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I read Kiplinger's Tax Letter every 2 weeks. They cover all areas including enforcement issues. Their lowest price is $38/yr and I renew for 2 years at $68. Also, every 3 weeks my barber gives me updates.

If my W2s Boxes 1, 3 and 5 didn't agree with my 941s, I'd get new software.

I have gone almost completely away from apptmts and do all drop-off/email/mail and do apptmts for pick-ups only if necessary..

I buy my newsletters from Tax News & Tips; have for years. They have paper or electronic, black and white or color. Plus they have a mail-for-you service. http://www.taxnewsandtips.com/

If you filed for 2016 in October, then you need to amend - and those cannot be e-filed. If you did not file and the client is just really late, then you have to wait for e-file to start up again in January - or file on paper, now.

If your W2s don't tie to your 941s, the IRS will ask why. I'd rather avoid unnecessary letters. Besides, when we add health insurance and personal use of vehicles in QB, the 941 & 940 come out correctly and do tie to the W2s.

The gross wages on the 941 do not need to match the social security \ Medicare wages. The first wage line will be grossed up for the health insurance and this should tie out to box 1 of the W-3. The shareholder then will report that number as wages and deduct the health insurance on the proper line.

You might check out the online website " Tax Pro Today."

I wish that I could get away without appointments for drop-off. I do have more that are willing to do drop-off, which I love. I still have too many people that insist on going over every little thing. I am going to use my husband much sooner this tax season for pick-ups. He saves me a bunch of time and most of them love to chat with him about his garden and stuff.

Abby, at this stage of my life, "dependable" is more important than "sexy"

No one knows, until it is official. Skimming one version (479 pages) for grins, there is at least one item pertaining to 2015...

I try to avoid appointments and prefer either scanned or mailed docs. Sitting there listening to all the non tax stuff while they cough and wheeze with the flu, using my bathroom and leaving a mess, bringing the kids who climb my curtains and interrupt every 5 seconds....it’s a gross waste of time. And I have to change out of my comfy jammies and wear shoes. :*

...when I see many familiar names start to reappear in the "Who's Online" list. I'm glad to see people returning and am very appreciative of the core group of members that contribute year round too. Welcome home!

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I respectfully disagree because, as you said, the IRS didn't shift the cost so nothing was "shoved down our throats" with this. Some make a choice to purchase forms for a price rather than wait for the free ones from the Service, and some make another choice of paper-filing over e-filing of the forms. I remember the ATX program being very easy to prepare and e-file those forms, easier than e-filing the 1040s. Depending on the ATX package purchased, the W-2/1099 prep may be included with that, and if purchasing a package that doesn't have it then there are the other programs and online sites that were mentioned earlier in this topic. Personally, I've never had an issue with receiving the free ones from the IRS.

I tried that one year. Backordered, backordered again, then the wrong forms. It is much less stressful to pay the $9 or whatever it is to know I have enough of them. Tom Modesto, CA

Yeah, ain't that quite the word?! "Just" is sometimes the size of the Taj Mahal. Then again, sometimes it's even bigger still!

Most of my clients can't even handle a spreadsheet. Got one tax client who enters everything on a word processor, columns as crooked as a dog's hind legs, no totals. I'm jealous of you people who only have to catch em calling assets liabilities and such. My one techy guy just has to figure out if sales tax is included in his sales figure. /s

You complete me.

They are free if you order them online via the IRS site - they'll mail you however many you want. I order a bunch and hand them out to whoever wants them. A grouchy CPA in my building literally has his clients walk down and get copies from me occasionally. Several became nice investment clients for me. https://www.irs.gov/businesses/online-ordering-for-information-returns-and-employer-returns

I used to use Sage Accounting and would still prefer it except none of my clients are capable of handling it, more's the pity. And not only do I not have an iPhone, I still have a *stupid* phone! Voice and text only; no internet, can't even send or receive pictures. Maybe that means I pre-date the dinosaurs. Puts me in with the slime molds, perhaps?

I use Sage Accounting. I held off on saying that because I think it makes me a dinosaur. Also print W-2/W-3, 1099/1096 forms and mail. I prepare about 150 W-2s and 50 1099s. It's not a chore to me. And I want to thank my esteemed colleagues for giving me the courage to be transparent, and yes, I still have an iphone 5s.

