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I haven't used ATX since the 2012 meltdown, so I don't know if this is still possible. But when I looked back at 2011, I noticed it has the ability to set up custom fields. So if you set up a custom field such as "Has ITIN", then all you'd need to do is remember to make an entry in that field for any return that has an ITIN anywhere. Then any time you sort on that field (either within ATX or in an exported Excel file), you'd at lest narrow the list down to people who are likely to need to renew. You might even be able to enter expiration dates (or maybe year) in that field to make it sort in a more useful manner. Personally, I'd just use "year" to keep it simple. This won't help much in terms of extracting the info right now, but with a little forethought and time spent in the off season, you might find that a useful feature in future years. And in the process of making the entries now, you'd essentially be extracting current year info, which you're going to have to do anyhow if you want the data now. Of course, you'd need to be sure the program carries data from that field into the next year when it rolls over.

I hope as many of you can come as wish, and are able. In particular, I'm speaking of those of you who have every intention of coming, but in the coming weeks allow the rigors of life to wrap themselves around you and feel like you have to bail out. The only defense against this is: circle the date on your calendar and simply don't let those "rigors" beguile you from a trip to Tennessee. Not only will Rita be there but I will be there to add character (or lack of it) to the event. How much more entertainment can there be? For those of you coming from far away, and in particular areas which are flat, I believe you will enjoy the terrain and beauty of our region. In order to get to Crossville from any direction, you have to drive up and land atop a mountainous plateau. Crossville is a pleasant and inexpensive place to stay, and the temperature is usually about five degrees cooler than the valleys due to its elevation. Also, for several of you who may not like me, now is your golden chance to reverse your opinion!! "Edsel" - Ron Jordan, Manchester, TN

The portal is a way to safely exchange information. Yes it works in both directions. It also allows you to send for example a news letter to everyone you have set up on the portal at one time. When I got set up I was a given a very brief tutorial and help in getting it set up however there are many videos available that I'm sure we teach me more of what's available I just haven' had time to watch them. My move came on 1/27/18 so my only concern at that time was giving my clients an easy way to send me their stuff so I set it up on the fly. I hope after the dust settles to dig into it deeper and see what else I can do with it. There are options to customize it and I would like to check that out as well. You cannot sign thru it. The clint would have to printout the signature pages, sign it and then upload it back, but it's not that difficult. My clients who used it loved it. It's very similar to financing or refinancing a mortgage. When we bought our home in November everything was done thru a portal, I loved it!

https://www.irs.gov/e-file-providers/electronic-signature-guidance-for-forms-8878-and-8879 It seems doubtful that many of the esign options fully comply with IRS standards. But how 'verified' is a handwritten signature on a form we emailed or sent thru a portal to a client.

client gets audited for 2013 - spent hours copying her receipts - she's in my office doing her work, etc... bill her $350 - leaves an expectation - low billing - former manager must not have kept time!! Bill her for 3 years of taxes - she pays - she paid at the time until 4/15/2018. comes in for 2017 and I present her the bill now for the 2014!! audit - yes later than I should have and $360 for her taxes, including the $10 again for the 8867. She is hot! says she already paid for 2014 and it was $350!! I said I have not billed her for my time at all- just office time to copy and write letters and for Tax advocate, etc.. She pays her $360 for 2017 and leaves. claims they should be less - I say we do strictly by time on a program.. when do clients set prices? And prices do not go up $10 in 3 tears? ! She showed up last week and I was not here so office would not give her anything so she says I am coming back Tuesday, today for everything, removing me as POA, etc. and we better have all her stuff. She is sweet as pie, hands me a check with a letter - I did not look at it as she had said she was paying me everything, takes her copies, then gets into it with me that she has talked to everyone under the sun including the judge and ?/ did not say what they said... but she revoked my POA and talked to the IRS and they were so nice and she could have done this herself... and leaves. Would not take statement and invoices where it showed she did not pay yet - and still owed $848 and lo and behold, charges me for emails sent her and pays me $15!! marked paid in full. Tax advocate then called me! timely - about her and I said I could not talk to her - she said she never called in to them - no record - she also said she had called TA - and no POA revoked on record.. and TA said her records were incomplete and the audit stood. So she lied there, she lied about paying me the $350 that she subtracted, plus all the rest to get to $15? I thought she made it clear she was paying the $848 - she even said the check would clear! So I doubt if she did talk to the judge - as he is MY good friend - he probably said if anything pay it! My plan is to send her back her check - her statements and invoices and then bill her for MY time another $900 at least and tell her if the $848 is not paid by 5/20 I will see her in small claims court and tell the IRS I was not paid for the 2017 (and 2016) taxes as $'s were applied to her account... I could not get a word in edgewise when she was here - I was just going to let it all go - no use explaining anything to those lovely people - Until I saw the check for $15.. I will not eat $800 for legitimate work- What say you all- chance of getting paid? 0 to 10% satisfaction of certified signed letter - 55% threatening to go to court - 85%!! Thx d

I agree in principle with John. But at this time of the year I am always up for a good knock down drag out fight. I would rattle the cage until I no longer wanted to hear the noise.

After all is said and done, you'll probably spend another $900 worth of your time trying to collect and you still won't get any money. She's a shyster, and pretty good at it. Trying to get clients like this do the right thing is like trying to teach a pig to sing. After all your efforts, all you'll have is bad music and a frustrated pig.

The export client list only exports the columns you have displayed, and the available columns is a useless list that contains fields no one would ever care about and is missing many fields we would all like access to. Submit an enhancement request.

I get the feeling they don't have a central database of POAs they can easily look up. I'll attach a copy to the amended return. I just want to get a copy of any notices/letters.

