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That is the best part of this notice, I think.

Max, that snarky comment is not appropriate.

I much prefer the electronic copy for my own use, BUT there is one valuable use for the paper copy. When you have that annoying client who always wants to 'see where it says that', while it is easy to print it out, I've found that handing them 'the book' with a tab or two at the proper place, has a serious physiological benefit. Shuts them right up, almost always.

Haha, only enter the one code, but be sure to enter all the codes. Agree with Jack.

Forgive me Max. I was under the misapprehension that this was a forum for both asking questions and sharing knowledge rather than inflating our own egos.

For Small Businesses: IRS Raises Tangible Property Expensing Threshold to $2,500; Simplifies Filing and Recordkeeping IR-2015-133, Nov. 24, 2015 WASHINGTON —The Internal Revenue Service today simplified the paperwork and recordkeeping requirements for small businesses by raising from $500 to $2,500 the safe harbor threshold for deducting certain capital items. The change affects businesses that do not maintain an applicable financial statement (audited financial statement). It applies to amounts spent to acquire, produce or improve tangible property that would normally qualify as a capital item. The new $2,500 threshold applies to any such item substantiated by an invoice. As a result, small businesses will be able to immediately deduct many expenditures that would otherwise need to be spread over a period of years through annual depreciation deductions. “We received many thoughtful comments from taxpayers, their representatives and the professional tax community, said IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. “This important step simplifies taxes for small businesses, easing the recordkeeping and paperwork burden on small business owners and their tax preparers.“ Responding to a February comment request, the IRS received more than 150 letters from businesses and their representatives suggesting an increase in the threshold. Commenters noted that the existing $500 threshold was too low to effectively reduce administrative burden on small business. Moreover, the cost of many commonly expensed items such as tablet-style personal computers, smart phones, and machinery and equipment parts typically surpass the $500 threshold. As before, businesses can still claim otherwise deductible repair and maintenance costs, even if they exceed the $2,500 threshold. The new $2,500 threshold takes effect starting with tax year 2016. In addition, the IRS will provide audit protection to eligible businesses by not challenging use of the new $2,500 threshold in tax years prior to 2016. For taxpayers with an applicable financial statement, the de minimis or small-dollar threshold remains $5,000. Further details on this change can be found in Notice 2015-82, posted today on IRS.gov.

CCH // ATX is just going the way of government in general ------ confusion means they are not responsible for any incorrect things ---- you just mis-understood what was stated! Before the blog and these postings, I had only entered the one code (still just one today) ---- and all seems to be working well. Good season and a good holiday --- whatever you celebrate ---- MERRY CHRISTMAS !

Same here Jack. I like to wait awhile before installing. In the past I only entered the one code. Except they now have the Payroll as a separate program with a separate install code.

Time to clear out some things. And go digital!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I should talk, I still have my old accounting text books from undergrad school on my bookcase. Late 60s, early 70s.

I switched with the 2012 debacle. Much prefer PRO but do miss some basic forms that ATX has and pro doesn't. also modifying letters in pro is an exercise in frustration. Never waited more than 5 minutes for US support and they truly know the program and tax laws. The worst thing I find with pro is the letters and their dashboard. I Loved the atx dashboard. But from a tax prep point of view, way superior.

Here is an excerpt from the ATX Blog (12/03/15): During installation, you should only use the activation code for your ATX package (e.g. MAX). A few customers’ shipping and confirmation documents may display a separate code for “concurrent licenses”. Please disregard the concurrent license code if one appears on any of your fulfillment documents. If you have previously installed and input this code, no action is required and ATX will install normally as long as the package code is also input. If you have purchased additional user licenses, those activation codes must be entered in the “Activation Codes” dialog box in order for those licenses to be available for use. A single code is provided for each license bundle you purchase and will be reused to enable the appropriate number of installations. Please refer to Program Help for more information about entering activation codes. Some additional product features or modules like Enhanced Asset Management require a separate activation code. Simply enter those codes in the “Activation Codes” dialog box to activate that functionality.

There's still time to edit the post to remove them, they will stay in your attachments list, and you can reinsert into the post as you choose.

COPIED FROM THE OSEA NEWSLETTER: e-Services phishing scam It has come to our attention that an email is being issued to tax preparers asking them to update their e-services information. This email WAS NOT generated by e-Services. The links provided in the email to access e-Services appear to be a phishing scam to capture e-Services usernames and passwords. If you receive an email like this, do not click on the links or take any other action. There is no need to call us. Just disregard the email YOU CAN ALSO FORWARD THE EMAIL TO : [email protected]

I like to curl up next to the fire and read a good book. Master tax guide is a good book. Tom

I have an LLC that is 100% owned by a foreign corporation. I leave the EIN field blank on Sch G (1120). The column header says 'if any'. No problems efiling.

The software is a desktop, NOT a cloud, application. It uses YOUR login information, that you put in during setup. That's how it keeps "the bad guys" from using it. The company never finds out your login credentials.

Starting with a bath in a cereal bowl... Baby Owls

I just installed the TaxHelpSoftware and used it for the first time. I think I'm in love. It installed with NO problems. Setup was trivial. It logged me in to e-services and got three years' worth of transcripts and other information on one client in less time than it takes me to log in. Then it generated easy-to-read reports that gave me *just* what I was looking for clearly and plainly; no digging through reams of downloaded crap hoping to find what I wanted. Next to tax software itself, this is one of the best tools I have found to use.

I did at first too... in 1995. But both it and I got better at it.

