JohnH

I did a quick scan of the NCDOR web site as you did, and I could not find specific guidance on this issue. However, since there is an entity change I think you need to register a new business and obtain a new number for NC Withholding & Sales Tax. The NCDOR now ties all their numbers back to the Federal ID Number, so having the same state ID number associated with two different Federal ID numbers will inevitably cause some sort of computer glitches along the way. Same is true for their Unemployment Tax number, although in this case you will want to register is as a successor employer in order to preserve the favorable tax rate (hopefullythere is one), and also to avoid the annoying mismatch letters for the state tax credit which show up a couple of years down the road.

I'm thinking of winding it all down by 70 (that will be in Feb 2018) And I'd say I'm already on a glide path - not accepting new clients and shooing a few out the door already. Just not sure if I'll actually work the 2018 tax season, but it's too early for that decision. Hope everyone has a safe New Years Eve and a prosperous New Year.

Merry Christmas

I always liked their accountants - Dewey, Cheatem, and Howe.

The Win 10 upgrade reminder pop-ups are getting more obnoxious. Is there a simple way to kill them?

I agree with what has been said. There is absolutely no reason to provide a copy of a return to a third party. Period. Give it to the client either in paper or electronic form (or both). They can then do whatever they wish with it. Our involvement in the process is useless insofar as the loan is concerned, and potentially risky insofar as we are concerned.

That sounds like an OSHA violation. You need to fit the plexiglass with a sign and flashing warning light, or else run the risk of a huge fine.

Do you ever have a situation where you end up wishing you had just left the records in the trash can?

Lowes and home depot sell the mail slots with a spring loaded hinged door on them. Installation is fairly simple if you have a small power saw and are handy with tools. Otherwise any decent handyman can do it. This assumes the door isn't fancy, expensive, or otherwise un-modifiable. I think it took me an hour or so to install the one in the middle of my office door.

You're right, Judy. Maybe Drake does require a level of understanding a lot of new preparers would not necessarily possess. I was just trying to nudge the conversation in the direction of the best overall business tool. Personally, I like to use the most efficient tools possible, since greater efficiency translates into more profitability. That's a useful concept for someone just starting out.

I don't know anything about the states you mentioned so I stayed out of the conversation while others answered your specific questions. But along the way you mentioned Drake, so I'll throw in a suggestion that you seriously consider Drake. Several of us on this forum switched to Drake a few years back and have no intention of returning to ATX. There is a learning curve, although nowhere near as steep as some might lead you to believe. Once you get comfortable with Drake, you'll become addicted to its speed and efficiency. Plus it is really stingy with memory & resources. Nothing comes close to Drake in speed - anyone who says otherwise hasn't learned how to use it properly. And since your time is directly related to you profitability, you have the ability to make more money using Drake. Bells & whistles in the software are cute, but you can't deposit them in the bank.

This reminds me of the true story of an elderly aunt of mine. All her life she said her final instructions should include a particular piece of music she wanted played at her funeral. Most of us laughed it off as just one of her many eccentricities. But sure enough, as they wheeled the casket out of the church, the organ struck up one of the loudest renditions of the "Hallelujah Chorus" from Handel's Messiah that I've ever heard. She would have been pleased to have flowers with that card attached.

What's with all this flap on tents?

Formula for Success: 1) Figure that out 2) Do the opposite 3) More often than not, you'll come out ahead.

I think I'm going to add another acronym to the notes I put in the client files, just in case the client sees my notes. It's "What WIT !". The translation is -> " What Was I Thinking (when I took this guy on as a client) "

You raise some valid points, but I will reiterate this this really is all about how you manage communications. I'm on a retirement glide path, so my experience won't be the same as that of others. But I think I'd be doing the following even if I weren't scaling back. I expect to eventually convert both business and personal entirely to a single cell phone. One number for everything. I like the ability to communicate from home, the beach, in the office, or anywhere else I choose. On my schedule and at my convenience. Managing the contact list is key because you can see who is calling before you choose to hit the "Accept" or "Decline" button. Custom ring tones also help tremendously. My total business and personal phone communication is probably 25% or of what it was just 2 or 3 years ago. That is due somewhat to attrition, but mainly a result of persistently moving people to email and texting. I'd suggest a change of thinking about handling people's expectations. There's no requirement that you respond on their schedule. The response timing is still under your control - the process of choosing when to respond to a text is no different than choosing when to respond to a phone call. On your schedule and at your convenience.

I was on my PC and iPhone during the day, but when I signed in on my Mac this evening, it popped up a question asking me if I wanted to allow notifications from the forum. Don't know enough about computers to know how that all relates @Eric, but just thought I'd let you know.

You're very welcome. And thank you @Eric for your attention to this valuable resource & all you continue to do to improve it.

Eric is always looking for ways to make this a better forum. I saw this as an opportunity to show appreciation by clicking on the "Donations" button during this slow period of the year. Maybe others will take a similar view.

I frequently save texts. The simplest way to do it on an iPhone is to do a screen shot & print out a hard copy or convert to a pdf and save it. Not sure how that is accomplished on "lesser" devices. I'll stand by my assertion that bypassing the way younger clients communicate will adversely affect the potential growth of one's practice. But of course the way this actually plays out depends upon the makeup of the client base. And I definitely agree that we all operate differently. That's why this forum is so informative. BTW, I don't give my cell phone number to EVERY client - some only get the email address. It really is all about making distinctions. Adding names to the contact list makes it easy to refuse unwanted calls to the cell phone. Just look at the caller ID and send it to voice mail. Most of the time they will follow up with a text.

One thing that fascinates me is how many older clients are very willing to communicate via email and text. Yes, there are some who simply can't or won't get the hang of it, but the traffic runs heavily in the opposite direction. And anyone in this business who isn't embracing email/text communication going forward is guaranteeing they will lose (or never gain) business with a large segment of the younger generation. They may as well start planning an early retirement or a career change.

The best defense is a good offense. Deflecting nuisance calls & visits begins with getting them to use email and texting as their primary means of communication. If you don't start the process it usually won't get done. I get the client's email and/or text number (depending upon which they prefer to use), and I find a reason to initiate a communication with them using that method early on. Now they have me in their contact list, so the natural thing to do is send me an email or text when they have a question at some later date. I also tell them that I return phone calls within a day or two, but generally respond to texts & emails immediately. I'll reply to texts and emails after hours and weekends if it's convenient for me, but phone calls are generally during regular work hours only. That sets the expectation that they will get a reply faster, so they tend to migrate toward emails & texts as the primary means of communication. Sometimes my reply is simply "I'll look into that and get back to you", but that generally satisfies them that I'm on it. And if the question is so complex that I actually need to invest billable time in the answer, it's easy enough to tell them that in the reply. Very few questions are actually that complex. Getting clients to email and text also forces them to stick to the point and clarify their question. If not, my responses asking for clarification serve that purpose without my having to listen to them ramble. My philosophy revolves around the idea that I want to keep my clients out of my office and off my telephone so I can get some work done.

Maybe we do need a really special sarcasm emoji

Oh, OK. That is such a relief !