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Double Ditto! Deb!

I didn't ask for any one to calculate the penalty, I only asked if the penalty will be based on gross income, taxable income or net income for a self employed person. I have heard and read different from various sources where some say gross income, some say taxable income, and some say household income. If this is going to cause such an uproar, especially with Mr. Pencil who is a liberal, then forget that I ever asked the question. I'm outta here.

Ditto.

Jack, thanks much for all the work you did. Your analysis helped me to move forward.

KC: got the signature, now for the quote...

Eric was an employee of ATX from the early days, when ATX was still ATX, before CCH bought it. He formed this board right after CCH abruptly killed the Official ATX Community Board on April [6th ?] leaving us all without that very valuable resource. I think that's a good indication of the sort of relationship between the users and the old service tech group, that Eric took it on himself to do this for us, and many of the old tech group continued to help us on here. It is, I am sure, the thing that pushed CCH to restore the Official board before the start of the next tax season.

Tom, why not use the 2012 program's tax planner to do that?

Then you might want to edit your signature line like I did, David, to let readers know both areas you are experienced in.

It's interesting to see all the hoops everyone is having to jump through to get started this year. I know they have all their very good reasons for sticking with ATX, but I just don't get it. On Dec 31 I renewed Drake for the upcoming tax season. Downloaded the program on the same computer I've been using the last 3 years, which took about 15 minutes altogether. Then I set & updated a couple of preferences and I was done. While preparing payroll reports for a couple of accounting clients, I switched over to Drake and entered their W2 info just to get a snapshot of where the clients will stand this year. No fancy "rollover" required - I just entered their SocSec number, it asked a question about a couple of forms, and the return opened. A few numeric entries later I was looking at their 2013 return - still marked "Draft" of course, but basically done except for tweaking non-W2 info. Sure is a less-stressful process than agonizing over whether the software is going to perform up to expectations this year. And no need to spend a bunch of money buying computers with the capabilities of running a nuclear power plant.

While encryption may prevent some thieves this identifies physical tampering! Physical tampering with machines is a growing problem. While drive encryption, strong passwords might keep causal thieves out, traveling offers many ways for prying eyes to physically compromise a laptop. Many people affix tamper-proof seals over ports and screws but these seals can in fact be replicated or opened cleanly in minutes by anyone with even minimal training, the researchers said during a presentation in Germany. Glitter nail polish can create a seal that is impossible to copy. Once applied, it has what effectively is a random pattern. Once painted over screws or onto stickers placed over ports, it is difficult to replicate once broken, 'Wired' magazine reported. Experts recommend using your smartphone to take a picture of the laptop with the seals applied before leaving it alone, taking another photo upon returning and using a software program to shift rapidly between the two images to compare them. Even very small differences -- a screw that is in a very slightly different position, or glitter nail polish that has a very slightly different pattern of sparkle will be evident.

How about this approach: "My fees are based on time required to complete your return. My hourly rate is $ xxx.xx. I add $ xx.xx for computer and supplies expense. Sales tax, if applicable is added to the total invoice amount." I've used this approach myself for many years. I also include a time sheet on the fees over $ 1,000. Current billing rate is $ 250/hr. Minimum charge, 1 W-2, nothing else: $ 75. Very little resistance to the fee structure.

An associate a decade ago was making a 'client call and presentation" to one of the owners of a business (equivalent to fortune 500 account); left their computer in the "office annex" where all the employees hung out while he and the owner went to lunch (owner assured secure, etc.). Came back, found some of the "employees" --playing with several "programs" that were only available on HIS COMPUTER and not available to the general public (including the company he was calling on). Bottom line, went to owner, explained situation --- owner fired three people immediately as they had compromised my associates computer --- they thought it was just fun but caused them to lose their jobs. Needless to say, my associate kept his computer with him or "locked" up after that. Hacking can be good or bad BUT it still can be trouble for the person losing control of the data.

On New Years Eve? Seriously?? Planning can be done with 2012. Nice try.... Patience!!!!!!!

I had a problem with a return like that. What I did was click on the asset in the fixed asset tab, changed it from Sch. C to Sch. A. then changed it back again to schedule C. It flowed properly. Looks like when you roll the return over and the form was not available yet, it needs to be re-linked to the form. Not the most elegant solution, but it worked for me. Tom Hollister, CA

My doctor suggested I read a book about "Preventing Alzheimers". I just laughed at him and said I was beyond the prevention stage and needed a book on "Managing Alzheimers".

I just don't know what to say, except there always seems to be more to the story when people complain that government doesn't work. The link goes to a site that requires registration, so I can't see what the burglary victim says about herself; she seems to run a side business doing public speaking and seminars. But here's another story reporting that she admitted she DID get full cooperation from the IRS. http://www.lostcard.com/tax-preparer-issues-warning-to-colleagues-about-identity-theft/. That author runs a data protection service. And here's still another story that says the case was solved by state and local law enforcement after a jurisdictional dispute with IRS. http://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/national/story/WSB-TV-Channel-2-Action-News-viewers-help-bust/YHtLVMc9lkCvmiIgQwBfoA.cspx. That story is by a news channel that wants some publicity for its own role. So, yeah, there's criminals out there, and we all love to hate the IRS. I just don't know what to say.

That is what I have on two of my computers and it is working just fine.

I never send anything to third parties under any circumstances. (This includes tax returns, by the way). Everything goes to the client. If a third party absolutely requires a document from me as a condition of approving something for a client, then the client isn't going to get the loan, approval, grant, whatever. The more adamant they are about this, the more convinced I become that they want to drag me into some sort of potential liability situation.