rfassett

I recognize that there are seven days left in the filing season, but I have no reason to believe things are going to fall apart now. I just wanted to publicly acknowledge my appreciation for ATX and the team behind it. I do not think I could have been more satisfied this year with the software and service. Great job ATX!

Nope - hasn't happened to me for a very long time. We do not quote prices on the phone anymore other than, "our minimum fee for the most basic simplest of tax returns is $200. It goes up from there based on a number of things like complexity and how many papers we have to look at. We will be happy to quote you a more firm price for our services after we have seen your information. Please drop it off at your convenience and we will call you with a price before we begin work." I can do that because I am no longer actively looking for work. I have enough to keep me busy for some time to come. Most new work we get now comes from referral and those folks never ask about price because the referring person has already told them about our fees. Had a referral walk in yesterday. It seems his previous preparer has retired. His comment when he dropped off his stuff was, "she (the previous accountant) used to spread all of my stuff out on the table and she would do the return while I waited." Sorry - that is not how we fly. Leave your stuff and we will do your return when we get to it. Oh, and by the way, your return will be extended. Oh, and by the way, don't expect to hear from us before July. I think it is always a good idea to abuse the client right from the get go, He left his stuff. We will see him again in July.

That is probably my biggest fear (well, second to putting in the wrong bank information (like mine instead of theirs), so I check and double check and triple check (and do not go near the mouse) before I am ready to click send. We will write this glitch off to your drugs. I am sorry you are down and out. Listen to the others - take care of yourself first or you will be no good to anyone later. Enjoy your nap!

I had a client that I finally fired a few years back that just about everything he said started out with "no offense......" It was just a habit with him but got so down right annoying listening to it. Glad he is gone.

I have 58 that I am committed to getting done and another 5 or 6 I would like to get done by the end of the day Sunday. Took yesterday completely off and away from the computer. Feel re-energized. Had a wonderful mini-vaca. Ready to run for the roses. Like most of you, yesterday was my first day off in over 12 weeks. An interesting note is developing about this season. I purposely worked 85 hours per week this season instead of the 105 that I had become accustomed to in years gone by. And my revenue is up. Go figure. So next year I am only going to work 40 hours per week and see if that pattern continues to hold true.

OOOooooooooooohhhhhhhh........I love those Peeps. I actually open them and let them sit for awhile and let them harden up a bit. I am off to cupboard to see if we have any!

Agree with Yardley! Hope you get the stuff in. I have 60 that I have to complete by the end of the day on the 12th and am not working at all tomorrow. And I am 99.9% confident that I have everything in house for those 60.

It will be much the same around here - just me and my wife - and the dogs and the ducks and the deer and the geese and the menagerie of birds and the beaver (just saw one swimming down the creek. He should be thanking his lucky stars that this is Holy Week! ). We won't do much cooking but will do a whole bunch of nothing. Maybe go for a walk in the afternoon.

Enjoy your visit. You will remember those times long after you have forgotten about whatever tax return you did not get done.

Me too. I am eating a box of do-si-dos right now with my coffee. Does lunch get any better than that? Wait, lunch? OK - I missed lunch. Isn't this a great supper?

Maybe Jas will contract out the 9-year old. Or maybe you two could borrow my gun. Or, and true story, client, just told me this week, he knows people that can "take care of things" - or for the right price, he is that person. I can send you his name. I love my clients. I have often thought of starting a new venture called 1-800-break-a-knee. I am becoming more and more convinced it would fly.

True that homie! They are both worth their weight in gold.

I had a client come in today to pick up his payroll. He has a habit of migrating to my desk anytime he comes in and takes up some time. He was heading toward my desk and says, "Ron, ya got a minute?" I chuckled and said "hardly". He proceeded to my desk, asked his question in just a few words, I answered in fewer, and he was gone - in under a minute. I love my clients that can sense my mood. Another client came in today to drop off her monthly check and says, "You look calm enough. I need to call you but I will wait until after the 15th". I said "after the 20th because we will not be in until then". She said "it's a date." Total distraction - 20 seconds. A third client came in today to get some W-4's for her new employees. This does not even hit my radar because my staff handles all of that. But then she says, "Ask Ron if we get penalized for paying our estimated payments late. Me and my husband are arguing about this and we need to know who is right." And the implication was "and I want a detailed explanation now". This one got my blood pressure up. My staff got her out the door before I could get my gun out of desk. 73 more that are promised. I am beginning to think I can pick up a few off the extension list on the 12th. We'll see.

So does anyone have any insight on a different company's stand-alone fixed asset program? We use FAM extensively during the year in conjunction with the write-up program. This release causes me great concern that us users of the write-up package may also soon be hung out to dry. But that is a worry for another day!

Not normally, but I could see an argument if those items were deducted against SE income.

JJ - keep your priorities in line. Think 4868. Tell your clients of your issues. The very vast majority of them will understand. Those that don't understand simply don't care about you as a person. I told one yesterday, who in the past has been very, very extension opposed, that he will be on extension because, due to my own set of health issues (my pacemaker implant) , I am no longer able to work 105 hours per week. Couple that with the additional reporting requirements and we have the perfect storm for my practice. After I explained the facts, including that I do not even look at extended returns until late June at the earliest, he said, "whenever you get to it. I want you to be around in the future to do my returns" (a corp, a mmllc, and his personal and adding additional entities every couple of years now). I truly have purposed that those that object to being extended simply have no concern for me and they are welcome to take their business elsewhere. I suspect there will be very few that cut and run when the facts are laid out. I am at 72 returns that are being extended that in past years I would have worked to get done. So far, the one I mentioned is the only one that objected to being extended. And I disagree, there is rest for the weary. "Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened. And I will give you rest."

We close the office for Good Friday, open for 4 hours on Saturday and we are never open on Sunday, most especially on Easter. I, on the other hand, will work a full 12 to 13 hours on Friday and Saturday and will take Easter completely off. I am so looking forward to not hearing the phone ring or the door open for nearly three whole days. Don't misunderstand, (which I am certain none of you do), I love my clients and want to talk to them and see them, but enough is enough. This is a nice little break until the final week madness begins. I can hear the caller now. "I picked up my return back in February and I see I have to send a check. Why do I have to send a check? Who do I make it out to? What was the amount again?" I am so grateful that i have staff that can field these calls. Otherwise I would also be at the mailbox where but a short two steps away, semi-trucks buzz by at 50-plus mph.

I am down to 88 returns that need to be done by the end of the day of the 12th. The extension list, on the other hand, keeps growing. 70 have come in since our cut off. With the exception of just a couple, those will all be extended.

An open box of girl scout cookies does not last long enough around here to talk about.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAZJ3kzsaZE

Installed as soon as it came out. No issues here. Running server and workstations environment.

When I was much, much more caffeine addicted, I was at an all-day CPE meeting that was serving decaf, unbeknownst to me. By the mid-morning break I had a splitting headache that would not quit. When I realized what was going on, I first got my fix - and then I went looking for someone else's day to ruin. That just wasn't right.

I feel you Carolbeck. We have decided here to eliminate the last two weeks of tax season. My extension list keeps getting longer and longer.

http://eminentdomainandbusinessrelocationconsulting.com/eminent-domain-acquisition-payments-relocation-payments-and-taxes/ Found this with a quick search. It is not written by a tax person but it might help your thinking on this issue.

892 transactions totaling $13,914,489 total sales with a combined total gain of $1,123. All covered and no adjustments. I'm done!