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Been with Drake for over 20 years and am very happy with it. There is a little bit of a learning curve as it is not always intuitive. Customer support, although not as good as used to be, is still very good. Usually answer in a couple of rings. A lot of new people answering now and don't always have the answer right away but are very good at calling back within a day. I really like the macros that you can write to automate the routine data entry that has to be entered on every return, saves a lot of time. I don't believe Drake low balls you for the first year. I have always paid the same with small increases over the years. It integrates well with Grunt Works and their portal, although not perfect, is good and works well with the tax program. The portal has gone up in price quite a bit over the past few years and I will be looking for a replacement for next year. I do mainly 1040's with a couple of simple 1120's and a 990. I have heard that Drake does not handle multi state business returns as well as the higher priced programs. PM me if you have any specific questions.

DC, MD and VA preparers who helped ITIN holders, please read my other post re DC EIC for ITIN holders

I had two tickets opened with ATX. The best solution is to override. I don't like overriding but I hope efile likes it. I doubt anyone using ATX has given this juicy credit (70% of Federal EIC) to his/her clients. No warnings, no alerts, NOTHING from ATX when you have missed this credit. This is my work around. I save after I created the efile file for the federal return. Then I go to SS# and change the first 9 to a 7. Then I go to all EIC questions and forms and filled them out. That will calculate the EIC on the federal. Let's say that number is $6,000 for 2 children. I write down $6,000 in a piece of paper, change back the the first 7 on the ss# to a 9 and save the return. (It seems you have to prove that the person qualifies with all the IRS except SS# for the DC credit). You go to DC D40 type a number on box 27a and override it to 2 (children). You go to line 27c and enter a number and then click override and then enter 6000. Then go to Line 27d enter a number to invoke the override command and type 4200. Save the return and business as usual. You have recover $4,200 to your client.

"Taxpayers with a high deductible health plan can deduct up to $4,300 ($8,550 for family coverage)." Why not double the solo coverage amount to $8,600 for family?

Thanks to all who responded. I was able to recover Windows 10 in about 15 minutes once I figured out how to do it. Abby, the information in the link was really great - step by step for someone not very good at I T stuff.

yes pleaasee - link thx d/WI

I just paid $19.75 a week ago!

I am have been with ATX since the Saber.. However, the early renewal for Drake is very appealing! We tried it - it is workable. I know some of you have switched - Should I chance it? Atx is 3x the cost - what is the cost of Drake the 2nd year? What will be the downside? Please let me know if you would Thank you, D /WI

How lucky can we get?

So it will be $11 until the third party contract is renegotiated in 2026 at which time the PTIN fee will probably be revised again. https://www.thetaxadviser.com/news/2024/may/regulations-finalize-ptin-fees-for-tax-return-preparers.html#:~:text=The IRS arrived at the,training%2C supplies%2C and overhead.

AI Overview Here's how to find the version of Windows you have: Click the Windows Start menu Select Settings (the cog icon) Select System Select About You'll see the edition and what version of Windows you have Generative AI is experimental.

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/downgrade-from-windows-11-to-windows-10/84a2416d-ccfb-4d87-9eee-e1056591e91f After upgrade to Windows 11, if you realize that your system is not working correctly, or some of the crucial features you need are not working as expected, and troubleshooting didn’t helped you, you might want to go back to Windows 10. You can only downgrade to Windows 10 within the 10 days of your upgrade.

This is how you uninstall a normal Windows update. I don't know if this will work in your situation?

It is 39 Year property. 3K of depreciation makes 117K the office basis, which if it was 10% of the home it gets you to a 1.2MM home. Plausible. 3000 square foot home with a 300 square foot office? 7K of expenses does not sound like such a stretch if the home is worth that much, especially if there is a mortgage on it. Not sure about IL property taxes, but again, if the home is worth that amount, the tax bill is not cheap. Not saying these are facts, just making an observation that everything is plausible. If you wait until you file the 2024 return, you could slip in a 1310 and get the depreciation back....that is not the correct way to do it, you should amend and notify the plan administrator of the corrective distributions needed and pay the penalty for the excess contribution. You will get a 2024 1099R from them that includes the earnings. Tom Longview, TX

If you are comfortable doing this and everything is backed up? Go to "View Update History" where you will have an option to "uninstall updates" where you can choose which updates to uninstall.

