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I have a commercial office in town. I don't think I could handle working from home. I salute you all. I'm glad when I go home I can shoot anybody who comes down the driveway. Just kidding. Ok, maybe not.

Rita, it is worth every penny to have caller ID even if you have to string the wire yourself from town! If I didn't have caller ID, I'd let EVERY call go to voicemail. I'd listen to them twice/day and choose when I wanted to return each one. Oh, and I'd turn the ringer off, too.

Still on rotary dial - or can't be trusted with it?

I have a lady whose trustee contacted me a year or two ago to do her tax returns. Disabled, and a little "weird" shall we say? Trustees send me all the financial stuff, but she sends me medical expenses, which are substantial. MULTIPLE phone calls that always get shunted to voice mail, "Hi Mrs White this is (name name name - always the FULL name) calling. I wanted you to know that I'm working and I hope to have things in the mail to you by March 21st will that be OK?" "Hi Mrs White this is (name name name) I'm still working on it and just wanted you to know." "Hi Mrs White this is (name name name) did I send you my information yet? I don't remember." Dear Lord have mercy. I know she has "issues" and the trustees pay promptly and *very* well and understand why the bill is as high as it is. The time she called my HOME number (not home office: home) at FOUR IN THE MORNING I read her the riot act. Sent her a letter the next day saying if I got ONE more call outside of office hours she would be an immediate EX-client. Got profuse apologies by letter and several more phone calls... But yeah, that little fit inside whenever I see the caller ID. Oy!

Guy owes and waits three weeks to return Form 8879. While he is standing over my shoulder watching me enter his bank numbers (I actually insisted, if you knew these people, you would, too) because he has changed his mind about mailing a check, the phone rings. Of course, I let it go to voice mail. IT WAS HIS WIFE WANTING TO KNOW IF SHE COULD TELL FAFSA THEY HAVE FILED OR IF SHE SHOULD WAIT A COUPLE DAYS. Thought bubble: Yes, when I hit "send" every agency in the universe has your very special and mysterious tax return in their system.

Client just dropped her documents through my mail slot. Not many drive by; I'm in the boonies. In winter weather, NO one drives up my steep hill; but we had an early spring. Hubby put in a doorbell, so now a few ring the bell and wait instead of dropping and leaving. I might have to take out the doorbell !! I'm trying to learn to ignore the bell like I ignore the phone. I have the phone set at two rings to give me time to look at the caller ID and decide if I want to answer. My voice message says, "by the next business day." I'm really training people to use email. I answer email almost immediately for real questions or information; last thing at night for those checking on my progress. But now, more and more of my young clients are texting me. My cell phone is usually in my purse in the bedroom or in the back seat of the car when driving. So, I don't always notice those messages until the next time I go to use my cell; I have to start looking at that twice/day. I do have it sitting in my office now.

Tell them you have the flu I had a cold earlier and people didn't even come in the door. Just basically dropped their envelopes in the yard and took off. It was great!

SO SORRY ABOUT ALL OF YOUR FAMILY - PETS... I received a call during a client finish - my dad was dying - cleared the office - it was like a fire drill - it was a urine uti - test drill. I said parents - do not do this to me at tax time!! I saw him later that night and said I was going to see the grandkids and they told him he had to go to sleep and he said party -he was coming with... he has vascular dementia - so his speech is (has) failed.. but my arguing with staff as to protocol was not on my radar when there happened to be 6 people in my office and 2 more apptmts on a Friday - they were going to observe him over the weekend - No - over the weekend - you get a test! no Dr's on call anyway.. I am still doing Feb 2-5th as we got tons in those days - cannot get past that and now it is corps and finally back - yes it has been in my office way too long!

Finished a monster financial statement!!! I'm so relieved to get that off my plate!!! We should all list our daily major accomplishments Mine is sometimes wearing clean clothes.

If I knew who was calling, I'd answer about three calls a week. But I have push buttons this year and really like them. OK, this latest message I won't ignore, but really?? "Rita, this is (Name). (Cause it's not possible that I have more than one Carol.) Would you have them put my refund in Pen Air Credit Union in Florida? Thanks." Thought bubble: Yeah, I can probably get it to that bank, would you also like for it to go into your account at the bank or are working on donations for 2016?

