joanmcq

Thanks, Medlin! I'll let my client know. But now I tried to efile, and I'm getting an error message that the program failed to connect to an EFC server. Any ideas anyone?

I'm sure its an either/or. There's been talk about a simplified OIH deduction for a few years now. Since I may be converting a third room to home office, I'll be pissed if it's limited too.

I'm doing payroll for the first time since 2004 or so, and we didn't efile anything. First of all, do I get the 10 digit PIN from the IRS for my client? ATX has a nifty little form and it seems I can efile for the efile PIN. And am I right in thinking each client has a different one? I don't think I'm an 'agent'. Second, in ATX nothing seems to be flowing between the 940 or the 941. Is this correct? Can I put all of the payroll forms in one client file? Currently I have the W-2/3, the 940 & 941 all in one file. Do I efile the 940 & 941 separately or together? I know the W2/3 goes through the SS website. I registered for the SS site way back when I prepared them for a client back in 2004 or so. Do I need to reregister? My ERO & Paid Preparer info isn't populating on the 940 or 941 even though I've gone to the Preparer Manager and clicked "enter on form". Could this be because I don't have the 10 digit PIN yet? Also, the client sent in the CA forms himself from what was prepared in Medlin, and the DE 88 didn't fill out with the different types of taxes differentiated on the different lines. All of it was put under unemployment. Will this be an issue? Can Medlin chime in with what needs to be done to get the DE 88 to print properly? Is it maybe a program issue or user error? I'll know a bit more about Medlin after I do my own first payroll tomorrow. I used the program back in 2004 and like it a lot; I just don't have current experience with it.

I wouldn't use a standard OIH deduction in Taxed's situation; the interest and taxes reduces SE tax, unless this isn't an issue. I'd use it if they didn't have interest & taxes, perhaps from a paid for home. If they rent, rent is often a big part of OIH. I'd use it if the office is really really small or just a small area to store goods.

So far I've had no problems so far. The first return I roll over is mine, and it's a biggie. Of course, there weren't too many forms available when I first rolled it over. It takes a bit of time to open up as forms are added, but then opens quickly thereafter. So it may simply be when a return is updating its slower. 2011 was one of the only years when the program was pretty complete upon delivery since Congress didn't have to squabble into the next year about extensions....

JB, you need more RAM. I ran into this problem with ATX 2007; it took about 15 seconds to enter ANYTHING. It was all in the RAM. I don't buy computers too often (the laptop I was running in 2008 I bought in 2005 and it's still working but bogs down like you describe with iTunes). When I bought my current PC, I got the beefiest one I could afford with all of the money going to processor, RAM and hard drive.

I got it last year, and I love it. It works seamlessly and you have your money deposited right into your bank account within a day or two. You can email or text a reciept to your client. I actually giggle every time I use it.

Does anyone here in CA have a recommendation? I need to start her ASAP to get my disorganized self organized!

Hmmm, do I have any warning points? Let me see....

Hey, at least we have the 1040! I have to run an estimate for a client's FAFSA, so I hope it's working ok. Crashed on me once already...

Oh thank god! I was wondering about that. We might disagree on what else is 'good' or 'bad' in the deal, but this one is a no-brainer. I can't believe it took this long for this simple @#$% change.

Happy, merry, and all to everyone. Since my sister and I are kinda major procrastinators, we've decided to celebrate Russian Orthodox Christmas. Our grandma was Russian Orthodox, so we figure we can get away with it. Bonuses; we ship 'da box' to each other (opposite sides of the country) when the post office isn't busy. We get to shop for the cheap goofy crap we send each other at the after Christmas sales. AND we get another holiday at the beginning of January when everyone else is just cold and depressed. Funny though, I talked with my younger brother on Christmas eve, and he's so sick of the pope, he decided he's more Orthodox too. And he's not part of 'da box' exchange.

Sad but true.

