Jack from Ohio

You are correct. Write your Congressman and your Senators. They caused this fiasco.

Regardless of what the notice from the IRS says, I am NOT filing any of the listed returns until Feb. 15. Too many horror stories in the past about such things. Let all the people who need to be the fastest and the first have all the bugs (and there WILL be horror stories and bugs!!) Just my rant.

KC is exactly correct. I use FeeCollect and add $20 to my fees for FeeCollect.

Intentional or not, that is punny.:D

Maybe you need to explore the upper limits of their fee tolerance...:dunno:

Add Schedule A, charge her for it, show her where the amount is. Works wonders. I have clients who INSIST that they see their union dues, prescriptions, charitable giving of $500 and work uniforms. Even though most use standard deduction, I print and charge for the Sched A, and the whole world is rosey!!

You are correct.

Just what is due dilligence in this case? Should the preparer ask? Wonder how a compliance officer would view the "rumor only" defense?? Not me. Too much to lose to assist someone delay responsibilities he should have already taken care of. And it is NOT HIS MONEY on top of that. Run Forest Run!!

Are you willing to sign a return as a preparer when you KNOW the information is not accurate? Just sayin...

I am having Ham Sandwich and Fruit Cocktail for lunch. Unsweet tea as well.

Try arguing this point with the compliance department?? Read what the IRS says about this topic here. Then read what ELSE the IRS says about this topic. It is irrelevant what we "think" or how we try to skew the definition of "filed." The IRS is making the rules. Just come up into 2011 and be professional. "Fly straight, Fly right and there will be no need to look over your shoulder." Jack from Ohio 1981

I gave you a PLUS vote for this!!

The way Tom says it is correct. If you file more than 100 returns for tax year 2010, you are required to e-file. If you sign a return and the client chooses to mail it, then form 8948 must be filled out and attached to the return. If the client does not include the signed form 8948, that return will not be in compliance. The enforcement rules are still being drafted, but will be retroactive to Jan 1, 2011. Here is one IRS article. Here is another IRS article Electronic Filing of information is many times more secure than the Postal Service. This is reality and we should be educating our clients to the facts. In my personal practice, I charge extra to prepare a paper return. E-file is included in my base price. The added expense seems to make e-filing more attractive to people.

It's 2011. Time for all "Professionals" to realize that and make changes accordingly. All the objections I see to e-filing your client's returns are just rants of personal reasons to cover the fact that the person no longer wants to do the things required to be a true Professional. Time to quit ranting and get with the 21st Centruy methods of doing business in our industry.

Sanity is overrated!!! :spaz:

I will instruct any of my clients that complain about the delay to take their frustrations, anger and rage, bottle it and release it on election day 2012. No one but our Congress is to blame for the delays and all the confusion. Any of my clients who don't understand and keep complaining after I explain it will be talking to a deaf ear. I spend more than a hundred hours of class time to keep up every year and stay abreast. The slow handed work of the Congress is affecting my abilities to seem "professional" in the eyes of the "gotta have it now to survive" group. If we didn't fire enough of the seated Congress this past November, we will have a chance to make up for that in about 2 years. The good thing is... None of my competition can file any faster either!

You must be doing business with a different "TRX" company than the one I did business with last year. (BTW, my first, only and last time)

We did over 400 1099s in 2009, and mailed not ONE red copy. E-file!! Paper cutter turns two on a page 1099 into single copies very very quickly!! The IRS can't police major fraud, so the idea of penalties for not using perforated paper is paranoia gone wild!! I can see it now.... "Mr. Tax Preparer, I want to see the copy of W-2 that you sent out for all 350 of your clients. They must be the original so we can verify if the pages are 'easily separated' and thus levy fines accordingly." "Do your clients know that if they make photocopies of the W2s for their employess they must also use perforated paper?" "I will need complete lists of all your clients that made any photocopies of W2s for their clients." :D

Use PLAIN PAPER to print W-2, and all 1099. One size fits all. Preprinted forms are unnecessary expense and hassle.

The fingerprint and background check is being proposed by the IRS to be rolled out mid to late 2011. Once in place, all will have to comply upon registration for their PTIN the next time it comes due. We had an IRS liason at our last PTP meeting, and she was very informed about all this information. See my previous post.. :spaz:

Just had my PTP meeting on Wed. Liason officer from the IRS was the guest speaker. The fingerprinting and background check will be for ALL PTIN holders. The fingerprint and background check information from getting our EFIN numbers is a different system, and never the twain shall speak. She admitted several times that the system(s) the IRS is using, and the vendors they are choosing have been FAR from adequate in the latest IRS boondoggle. NONE of these actions actually address the issue of "untrained or unskilled" people preparing tax returns. It WILL cause more people to go underground (do returns but not sign them) than ever before. The testing is purported (not final yet) to be an online test. Now THAT will be a secure and dependable testing method for certain!!! It is ONLY about all the money we will have to spend to show that we are doing what we have already been doing anyway!! I am simply going to get my E.A. and be done with it! Doesn't stop all the annual renewal fees, etc., but will usurp all the stupid testing that will have no value anyway. Just my RANT!!!:spaz:

Windows 7 and an up to date computer to handle it.

New York State Tax Professional Registration

EXACTLY!! Send address and date!!!

When is your retirement party scheduled? Are you interested in selling your practice?