I always look at 03/15 as a soft deadline! Got through that with only 25 corporate extensions. Yahoo!

Nope. I don't want it. I had it. I'd rather be surprised. And if I don't answer, half my clients would drop in to ask whatever question it was. I'm not even kidding. I think everybody in this county drives by every day.

I love a happy ending!

I read the contract and it's definitely a land contract, not a rent to own. And I also believe they will owe since they were depreciating the property. Thanks for the replies. As a one man show it's nice to have so many knowledgeable people to bounce things off of.

OK, found the form on the TN dept. of Revenue site under Hall Income Tax Forms, and it is the Form INC 250 that we've been filing. Wish they used consistent terminology! I'm OK, right?

It's OK. We understand.

The vet office called to say that Toodys ashes are ready to be picked up. Except she didn't say that. She kept saying that HE is ready to be picked up, all cheerful like I just dropped him off for a nail trim and he's ready to come home. If only. I hate that stupid girl. Evidently at that "angry" stage in the grief process.

I have Mr. Toody's ashes. They came in a very nice wooden box with a little brass clasp and everything. Cried some. Still can't pick up his little bed. Still seeing him everywhere. My husband reminds me it's only been a week so it's OK to cry, but it feels like a lot longer.

I am very sorry for you, too. It seems like everything happens during this time of the year. Just get done what you can and don't wear yourself out too much. I'm trying to get corps done today and am way behind too. I wish that more people would just drop off their stuff and not NEED to see me.

If it showed up in his W-2, he already paid ordinary income tax rates on it, and you add it to any out-of-pocket cost to get his basis. Are you saying he paid $20,000 cash plus $30,000 was on his W-2? Then, his basis is $50,000.

And, I've been coordinating with dad who's been paying online, not wanting direct debit, so all prior year's payments were made electronically on time. Hope grandfather calms down now.

It has a cover sheet that can be selected to print with every return. It must be a fairly standard layout because the Tenenz site says that the same folders with dye-cut windows will work with the Drake, Taxwise, Refunds Today, and Ultimate Tax. If you load up the 2014 CD or download from the Drake site, you can play with the practice returns and have a look at these things you are asking about. I don't know that you should necessarily be afraid of going back to ATX or writing it off your list of possibilities. It's true that the entire program had its overhaul and the engine that runs it is different, and the way it stores files, but the look of the input should be familiar to you. Aside from some of the glitches that you've probably read about, the program has had many enhancements since you last used it. There may be some comfort to you in going back to a product whose input looks familiar to you, especially at this point in the season. I didn't have an overly hard time adapting to Drake, and I do think it is faster than ATX now that I'm familiar with it. It meets my needs and I'm happy with it, but it isn't for everyone, and I transitioned in early February, not mid-March. There is no one-size-fits-all, so you should load up that 2014 program and try it out.

Well,volunteers are allowed to deduct out of pocket expenses incurred in providing charitable service. If you squint your eyes really hard, will this slide thru the keyhole ?

My point of view is that the client derived a benefit from the haircut, that wasn't entirely altruistic. I could also be a bit jaded by the fact that there was $0 cash donated but $770 in, well, used clothing and household - with AGI of $200,000+ I know, unfair value judgment. With taxable income of about $175,000, there is no danger of being pushed into the 28% bracket. Then again, it IS worth $13!

And now my thought bubble will have "you windjammer" at the end.

It really helps, when dealing with annoying clients, to be able to roll your eyes or make faces at the phone!

My assistant was just saying today that it was a good thing video phones have not become standard for communicating since clients could tell by my face what I was thinking when I answered their calls.

Once registered they should have given/sent you a "preparer certificate" online. That has your number. If you need to reprint the certificate go to https://otc.tax.ny.gov/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/StoreCatalogDisplay?storeId=10151&catalogId=10001 and under tax professionals sign in and on the left side is a column that says "tax preparers registration program". Under that heading is a 'marker" for printing or reprinting your certificate. That is where I find mine. Hope this helps.

While I agree with you, if I use that my state can come after me. They forbid the use of unencrypted email for "sensitive information" and not only may I not send it, but if I receive I am supposed to delete that email and inform the sender to do the same.