These are the kind of lessons I've learned from going to Burning Man. What is really important in life-our families, our friends, our happiness, none of which is necessarily brought about by an excess of 'stuff''. And being true to ME- something I used to think I had to squash in order to fit into the world and make a living. I'm the happiest I've ever been, even taking into account my depression due to the gloom & utter dampness of winter.

I'd like to be able to access my home PC from my iPad when I'm traveling. I know there are apps for GotomyPC, but free is good; does the Microsoft Remote work with the Apple OS?

I've been warning my clients since they came in last year. I told them I'm prescient, did my best Karnak impersonation, and told them that with the election year, the history of delays, political wrangling and just plain crap that happens every year, I'd do my best to work up projections, but all bets were off as to what the tax code will be, when or if any extensions, renewals, revocations, patches, etc will be done is completely unknown. I've been betting on March as the start of the filing season. If it starts earlier, and I can file earlier they'll be ecstatic, and I look like a superhero.

I rollover my own when I get the software, since that is the first one I'll be working on. It also lets me see what forms are or are not available. I rollover clients as I work on those returns, or in April, as I'm doing extensions. At this point there is no reason to roll any others over since the frikkin' 1040 isn't available! And yeah, the program is going to be buggy and screwed up, SINCE MOST OF THE FORMS AREN'T AVAILABLE. Thank Congress, as they are on vacation.

They were the Bush cuts back in 2002 when the decision was to make them temporary to obfuscate the effects on the budget. And they've been a mess ever since.

Ever since the Bush cuts/credits existed, we've been going through this every year, because ALL of them were all made temporary (some for only a year or two, like the sales tax deduction). We used to only have to deal with the AMT patches on a regular basis. The only year that was fairly easy was 2011; since everything had been extended for two years.

I'm already telling people that filing season could be delayed; heck I got an email from ATX today about how they don't have even the 1040 yet.

I used Profx when I worked for Grant Thornton, and have used ATX in my own practice since inception in 2002. I've also had the nonpleasure of using Lacerte and Proseries in other contexts and test drove Drake. ATX has been generally good for my biz, although the diagnostics are not as good as some of the other programs and the print interface can be a pain. But you do get diagnostics if a form cannot be efiled, if it is a draft version, if an update is needed and many other things. I've noticed the diagnostics improving over the years. I went to the CCH Small Firms conference and while conversing with the sales reps and programmers, I mentioned the one same-sex couple return I had that was so complex, it really stretched the limits of what can be done in ATX. Well, it could be done, but required quite a bit of manual imput and calculations, and a LOT of time. They told me of a program they were looking at starting by which an ATX user could get PPR from Profx without paying any additional fees except for the standard return fee. That way I could do my most complex return(s) on Profx while using ATX for the bulk of them. I haven't followed up on it yet, but mean to. I do about 250 returns right now and am at pretty much my limit for how many I can do on my own, especially with the amount of down time that is my requirement for working the crazy hours I do on season.

I'm with Jack. I've always taken CPE to learn, and I also am starting to teach classes. I had something like 120 hours my last cycle (CA CPAs are required to do 80 hours every 2 years) and already have at least 40 hours in a cycle that started 9/1/12.

I'm concerned about not being able to password protect the program as well. I'm also a one person shop, and having my tax programs, and not just the returns themselves, password protected is important. I don't want just anyone to be able to come up into my office if my computer is on, to be able to open the program. Jack, if you could please ask about this.

You have to use the substantial presence test if the tp doesn't qualify under bona fide resident the first year.

I prefer live seminars too. I get a bit from CSTC, both dinner meetings, a full day update class and the Summer Symposium, plus ASWA meetings, and webinars on subjects as I find I need to study the topic. For example, I've done quite a few webinars on same-sex couple tax, FATCA, filing Form 5471, etc. I did go to the CCH Small Firms Conference this year, and also went to the ASTPS Tax Resolution Boot Camp and found both very good. Some years I can afford to do more than others, but for me, live classes beat all other CPE.