tagteam,
There are many posts that identify the issue with an eFiled 1041 Package (supposedly the one sent to the IRS). The concern is that the submitted Package seems to contain an unsigned Form 8453-FE and not the signed Form 8453-FE. Since the program requires the users to create a signed Form 8453-FE and then upload it to the program, one expects that the signed form to be included in the Package as a replacement for the unsigned form. This is common practice in software applications. In any case, after the completed 1041 Package is eFiled, the program offers the option of printing out or saving a copy of the eFiled 1041 Package for the user's permanent records (of what was provided to the IRS). Note that this offer by the program specifically lists the Form 8453-FE as being part of the submitted package to the IRS. However, when one inspects what is offered by the program, the only Form 8453-FE **in the 'submitted' package** is the unsigned version of that Form. Based on what is provided to the user for printout/saving, there is no reason to believe that the signed Form 8453-FE has been sent to the IRS as the offered printout/save package of what was submitted is silent regarding any attachment(s) or concerning the signed version of the Form 8453-FE. It should be noted that if there has been an attachment to the 1041 Package submittal (of a signed Form 8453-FE) does this mean that there are 2 such Form 8453-FE, one unsigned in the body of the package and one signed and attached to the package, that are submitted to the IRS in the package?
The confusion that you alluded to is not related to the availability of a saved signed Form 8453-FE to the program user after saving that signed form to his local computer. Rather, the confusion is: (1) why a1041 Package offered to be saved for our permanent records (and that was supposed to be the same as submitted to the IRS) instead only contains an unsigned Form 8453-FE. If the program simply: (1) replaced the unsigned Form 8453-FE with the signed Form 8453-FE in the 1041 Package being submitted to the IRS; OR (2) the offered 'as submitted' 1041 Package to be retained for permanent record included any/all attachments, then the issue is resolved. Again, your description of how the 1041 Package submittal is supposed to work would indicate that the IRS will receive 2 Form 8453-FEs.
I hope that this clarifies what many of us perceive to be a serious shortcoming in the TT Business program, especially for Fiduciary users.
