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Here it is, @Margaret CPA in OH - enjoy! snowman.pps

Do you ever have a situation where you end up wishing you had just left the records in the trash can?

That sounds like an OSHA violation. You need to fit the plexiglass with a sign and flashing warning light, or else run the risk of a huge fine.

ALL THE TIME!!!!! And it's not even my picture...

In 2013 I installed a freestanding USPS heavy duty mail box next to my office door. It is locking with a recessed magnetic door, takes large envelopes up to ~ 2" thick. It's not visible from the road because of step's railing and a large shrub. I usually hear the people pull in for drop off, or the dogs do. It is on it's own heavy galvanized matching post, set into quick setting concrete. The ones at the home improvement stores seemed pretty flimsy, and I didn't want to cut a hole in my wall or door, and after watching videos of prying open of cheaper ones, this is what I purchased: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001EU21M0?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00 It was a great decision, saves me many meetings and interruptions with people dropping items like the signed e-file signature forms and monthly payroll data. My only regret is that I didn't have this years ago!

You might want to revise that link, Eric. It has your personal info in it. I read a similar paper (from someone trying to sell me a file sharing service) and it basically came down to "people use really stupid passwords."

Registration is still open, not sure if log-in confirm email will be received in time. Today, 3pm EST, CNA is holding a free 75-minute webinar, and individual participants will receive 1.5 credit hours for attendance. To receive credit, one must register and an individual, must answer polling questions, and must request the credit on the last polling question. Below is a link: Stop Claims Before They Occur With CNA's School of Risk Control Excellence Agenda: Claim data of the AICPA Professional Liability Insurance Program Developing Issues The Affordable Care Act Form Filing Due dates U.S. filing obligations related to foreign investments How claims arise Risk management Quality Control for Tax Season Client and engagement acceptance and continuance Engagement letters Docket system Documentation Extensions

I saw a demo of it at the NE IRS Rep Conference in CT a couple of weeks ago and was really impressed. I find getting transcripts on e-services time consuming, laborious, and annoying. This program logs you in, retrieves ALL information on e-services for your client (again assuming CAF check goes through), downloads it to spreadsheets, indexes yearly transactions by DATE (not the hodge-podge you get through e-services) , gives you a summation history of all the years you have POA for - filing status, extensions, liens, collections, examinations (and THAT tidbit shows up here up to six months before the first letter goes to your clients so you can get early warning and amend!), and more. I am buying it - today; it has been on my to do list since I got back from the conference. taxhelpsoftware.com or 404-910-3605 for more info

I wear a hard hat now... and eye protection because of sharp pencils. #bettersafethansorry

Almost the same here. The book is on my desk and the disk has been filed. I downloaded the program last week and installed it. The packaging of the disk is getting cheaper and cheaper every year - but that does not bother me. I have yet to be able to prepare a return with the packaging.

I have been looking for the form that my client needs to sign in order to efile their taxes with WI. I checked everywhere in ATX and added and removed forms to no avail. Out of 40+ states, it had to be Wisconsin. I am glad I found this info on line before going bananas. Which states still require a signature form besides the Federal Form 8879 when efiling an Individual Tax Return?The following states require a separate signature form for electronically filing an Individual Tax return: States Signature forms AL Alabama AL Form 8453 AZ Arizona AZ Form 8879 AR Arkansas AR Form 8453 CA California CA Form 8453 CA Form 8879 CO Colorado CO Form DR 8453 CO Form DR 1778 - eFiler Attachment DE Delaware DE Form 8453 GA Georgia GA Form 8453 HI Hawaii HI Form EF AUTH - HI eFile authorization form IL Illinois IL Form 8453 IN Indiana IN Form IT-8879 IA Iowa IA Form 8453 KY Kentucky KY Form 8879-K LA Louisiana LA Form 8453 MD Maryland MD Form EL101 MA Massachusetts MA Form M-8453 MI Michigan MI Form 8453 - Used if state-only submission MS Mississippi MS Form 8453 MO Missouri MO Form 8453 - Required only if PIN method is not used NJ New Jersey NJ Form 8879 - Not required, prints if requested NM New Mexico NM Form PIT 8453 NY New York NY Form TR-579-IT (Return) NY Form TR-579.1 (Extension) NY Form TR-579-PT (204-LL) OK Oklahoma OK Form 511EF OR Oregon OR Form OR-EF - If not using PINs, State-Only PA Pennsylvania PA Form 8453 PA Form 8879 SC South Carolina SC Form 8453 VT Vermont VT Form 8879 VA Virginia VA Form 8453 - If not using PINs VA Form 8879 - If using PINs WV West Virginia WV Form 8453 - If State-Only submission WI Wisconsin No signature form, WI Form WRA for mail in attachments NYC New York City UBT NYC Form 579 (Return) NYC Form 579 EXT (Extension) Which states/cities do not require their own signature form when efiling an Individual Tax Return?The following states/cities have automatic acceptance into state program if accepted by the IRS and do not require a separate signature form: State Code State CT Connecticut FL Florida KS Kansas ME Maine MN Minnesota MT Montana NH New Hampshire NC North Carolina OH Ohio TN Tennessee TX Texas KC Kansas City KYC Kentucky Cities MIC Michigan Cities MBT Michigan Business Tax Mul/Trimet (OR) Multnomah/Portland, Tri-County, Lane Transit District OHC Ohio Cities PAC Pennsylvania Cities PHI Philadelphia PGH Pittsburgh STL (MO) St. Louis

