download page for the product.
Be sure to contact us if you already ordered but did not yet receive the email, so that you can download your product without delay.
Similarly, the complete program for California 540 is available for on-line download
(or immediate shipping for those who order a CD).
Those who already ordered the 2023 California 540 product should have received an email from us with a link to their private download page for the product.
Be sure to contact us if you already ordered but did not yet receive the email, so that you can download your product without delay.
And the complete program for Partnership 1065 is available for on-line download
(or immediate shipping for those who order a CD).
Those who already ordered the 2023 Partnership 1065 product should have received an email from us with a link to their private download page for the product.
Be sure to contact us if you already ordered but did not yet receive the email, so that you can download your product without delay.
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A drama-free tax season coming next year!
Back to normal.
The last filing season was a relief from the massive changes and IRS delays of the previous two Covid-influenced seasons,
even though Form 1040 and Schedule 1 grew once again. Things were back to normal and our software was ready for release
by the time the IRS opened the tax season on January 23. Moreover, we were able to fully update our on-screen manuals,
which were largely put on hold during the Covid years. We expect the same normality to continue. Most changes will come
from the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which includes a number of credit enhancements for tax year 2023. However,
most of those changes are handled by straightforward changes to existing forms, including Form 3468 for investment in a
broad range of energy projects, Form 5695 for energy efficient home improvements, and Form 8936 for domestically-produced
clean energy vehicles. And with the two houses of Congress controlled by different parties, the likelihood of other big
changes is low. So... we anticipate no major delays for the next filing season and a timely release of your Tax Preparer software.
Get ready now!
Order now and you'll
have the peace of mind that you're set for the next filing season.
Just click the above yellow starburst to order future, current, or past Tax Preparer software.
(You can also order by mail or phone. We accept all checks and major credit cards.)
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Impact of Inflation Reduction Act of 2022
on returns for tax year 2022
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, enacted August 16, 2022, includes a number of provisions that affect returns for 2022, but their
effect on the IRS forms for 2022 are benign. By contrast, the American Rescue Plan of 2021 added complex enhancements to the Earned Income Credit,
Child Tax Credit, and Credit for Child and Dependent Care Expenses and greatly added complexity of the related forms. But those complexities disappear
for 2022, making only the changes from the recent act of consequence. Those changes include simple changes for Form 5695 because of enhancement
or reinstatement of certain energy-saving credits and Form 8962 because an extension of a benefit that was new for 2021 for middle-income taxpayers.
Most other changes affect only the amounts of various credits, or the caps on certain requirements for them. As a result, you will see changes stemming from
the bill only in the details in the forms but not their structure.
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TIPS on moving Tax Preparer to a new computer or upgrading an old one.
Moving to a new computer? If you bought a new computer and want to copy your prior-year data to that
computer for translation, see the last few pages of Chapter 14 of the new User's Guide
(pages 14-13 through 14-18).
It provides useful information and tips on moving Tax Preparer data from one computer to another, backed
by examples for four common scenarios.
NEW: Upgrading old computer to Windows 10? If you upgrade an existing computer to Windows 10, you may encounter
printing or start-up problems:
- Printing: You may have to update the driver for your printer if graphic forms in Tax Preparer
do not print properly. While the Windows 10 upgrade automatically installs the required new drivers for most popular printers
of recent vintage, it does not update drivers for older or less popular printers, many of which did not yet have Windows 10
drivers available when Windows 10 was first released.
You may therefore have to install a new driver from the website for the manufacturer of the printer, if available.
- Start-up (32-bit only): Tax Preparer may not start because of a change
in settings that Microsoft's upgrade to Windows 10 imposes automatically for 32-bit versions of Windows 10.
To change the settings back to the ones required by Tax Preparer,
see Customer Service Memo CSTP1503.
(No such problem exists for 64-bit versions of Windows 10, which are generally installed when you upgrade a 64-bit computer
to Windows 10.)
Additional help.
Some people have had perplexing problems this year for which there were not immediate solutions. These include
failure of the installation programs, failure of Tax Preparer to start, inability to access tax data,
and inability for e-file transmission software to find e-file output to transmit. All of the problems are caused by either
aggressive anti-virus software or non-standard computer setups. However, convenient solutions for all
problems are available and are described in two new memos on our Bulletins page:
- CSTP1501:
How to ensure proper installation and updating of Tax Preparer.
- CSTP1502:
How to avert inability to run Tax Preparer's start-up .vbs file.
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32-bit and 64-bit compatibility!
Since shortly before the 2015 filing season, Tax Preparer has been
compatible with all versions of Windows 8, 8.1, and 10, including both 32-bit and 64-bit versions,
and all other Windows versions as far back as Windows XP, whether 32-bit or 64-bit.
Although greatly modified for 64-bit Windows,
the familiar look and feel of Tax Preparer remains the same.
You will have no problem installing or running our software on a new Windows 8, 8.1, or 10 computer,
most of which are preloaded with a 64-bit version of Windows.
However, Windows 10 may require an updated print driver or, for 32-bit versions,
a change in default settings as detailed in Customer Service Memo CSTP1503.
(Prior to this time, in order to use Tax Preparer on a 64-bit machine
you had to install additional software that created a virtual 32-bit machine
and then install Tax Preparer within that virtual machine,
which could sometimes be difficult and costly.)
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TIPS for paid preparers: Don't forget the mandatory annual registration of your PTIN.
