IRS and Tax Filing Issues

Hey there,

I need to move my digital ID—basically all its settings—over to a new computer. I’ve got all the certificates ready to go (I've been using this digital setup for two years now for everything from my taxes to Social Security stuff...), but I'm totally lost on how to actually migrate it all to a different machine.

I tried calling the IRS, but I've been sitting on hold for two hours with nobody picking up.🙄

Kate Hernandez said:Hey there,

I need to move my digital ID—basically all its settings—over to a new computer. I’ve got all the certificates ready to go (I've been using this digital setup for two years now for everything from my taxes to Social Security stuff...), but I'm totally lost on how to actually migrate it all to a different machine.

I tried calling the IRS, but I've been sitting on hold for two hours with nobody picking up.🙄

To add to that: is it actually possible to have the certificate installed on two different computers at the exact same time?

Sure thing—there’s no limit on the number of computers you can use.
Try this path: Start -> All Programs -> Activ identity -> activ client -> user console
Once you're there, check the "my certificates" box in the window, then hit tools and select "make certificate available to win"

It seems there is no end to these pleasant little surprises, as I have noted in my previous posts 😠.
In my specific situation—running a small business as a self-employed individual, registered for sales tax with quarterly filings—this shift means that instead of dealing with about forty dollars in annual postage costs for mailing paper forms, I am now facing $240 just to submit five separate filings (four sales tax returns plus one summary report). Since I handle my own bookkeeping, I am looking for some guidance on the most painless way to navigate this transition:

a) utilizing my own digital certificate
- a.1) I currently possess an eZaBa security token—is it possible to link a certificate to this device to save a bit of money?
- a.2) I recall seeing a mention in a previous thread regarding a $157 one-time fee, but I didn't quite grasp the specifics of what that entails or what exactly is provided in return.

b) finding someone else who holds a certificate and granting them power of attorney, along with an appropriate service fee, to handle the submissions for me? To be perfectly honest, I would much rather pay a local independent bookkeeper than deal with those sharks over at Fin $20 who want a monthly fee just for the certificate! 🙂 What kind of costs should I expect in such a scenario involving a power of attorney?

c) is there a third option I haven't considered?

After ten years of running a smooth operation through online banking, the only thorn in my side was that primitive requirement of handing over physical sales tax forms... and they have finally fulfilled that request. One truly must be careful about what they wish for 🙂

Edward Stewart said:It seems there is no end to these pleasant little surprises, as I have noted in my previous posts 😠.
In my specific situation—running a small business as a self-employed individual, registered for sales tax with quarterly filings—this shift means that instead of dealing with about forty dollars in annual postage costs for mailing paper forms, I am now facing $240 just to submit five separate filings (four sales tax returns plus one summary report). Since I handle my own bookkeeping, I am looking for some guidance on the most painless way to navigate this transition:

a) utilizing my own digital certificate
- a.1) I currently possess an eZaBa security token—is it possible to link a certificate to this device to save a bit of money?
- a.2) I recall seeing a mention in a previous thread regarding a $157 one-time fee, but I didn't quite grasp the specifics of what that entails or what exactly is provided in return.

b) finding someone else who holds a certificate and granting them power of attorney, along with an appropriate service fee, to handle the submissions for me? To be perfectly honest, I would much rather pay a local independent bookkeeper than deal with those sharks over at Fin $20 who want a monthly fee just for the certificate! 🙂 What kind of costs should I expect in such a scenario involving a power of attorney?

c) is there a third option I haven't considered?

After ten years of running a smooth operation through online banking, the only thorn in my side was that primitive requirement of handing over physical sales tax forms... and they have finally fulfilled that request. One truly must be careful about what they wish for 🙂

When you first get a certificate, you have to pay $130+$27 for the initial activation, and then it's $130 annually for the renewal.

We use Chase and Bank of America online banking. Was there a cheaper way to handle this through one of those banking portals, and if so, how?

Nicole Lee6 said:When you first get a certificate, you have to pay $130+$27 for the initial activation, and then it's $130 annually for the renewal.

We use Chase and Bank of America online banking. Was there a cheaper way to handle this through one of those banking portals, and if so, how?

Does that price cover the reader or USB stick? Or is that extra $27 specifically for the hardware?

Nicole Lee6 said:When you first get a certificate, you have to pay $130+$27 for the initial activation, and then it's $130 annually for the renewal.

We use Chase and Bank of America online banking. Was there a cheaper way to handle this through one of those banking portals, and if so, how?

I'm really not sure myself; I'm just asking because back in the day, those readers used to be universal... for instance, you could pop a Bank of America card right into a JPMorgan Chase reader and everything would work perfectly fine.

Edward Stewart said:Does that price cover the reader or USB stick? Or is that extra $27 specifically for the hardware?

I'm really not sure myself; I'm just asking because back in the day, those readers used to be universal... for instance, you could pop a Bank of America card right into a JPMorgan Chase reader and everything would work perfectly fine.

True, we can even use a Bank of America reader to access our Hypo accounts. It honestly didn't even cross my mind.

