Form 5329 - Activation Outside of Form 1040 Filing

While I realize there is an “Idea Exchange” for this comment, I’m pretty sure it will get lost in the popular vote, electoral college process, etc. that makes up the Idea Exchange (which is currently down).  So, I’m posting my comment here so no one else has to suffer like I did.

I recently completed a number of Forms 5329 that are to be filed without the processing of a Form 1040 (i.e., the Form 5329 will not be attached to a Form 1040).  The Form is ‘easy enough to fill out’ but locating the mechanism to ‘make it go live’ and populate my firm information at the bottom of the form took well over an hour - and you can’t even override that preparer information (for the obvious licensing fee reason).  That ‘triggering mechanism’ is not outlined in ProSeries’ instructions to the form, nor is it indicated on the form in the software itself.  Further, customer service had no idea how to make the form ‘go live’ either.

Turns out, you simply need to begin entering the taxpayer’s address at the top of the form - naturally, I was expecting the address to transfer from the Federal Information Worksheet, stupid me.

Please stick a check box at the top of the form to activate it when it is to be filed without filing a Form 1040 so that no one else, including customer service, has to waste an hour trying to figure this out….and another twenty minutes to type this email.  As always, thank you in advance.