10 Things to Consider on a Form 990 05/01/2014 By Brooke Karafin, Ralph Citino and Stuart Katz As most exempt organizations know all too well, preparing a Form 990 can be a time-consuming and complicated process. To help them have a better understanding of the form's importance for both compliance and marketing, we have compiled a list of 10 things to consider on a Form 990. 1. Good governance: Form 990 requests information regarding an organization's governing body and management, governance policies, and disclosure practices. Although federal tax law does not mandate these policies and practices, there is an expectation that a prudently managed organization would have specified policies around conflicts of interest, whistleblowing, document retention, determining compensation and joint ventures. 2. Review of the Form 990: An organization is not required by federal tax law to provide a copy of the form to its board or governing body, or to have them review the form before it is filed. However, the IRS believes board review is a fiduciary duty and encourages board members and executives of nonprofits to review and understand what is being filed each year. 3. Not all tax-exempt organizations are charities: There are more than 50 different 501© classifications that organizations can be, depending on their purpose and activities, from business leagues to social clubs. 501©(3) organizations are exempt from federal income tax as charitable organizations. The major difference between charities and other tax-exempt organizations is that contributions made to charitable organizations by individuals and corporations are tax-deductible. 4. Not all income earned by nonprofits is tax-exempt: Even though an organization is recognized as tax-exempt, it still may be liable for tax. The organization may be subject to unrelated business income tax if an activity is regularly carried on and is not substantially related to the entity's exempt purpose. 5. Functional expense allocation: Form 990 Part IX reports expenses in three categories: program service; management and general; and fundraising. Proper allocation of expenses between these functions is very important. The amount of funds spent on program services (when compared to total expenses) is a measurement of the organization's effective stewardship of its assets. 6. Public support test: Part I of Schedule A requires an organization to indicate why it is not a private foundation by checking the box for one of 11 categories of public charities. Many publicly supported organizations must describe their revenue in either Part II or III. This information allows the IRS to determine whether an entity meets the applicable public support test. For those organizations whose exemption category requires performing the support tests in Parts II or III of Schedule A, failure to pass both of these tests may result in their loss of public charity status and being characterized as a private foundation. 7. Lobbying vs. political activities: Many nonprofit organizations mistakenly assume that it is illegal for nonprofits to lobby. To the contrary, federal laws actually exist to encourage charities to lobby within certain specified limits. Knowing what constitutes lobbying under the law, and what the limits are, is the key to being able to lobby legally and safely. Unlike lobbying, Section 501©(3) organizations are prohibited from participating in a political campaign. Schedule C provides the IRS with information concerning political campaign activities and/or lobbying activities of Section 501©(3) organizations. 8. Unreasonable compensation: Unreasonable compensation is one of the IRS's most active areas of inquiry and enforcement. To avoid loss of tax-exempt status and/or intermediate sanctions, the organization should use a process for determining compensation that includes review and approval by a governing body or compensation committee, data-based salary comparisons, and careful documentation and record-keeping of compensation-related deliberations and decisions. 9. State requirements: Most states require nonprofit organizations to file one or more documents to give them permission to operate and solicit contributions in that state. Each state has different requirements; therefore it is important to consult with a tax or legal advisor. Filing requirements may include annual reports, annual financial returns, periodic renewal of state nonprofit tax-exempt status, and registration as a fundraiser. 10. The Form 990 is a marketing tool: The Form 990 can be a valuable marketing and development tool. Once the Form 990 is filed with the IRS, it becomes a public document that potential donors, sponsors and grant recipients can use to obtain information about the organization. Information can also be accessed by state regulators and the media. The organization should consider Form 990 disclosure as an opportunity, rather than a burden. Use it as an opportunity to tell the organization's story by effectively stating its mission and program service accomplishments. The IRS and various watchdog agencies encourage the public to review organizations' Form 990 tax returns. Brooke Karafin, Ralph Citino and Stuart Katz work at Shechtman Marks Devor PC, a Philadelphia-based accounting firm that specializes in working with nonprofit organizations. Reach them at [email protected].