rfassett

And my advanced degree from the School of Hard Knocks!

There is a very visible line between "time wasting idle chit chat" and visiting with the client at a deeper level. The fact of the matter, I have oft said that my practice is 65% counseling and 35% tax and accounting - and I lament (in a joking manner) that I should be charging professional counselor's hourly fees instead of those of a lowly accountant. I did not imply that I do not chase anyone out. I did imply that I will take whatever time it takes with a client that needs a caring listening ear. And I certainly did not mean to imply that anyone here is cold, crass and calloused. I was simply commending the original OP for taking the time with a client that needed it. We each have our own practice with a unique culture. Yours works for you - and mine works for me.

Back in the days of the two hole punch, I would use one of the binder things at the top. But your notebook idea sounds plausible.

Shows your character that you bothered to ask. My clients, as are yours, are not tax returns or dollars, they are real people with real every day issues. We step outside of ourselves when we invite them to share. You are to be commended for neither falling out of your chair not dozing off.

I agree with both of the above responses.

According to my calendar - it is March 10th - smack in the middle of the "busy season" for all of us. Thompson Reuters uses this time to do their telemarketing. I do not hang up on many people - but I just hung up on that caller. I don't care WHAT you are selling - today I am neither interested nor a good prospect. I should clarify that my first degree is in Marketing - and I spent several years in sales. There is a time and place for everything!

No problem here. I have e-filed about a dozen in the past 3 or 4 days and they have all been accepted.

Thanks Judy, but I believe this is a State specific issue. My federal acks are fine. I am wondering if PA's systems don't recognize leap year.

My PA acknowledgements are coming back with a date prior to when they were submitted. This is stuff straight out of the Twi-Light Zone! Does anybody really know what time it is?

Not sure I totally agree with Jack's last comment "throw away everything you knew from 2011 and prior". In a lot of ways the new ATX resembles the old ATX. It is on a new platform - and with the new platform came a host of new things and new problems. There was also a host of old things that are not now there. But there remains the basic premise behind the software. I left for a year after the 2012 melt down - strictly out of a survival mode mind set. When I found ATX had settled down and settled in after the 2012 fiasco, I came back and it was a good move. For what it is worth, I have been with the ATX product since it was called Saber. And in a further for what it is worth comment, in 2014 I prepared 520 returns in ATX: 394 individuals; 19 regular corps; 72 S-Corps; 18 partnerships; 10 fiduciaries; 5 non-profits; and 2 other returns. I am on target to do about 25 more this year. Many of them are multi-state and they all have their own issues. I love the MAX software and it has done everything I have asked it to do. Good luck with your decision.

And I believe there is a place in the myATX.com after you have logged in.

On a better day, I would say have some fun with it. Today - I would say ignore it.

I think I get this call every year and it ALWAYS hits my hot button. Caller says (or something like this), I called you because I think the other person that could answer my question is busy. (Note - the other person in this case is retired and wintering in Florida). I think I hurt my hand when I slammed it down on the desk. How in the world did the caller know that I was just sitting around waiting for him to call me.

I started the day with 107 returns in-house to complete. Completed two so far and had two come in the mail. I do not have any idea how many have come in the front door today - but it is safe to say "more than one". So I am probably good for work for a couple of weeks.

My cut off is March 21st. No wavering and no exceptions. Get your stuff in before March 21st or be extended. There is no other option. We put that right in our organizer letter this year in bold red letters. I have been amazed at the chronic late March to early April folks that are already in and already completed. I will begin Corporate extensions tomorrow. The corporate cut off was March 1st. Like JohnH, we could have already filed extensions on some personals that have called requesting an extension. We are keeping a list and will do those on April 13th and 14th.

I am assuming everyone has APTC unless that tell me (with evidence) differently. I have been shocked that some of my "wealthier" clients qualified for the APTC. I would have assumed "no way" - and then they give me the 1099-A. Talk about a screwed up program. Oh, that's right. We have talked about that ---- a lot.