its now available for download.

michaelmars........... Here are a few to look at, http://www.manager.io/ http://www.nchsoftware.com/accounting/ http://download.cnet.com/NolaPro-Free-Accounting/3000-2066_4-10232555.html http://smart-it-accounting.en.softonic.com/ http://www.techradar.com/us/news/software/applications/best-free-accounting-software-8-programs-we-recommend-1136684

Thanks JMD, I took care of that for him.

I may have to buy that myself! Thanks to all who mentioned it.

Great! Thanks so much, my friend! We can all enjoy it now. My husband and son will, as well.

Eric would have to decide if that seems warranted and is the only one with ability to create additional forums. We usually don't have that many pinned topics, and the one about MeF shutdown will be unpinned in about a month. It only leaves the 2 in the general chat, and that limited number should allow you to see a couple of other posts without scrolling. As the forum will soon get busier, you'll be scrolling anyway, so I don't see the need for another separate forum, because most users still post in general chat even when it pertains to e-fle acks or the ACA regardless of the fact that there are dedicated forums for these areas.

COPIED FROM FORBES: The easy answer may be to dig out your passport to avoid any doubt. Yet the IRS may have something to say about whether your passport is any good. H.R.22 has passed both the House and the Senate. It is expected to pass and be signed into law, adding new section 7345 to the tax code. The title of the section is “Revocation or Denial of Passport in Case of Certain Tax Delinquencies.” The idea goes back to 2012, when the Government Accountability Office reported on the potential for using the issuance of passports to collect taxes. Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) got on board, and then Sen. Orrin Hatch wrote a Memo to Reporters and Editors. The idea has grown in popularity since then. The State Department could revoke, deny or limit passports for anyone the IRS certifies as having a seriously delinquent tax debt in an amount in excess of $50,000. Assuming that it passes, in January of 2016, the State Department will start blocking Americans with ‘seriously delinquent’ tax debts. Administrative details about how all this will work are scant. But in all likelihood, it will mean no new passport and no renewal. It could even mean the State Department will rescind existing passports of people who fall into that catego The list of affected taxpayers will be compiled by the IRS. The IRS will use a threshold of $50,000 of unpaid federal taxes. But this $50,000 figure includes penalties and interest. And as everyone knows, interest and penalties can add up fast. Notably, if you are contesting a proposed tax bill administratively with the IRS or in court, that should not count. That is not yet a tax debt. There is also an administrative exception, allowing the State Department to issue a passport in an emergency or for humanitarian reasons. But how that will work isn’t clear, nor is the amount of time it will take to get special dispensation. You would still be able to travel if your tax debt is being paid in a timely manner, as under a signed installment agreement. Yet the dynamics are still significant and could drastically alter how people interact with the IRS. Moreover, these harsh rules are not limited to criminal tax cases. They aren’t even limited to situations where the government thinks that you are fleeing a tax debt. In fact, you could have your passport revoked merely because you owe more than $50,000 and the IRS has filed a notice of lien. A $50,000 tax debt is easy to amass today, especially considering interest and penalties. Moreover, the IRS files tax liens routinely. It’s the IRS way of putting creditors on notice so the IRS eventually gets paid. In that sense, the you-can’t-travel idea seems extreme. IRS tax liens cover all your property, even acquired after the lien is filed. The courts use liens to establish priority in bankruptcy proceedings and real estate sales. The IRS can file a Notice of Federal Tax Lien after: IRS assesses the liability; IRS sends a Notice and Demand for Payment saying how much you owe; and You fail to fully pay within 10 days. A tax lien can also be filed by mistake. In most cases, there’s no mistake and the IRS lien is valid. But occasionally, the person might not actually owe the taxes and may just need to straighten out a pile of paperwork. With all this in mind, if this becomes law, is it subject to challenge? Is it constitutional? The right to travel is established, both between states and internationally. And although some restrictions have been upheld, it is not clear that this measure would pass the constitutional test. Consider especially the roughly eight million Americans living overseas, many of whom are already reeling from FATCA compliance problems. Moreover, although we think of passports as useful only when traveling internationally, even stateside flights may soon make passports even more fundamental

