Lion EA

When I used ATX, I'd set a new color for each new year as I installed it. Much easier to keep my place, especially when preparing multiple years for one client. Don't know how you set up printing in ATX now. In my software the print pop-up has boxes for my copy, government copy (mostly just 8879 for most returns), and client copy. I set my copy .pdf Only and the government and client copies to Printer (.pdf AND Printer is also an option). Also checked is Masked for the client copy unless they need a copy with their SSNs printed. I also have check boxes for statements one to a page and other options, such as printing the K-1s when preparing a pass-through entity (sometimes you don't need those yet if you're reviewing the return with the client). All those are set for the software as a whole, and then I can change as I print an individual client if needed. That way, I always have a .pdf copy without thinking about it.

And, if it's for tax prep, check your tax prep software. It might have time tracking built in, maybe feeds to your invoices if you have them set up to bill by time. Or, maybe there's an inexpensive add-on.

I was hoping you liked me!

I worry about just my self making an accidental change in my sole proprietorship with no employees at all. I save all client returns as a .pdf file and can use that for most of the questions I have in following years without risk of changing anything. When I do have to open an already filed return in the tax prep program (maybe to see where I entered something), I am always worried about just what you say. If I know I'm going to spend much time in the return, I duplicate it and work within the duplicate (just like I do when I want to run some what-if scenarios). If you're having a big problem, can you lock all returns and then duplicate a return one at a time as needed for your employees to examine a prior year's return preparation? (Don't use ATX any longer, so don't know the logistics or possibility of that.)

Too much information. It sounds like THEY have to calculate the SRP, for instance. Tell them what you need them to take action on: what to bring, where to go to get an exemption, etc. Make it kind of a decision tree order: If you and everyone on your tax return had Minimum Essential Coverage (or whatever it's called) all year -- then bring me this; if one or more of you had less than full year coverage -- then I need to know this information; if you did not have coverage -- do you fit one of these exemptions, then bring me your certificate -- or do you fit one of these other exemptions, then I need to know this about you. That kind of thing. More bullet points and less text. The way you described your clients, I don't think all of them will read five pages, let alone understand five pages re the very new ACA when all of us professional have spent hours in classes and reading about it. Really let them know (I know, you hit upon this in your intro) that YOU are trained to help them with what the ACA means to their tax returns, but this is what they need to bring you this year that they never had to bring you before. And, yes, you were good about not using acronyms without also putting them in words.

Is the church a part of a main-stream religion? If so, perhaps that national church or even a more regional division has already encountered this situation and researched it....

Ah, the rich wanting to get richer! Pigs get fed, and hogs get slaughtered.

Just glad to have you on our side. Thanks!

As long as the Medicare or large-company health plans covered the required number of months and as long as everyone else on the tax return, including dependents,.... You do have to ask questions.

Try any of your professional organizations. I use the group plan from NAEA.

Exactly, you have to determine all the facts for all the family members to know if you check the box or go to one of the forms. You have to ask a few questions and then repeat them for each family member. It's not Yes or No. I'm glad I'm on Medicare.

Well, it sure ain't MY fault, either! And, I'm taking hours and hours of CE on topics like ACA and Repair vs. Cap Regs and expect to do a lot of re-reading of my texts over the next two months and have already been having conversations with select clients and will be pouring over biz returns over the next two months before clients are bringing in their 2014 info. They WILL pay for my knowledge and thoroughness. When needed, Form 3115 will cost a lot. Even my examination to determine that 3115 is NOT needed will cost something. And, all the ACA forms will have a fee, even the box to be checked that no further forms are needed. It's not the time it will take me to check the box that I'll charge for, it's my knowledge to know what to do if I check the box or don't check the box.

Doesn't a gift carry both the donor's cost basis and his purchase date over to the recipient? Or, is there a special rule for appreciated stocks? (My clients haven't been very charitable lately!)

If a business has a plan, they have to follow the new rules for plans, for the most part. If they have no plan AND fewer than 50 employers, then they are not subject to ACA rules. And, then there's OMG. One Member Group, that can continue doing what they've been doing as long as they have no other employees. Disagreement on whether the law refers to the number of members of the group plan or number of employees of the company to qualify as an OMG.

Tell your friend to rollover smaller batches. The next day's appointments or the next week's appointments, for example, plus any who just dropped off.

If your info is already in QB, then you should try filing from QB. Info is already there when you call up the form. Click. Done.

If they're still living together, they've had to work out messier issues than who claims the child !! (Who gets to use the master bedroom when having a date over?!) If they won't agree, then the IRS is going to use the higher AGI tie-breaker. Someone might lose EIC...

I'll leave this up to you who have farmers as clients. Sounds like some of the property was gifted at one point, taking donor's basis. And, depending on ownership, current widow had half stepped up when husband died. Then you get into business vs. hobby. If in the CRP, I would think business. You may have two sales: house and some small acreage plus the farm. (All I know is my tiny farm in IL with rent and sharecroppers and feed corn and soy beans and whatever government program my cousins tell me they're using on their adjacent land !!)

If you read the (I think) Rev Proc where the IRS gave the # of nights test, the IRS counts all nights in a year, even temporary absences such as your sleepover at a friend's example and hospitalization and boarding school and vacations at grandma's and even night worker exceptions and.... So, the parents have to argue over whose house the kid would've been at if there hadn't been a sleepover. I do agree, though, that the first year can be tricky if the parents stopped living together at some point and then the divorce was final that year. I tell my clients to keep a calendar. I also tell them to work with me and their lawyer to set in stone that the 8332s get signed with the divorce papers, but only a few come to me while the divorce is still in progress.

If you sell the house and the grounds that the family used for their personal enjoyment and family use, then yes they can exclude $500,000 in capital gain. But, is the machinery shed, grain bin, and small barn part of the farming operation? Was depreciated? Was the grass used for grazing or landscaped as part of the home for the children to play, etc.? What is on the land they didn't sell that made it the farm as opposed to the home? You have some questions to ask your clients.

The custodial parent is the parent with whom the child lived for the greater number of nights in 2013. 2013 had 365 nights. Unless you woke the child up halfway through a night to take him from one house to the other, then there IS a custodial parent for tax purposes based on number of nights who will claim the childcare expenses he or she paid (and can claim head of household). Higher AGI will not come into play in your example except in leap years. Don't forget Form 8332.

My kitchen is white, also.

Yep, those little details we understand. But, the client sometimes hears what they want to hear. So, even if one spouse doesn't have $10,000 in their IRA, they might think they can take all $20,000 however they want. I try to say it at least three different ways to clients!

WIth each $10,000 coming out of each spouse's IRA. Not $20,000 all from one spouse's or any other combo.

Exactly. If you do a lot of multistates, the time you save will mean you can do more returns, more accurate returns, in the same amount of time and make more money to pay for more expensive software and have the same or better profit. Or get to sleep earlier! When I was shopping, the cost increase from ProSeries to ProSystem fx (with a lot of pay-per-returns) was covered by only TWO tax returns. It was a no-brainer to upgrade. I think I did at least SEVEN more returns by 15 April that year. And slept better. (And continued to prepare returns with very easy multi-states well into the fall.)