You must register with the IRS to practice in 2019 as a paid preparer. REMEMBER, you must renew your PTIN
annually each year you want to prepare returns for clients. And don't forget about mandatory e-file. (See our 2011 HowardNews
for information on both mandatory registration and mandatory e-file.) You are now required to e-file your clients' returns except for returns that
cannot be handled by your e-file software or returns that your clients do not want to be e-filed.
However, even if you find that you are
not required to e-file many of your returns, there are plenty of reasons for adding e-file to your practice anyway. Read
Why e-file? on our home page for details.
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These on-line updates can be used only by those who have already installed
a prior release of the same program for the same filing season.
(For the last on-line updates for the prior tax season, click the 2022 EDITIONS button near the top of this page.)
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Tax Preparer
(Form 1040)
Release 2023.01g now available.
(Updated 3/27/2023.)
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Partnership Edition
(Form 1065)
Release 2023.01 now available.
(Updated 4/3/2023.)
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California Supplement
(Form 540)
Release 2023.01a now available.
(Updated 4/18/2023.)
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Manuals
(Tax Forms Guides and User's Guide)
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The latest on-screen manuals are also included with all updates.
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4/18/2023 Release 2023.01a of California 540 now available.
This release revises Schedule CA and Forms 540, 3514, and 3803, corrects some on-screen labels, and
updates the California Tax Forms Guide 2023 Edition for the current filing season.
To get the new update and more details on the changes,
go to the California Downloads Page.
3/27/2023 Release 2023.01g of Tax Preparer 1040 now available.
This release adds Form 3468, revises Form 1116 and more.
It also further updates the Tax Forms Guide and adds IRS publications
released by the IRS after our last release.
To get the new update and more details on the changes,
go to the Downloads Page.
3/19/2023 Release 2023.01f of Tax Preparer 1040 now available.
This release adds Forms 1040-ES, 1040-X, 1116, 2350, 2555, and 4868, and revises Schedules 1 and A and Forms 2210 and 2210-F.
It also further updates the Tax Forms Guide and adds IRS forms and publications
released by the IRS after our last release.
To get the new update and more details on the changes,
go to the Downloads Page.
3/14/2023 Release 2023.01e of Tax Preparer 1040 now available.
This release adds Form 2210 (including Schedule AI) and 2210-F, revises the Dependent Worksheet, and revises the
e-file Form 8879. It also further updates the Tax Forms Guide and adds a number of IRS forms and publications
released by the IRS after our last release.
To get the new update and more details on the changes,
go to the Downloads Page.
2/27/2023 Release 2023.01d of Tax Preparer 1040 now available.
This release eliminates a potential problem with printouts and e-file for Schedule C.
To get the new update and more details on the changes,
go to the Downloads Page.
2/15/2023 Release 2023.01c of Tax Preparer 1040 now available.
This release adds 15 forms to the software and updates the Tax Forms Guide.
It also adds updated IRS documents, including 5 forms and their instructions, and 12 publications,
all released by the IRS since the last update.
To get the new update and more details on the changes,
go to the Downloads Page.
2/6/2023 Release 2023.01b of Tax Preparer 1040 now available.
This release adds Forms 2441, 3903, 5405, 8606, and 8615, and makes minor changes to Schedules D and SE and Form 8862.
It also adds updated IRS documents, including 1 form, 4 instructions, and 10 publications,
all released by the IRS since the last update.
To get the new update and more details on the changes,
go to the Downloads Page.
1/30/2023 Release 2023.01a of Tax Preparer 1040 now available.
This release adds the MANDATORY Schedule 8812, for claiming credits for dependents (CTC/ODC/ACTC),
and adds Forms 5695, 8853, and 8889 as well. It also adds IRS forms, instructions, and publications released by the IRS
after we released 2023.01.
To get the new update and more details on the changes,
go to the Downloads Page.
1/23/2023 IRS starts tax season.
The IRS opended the 2023 filing season today. This is the first day that the IRS is accepting the transmission of e-file returns.
It is also the first day the IRS will begin the processing of paper returns.
Prior releases. For details on prior-year changes throughout the tax season, see Changes in Recent Releases
for the respective software:
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What are the changes?
Because of the convenience of the web, we issue new releases frequently,
even when most of the changes are relatively insignificant. Changes are
highlighted in the bottom half of the respective download pages.
However, if you want more detail about the most significant changes,
there are two other places to look:
- E-FILE ALERTS. Changes that are of consequence ONLY to e-file returns are
documented here. The changes typically avert specific Reject Codes for the e-file return, so if your return is
rejected, check this list first to see if you need to update your software and take particular steps to
repair your data.
- BULLETINS. Changes that are significant for both paper and e-file returns are
documented here. Technical Change Notices are issued for each significant change, including the steps you
may have to take to repair a return prepared with an earlier release.
Changes that are not documented on either of these pages are less serious in nature, including
rewording on some on-screen lines to make entries more understandable, correction of spelling errors,
correction of line number references on printouts, and technical changes that have no affect on calculations.
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IMPORTANT TIP: After you translate a prior-year return to the current-year format,
be sure to VIEW ALL TRANSLATED WORKSHEETS to ensure that the worksheets are recalculated under
their new format, and to verify that all entries are proper for the current return. This step is especially
necessary this year because of major changes in several worksheets.
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This web site last updated November 11, 2023.
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