Catherine

sometimes you can still get the amount rolled forward to a new year as an estimated payment (THEN get the refund for that year)

In the past, they have also given - free - prior-year full function programs in case you want to run some previously-done returns of your own. That was super-helpful to me when I switched. Plus, when I later had a new client with many years' unfiled returns, I was able to get ALL the prior year programs for those returns for free. I will note that was a few years ago; don't know if their policies have changed at all since then.

@BLACK BART - good thing you got that hot tip! Can't wait to hear how much it saves her!

I've been sending them in, requesting multiple years, and those have been honored. Just a couple months ago I sent one in for 2013 - 2018 (long time non-filer), and was able to pull transcripts a couple weeks later for ALL the years involved. Well, except 2018, because there is nothing posted aside from the "appointed representative" notation.

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. Abraham Lincoln November 19, 1863

I'm one of those. Every couple of years (and with every new client) I get a POA that goes back all open years and forward one from the current year. It's really helped on several occasions (pulling transcripts using TaxHelpSoftware, or Canopy, calling on a letter received without having to scramble for a POA on short notice). Actual representation work does not occur until a separate representation engagement letter is signed, though.

Ain't he just?!?!

Yes, I always point out the fees. Most clients can't seem to be bothered (and I don't understand why). Heck, I can't even get people to update their IRA beneficiaries! I see them year after year after year - the same accounts, showing "no beneficiary on record" or (worse yet) the name of the former spouse. People say, "Oh, yeah, I gotta fix that" and then next year.... Inertia.

in large part because we need to use the fool things, and without accepting the tos we're dead in the water.

I'd try the Taxpayer Advocate first, as others have recommended. If that does not get prompt attention, then tax court. The thing is, that if a tax court case is filed, the FIRST thing the court does is send the case down to high-level Appeals with strongly worded recommendations to RESOLVE the issue, so the court doesn't have to hear the case. That level is peopled with competent problem-solvers who do NOT want the court to verbally dope-slap them, later, for failure to resolve. Besta bote woilds!

I know you will take good care of us, and I have NO idea whatsoever about all the DNS commentary.

Looking at what Max W just posted, I think you could make a case for the date the appeals period closed. Yes, the decision was earlier - but no way to know if there would be an appeal, which would keep the case open.

We just use a work-in-progress spreadsheet I set up years ago, and free online booking for clients that syncs with our goggle (sic) calendars. It is not an "elegant" solution - but it works for us, and it's free. For years it was just me, now it's me, my assistant, and my two partners. The one big change we had to make for the partners is change some of our spreadsheet color-coding to accommodate the red-green color blindness of one partner!

I recommend strongly AGAINST a wifi system (instead of wired). More and more cybersecurity risks. Here in MA, if a client's confidential information is taken and they trace it to me or my systems, my business is toast. As am I.

Yes. There is a bitcoin phishing-reporting site where you can report those bitcoin lockers. I get a couple of these a week in one of my emails, and always report them. bitcoinwhoswho.com is the site - free but you must register to report them.

THIS. Definitely. 8GB won't run the operating system, the tax program, Adobe Reader, and your email without noticeable slowdowns these days. My spare machine has 8GB and will grind to halt if too many programs are running - and by "too many" I mean "barely enough to work with."

TaxHelpSoftware (Roger Nemeth's company) has a free trial and *excellent* CSED calculations. Canopy is free for transcripts but not as good on CSED. Try one of t hem to see what the exact date history on this year is, if PPL leaves anything un-addressed.

To all my friends here - if you celebrate Passover, then, "Next year in Jerusalem!" If you celebrate Easter, have a blessed day. One of my huge blessings is all of YOU.

Is that amount total income, or taxable income?

Thank you, Gail! I closed out that return and won't look again until Monday, but I think what you have given will help me with most of the confusion. However, if anyone else wants to chime in, I'm all ears!

Client has a VK-1 from a Virginia partnership. I've never seen one before, and have no idea what adjustments to make to the federal numbers for VA purposes. Specifically: VA income is slightly different from federal; no problem with that. But on VK-1 Line 2 there are "Total deductions" of $37K that matches the 1065 K-1 Section 179 deduction figure. Does this amount get entered separately on the VA return (and if so, where)? And then there is Line 14, "Fixed date conformity - depreciation: - what on earth is this?? It doesn't match anything on the federal K-1 for me even to guess. Only the taxpayer, and not the spouse, has VA-source income. They are both non-residents of VA. Does the taxpayer really need to file as MFS for VA? I have never, ever seen TEN over-ride choices for filing status and am both confused and bemused at the list. I think them is my questions. Whee! And thanks in advance.

Client transferred money for direct debit of extension payment. But there was some other bank confusion, and another big payment was taken just before the IRS request came in, so the extension payment bounced. Will the IRS try again, or should I send this client to Direct Pay? We are still waiting for some final docs (from the same bozos who erroneously clawed back a payment, making the IRS debit bounce, grrr) so we can't finalize the returns yet.

SSD is the biggie; and as much RAM as you can usefully cram into the thing. Whatever the requirements are NOW, they will be HIGHER in future years!

That last piece is what makes it worth while. The program itself - while I like it very much in many ways - still has spots that are rough. But that customer service gets you over them quickly and with little trouble. MUCH nicer than floundering on your own while waiting on hold for way too long!

If those become the ONLY options, I will go back to pencil and paper. NO ONE owns my data but ME.