| Does Account Ability support truncation of social security numbers? |
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Yes. Account Ability complies with truncation pursuant to IRS Notice 2009-93. |
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| Can I print 2010 tax forms using the 2009 version of Account Ability? |
Yes, provided you are using Account Ability's GDI Interface for printing forms (see Account Ability's Preferences menu). IDMS provides a free set of overlays for the 2010 release of selected tax forms to all licensed users of Account Ability. Currently, these overlays include the following forms:
1098-C, 1099-MISC, 1099-S, W-2G
Installation instructions can be found in the Printing folder of Account Ability's Tips Knowledgebase.
Click here to view these installation instructions. |
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| Is there a way to suppress my telephone number from printing on forms? |
Pursant to IRS instructions, "You are required to include the telephone number of a person to contact on the following statements: W-2G, 1098, 1098-C, 1098-E, 1098-T, 1099-A, 1099-B, 1099-C, 1099-CAP, 1099-DIV, 1099-G, 1099-H, 1099-INT, 1099-LTC, 1099-MISC, 1099-OID, 1099-PATR, 1099-Q, and 1099-S". Consequently, you cannot suppress your telephone number from printing on any of these statements.
Although not required, if you report on other Forms 1099 and 5498, IRS encourages that you do furnish telephone numbers. The option to Always print telephone number, located on the 'Contacts' page of 'Client (Filer) Management', controls whether or not to print telephone numbers on such other statements. |
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| How do I print on preprinted forms other than Copy A? |
To print W2s on preprinted forms, always select Copy A for SSA. When using the GDI configuration, make sure the SSA Approved box is not checked.
To print 1099s, 1098s and 5498s on preprinted forms, always select Preprinted form, where form can be 1099-MISC, 1099-DIV, 1098, etc... When printing Copy A, check the Fed Copy A. For all other copies, remove the check mark in front of Fed Copy A..
NOTE: Since there is no Copy A for the 4-UP W2, a PREPRINTED indicator is included, provided you are using the Laser (HP, PCL) printer configuration. |
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| Why does Account Ability draw a tax form on top of my preprinted forms? |
To print W2s on preprinted forms, always select Copy A for SSA. When using the GDI configuration, make sure the SSA Approved box is not checked.
To print 1099s, 1098s and 5498s on preprinted forms, always select Preprinted form, where form can be 1099-MISC, 1099-DIV, 1098, etc... When printing Copy A, check the Fed Copy A. For all other copies, remove the check mark in front of Fed Copy A.. |
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| Why do boxes appear around the text when printing on preprinted forms? |
Boxes should never appear around the text. If they do, you may have a buggy printer driver!
If you are using an HP Laser printer, try using an earlier printer driver, such as the HP LaserJet III driver. Although you may not be using an HP LaserJet III, this driver is clean and provides all of the functionality Account Ability requires. If you are unsure of how to install this driver, either have your system administrator install the driver or contact IDMS technical support at 1-888-IDMSINC for assistance. |
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| Can I reprint a couple of forms without reprinting the entire file? |
Yes. Each form contains an indicator in the upper right-hand corner labeled 'Printed'. When printing forms, only those forms whose 'Printed' indicator is not checked will be printed. So, in order to print just a couple of forms without printing the entire file you would want to first check the 'Printed' indicator for the entire file, then uncheck the 'Printed' indicators for those returns to be printed.
Here's the procedure:
a) Select 'Set Print Indicators' from the 'Tools' menu
b) When the 'Set Print Indicators' dialog is displayed, click 'Begin'
c) Select 'Locate' from the 'File' menu
d) Remove the 'Printed' checkmark (double-click it) from each form to be reprinted.
Now print your forms. Only the records you unchecked will be printed. |
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| Is there a quick way to set (reset) the 'Printed' indicator for a block of recipients? |
Yes. From the form's 'Tools' menu select 'Set Print Indicators...' (or 'Clear Print Indicators...'). This will bring up a dialog that will enable you to select a filter on which you can define the block to be used.
After selecting a filter, click the 'Retrieve' button in order to retrieve a filtered set of returns. You can now define the beginning and end of the block to be used.
Once you have selected a block, click the 'Begin' button to execute your request. Note that if you do not select a block, the entire file will be assumed! |
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| Why is the employee name printing in the address box (f) of Form W-2? |
This is more appropriate for mailing than the format in box e. Moreover, it ensures a perfect fit in envelope DWCL.