Once when I was bending down to retrieve an envelope from the trash can, I hit my head on that sharp corner of the Plexiglas. Took a small chunk of flesh out of my head. Hurt, too. You learn that lesson fast. Real fast.

I installed a mail slot on the wall of my garage. It has been great for me and allows my clients to drop off information at their convenience.

I purchased Tax Help Software for this purpose and receive all the items I need in minutes, presuming the POA has posted to the CAF unit, and in readable condition. The reports stay in the THS system if I need to print them again. Lynn

Papers, please... not a nice phrase. Grrr.

This one is mine - but in white, not black. http://www.amazon.com/Gibraltar-MSK00000-Lockable-Security-Mailbox/dp/B000CSK2EY/ref=sr_1_13?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1449029008&sr=1-13&keywords=locking+mailbox

Just bumping this so that users will see this as a post with activity and realize that it's been moved from General Chat to the E-file forum.

Mine arrived yesterday. In addition to the folder with the program disk the package also included 2016 CCH US Master Tax Guide. The book was placed on the shelf, and the program added to my 'to do' list. Lynn

Unused business use of home expenses are lost, except for mortgage interest and real estate taxes which are always allowed.

I don't think that you can take business use of the home expenses in excess of the net profit of the business. The rest is a carry-forward.

Are you using Internet Explorer? The IRS system does not work properly with any other browser - so we are stuck using the one with the most (and the biggest) security flaws if we want to see everything and print what we see.

I had a carpenter client who installed a large mail slot in my front door. One of the best things I've done! I do remember the hand-built mailbox you remember, so think that preparer will jump in with his details.

Well, Peter, if I may speak for everyone here, you insulted almost all of us in one way or another. First, you insulted EAs directly. Second, you insulted the ATX program that almost everyone here uses successfully and has done so for many years, and most here really enjoy the program and its features. Third, you insulted all of the CPAs saying we are all anal and thereby also insulting anyone else that isn't a CPA by implying that non-CPAs aren't sticklers for detail or that their professional designations were somehow easier to obtain. Then, you insulted me indirectly by not listening to my posts where I basically hand held you through the mechanics and some theory related to Delaware nonresident returns until I gave you some of my background. And now lastly, you've insulted all small firm owners as being "greedy" and making you "bend over backwards." After I gave you the first answers and a link to the instructions, you should have gone back and used that to learn about the form and where you were going wrong in your preparation, and not continued on in an argumentative tone about what should be included on the return. Also, I have to say that firm owners or supervisors in tax prep firms, whether they are CPA or EA firms, are not able to devote this level of hand holding to each individual member of staff, especially when things heat up and the season gets rolling. I know because I did the hiring for the firm I worked for, was the supervisor that had to keep work flowing and help the underlings, and did about 85% of the review of products before they were finalized. Our group here is comprised of mostly very knowledgeable and well-seasoned tax professionals that don't feel the need to put out all their credentials in their usernames or signatures, and we all give freely of our valuable time to help each other. I'd also venture to say that most of us are also the firm owners, a mix of solo preparers and those with employees.

3. Tangible Property Final Regulations FAQs now Available The Tangible Property Frequently Asked Questions provide a brief summation and direction on some key elements of the Tangible Property Regulations and include information on simplified procedures for small business taxpayers