As for the cost, the folks at Wells Fargo told me there's an initial activation fee for the certificate $27 followed by an annual renewal fee $130. They didn't mention anything about the hardware itself. I just got a notification saying my certificate is ready, so I'll head over to pick it up in a day or two and then I'll have some actual answers.

Nicole Lee6 said:True, we can even use a Bank of America reader to access our Hypo accounts. It honestly didn't even cross my mind.

As for the cost, the folks at Wells Fargo told me there's an initial activation fee for the certificate $27 followed by an annual renewal fee $130. They didn't mention anything about the hardware itself. I just got a notification saying my certificate is ready, so I'll head over to pick it up in a day or two and then I'll have some actual answers.

Typically, any cryptographic setup in this workflow requires... well, a reader or a thumb drive, plus a digital certificate stored in the browser, and finally a password to get in... at least, that’s how standard American online banking operates.
If you happen to find a spare moment, it would be wonderful if you could share what your experience ends up being. 🙂

Even if the total amount is slightly lower than expected, I still find it outrageously expensive... a certificate like this ought to be treated as a basic identifier, much like a Social Security number, rather than something they nickel-and-dimed you for every single year like a recurring permit fee. 🙄

Alright... let's dive into this. Since I’m currently neck-deep in paperwork, I have a question about how things work with the IRS. When my accounting service—basically my firm—draws up a Power of Attorney for a client, who actually counts as the principal here? Is it the firm itself, or am I acting as the individual? Whose Tax ID gets entered on the forms? When I look at my own primary Power of Attorney filed with the tax authorities, my company is listed as the principal, and I'm just the agent. So, if I'm reading this right, since Microsoft doesn't provide pre-set templates that always fit perfectly (honestly, dealing with US bureaucracy is a bit of a moving target, isn't it?), when we set up a Power of Attorney with another client, under the "principal" section, it should be my full name, but instead of my personal Social Security number, I use my business EIN . Am I hitting the mark here? Or am I totally off base?

Anonymous said:So, I’ve got everything installed and ready to go, but I hit a wall when it comes to importing my certificates. Even though my USB token is plugged directly into my computer, nothing shows up in the list. Has anyone run into this before? Any advice on what I might be missing?

Have you tried step number two from my post on the previous page? It might be worth a shot. In my experience, that's often the culprit behind these kinds of hiccups.

FOR BAKERY32 No, no, no... let me take it back. My mistake number one right there.

I am completely lost with this online IRS filing system. Under the period section, I entered 12 months because I was reporting my annual salary, but after I submitted everything, I realized the first page already specifies the 12-month duration. Now I’m stuck looking at two different forms for the same 12-month period showing totally different amounts. How do I fix this mess? Thanks.

mistynomad3 said:I am completely lost with this online IRS filing system. Under the period section, I entered 12 months because I was reporting my annual salary, but after I submitted everything, I realized the first page already specifies the 12-month duration. Now I’m stuck looking at two different forms for the same 12-month period showing totally different amounts. How do I fix this mess? Thanks.

Well, you essentially mislabeled the period right at the start. Since the pay for December isn't actually disbursed until January, the first page should reflect January, and the filing deadline is February 15th.
My advice would be to simply draft a new, corrected form and resubmit it via the IRS website. However, I’d highly recommend giving your assigned agent at the IRS a quick call to let them know. If you ask them to pull the corrected version immediately, it should effectively override the incorrect one currently in the system. It’s just a bit of extra due diligence to ensure they prioritize the right document.

Edward Stewart said:Typically, any cryptographic setup in this workflow requires... well, a reader or a thumb drive, plus a digital certificate stored in the browser, and finally a password to get in... at least, that’s how standard American online banking operates.
If you happen to find a spare moment, it would be wonderful if you could share what your experience ends up being. 🙂

Even if the total amount is slightly lower than expected, I still find it outrageously expensive... a certificate like this ought to be treated as a basic identifier, much like a Social Security number, rather than something they nickel-and-dimed you for every single year like a recurring permit fee. 🙄

I went down to the local IRS office and received an envelope containing the USB stick. We got the initial decryption PIN via email; now I really need to sit down and study this process. Apparently, I have to take this stick to the tax office first, before I can even attempt my first electronic filing—I didn't catch exactly what the procedure was, but something like that.

Hannah Harris6 said:Alright... let's dive into this. Since I’m currently neck-deep in paperwork, I have a question about how things work with the IRS. When my accounting service—basically my firm—draws up a Power of Attorney for a client, who actually counts as the principal here? Is it the firm itself, or am I acting as the individual? Whose Tax ID gets entered on the forms? When I look at my own primary Power of Attorney filed with the tax authorities, my company is listed as the principal, and I'm just the agent. So, if I'm reading this right, since Microsoft doesn't provide pre-set templates that always fit perfectly (honestly, dealing with US bureaucracy is a bit of a moving target, isn't it?), when we set up a Power of Attorney with another client, under the "principal" section, it should be my full name, but instead of my personal Social Security number, I use my business EIN . Am I hitting the mark here? Or am I totally off base?