TIP: Beginning with the 2007 version of Account Ability, you can suppress the name from printing by checking 'Suppress printing employees full name' on the 'W-2 Setup' page of 'Client (Filer) Management'. |
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| The first page of my 1099 forms printed fine, however, subsequent pages replaced the year with crazy characters such as <:07 and some forms didn't print any information at all. What is causing this and how can I fix it? |
Your system probably lost the IDMS Tax Fonts. IDMS Tax Fonts are included with Account Ability for the sole purpose of printing Information Returns and Annual Wage Reports.
Solution: Re-install the IDMS Tax Fonts by following the link
http://www.idmsinc.com/IDMS_Fonts/IDMSTax.ttf
Install these fonts to your Window's Font folder and try printing again!
If the problem persists, contact IDMS technical support at 888-IDMSINC. |
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| Can I print 1099-MISC Copy B and Copy 2 on the same page? |
Yes, provided you are using the Window's GDI configuration (see 'Printers' on Account Ability's 'Preferences' menu). Once the Window's GDI configuration is set, the 'File' menu of Form 1099-MISC will contain a 'Customize' selection. If you place a check in the box Suppress Instructions you will have the option to print both Copy B and Copy 2 on the same page.
NOTE: Use blank form LMBL or LMBL500 from Account Ability's Form Division since instructions to the recipient are preprinted on the back. |
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| Why can't I draw SSA approved Copy A 1099 or 1096 returns for the IRS? |
Account Ability does not draw 'Copy A' 1099 or 1096 returns for IRS since IRS currently does not accept computer drawn black and white 1099 or 1096 returns. Consequently, Copy A 1099 and 1096 returns must be printed on red preprinted forms.
NOTE: The Account Ability Forms Division carries a complete line of laser forms and companion envelopes. Contact the Account Ability Forms Division at 888-IDMSINC (436-7462). |
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| The 2-Wide W2 forms I am using do not align on my dot matrix printer. Why? |
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There are a variety of 2-Wide W2 formats on the market today. To ensure you are using compatible forms, contact the Account Ability Forms Division at 888-IDMSINC (436-7462). |
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| Why don't state id numbers print on Form W2? |
In order for state identification numbers to print on an employee's W2, both of the following conditions must be met:
1) The employer's state identification number(s) must be recorded on the State ID page of the client's master record (see Client (Filer) Management)
2) The state abbreviation (e.g. NY, NJ, AL, etc.) must be entered on either the State 1 or State 2 line of the employee's Form W2. |
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| When I print a W3C, I get strange symbols in some fields (e.g. Signature !, Filed with IRS? +). Why is this happening and how can I correct it? |
During the installation of Account Ability a proprietary set of True Type Fonts gets installed. Apparently these fonts did not register properly on your PC. That is the reason for the strange characters.
To correct this problem,
a) Exit Account Ability.
b) Open your system's Control panel.
c) Double-click the 'Fonts' icon.
d) Delete the file IDMSTaxFont, if it exists.
e) Follow the link www.idmsinc.com/Downloads.php
f) Download the IDMS Tax Fonts near the bottom of the page.
g) Open your system's Control panel.
h) Double-click the 'Fonts' icon.
i) From the 'File' menu select 'Install New Font'.
j) Install the file IDMSTaxFont.ttf that you downloaded in (f) above.
k) Open Account Ability and try printing again.
These steps should have resolved your problem. If not, contact IDMS technical support at 1-888-IDMSINC or 1-800-582-5831. |
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| What would cause a W-2 form not to print? |
a) The form is marked VOID, or
b) The form is marked PRINTED, or
c) You have requested a specific state and/or locality which does not apply to the form. In other words, when requesting specific states and/or localities, those forms, and only those forms, matching those constraints will be printed. |
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| Commas appear on my screen but do not print on my forms. Why? |
In order to facilitate data entry, Account Ability displays commas in all of the money fields on your screen. When printing, however, commas are suppressed pursuant to IRS Paper Document Reporting specifications.
The following excerpt from IRS General Instructions for Forms 1099, 1098, 5498, and W-2G clearly states this,
"...Do not use dollar signs ($), ampersands (&), asterisks (*), commas, or other special characters in the money amount boxes..." |
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| Why do I get an "error initializing printer driver" when printing W-2 forms? |
Is Account Ability configured to use your printer?
a) Start Account Ability.
b) Select 'Printers' on the 'Preferences' menu.
Make sure your printer is displayed in the 'Printers to be used' group and try printing again.
