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A suggestion about mailing costs and process. Email a pdf of the letter to all clients for whom you have an email address. Mention in the letter they can respond with a request for a hard copy if they want it, and if they have any questions. Emailing the letter serves three purposes: 1) It saves postage, envelope stuffing, etc. 2) It enables them to ask you questions, give you information, and get the conversation started before the rush hits. For those of you who book appointments far in advance, it can also be a way to handle that task. And all done without that time-wasting process of telephone calls (unless YOU DECIDE that a phone conversation is actually necessary). 3) It helps get clients into the mode of communicating with you in the most efficient manner. That can pay off immensely in March & April.

Hello Fellow Discussion Board Members, I am reposting my experiences and recommendations concerning ATX 2013. Systems & Hardware: The following information is the results of my experience for 2012 and my testing of 2013. I will not go into detailed explanations. You may accept my information or ignore it. I will not spend time trying to convince the die hard "old system works and I won't replace it" group any further than the information I am posting. My system recommendations: Operating System - Windows 7 PRO only. No other. Make the move from Win XP, despite any stubbornness you have about not changing. Get over it. It is a dinosaur and will not be supported by Microsoft after spring 2014. Hardware is inexpensive. If your peripherals do not run on WIN 7, replace them. Printers and scanners are cheap. Get over your fondness of the old stuff. 64Bit is nice, but will not give a substantial boost in speed to ATX2013. 64Bit will improve many other programs. Processor speed of 2.6 or higher (actually as low as 2.1 should function if you are a standalone or peer to peer) will be adequate for ATX 2013. 4GB of RAM is sufficient. Any above that will not give increased performance of ATX 2013. If you are using a dedicated server - Server 2008 64Bit (there are several versions) or newer. If your system will support 64Bit, up to 16GB of RAM in the server. The recommended list from ATX will probably be useful for ATX2014. Plan your upgrades now so any learning curve for new operating systems can be done before season. Decisions about software for tax year 2013: After much research, testing and observation, here is what I have to share. The NDA that I signed with CCH prevents me from saying much of what I would like to, so here is the scoop The firm I work for and myself at my private practice are staying with ATX for 2013. This was decided after dozens of hours of trial and research. I have observed that many of the problems that existed for 2012 should not be issues in 2013. The development team has been working very hard to bring a workable product to the table for 2013. Anyone wishing more info, please send me a PM.

Yes, that could happen easily enough. I generally use the back of tax returns to print MY copy. But, yes, you have to be careful. One of the advantages of being a one person office.

Catherine...my Newsletter subscription is through Tenenz and it is also personalized to with my business information, with a mid-year, fall and winter mailing. My clients are always mentioning the good information they provide. I'll have to look at Tax News and Tips in CA and compare what they offer.

WAIT FOR THE CD! Much less trouble installing!! Don't be in such a rush!!

I am saying that picking out bits and pieces of ATX KnowledgeBase docs, to try to IMPLY that Jack is giving wrong advice, is not helpful. And saying is ludicrous, to anyone who has followed the feud you too have engaged in. Please, if you honestly don't realize that is driving you, take the word of both Judy and myself, that we clearly see it. We are both hoping you will rise above that.

I have said three things about ATX on other posts. 1.- That the software will run on windows XP SP3 machines that will not meet the minimum requirements. The minimum requirements were raised because ATX spent too much time helping people with old systems last year. This year they don't want to deal with old systems. Also, if you want to have a life and want the program run fast, please install on computers that meet the minimum requirement. Have you noticed that the police cars are relatively new and well maintained? Why is that? It is because it is the tool that the police use everyday. In my case, my computer is my main tool and therefore it should be relatively new and well maintained. 2.- ATX had so many issues last year that this year it will be an excellent software package from the box. My prediction is that in 2015, whoever left will come back to ATX when they realize how good the program is this year. 3.- I didn't have any issues last year but I had a new computer. No tool bars on that computer and no "cool" programs either. This computer is only for business and I keep it clean. I hope I am right and that all of us have a nice tax season without many ATX major issues!!!!!

And I agree with Judy. We are not giving you "a warning" because it does not rise to that level, but we are BOTH requesting that you knock it off on this type of posting. It serves no purpose except to add a negative tone to discussions you really do not have any special knowledge about. Please, your animosity toward Jack is obviously driving this, to the detriment of the tone this board normally has.

This is totally cool. It is of an Italian dam -- with an interesting twist. http://www.viralnova.com/hidden-dam/

Speaking of cheap, reminds me of a business dinner years ago in my sales business. A company I was contracting with had sent a chemical engineer out to call on customers and train me on a new product. At the end of the day, Rob suggested that we eat at a nice steak house. Turns out Rob was the guy whose picture is beside the words "wine snob" in the dictionary. He grilled the waiter mercilessly & repeatedly about several wines on the menu while lecturing me on the chemistry of each wine, etc. He never picked up on the glazed look in my eyes or my total lack of interest in his musings. I don't think he noticed the two or three times the waiter rolled his eyes either. After an unbearably long period of time he made a selection and we FINALLY ordered dinner. When the check arrived later (with the single bottle of wine costing more than both our meals combined), he took a look t it, pronounced it correct, and HANDED IT TO ME! At a sales meeting a few months later, another rep said of him, "Rob's a great trainer, but if he comes out to work with you, take him to McDonald's to eat. If you go to a nice restaurant, he'll keep you there 3 hours ordering the wine, and then stick you with the check." Yep. Right on all counts.