You always use the business's EIN, not your personal Social Security number. The only exception is if you're a sole proprietor, in which case your business tax ID and personal ID are one and the same.
Check the details here..
http://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-2848

Henry Chavez5 said:You always use the business's EIN, not your personal Social Security number. The only exception is if you're a sole proprietor, in which case your business tax ID and personal ID are one and the same.
Check the details here..
http://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-2848

Henry Chavez5, thanks so much for being so helpful and sharing your thoughts!!

Nicole Lee6 said:I went down to the local IRS office and received an envelope containing the USB stick. We got the initial decryption PIN via email; now I really need to sit down and study this process. Apparently, I have to take this stick to the tax office first, before I can even attempt my first electronic filing—I didn't catch exactly what the procedure was, but something like that.

If you haven't figured it out yet...
Your first move should be installing the IRS e-filing software. You can find it here:
http://www.irs.gov/e-filing...6.asp?id=b03d9
Once that's done, go into the app and complete the Settings section.
The next hurdle is getting authorized to actually operate the system. Authorization depends entirely on whose name is on the certificate.
If the certificate belongs to the primary account holder, you authorize yourself through the application by submitting the Electronic Business Request form (found under the Authorizations tab). The IRS will then grant authorization and notify you via the email address you provided in the digital form.
If the certificate was issued to someone other than the primary responsible party, you’ll need to fill out a Power of Attorney form in triplicate. Take that, along with the certificate, to your nearest IRS office to finalize the authorization. Everything regarding the power of attorney is available at this link:
http://www.irs.gov/e-Filing...k.asp?id=b03d2

Edward Stewart said:It seems there is no end to these pleasant little surprises, as I have noted in my previous posts 😠.
In my specific situation—running a small business as a self-employed individual, registered for sales tax with quarterly filings—this shift means that instead of dealing with about forty dollars in annual postage costs for mailing paper forms, I am now facing $240 just to submit five separate filings (four sales tax returns plus one summary report). Since I handle my own bookkeeping, I am looking for some guidance on the most painless way to navigate this transition:

a) utilizing my own digital certificate
- a.1) I currently possess an eZaBa security token—is it possible to link a certificate to this device to save a bit of money?
- a.2) I recall seeing a mention in a previous thread regarding a $157 one-time fee, but I didn't quite grasp the specifics of what that entails or what exactly is provided in return.

b) finding someone else who holds a certificate and granting them power of attorney, along with an appropriate service fee, to handle the submissions for me? To be perfectly honest, I would much rather pay a local independent bookkeeper than deal with those sharks over at Fin $20 who want a monthly fee just for the certificate! 🙂 What kind of costs should I expect in such a scenario involving a power of attorney?

c) is there a third option I haven't considered?

After ten years of running a smooth operation through online banking, the only thorn in my side was that primitive requirement of handing over physical sales tax forms... and they have finally fulfilled that request. One truly must be careful about what they wish for 🙂

Once they roll out this single form for all payroll, contractor payments, etc. (both taxable and non-taxable), you're gonna have way more paperwork to send. 😬, because from what I can see, there could be as many as 365 (or 366) of them in a year.

Ashley Ramirez4 said:Once they roll out this single form for all payroll, contractor payments, etc. (both taxable and non-taxable), you're gonna have way more paperwork to send. 😬, because from what I can see, there could be as many as 365 (or 366) of them in a year.

I certainly see how this will become more efficient down the road, but right now, my focus is strictly on sales tax filings, so the lack of a simpler, more affordable option is a bit of a headache.
And as for the prospect of handling 365 separate forms one day—well, I don't doubt that for a second 😍.

Back to the topic at hand... I've been trying to get a hold of the IRS help desk for several days now, but the lines are absolutely endless (and as for calling the local branch, I'm almost afraid to pick up the phone because they seem so reluctant to answer 🙂).
I am currently filling out an Application for Business Digital Certificates, and I have a few questions regarding section 3.
- Regarding security level—should I select "Medium"?
- For the certificate selection—is "Certificate for Auto, Electronic Signature, and Encryption" the correct choice?
Under section 4, when it mentions "USB port"—does that still refer to a traditional card reader? (Personally, I would much prefer using a USB stick)

If I am interpreting their fee schedule correctly, the total cost should come out to roughly:
registration $27, plus the business certificate at $278.00, plus the reader (the USB stick) $30?

Since this is just a small LLC where all the responsibilities fall on one person, I assume there won't be a need for any additional powers of attorney... is that correct?

Trust me when I say you don't want to end up making two trips to FINRA like I did🙂 ... because along with your actual request for the certificate, you’re going to need to have all this ready:
- two copies of a completed service agreement for certification—you can just download those from the official portal
- your certificate of incorporation—though honestly, a printout from the Secretary of State business search usually does the trick

- a photocopy of your ID, and make sure you manually write down your Social Security number and tax ID
- a copy of your signature card—you'll need to grab that from the bank where your business checking account is held

Once everything is submitted, your PIN should arrive via email in a few days (provided you check that specific box on the Request form), and after that, you're all set to head over and pick up the physical certificate.