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Its easy to sped 30k on prosystem, you need every 6-10 state unlimited, you need rep fees for another 10-15 states, you need all tax types and you need efiling fees for $2000 returns.

I've used the one from PPC that says basically these things: I've enjoyed our relationship. I've reached the decision reluctantly and after substantial deliberation because of (pick one): cannot provide the level of services that you require growing conflict of interest unpaid fees, or continued failure to pay on a timely basis lost confidence in the integrity of company's management or data provided Remind about any unpaid fees that cover services provided through (date). Include an invoice if possible, or make sure they are paid up before terminating. Mention any steps the client needs to take that require attention (and list them to CYA). Offer your cooperation to make a smooth transition with your successor, and indicate that client must send you a letter authorizing you to make disclosures.

Even if he did care, there's no way to make a disembodied call center care. How could they feel the same sense of pride in the product as the folks who worked so closely together to build it from nothing? The tight knit team who built and supported ATX Software is gone. CCH didn't have any interest in purchasing the company culture. It's just a number on a very large balance sheet.

A couple of years ago [when my kids were born] I dumped all the clients that made me cringe when they called. I decided to only deal with clients I liked. Hurt the wallet a bit but I was much happier. its amazing how 3-4 clients can keep you on edge. You don't need to get into details, I just say I am taking my practice in a different direction.

I usually double the price and next year when call me for appointment, I tell them that price went up before setting up the appointment. Usually that takes care of it or come back, getting paid more.

I am in a fairly large practice and we have don't have a back up software in place but we do have one chosen. I don't think the learning curve is as great as people think. My large practice changed from prosystem to lacerate 3 years ago and MAYBE a return took 15 minutes longer due to learning curve. Mostly asset entry and k-1's don't convert well. My side practice changed this year from atx to proseries and I did have a leaning curve of maybe the first 10 returns of each type, then I flew on it. Since I am 7 days a week starting mid January, I always preshop a new car so if mine craps out during the season, I know what I want and just have to go to 2-3 local dealers to shop price. When my hvac at home was giving me trouble I did the same. This way you are covering bases.

In my younger days I briefly worked for a firm that administered employer benefit plans and prepared over 1800 (if i recall correctly) form 5500 returns. These benefit plans are required to do discrimination testing and then file form 5500 each year. We used a software called Pentabs primarily and then the year they switched from DOS to Windows, all hell broke loose. Similar issues that ATx faced. But luckily the year before our boss was smart enough to get a competitor's product called Datair (still a DOS program) and trained half of the staff to run that. And that is how we got through that year (lots of overtime and extensions) and even after that he maintained both products for a while. So my 2 cents is that any intelligent business owner, who cares about his reputation will have a backup option. Excuses will not work especially if you are a larger shop.

quote name="SaraEA" post="90976" timestamp="1381198093"] "Large practices with a high volume of returns should have an alternate vendor's software actually running on some computers in their office, just so they don't get blindsided by something like what happened with ATX this year." JohnH, is this really practical? Alternate software isn't free. And would returns already have to be converted to the new software so they're ready to go? That's a major hassle. And do you have to train staff ahead of time to use the alternate just in case? The whole thing sounds like a major expense to me, too much for even a large practice to absorb....

My philosophy about the backup software is that I have a plan of action thought out in the event my chosen software is defective. So while I won't be purchasing and running second software, I have a good idea of which vendor I'd go to. I switched from ATX in early Feb this last year, so it is doable. I wasn't super busy yet so I took one day on the weekend and converted all of my returns and checked them. Had I been busier, I could have converted them in smaller batches, something like weekly as the client appointments were made. It only took a couple of minutes to check each return's converted file and then rollover, and that small amount of time could have been easily absorbed into the prep time. The time I spent on each return was certainly less than waiting for each file to rollover and load in ATX and the multiple times one needed to shut down so to clear the resources the program was using, or the time wasted when it locked up or lost data.

I can't speak for large practices but as a one person shop with seasonal help, I do worry about having a backup software should the primary vendor fail to provide a reliable software for whatever reason. This year I got burned and I looked at pay per return options for my complex returns with Intuit. Yes it is more work and hassles, but that is the price to pay. The alternative is complete embarresment and possibly going under! Going forward, I will always have a backup option because i never never want to get into a situation that happened this year. I don't think my old body and mind can take another hit like that.

"Large practices with a high volume of returns should have an alternate vendor's software actually running on some computers in their office, just so they don't get blindsided by something like what happened with ATX this year." JohnH, is this really practical? Alternate software isn't free. And would returns already have to be converted to the new software so they're ready to go? That's a major hassle. And do you have to train staff ahead of time to use the alternate just in case? The whole thing sounds like a major expense to me, too much for even a large practice to absorb. What you're saying is that no one should trust their software vendor to deliver a viable product. We pay dearly for that product and have every reason to trust that it will work. What happened at ATX this year (and moreso at TRX) is that the product didn't work as expected, but those expectations were based on long histories of favorable results. This event is the exception rather than the norm. It is no reason to double up on software alternatives "just in case." You must be the type of person who built a bomb shelter under their backyard, whereas the rest of us are taking our chances and saving our money. I think the ATX debacle didn't prove the need to have a backup software but did prove the need to recognize when problems aren't being solved and to move on quickly. When every single upgrade created even more issues, it was time to procure something else that worked. The lesson learned is that blind loyalty to a program is not a good thing. It is good to see the soul-searching on this site from people who have been dedicated users for years. For the first time they are facing the fact that the ATX they knew isn't the one they have now and deciding if they should do something about it.

You are correct. Gail should have said "and the amount exceeds $599". A few states, FL comes to mind, automatically assume corps are not "misclassified employees". '

If they are paying an individual, and the amount exceeds $600 they have to issue a 1099MISC but they do not have to for a corporation. Also, it is probably easier to claim that an independent contractor is truly independent if they have gone to the trouble of incorporating their business. I can't remember offhand if corporations have to be reported as independent contractors when they don't have workers compensation insurance. Those are all the reasons I can think of.

Thanks, everyone. That's why I don't want to answer anything except tax questions about this. I will tell them to talk to their insurance company.