Leaderboard

WRONG..... client entertainment just like a waiting room magazines, to keep a client happy while waiting, I use the same excuse to deduct my scotch.

The descriptions and pictures on this list made me laugh out loud when I think back about this past year on this forum. The list goes through to page two of this post: http://www.theapricity.com/forum/showthread.php?53850-The-Full-List-of-Internet-Forum-Personalities!-With-pictures!

3 MONITORS current year, prior year and QB file, or Netflix hulu etc.

At what point do we get information overload with too many monitors? I use two and could see a use for a third for the clients to see (but then they'd see me correcting typos or get the idea that I'm just inputting numbers and might decide to try it themselves). It's quick to switch one monitor to another process like email or browser--just click the open program on the taskbar. I think I'd prefer to do that than have six monitors staring at me. After awhile you'd think you were working on Wall Street with tickers flashing all around you. I believe the scientists who are now finding that multitasking makes people less efficient and less accurate. A client-facing monitor could be a disaster for preparers who finish a return in 15 minutes but don't want the client to think that's all the time it took, so they continue to chat for another 15 minutes while banging away on the keyboard (answering emails, checking the weather--the clients have no idea). I love my two, but I think that's my personal limit.

Tighten language limiting your professional liability...Professional liability insurance carriers and defense attorneys have always proclaimed that engagement letters are one of the first lines of defense in a malpractice cause of action against a CPA. http://www.journalofaccountancy.com/Issues/2014/Jan/20137591.htm

Sure you can, as long as the hulu is just for your client's use! Perfectly OK to provide waiting clients with entertainment while they are in your office. No different than having a TV in your waiting room. You, after all, are way too busy to watch TV during tax season.

The standard rate is $5 per square foot. Fill in the 8829 and get that number. Then take the office square footage times $5, and voila, your comparison. Standard rate max is $1,500.

The only thing I let the clients see on "their" monitor is either their Qbooks file as I work with them to post changes, or the tax estimate screen from ATX. I don't do tax returns in front of the them, and never will. " Thank you for the info, come back and get the completed return in a week." Rich

I have a box I can uncheck the automatic backup under preferences-backup. Is this feature deactivated?

I thought would toss in my .02 in on this subject. I use a program called Display Fusion. It adds a taskbar to each monitor and i can move windows to the various montiors using hotkeys. It can display different images for the wallpaper and rotate those images. Who gets tired of the same boring black. It works up to 10 monitors and allows for different resolutions for each monitor not to mention landscape or portrait view. The program is not free but Lifetime license. Website is http://www.displayfusion.com/

There is a new input screen in ATX this year. Making the election to use the simplified method is not done directly on the schedule c, it is done on the worksheet. If you check the box for the simplified method on that input sheet, the 8829 blanks out and the simplified method calculation flows directly to the schedule C. If you unclick the box, the info in the 8829 comes back. Pretty handy when you get used to where to go in the program to make it work. The input sheet also has info for the allocations of multiple offices in the home. I have not played with that yet, but it looks to be a pretty neat feature. Thanks KC for the confirmation on the regs for carryovers. Thanks to Jack for the confirmation on the way to handle loss situations. Tom Hollister, CA

Currently, the development team is TOTALLY AWARE (partly due to Tom and I) of the problem. I was on the phone 3 1/2 hours testing a workaround. The problem will be corrected very soon in a program update. If anyone has hard drive space issues, I have a temporary fix I can assist you with. Far too complex to list on here, but if anyone has this issue, send me a PM and I will gladly help get you back to normal. I have tested this fix on the server at my firm, and my computer here at home. I can assure you it will work.

The changes are on Schedule C. If the business is going to show a loss, or the standard rate would drive a loss, then the regular method is the correct method to use, including using Form 8829. To use the regular method, do not input any home office information on the Schedule C and use 8829 as before. Any entry in the home office area on Schedule C blanks out 8829.

Thanks KC, so great to get the answers here! About the ATX 2013 program. I took an early interview with a business client two nights ago, and wish I had explored the feature before his arrival. I wasn't familiar with how to input this new option. Form 8829 works very different this year.

I have three monitors and my desktop is too crowed. Last year in the middle of tax season, because of the 2012 ATX problems, I bought another screaming fast computer and just loaded ATX to get through the season. Only program on it at the time. My original computer was and still is fine for our other applications, and partly because of licensing our software, I still have both computers and three monitors. I tried a keyboard splitter, but that was tedious, so you can imagine how much desk area is devoted to technology. I'm used to it now, and not sure I would go back.

You need more than two if you are a security guard monitoring a bunch of cameras or if you work on Wall Street. For us, 2 is the equilibrium.

How did they find stunts to do that? lol.

I have reviewed their documentation several times recently, but haven't decided whether to use it. 1. Will laser print on plain paper W-2, W-3 and 94x series. 2. Will print 1099s on preprinted forms only 3. After downloading a free module, it will create the required W-2/W-3 files to submit to the SSA via Accuwage . 4. Does not efile 1099s or 94x series. For what it does, it's a great bargain.