How could the depreciation be that much unless that also includes office equipment and furniture? I thought home office was 39 year property?

I wasn't aware that an update to Windows 11 was even a possibility. My tech guru was just here last week.

In addition, I like the three licenses from Max as I have two locations that I can work from and one license on another computer for my assistant. As for this year, we have some really complicated returns who have not gotten all their information in yet. I am taking next week totally off.

This may well not help that much but I am a bit surprised about the amount of HO depreciation. Does that also include allocation of expenses? Would it be worth checking for the Simplified Method of $5 per square foot. There would be no depreciation, etc. but also no recapture and may not be as large an impact on the overcontribution.

A Microsoft update appeared as necessary for me to schedule. It did not announce that the update was to change from Windows 10 to Windows 11. I didn't want Windows 11 and all the garbage that Microsoft wanted me to have that comes with it, not to mention the change in navigation. Is there any way to get Windows 10 back? Thanks in advance for advice.

A prospective new client dropped off his 2022 and 2023 returns for review. He is the manager of a family farm which has been divided into about 9 individual farms each operated by a different farmer. The client files a Schedule F as a farm manager since 2022. The current preparer has deducted office in home expenses of about $7000 per year but did not take any depreciation on the home office, which should probably be about $3000 each year. The T/P contributed the maximum amount to a solo 401_K in both 2022 and 2023. If I amend the returns, the net profit will decrease and so will the allowable 401-K deduction that has already been made for 2022 and 2023. What do I do about the two overcontributions when I amend since the overcontributed amounts will also have earnings within the 401-K? Thanks!!

Just give you a comparison, I have used Drake PPR for the last 2 years. For the 2024 tax season it will cost $350, which includes 10 personal returns. Additional personal returns are $40 and additional business returns are $60.

I am keeping the full MAX for one more year at least. My husband and son are a Partnership and I am still training my assistant. I haven't found anything else that would fill all of my needs right now, although I want to start cutting back. I thought that the full Tax Act was enticing, but not enough of a savings to justify the stress and worry of learning a new program. I am getting tired, but hate to waste my knowledge. Family and friends are being wrapped up now after the rush is over (including my own). It's been a pleasure working with all of you.

I buy the 1040 package for family and friends. It costs about 1,000 and you can do up to 75 1040 forms at no extra charge with up to 3 states. Entity returns are about 75 each extra. I charge for some of the returns I do and that ends up being more than the cost of the software.

I don't know if anyone on here is mainly retired, except for immediate family and self. My consultant sent me a PRS package for $799. I'm not even sure what all it includes. I will have to call him. I don't even know what else is out there yet. I am not getting paid, I just don't want to force my family to a big box place. I had forgotten that I still will have my C Corp to prepare, but most of the family will be fairly simple. I will probably keep the Corporation open until the statute of limitations is over with tail insurance. I am hoping that I can just paper file it in the future, because it won't have any income. I wasn't even going to think about this until after I got more caught up. I decided today that I am going to get a full knee replacement in 11 weeks so I had better get my work done. My ortho said today that I am in so much pain because my knee has so much bone on bone and that he cut out so much of my miniscus to repair it that I lost a lot of my knee support. I could not figure out why my knee kept feeling like my shin was breaking below it and I miss being active. I worked out every day until this mess happened. I know that PT will be tough, but it's better than continuing cortisone shots and not improving. If any one has retirement tips, please pass them on. I will be calling the state board to see about turning my permit inactive (just in case this is a big mistake and I can't find a part time job in Colorado that will get me out of the much smaller condo.) Thanks! Bonnie