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My policy for 20 years: "We follow a strict policy of non-disclosure: We do not directly disclose ANY information about you to ANYONE. ALL information related to you as our client is released only to you. Once any information leaves our office we have no control over the information and thus will not be able to guarantee your privacy or security. ANY verbal or written request from a client to release documents directly to a bank, mortgage company or your lawyer will not be honored. "

Here is what I send them:

I am not active on here as much as others...usually because I'm busy doing taxes. I understand if some very active users need to be less so...but I will miss their presence. I also think this board is a good way to unwind and escape during tax season.

Comes as a surprise Elrod. I have enjoyed your wit and humor on this board, including the hilarious pictures of your "Family Reunion" a couple of years ago you posted for us as we were going into the countdown to April 15. I hope your departure is not due to any serous health or other issues. Wish you well and may God Bless you!

Say it ain't so Elrod...but if it is, you have all the best of wishes. Or are you giving us a metaphor...whatever that means. You do have a reputation for tricks or treats.

You should do a test restore of a few files. The rule is you don't have a backup until you're tried to do a restore.

This place is good to balance out the crazy in life. I check it to break away from crazy and be normal, with other normal folks. KC is not gone... This morning's crazy is someone asking how to deal with an employee where they issues about 15% of their checks as negative. Low pay, plus commission, with a \large employee selected health plan contribution. My answer is there is no such thing as a negative paycheck, they need to clean up the mess they created. If they do not want to fix the old "payments", then they have caused even more "pain" as the negative amount becomes taxable "pay" to the employee, magnifying their issue. Cannot be a loan, since there is no loan documents, repayment terms, or interest... Or the one where someone has been playing charge card roulette, failing each time, and is complaining that I will not keep playing.

Why? Even if you are retiring or something, you can hang around and make snarky comments. We'll miss you!

I've told clients to get a certificate from the Secretary of State! I don't send comfort letters. When a client really gets to me, I send the client a letter that beats around the bush about the bank doing its own due diligence and state which tax form I file for the business and a bunch of nothing. I send to client who can do whatever they want with it.

If you have to go, please come back and visit occasionally!

He will regret his choices if he decides to sell one of the properties.

I use CrashPlan Pro and Backblaze. Both are easy to use and restore data. Have had great success for past 4 years using both.

Yes. Look at the letter the IRS sent with the EIN. It clearly states a 1065 is due March 15, so they'll be expecting one. They need to file. Mark the box "final" return. If they registered with the state, they have to unregister or they'll be charged annual fees (depending on the state).

Yep, I've already lost one - threw away the paper that I'd written it on. The security questions - the answers don't work. Going to have to come in tomorrow and work with the company to get it reset.

Just rename the extension to txt.

I'd do a spreadsheet based upon previous loans - plug in the total and it spits out interest and taxes for each. That way you can also show how you came up with the numbers (not that it is going to really matter). If there are changes later, you can show how you adapted.

In addition to local, remote, removable, and commercial backups, I backup onto a reliable web server I control. You can get a cheap shared web server for $5 a month. Just don't use it for public hosting! My backups are compressed (with password) and encrypted (more than once). A program such as Cobian can upload backups automatically.

I tell my clients that it's the same firm that transmits their e-filed returns, so it's as safe as I know, but even the IRS has been hacked, so I have no guarantees. I let the client decide if they want to send &/or pick up in person or use the US mail or my portal. For a few pages, I will fax if I know they are standing by their fax machine/computer -- if they request. My husband makes pick ups and deliveries to clients he recognizes. I still have clients who email their tax information. I will answer questions via email, but not send tax information or identifying information via email. I guess postal workers have intercepted snail mail. My computer and telephone are hardwired, not wifi. I'm in the boonies, but someone could break in. They'd still have layers of passwords to get through for my computer to be of any use to them, but I do have some old paper files if they break the locks on my file cabinet. I warn my clients and let them choose what method suits their comfort level.

Agree with Max, you should prorate based on the balances of the loans before the consolidation.

There's some sample letters here if you absolutely have to send something: http://www.cpai.com/business-insurance/professional-liability/ThirdPartyVerificationLetters

Let them do their own due diligence. I don't provide any kind of "comfort letters"

These requests come from the, oftentimes stupid, loan underwriters.

At our office, we setup a new tax return "client" with the forms that we generally use with most of our tax clients. We name this "client" "AAA to Duplicate" so it is the first client on the menu. It has no entries anywhere, except for our preparer info. Then throughout the season, when a new client starts with us, we duplicate the return and rename it with the new client's name. If this makes sense to anyone, congratulations! You can do this same trick for 1065, 1120, 1120S clients as well.

That's what I have been doing for the last several years. No problems Works Great

That's something that can be really useful but that doesn't have to be done too often. Think how long it takes to install all those programs and configure them. One "cold metal restore" backup every half-year or so gives you a way to restore to a new machine *with* all your programs intact. Then a data restore, and you're back in business. One colleague some years ago came in one day to find his office had been broken into and all equipment gone. Data was secure because it was all encrypted. They got new machines, did the cold-metal restore, and only lost a day (and the cost of a case of hair dye, post-trauma).

Encrypted email can be done for free with Enigmail and Mozilla Thunderbird email software. The problem is that your email and the client's email needs to be keyed together with encryption codes. Very few people are willing to take the steps. I encrypt all PDF files I send them. I then text them the password. All for free.

Over the years I have written a couple of great say-nothing letters that include the buzzwords that let the mindless underwriters check their little checkboxes. ALL such letters go to the client only, for them to send to whomever is whining about wanting it.

Goodbye and good luck....

Why not prorate according to what the previous payments were?

Mine arrived today also. It has more pages than the old Tax Facts and lots more information than the old HRB desk card. Even hubby thought it looked like a handy tool, and he knows nothing about taxes! Yes, I agree that the color, fonts, chart format, etc., make it easy to find what I need. Glad you're pleased, Catherine.

Lots of new due diligence this year and lots of fines to go with them. Beware.

What they want is to add you to potential deep pockets should the loan go bad. Sounds like a separate bank, not the one your client uses, as if it was the client's bank, they would be able to verify income, and probably expenses, by looking at records they already have.

Virtru

Unless required to mask, show. It is the one annual shot the recipient has to make sure the amount is reported correctly. Same for W2 forms...

You have my permission, Catherine.........Just make one of these and sneak it into her house....

This topic from a couple of weeks ago should help. It's about templates in ATX:

I had issues with Carbonite as well and now use CrashPlan. It lets you back up to external drive(s) and to the cloud simultaneously. Haven't had a crash (knock wood) since I started using it, but I've used it to access files on the road and it's been good.

We use Crash Plan Pro at the office as well as at home. We are also happy with it.

Ignore the last e-mail Block his e-mail address in your e-mail program. If he is on FaceBook, block him there. Block his phone numbers on all your phone lines. If you have any of his information, send it back to him certified mail, return receipt requested Sleep well knowing you have saved yourself another ulcer...