Well, alas, I must subscribe to that new math. Here it is just 6 plus hours later and after I summarily chased one client out, I completed two 1040s and five 1120s since my original post and my eight are done. The client "chase out" went like this: Client: Hey Ron - you got a minute? Me: Not really but what's up? Client: Begins to sit in the chair across my desk Me: If you are going to sit down there this is going to take more than a minute and I do not have more than a minute to give you right now. Client: OK. I have decided to incorporate and need to know what kind of corporation I should be. (Editorial note - I have discussed this issue with this client ad nauseam over the past five years.) Me: You need to have an attorney form a corporation and we will take care of electing the S status. Client: Why do I want to be an S status? Me: Your minute is up - we can continue this discussion after April 15th. Good bye! Client: Oh OK. I can see you are busy! Me: MARTHA - GET MY GUN!!!!!!!!!

Called a client a couple of days ago and got a message that the client could not be reached at this time because the mute button had been activated on his phone. (Note this was a land line phone.) WHERE DO I GET ONE OF THOSE!!!!!!!! Geez - I am six hours into this day already and due to the walk in distractions and multiple, multiple non-sense telephone calls, I have got one return completed. I think I need a mute button on my phone and on my front door. Needing to average eight returns a day between now and the end - one in six hours won't get that done. Thanks for letting me vent!

Lynn is spot on. The big thing you need is the housing costs. Without justification, they could have taxable excess housing costs. If you are going to do much in this area, I would suggest getting the "Church and Clergy Tax Guide". The Baptist denomination may also have some information. Here is a booklet from a different denomination that I do work with. finance-manual.pdf

Terry - I was in agreement with what you did up to offering the refund. I fully expect to get paid for whatever work I do. If I do gratis work, it is MY call, not because I felt some sort of coercion. You did the best job you could based on the facts presented - and you should be compensated for that. I have no issue what so ever with my clients getting a second opinion. They have every right to do that. But I stand by my work and expect to be compensated for it If I have made a mistake, though, with the facts presented, I will make the fix free of charge. But I will not refund the money they paid me.

Had a client call yesterday with a couple of bank reconciliation questions. She said, "I do not know how you do this all of the time. It would drive me nuts". I responded with, "Being somewhat nuts is a pre-requisite to being in this business." I will cite Rita's post as an example. A) Does she........ (Wouldn't the next bullet point be B ) and not 2).

Yeah - but I am more meek than you. Fortunately I can count on one hand the number of clients that do these things now. One of the reader's asked me just last week if he really had to fill the organizer out or if we could just do it like we always do. We agreed that he would let me copy his pages and he would not read them to me. Another one called this year for an appointment (to read to me) and my secretary told him to just drop off his stuff. We'll see if that flew or the if client flew. Either way - I win.

I just yelled out - SOMEONE'S GOING TO GET WHACKED!!!!!! For about the third time this year I have strained to read the numbers on a poor quality copy or fax of the W-2 or 1099 or 1098 only to find the original in much better clarity deeper in the pile of stuff. WWWWHHHHHYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I hear you. But I will take the stickers any day over the meeting wherein they come in with a folder and taking out one piece at a time while saying, "this is my W-2", pause, pause, shuffle, shuffle, "this is the interest on my savings account, I think it is a 1099"............ Or the guy who comes in with his legal pad to give me his rental property information. He reads every line off of his sheets while I write it on mine. How cost effective is that for a use of my time? I have offered to copy his papers on the copier - no way Jose!

1.5% after 30 days. Invoices are due on presentation - making them past due the next day. I will give those few to whom I extend credit 30 days to pay - then I assess the late fee and fully intend to collect it. I am neither a bank nor a credit card company. My fees are due upon presentation. Now, all of that said, your state law will have a lot to say about what you can charge and when. Oh - and by the way, I consider invoice presentation at the moment that they are called to come get their return - not when they decide to come and pick it up.