Marilyn, You wrote what we all should copy and paste, as a letter to our congressmen/women....Thank You for your thoughts... And....I wish you a very Blessed Holiday Season...

With more people losing jobs every day; there are many who are looking for a way to produce income another way. I know that a lot of them are taking the HRB course with the thought in mind of putting themselves forth as tax preparers. I KNOW this because my assistant is taking that course and it is difficult. They are cramming a lot into their heads in a very short period of time. She came in yesterday to do a couple practice returns on my software. Now, my assistant is a smart cookie and has been studying diligently. She also attended the tax seminar in November with me. However, she is no more ready to prepare a complicated tax return on her own than I was forty years ago. This is one of the things that frightens me. I know my gal will be OK because she will be working with me; but honestly, they are throwing a lot of tough examples at these students. She had never in her life heard of most of them. Of course, they are dwelling on the credits that are available for the clientele that HRB feeds on. Yes, we have to know these things. We also have to know much, much more. I do believe that paid preparers should be tested and licensed to some degree. That is why I took and passed the (now extinct) RTRP test and continue to keep my AFSP credentials current. I want my clients to be able to trust me. More importantly, I want to be able to trust myself. If there is the slightest doubt in our minds that something we did on a return might not be exactly correct; we NEED to look it up. We have to do everything we can to prepare a complete and correct return. In closing, I thank this board for everything that I learn here. And I have learned a LOT! I subscribe to several other reference materials as well. I hope that you all have a profitable and successful tax season and a very Blessed Holiday Season.

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

Food for thought

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.

It is very expensive on its own and I use it a lot. It is the same book used by the IRS local offices. If I really need in depth clarification; that is the place I go.

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

OK, I've moved those first two of the pinned topics to the E-file forum. I could unpin the one about the 1099Gs. I was wondering about this one recently, that is, if anyone found it useful. That would leave only the one topic about the repair regulations which still has posting activity. I think that would help somewhat. I don't think there's much to be done about the header and other white space though. I'm with Margaret about the viewing and have most of my sites set to 125% or higher, otherwise I end up straining to read them. For anyone that still wanted to quickly access the information if these are unpinned, any topic on any of our forums can be bookmarked in your favorites for direct access without having to visit the home screen.

At one point I had a whole powerpoint slide show of those strips. I should put it back on my web site.

Catherine....One of em.

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.

Moving them defeats the purpose of pinning them.

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.

Jack is correct in his statement that ATX is a quality product in the right preparer's hands. Each of the programs the OP mentioned would be able to do this return in question, but each tax preparer must still know the rules and proper reporting of the items on the returns, and should never rely solely on any piece of software to produce a result without knowing when inclusion or exclusion of an item is proper. Relying on any software without knowing what's right or wrong is a crutch to be avoided and will only lead to errors on returns. Knowledge and experience are equally or more important than the amount of professional credentials or letters one can list after his name. Still, we all were newbies at one point and had to start from there. I don't care if it's EA, CPA, RTRP, or whatever...I've seen the good, the bad, the ugly, the unethical, and the incompetent preparers in each of those designations. Over the years I've also seen some bad professionals that must have been good at test-taking, but they surely couldn't apply what they learned. I've also seen CPAs with MSTs that were excellent and specialized only in the tax area, and other CPAs that worked in audit that couldn't even do the most basic of returns. I don't think we should make blanket statements about what CPAs can or cannot do, or EAs for that matter, because I've seen the work of some unethical EAs too, so I think we should look at what experience each person brings to the table and go from there. Thanks, off my soapbox now.

I am a CPA that has used ATX for 16 years and feel that ATX prepares correct returns for my clients. I prepare returns for many different states and they all are handled differently. You have to read the instructions to make sure that the return is prepared correctly. The state rules often change every year, just like federal taxes. You are able to override many lines by right clicking on the entry and selecting override. I am careful when I do that, because many times, the program is smarter than I am. There are way more expensive programs that will streamline more items and Drake is reasonable with great customer service. By using this website or the ATX website, you can get help from many knowledgeable tax professionals. ATX monitors their website and will help as much as possible.

Excuse me Peter, but I take that as a slight. As an EA, I dedicated the same two days of my life to an exam (8AM to 4:30PM), had the four parts scored on the same type of weird scale (1/3 or whatever pass), and have to take the same continuing education (24 hours required by the IRS, 30 by the professional associations; you might have to take more). The exam has changed some since I took it, but it's still a bear that requires months of study. Unlike a CPA, all four parts of my exam were devoted to tax. Only one of your was. Also unlike a CPA, I am licensed to practice in all 50 states; you can probably practice in one. I work at a CPA firm. One CPA gives us most of his tax work to do. The other does his own tax work but gives me his tough situations, the ones that require legal research or considerable knowledge that takes time and patience to learn and apply. The CPAs do audit work that I cannot, but that has to do with training and education, not software. By the same token, they give me their tax work that they cannot or choose not to handle because of my training and education. I'm glad I work for them and not you. How can you imply that a software program that doesn't seem to handle multistate issues is "okay" for anyone who does serious taxes? I guess you don't think EAs do serious taxes. You are an accountant who also does taxes. EAs are tax professionals who also do some accounting.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone here. I'm very thankful to know each and every one of you and to be a part of this wonderful group.

@Margaret CPA in OH - most computers these days have un-zipping capability built in. But we all have *those* clients who cannot figure out anything even slightly outside the norm.

That last sentence caught me by surprise.

KC.....That was super funny...My wife and I are still aching from laughter on that one.......Thanks!