Randall

I thought it was 'Sheesh'.

I've got three mud rooms, the living room, the kitchen and the basement.

What's a mud room?

What does this company do?

Thanks for these comments. They are more specific regarding pros and cons. Not just things like great, wonderful, friendly support.

I haven't renewed yet but I probably will early. I know the discount dollars aren't that much. But I wonder about the risk of CCH dumping the program. It doesn't seem reasonable to me. They'd be better off reselling the program to someone else. Would everyone really move to Taxwise? And what about Taxwise? Does anyone know much about Taxwise, compared to Drake or TRX? Another earlier comment was about CCH axing all the programmers. Didn't someone mention that only the tech support people in Maine were let go but the programmers were still there? Anyone know about this for sure? Joelgilb brought up some concerns but I wonder what the probability of some of these other programs getting bought out or just going under.

I use an HP Laserjet 2430. It's about two and a half years old now. Even though it wasn't listed by ATX as one of their recommended printers, I've never had a problem. I did pay $650 though. I would check out HP's website for the latest models.

I'll be renewing ATX and taking the early discount. I like to hear about other programs though to know there are alternatives out there.

Does the same for Ky. Luckily, I caught them all, so far as I know.

I haven't used Money Plus. I have downloaded MS Office Accounting but haven't spent any time with it. They offered it to accountants free. They also have something called Accounting Xpress and I think it's free. I don't know anything about it. If anyone is familiar with these, comments would be welcome.

I think that 6 years is on the IRS fiscal year or closing year, which I think is 6/30. So if a return is on extension and filed after 6/30, the first year counting is the following 6/30. With all that confusion, I just think of 7 years.

As mentioned, there may be improvements. Try to jog their memory. I doubt they have good documentation but maybe going through old checkbooks. Was all the borrowed money used for the deadbeat son? Could some of the money be spent on land improvements, fencing, excavation, surveying, whatever? Even to finance tenant farmers, or the son who was trying to be a farmer (in order to save the farm)? Just tossing out ideas to come up with some basis for them?

Good points. And I try to get my clients to get W-9s. Have the info ready at year end to prepare 1099s. And those who tell the client they're a corporation, ok, give the client a W-9 with corp name and EIN. I don't see why a long time business would NOT want to issue 1099s. Some may think I'm an advocate for IRS (we all are indirectly), but I see it as being an advocate of the client. Why not try to avoid the problem down the road.

That was my original point, but not so well stated.

A big IF. Actually, I wasn't joking. But it is mostly a get your attention type of thing. I explain the requirements. I give them W-9s to get everyone on board. I'll accept the numbers the first year IF they seem reasonable and IF the client has decent records. But if they just throw out a big number, I'm not going to audit them and I'm not going to do the return.

Yes, but I can't afford it.

I don't know about the increased frequency this year. But the tendency (especially for new businesses) is to just start paying people. They either don't know or somehow think they can still deduct the expense without any paper work. I usually don't see them until tax time. If it's not too much, I explain to the client, he can treat it as a gift and not deduct and do it right from here on out (W-2 or 1099, whichever applies). I'd be interested in how others deal with this type of thing. I filed late 1099s in the past and don't know think the client was ever penalized. I keep hearing about the penalties though.

If the individual account fees are deducted from the IRA account, no deduction. They have to be paid with money from outside the IRA. I agree on the plan fees paid by the employer, business deduction.

I haven't had that problem. But I'm not getting my client letters from last year included with the rollover. I think they rolled over early in the season but then stopped. I haven't pursued it, just added the letter, but it is getting annoying.

At first I hated them. But it seems more clients used them this year and brought in more specific info. Of course, many still ignore them. I think the mini left a lot out. The new one had too much for most clients but like someone said, it is very time consuming to customize them for everyone. I just printed the works out for everyone. Then I got sticker shock at the post office. I'm going to try to email as many as I can next year.

Thanks. That's what I was planning to do. I did however add a quick statement about the NOL on a Preparer's Note with the efile. I'm not sure if IRS gets that or looks at it or keeps it in their file. But I thought it couldn't hurt.

If current year has a NOL, will the worksheet (or any info about it) get efiled? It doesn't appear on my efiled forms list. I included a statement to elect to forego the carryback on the efile elect stmts tab and this is listed on my efiled forms list. If the current year NOL info doesn't go with the efiled return, do you just enter the NOL on next years return?

I don't know about CA, but I just put a copy of the Fed return with the original state. I do have a blue 'COPY' stamp I stamp the Fed copy 1st page (and signature section) included with the state return. This is more for the benefit of the client so he doesn't confuse the Fed copy with the Fed original. I let the state do their thing in figuring any differences. I do print the ATX state version of 4562 and depreciation schedules as part of the state original and the Fed copy has the Fed 4562 and schedules.

They're not all paid so poorly.