I agree with Catherine. I find all caps very hard to read. And since I e-file everything I can, the IRS gets an electronic version. So, I'm guessing their computers are programmed to read the forms in either version. (I know I really shouldn't make bold assumptions like that - especially with IRS.)

I use mixed case with everything; for me that is far easier to read, even on forms.

I always do two mailings. Right after Thanksgiving, we send every client a CHRISTmas card with a business card inside. On New Years day we send our letter with a summary of tax law changes, office hours and new office procedures. If the Christmas card comes back, we know our client potentially moved, and we give them a phone call. Tom Hollister, CA

TAXED, this is what I do when I see a good question and I cannot answer it. I wait for others to answer it. If two days pass and no one has posted any answers, I try to say something so that the post becomes alive again. Since you are still hanging with us, I believe you will be one person that will come back to ATX in 2015. At that point I will ask you how your installation went and I will be glad for you to share your experience. I agree with you and I don't like to get an answer like "did you read the IRS manual?", "Did you read the instructions for form 1040?" "Did you read the tax treaty between the US and that country?". I do feel that those answers destroy the intent of this forum.

That's correct. Don't trash your "old" XP computer. KEEP IT. This is what I did when I purchased my computer. I bought in Dec 2011 or so. So, I was ready to install 2011 ATX but I first installed 2009 software, move my clients, open a couple, printed, Created a test client, saved it and reopened it. (Well, I tested it).Once I knew it worked, I installed ATX 2010 and tested it. Then I was ready to install 2011. I did and once everything was working, I went to my old computer, made updates for all programs, pulled it out from the LAN and kept it. My XP box has ATX from 2000 to 2009. Since 99% of my work is done using the last 3 years of ATX, I barely fire it up. Remember, XP was a very good program but it is a bit old now. Young operating systems don't like to deal with old programs but that's doesn't mean we are going to dump our senior programs. We have to create nursing homes and keep our elderly programs. Isn't that's the case in human life? At least we still have a leg to stand on which is called experience.

32bit XP cannot use 4G RAM. It only uses about 3.6. Since these days, you can only by RAM chips in 1G, you have to buy 4G in order to maximize XP.

You could always send an email with the news letter, noting that the hard copy and calendar would also be coming via snail mail. That way you accomplish # 2 and # 3 even though you skipped #1. I think #2 and #3 are the real focus of the exercise anyhow.

Please read my PM, Jack.

This is the part that is frustrating for me. I HAVE installed 2013 (not just the beta test version) and I HAVE experience with all the questions being asked. Thank You Judy for seeing and understanding my dilemma...

Taxed, as I tried to say earlier in the thread, those of us that have moved away from ATX should stop commenting on it. A new year's program is coming out that only those people renewing will have a working knowledge of its intricacies, and its strong and weak points. While you and I and others still have access to the KBs and some other promotional materials from the ATX site, we do not have first hand experience with installation and use of ATX 2013, so please stop commenting and let those who do have the hands-on experience give the advice. It is up to each user of any program to read the manual and accompanying materials to decide if his or her computer's configuration is appropriate. I think we are all getting anxious to see our chosen program and the new forms that we will be working with this season. Our job is hard enough without having this constant bickering and picking on each other in these posts.

"I have no animosity towards Jack" Very well stated.

Let's close this post please.

Taxed, I agree with Jack on this one. Those that have knowledge of the new ATX program should be the ones giving the advice. I agree with Jack about following the instructions, no matter what program we are installing. As we've seen and had been commented on in previous years, quite a few questions that were asked were because people didn't read the instruction manuals!

<<<<The reason why I do it is because you do NOT give other ATX users a straight answer to a straight question. Just read all the answers you give to other peoples questions.>>>> Taxed, When did YOU become knowledgeable enough about ATX to decide what others need or do not need. I find your position pompous and without basis. I have made information available to anyone who is willing to ask. Now stop pretending to be knowledgeable. It is becoming annoying.

A woman I know is notorious for offering to meet someone for an errand or lunch or something and "forgetting" her wallet -- leaving whatever sucker... um, friend - I meant friend, yeah -- to pay for HER lunch, HER errand purchases, and even HER parking fee!! Eventually (like, months later, after several reminders) she will reimburse for the errands and parking -- but figures lunch was a "treat" -- after all, you had the pleasure of her company! I don't meet her for lunch or anything anymore and haven't for years. Can't afford it!

I use mixed case for everything.