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Here's wishing all members of this forum a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year. Next year will be my 34th year as a practitioner. I enjoy the work but realize that not so far down the road I will have to pack it in. It's great to know that we have this forum as an additional information source and can enjoy the friendship of it's members.

Arrived at work this morning and received my AICPA Tax E-Alert. Within the email was: The IRS will close the PTIN and EIN systems at the end of the year, so act now if you need to use these systems. I renewed my PTIN last night. Wondering what happens if you don't renew by the end of the year? Are you still able to transmit returns? Does the IRIS penalize preparers who do not renew? In any event, Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy new year to all members of this great community!

To all of you, a Merry Christmas

I absolutely ADORE the "Dear Client" letters and over the years have saved several of them in a file that I read when I need a laugh. To back up @rfassett's comment above, I have to keep reminding myself (and/or re-learning the hard way every couple of years) that I simply can NOT care more about my client's taxes/accounting/whatever than they do themselves. That said, "Dear Client, Thank you SO very much for dropping off all your tax documents for 2014 at my back door yesterday. I particularly appreciate that you have, at long last, claimed also to have included the information for the 1099-MISC's that were due to be mailed by 1/31/2015. You may note that I said "claimed" and that is because I have not yet BOTHERED to open said package. For all I know it has a stale cheese sandwich in it and not much else. I hope its contents are worth more to me than a stale cheese sandwich but frankly don't hold out much hope for that. By the way, I won't be looking at it this week. Or next. I'm busy. Toodles!"

Merry Christmas to you as well, Elrod -- and to EVERYONE here.

Dear Client: Thanks a bunch for coming in (surprise!) on Christmas Eve Eve to get me to figure the tax on the gain from the sale of stock you are about to make. A phone call would have been too easy. Thanks also for not having a clue about your basis; it's overrated anyway. Psshh. Thanks most of all for telling me you will save $10,000 "just in case" after I figured that the tax will be $6,000 if your basis is zero. Your confidence in my advice is appreciated.

Merry Christmas!

Marry Christmas, and may God bless us, every one!

Same here. I don't like to upgrade an existing system. I usually wait until I get a new system.

Microsoft keeps popping up a reminder to upgrade. Like Jack once I get comfortable with my existing Microsoft version I usually put off changing until I need to replace my pc or Microsoft stops supporting what I am using.

Only those preparers with active PTINs may transmit returns. It's not unusual for the IRS to shut down their systems for maintenance around the end of the year, and that has included the PTIN system in prior years. It usually lasts a week or two and then reopens.

Microsoft says that all your files will be right where you left them. In my case that was not true. They were scattered all over the place. Emails that I had saved in different folders were GONE since W10 does not support multiple folders except for the 7 or 8 regular folders (in box, out box, sent, bulk, etc). My internet service has been hiccuping lately and it might have flickered during the download. I don't know if that had anything to with it or not. I have found that I can move the emails I want to keep to the bulk file and do a search for what I want by putting the client's name in the search box. I may just have to change the way I do things. That isn't too easy at age 79. Overall, I think I will like W10 once I get everything straightened out. I am beginning to hate technology. The horse and buggy days might not have been so bad after all.

Hmmm, another Car Talk aficionado amongst us?

And "Abby Normal" is far easier to read and spell than Frau Blucher (neigh!!!!)

Dear Client: Thank you for calling me to tell me you had another call yesterday: "Hello. This is the Internal Revenue Service with a message for (pause) YOU." No, IRS policy has not changed within the past two weeks. Yes, this is STILL not IRS, and IRS will STILL not call (pause) "YOU". They will send "YOU" a letter with your actual NAME on it. The information in the letter may be completely wrong, so bring it to "ME," but your NAME will be correct. I will call "YOU" when this changes. Yes, "YOU" will be the first to know.

Dear Client, Why couldn't you listen when I told you on several occasions to not fill in the blank here? Why don't you EVER listen? /rant /sarcasm Folks, if you see a mushroom cloud coming from my area, it's only my client reacting to the email I sent. Maybe we'll make the news. Client created a really nice (more sarcasm) dividend for himself out of his C corp. Feel free to add your own rants below.

Assistant to the PR Specialist Lotta B. Essen

They are written down already. http://www.cartalk.com/content/staff-credits

I watch it on the radio every chance I get.

Car Talk ends its program every week with a long list of "production workers" whose names are puns. Their statistician, Marge Innovera (margin of error). Their driver, Pikoff Andropov (pick up and drop off). And a dozen or more others, each one worse than the one before. They are hysterically funny and go by way to fast to write down.

Within some Marge Innovera.

Yet another reason I choose not to "upgrade."

I would include it in expense of sale (basis) instead of reducing the selling price.

I might as well tack this rant on here too: Dear Still-sort-of-sick-body-on-the-mend, After being sick for 2+ days and sleeping almost straight through for more than 30 hours, why did you have to decide that all sleep would come to an end at 4 a.m.? A little consideration, please!