If the problem persists, your printer driver may need to be updated. If you are using an HP Laser printer, try using an earlier printer driver, such as the HP LaserJet III driver. Although you may not be using an HP LaserJet III, this driver is clean and provides all of the functionality Account Ability requires. If you are unsure of how to install this driver, either have your system administrator install the driver or contact IDMS technical support at 1-888-IDMSINC for assistance. |
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| How can I print a single return, namely, the one that is currently displayed? |
Select 'Print Forms for Selected Record...' from the 'File' menu. Alternatively, you can depress the key sequence CTRL+ALT+P.
NOTE: This selection will be disabled while editing or inserting returns. |
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| Is there a report that contains just the names and addresses of all recipients? |
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Yes. See the 'Register Listing' on the 'File' menu of any tax form. This report contains only names, addresses, account numbers, and taxpayer ids. |
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| Why aren't zero amounts printing on Forms 1098 and 1099? |
Unless you are printing correction returns, IRS suggests leaving zero amount fields blank. The following excerpt from IRS General Instructions for Forms 1099, 1098, 5498, and W-2G clearly states this,
"Do not enter 0 (zero) or 'None' in money amount boxes when no entry is required. Leave the boxes blank unless the instructions specifically require that you enter a 0 (zero). For example, in some cases, you must enter 0 (zero) to make corrections..."
NOTE: If you insist on printing zeros rather than blanks, select 'Desktop' from the 'Preferences' menu and uncheck 'Suppress Zeros When Printing'. |
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| Can I print the last page of a Control Report without printing the entire report? |
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Yes. Simply Preview the report instead of printing it. Then, from the 'Preview' window, click on the 'Setup' button. Select the desired page range and click OK. If you now click the 'Print' button, only the page range you selected will be printed. |
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| When I try to print I get the message 'error retrieving bin source info'. Why? |
When printing pressure seal forms, some printers with outdated drivers may generate this error. The best solution is to visit the printer manufacturer's website and download the latest driver for your printer.
If the problem persists, contact IDMS technical support at 888-IDMSINC. |
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| Why is an 'X' printing in Box 15 of Form W3? |
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Pursuant to SSA Instructions for Form W3, Box 15: If the Forms W2 being submitted with Form W3 contain wage and income tax information from more than one state, enter an 'X' under 'State' and do not enter any state I.D. number. |
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| Shouldn't the last W2 printed be a total page? |
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No. SSA suppressed total and sub-total pages years ago. |
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| When printing forms, the first few pages print fine. Subsequent pages are missing the vertical lines within each box. How can I fix this? |
Your printer's spool settings probably need to be changed. The following instructions will assist you in making the necessary changes:
a) Open Windows 'Printers and Faxes' folder
b) Right-click on your printer and select 'Properties'
c) On the 'Advanced' page make sure the following spool settings are bulleted,
Spool print documents so program finishes printing faster
Start printing after the last page is spooled
d) Save your changes and try printing again.
NOTE: Windows 95 and 98 users will find the spool settings (step c above) on the 'Details' page. There is a 'Spool Settings' button on that page.
If the problem persists, contact technical support at 888-IDMSINC. |
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| How do I print 4-UP W2 forms on preprinted forms? |
Make sure that you have configured Account Ability for HP (Laser, PCL) printing:
a) From the 'Preferences' menu select 'Printers'
b) Select HP (Laser, PCL) in the 'Configure for' group
c) Click OK to close the dialog.
Try printing your W2 forms again. You should see a PREPRINTED check box after the 4-UP forms. If you are using pre-printed forms be sure to check this box. |
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| How do I print SSA approved Copy A W2 and W3 forms on blank paper? |
Make sure that you have configured Account Ability for Windows GDI printing:
a) From the 'Preferences' menu select 'Printers'
b) Select Windows GDI in the 'Configure for' group
c) Click OK to close the dialog.
Try printing your W2 forms again.
NOTE: In order to draw black and white SSA approved forms W2 and W3, the 'SSA Approved' box appearing in the lower right-hand corner of the GDI Printer Options dialog must be checked. |
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| Why does Account Ability crash every time I try to print? |
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Your printer may not be registered with Account Ability. Select 'Printers...' from the 'Preferences' menu. Make sure that your printer is displayed in the 'Printers to be used' group. If the problem persists, your printer driver may need to be updated. Printer drivers can generally be downloaded from their manufacturer's website. |
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| Why does the code 1107 print on SSA approved forms W2 and W3? |
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This is IDMS' vendor code assigned by SSA. SSA requires it to be printed as you see it. |
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| Can I draw SSA approved Copy A W2 and W3 forms on an inkjet printer? |
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Yes, but SSA may not accept them. SSA Pub. 1141 demands a laser printer. |
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