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We use Ultratax for tax prep, and it too does not calculate interest and penalties with any accuracy. I just explain to the clients that IRS interest rates change every month so I can't do the math; plus we don't know what day the IRS will receive their check.... just wait for them to send you a bill. I also write on the instruction sheet that tells them how much to send and where that "IRS will bill for interest and penalties--just pay it." Still get the phone calls though....

Thanks everyone for the response.

I have never found these calculations to be better than somewhat accurate, and decided a year or two ago that it was better for my clients (ymmv) to warn them of a penalty/interest letter to come. When I was calculating (allowing the program) to calculate, invariably the clients would still get letters - for whatever small amount the calculations were off by; I believe the smallest amount I saw was less than $5 difference - the clients would immediately call ME, all upset (with me!) because they got "more" penalties. Even though of course they had been told the calculations are approximate, you will get a letter even if it's spot-on, showing the breakdown, etc etc etc. Rather than being tempted to be snarky to my clients, I now just tell them "I can't calculate these accurately; they'll figure them out and you'll get a letter." I still get the calls - but at least they're just "I got this letter, do I pay it?" calls rather than angry with me because they got what I told them to expect.

MD was sending out letters 3 days after October filings. The one time the government should be less efficient and wait two weeks.

Yes, you can move a registration to a new machine. Think about it: you bought the license to use the software. It's registered to you, not to the particular hardware. What if your machine got a virus and you had to start from scratch? You re-install all your old programs, and the license gets transferred to the new machine. In fact, you can usually install on multiple machines at once; the limits are (usually) on how many installations may run at once and frequently that number is one. So you can have the same license on your desktop at home, your desktop at work, and your laptop - as long as you use the program on one machine at a time. As for buying new software cheap - I do it all the time. Best way to buy Adobe Acrobat, or Quicken, or any of a number of other programs, is to go to eBay and find a NEW, REGISTERABLE copy (that bit is the key) of last year's version (or the year before, or the year before that). Example: Client needed QB, but also needed cheap. Told her to go to eBay and buy a two-year-old new copy of QB desktop; this year's version was hundreds of dollars, the two-year-old version was less than $100; she was thrilled. QB old versions - even brand-new - sell cheap because they stop support for payroll after three years, and sometimes the bank feeds won't work. Well, she doesn't have a payroll; not an issue for her - and some of the bank feeds won't work with brand-new versions, depending on the bank - but almost all have web connect download files available, so do those instead. Heck, I still have (on an older machine) and installation of QB2007 that I sometimes have to pull out for one client's file. It works, they do payroll through a service, why pay for a not-needed upgrade?

You are allowed multiple installations. If you are over the limit, they give you a number to call. For 2003 we have about 20 computers running our 1 copy. Wife bought 2013 from a work program for REALLY cheap - like $30. We have multiple computers running and I was told another would require calling. That computer just gets Libre.

You also have the enter the interest rates for each quarter as they are announced during the year.

I'd check on whether the FIL took a loss and whether the IRS truly accepted it. Selling a property to a relative at far below market price is the exact situation why deals between relatives are excluded.