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I'm not Lynn EA but can answer. I upload the client copy of the returns, pdf. I then upload what I call the signature pages, beginning with 8879. The signer(s) are part of the portal with their email address originally entered as a client. The software prompts me to determine if I want to add signatures. For the client copies, no, but I click Yes for the signature pages. All is then uploaded for client access and I am prompted to indicate which signer is to sign first, i.e., taxpayer. I scroll to the signature line and highlight it. Then highlight the date line. I also highlight for initials the bank information and selection for payment or refund. At the end, I am prompted for the next signer, if there is another. Repeat the process, review if desired, send. The clients receive an email (each one) and are directed to the highlighted spaces to accept/enter. When the first signer is finished, an email is sent to the next one. I am notified at every step. A few of the folks were reluctant until I or someone explained it's similar to the now ubiquitous signing pads everywhere. I think you can try it out.

Can you walk me through the process a client has to go through to sign electronically through that application? I am finding more and more of my clients cannot print, sign, scan and upload back to me their 8879s. I want something cheap and easy that does not sell their personal information to the highest bidder. Tom Longview, TX

Thanks Lynn and Margaret. Sounds very interesting. I will certainly checked them out.

Verifyle is only $9 per month if you are not with one of those organizations. I have been using it for 3 or 4 years and am very pleased with the service and responsiveness to my questions at the outset. I use workspaces, one for each year, and request that all client communication be managed there. That way I can keep messages for each client in one place. At the end of the season, I copy the message string to my client file for each one for each year, just in case.

Thanks Randall for your comments. Those are some good thoughts. I am a numbers guy, and I do like to do payroll. What I hate is paying an overpriced service a ton of money for the pleasure. I understand it costs money to breathe, but not that much. Thanks!

I'm not doing it for clients either. I'm waiting to see if they change the requirement. Otherwise, I'll let them know about it and send them to a website for info.

I have the client sign the 8879-EMP each quarter. Also with ATX, I have to create a 'new client' for each client for each quarter. I put the date or 1,2,3,4 QTR as part of the name. Maybe I'm missing something but that's how I've done it. I only have one of these though and not 10. I'm winding down and payroll is becoming more of a hassle every day.

I have about 10 clients I process the 941 payroll forms for, and have always done this by paper. I have the ATX MAX software, and need to start doing this electronically. 1. Is this an easy transition? 2. Do you have your clients sign the 8879-EMP each quarter? 3. What other software do you use if it's not ATX MAX? 4. Any other filing tips or advice for this transition would be helpful, thanks.

If you are a member of NATP, NAEA, Tax Pro Fellowship, these organizations offer free subscription to Verifyle, a secure document sharing platform. Also included, and free, is electronic document signature.

I have been using Drake Portals for several years and it has worked fine for my needs. However, I am considering moving to a different tax software provider and looking for alternatives for secure sharing of tax data with clients. Any suggestions would be appreciated. I have a small tax practice so cost effectiveness, ease of use and of course security is important.

That box has always been there and I almost always check it, for whatever reason

Fortunately for me, the Oregon Secretary of State has published a two page guideline with live links that I am going use. I am also going provide a live link to FINCEN'S guidelines which is 51 pages long

I'm hoping to find something (hoping to not write something myself) that says Congress passed a Corporate Transparency law that requires certain businesses to report their Business Ownership Information on the FinCEN site. Read more about it here to see if it applies to your business... Something short and sweet that tells them to do it themselves, maybe talk to your lawyer, but this is all I know about that, so do NOT ask me any questions. I've heard about preparers creating how-to flyers with steps, screen shots, whatever. I do NOT want to do that. The gist of the law is WHO are owners, not how to report on FinCEN. And, the WHO is exactly what I do NOT want to be involved in deciding. Knowing which grown kid or minor kid has a hand in your biz isn't any thing I know or have the time to know. It's up to the biz owners to self identify. I'm decades past retirement age and have no desire to add more work, especially non-tax work.

First it's too complicated to cover in 1 page, given all of the exceptions and etc. IMHO, creating a "How To Flyer" is offering advice.

My E&O (NAEA group policy via Calsurance) said they are NOT covering preparers for this -- at this time. They did say that IF reporting BOI becomes a core service for tax preparers in the course of their biz, that they would consider covering in the future. From Megan Killian/NAEA: "As of right now, Calsurance will not cover this under their E&O policy, and the consensus has been that most other providers will not be either. However, I suspect that this will change over time once it is more established and it is also demonstrated that this will be a core service offered by many tax and accounting professionals." I do NOT want to report BOI for my clients. My biggest worry is that clients will forget to notify me of changes in ownership until next tax season, missing the short deadline for reporting changes. And, create new businesses without telling me until next tax season. I don't think I could charge enough for this. Wresting true ownership info from clients will take time. Penalties are high. I can make money by preparing taxes all year long. Why break my stride to jump out of my tax software over to FinCEN and also spend the year making sure no client has made any ownership changes?! I will make sure all my biz clients know about it this summer. I hope to steal a 1-pager from someone who creates a thorough how-to flyer.

I have to decided to limit my involvement to informing my clients of their obligation to report I am not giving any advice or answering any questions. BOI has nothing to do with providing accounting. payroll or tax services.

I am not touching it. The potential for the client to not give updated information to report in the required timeframe scares me. The penalties are just too high to justify the potential revenue from the client. Plus, if I understand the rules correctly, you have to report yourself as the preparer of the document. Some will do this, I will not. Tom Longview, TX

Thank you Abby. That worked perfectly. I had never seen that option before. Greatly appreciate all the help you provide to this board.

What is your take on preparing BOI's on behalf of your clients? Now that I have a little more free time I decided to call my E&O insurance and was told I would be covered if I were to offer the service to my clients but when speaking to other accountants friends they don't know what to do.

Half time student determines if AOC is available. To be a qualifying child she would need to be full time for 5 months. Parents can not claim her.

I just did this for MD. Check the box on the state EF info form to unlink from MeF. Then just create the state efile. Easy peasy.

I've received one snail mailing and several emails from ATX. I'll call soon to renew.

I agree with mcb39. If a resident of WI at the end of the year, he'll file KY 740-NP. Ky source income (the sale) will have to be reported to KY. Yes, check to see how much can be excluded as residence but the business is business.

The first question that comes to my mind was how long did he live on the farm and does it qualify for the main residence exemption. Of course, the business part will have to be separated, which further complicates things. WI will tax him as a part year resident and tax him on the income made in WI. A part year KY resident is taxed on all income from all sources while a Kentucky resident and on Kentucky-source income. Therefore, the entire sale gets taxed to KY. KY does have partial reciprocity with WI, but only for salaries and wages earned in WI. I think that I could prepare this return, but am glad that it is you rather than me. BTW, you have to be domiciled for more that 183 days in KY in order to be considered a Resident.