Wish I had better news for you. I get them from clients and stick them in the client's folder until I need them. Not too many years ago (and laughable considering the penalties MassDOR would heap on me if I did this) you could call and say it was about John Doe, ssn 123-45-6789 and that there is a signed POA - and they'd just talk to you. Tell you ANYTHING. Never ask for the POA; just take your word that you had it. I kid you not. I wish I had a nickel for every time I sat there, talking to MassDOR, with the never-requested POA in my hand.

For the most part, you call MassDOR with the POA in hand, and the person you talk to tells you *their* fax number. So you need two lines.... I always used to call on my house line so the work/fax line was free. 617-887-6367 is the phone. They have a toll-free, too, but I've found this one gets answered faster and for me it's a local (-ish) call.

I had the same question. If the date can be exported to an Excel or csv file, you can then sort/select/extract on any information you wish. It's amazing what Excel can do, especially if you know how to use some of the "functions".

Does the "export client list" feature contain the SSNs or ITINs? If it does, you could search the exported file easily enough.

This would be awesome for expiring ITIN's numbers.

Which fields ATX searches in return manager is a total mystery and we have no options to select/deselect those fields. But I do know two things: I wish it didn't search preparer name and I wish it did search phone #.

Yes, pictures please!

I too would love to attend but will be spending that day at an orientation for my son's University in Virginia. Please post some pictures and have a terrific time!

Nope....Sorry....Can't make it...This won't be removed until after August.... I am allowed to go here.... But not here...... ......So... To Rita....One of these.. .

I can round up a couple cousins that will not only let you co-sign, but make you feel good about it. One is married to a guy who wears muscle shirts all year and I am thinking about getting him sleeves for Thanksgiving. Or barbells. C'mon, Bart. We are twins.

Caution from Pub 974: If you are unable to complete Step 6 because changes between steps are always $1.00 or more, do not use the Iterative Calculation Method. Instead, use the Simplified Calculation Method or any computation method that satisfies the rules for the self-employed health insurance deduction and PTC as long as the sum of the deduction claimed for the premiums and the PTC computed, taking the deduction into account, is less than or equal to the premiums. The sum of the SEHI plus the PTC can't exceed the actual premiums. That actually makes sense, so I think a single taxpayer would just be stuck paying it all back. Which really is reasonable because they didn't qualify for the APTC to begin with, but because SEHI is an above the line deduction, we have an oh sh*t scenario of epic proportions. Excuse me while I also poke my eyes out.

There's a caution in Pub 974: If you are unable to complete Step 6 because changes between steps are always $1.00 or more, do not use the Iterative Calculation Method. Instead, use the Simplified Calculation Method or any computation method that satisfies the rules for the self-employed health insurance deduction and PTC as long as the sum of the deduction claimed for the premiums and the PTC computed, taking the deduction into account, is less than or equal to the premiums. If you use 17,634 as SEHI, you can't have any PTC or APTC. You're limited by the premiums. I think your guy uses 17,634 as SEHI, pays back the premium, and no PTC allowed. Now to get there. The other thing you can try is MFS, allocate 99% of APTC to lower earning spouse. I couldn't get ATX to allow zero where I did an allocation like this, not MFS, but an allocation that was 1% and 99%. Payback will be limited. They can never pay us enough for dealing with this.

This has been going on for days, and the clients are not my favorite to begin with......... and now I will lose any money I hoped to make on this return. I have filled out everything in pub 974 at least twice and I am ready to throw in the towel !!! I don't think the iterative method can be used as this is way more than a $1.00 difference. Back to clawing my eyes out!

Pub 974 is a real bear; just tried to skim it. Not only is the iterative Method pages long, but the Simplified Method is not even close to being simple or short.

I've been dinking with your numbers for about two hours (from the other thread) and I'm with you on the throwing up. I'm not getting anywhere with this one. I'm sorry, this is no help, except to say I commiserate and have not come up with a solution. In the final paragraph of this old article, the author saw this coming: https://obamacareguide.wordpress.com/2014/07/25/self-employed-health-insurance-deduction-the-iterative-calculation/

I have this exact problem and am using ATX software MFJ No dependents Total income $82932. SE Income 73, 045. Deductible SE 5161.00. 1095A Part III Col. A 17634.48 B. 17662.56 C. 11644.32 Taxpayer paid $5990.00 in premiums. 8962. payback $11644.00 but when added to SEHI $5990.00 Total 17634.00 SEHI then the 8962. shows a net premium credit of $192.00 and no payback? I know this cannot be right. I have been wrestling with this for days and I just want to poke my eyes out!

Oh I just had SO much fun!!! I got a call from some low-life scum who wanted to take over my computer because of "suspicious activity" and I had him going for several minutes. I played dumb clueless ditz. Finally he told me my computer had been "compromised" and I told him that I *never* left my computer alone in a room with a man. (Guess I've read Jane Austen a few too many times...) Then I told him he had the wrong person - goodbye! I managed to hang up just before I busted out laughing.

Hubby loves to string along those calls. Kept one like Catherine's on the line for a very long time by playing dumb and asking lots of questions. After the caller had fully committed to repairing a Windows PC and was getting very exasperated, hubby said he had a MAC. I think there was a swear word and a hangup then. But, semi-retired hubby had fun and kept someone else from receiving a call during those minutes. You go, Catherine!

I can add that! I could do it in a Jeopardy! format just for laughs!

We haven't made any reservations yet but we're really looking forward to it. I've made a few notes about ATX letters, but I have a lot more work to do to fill the 3 hours Jack has alloted. If I went on for 3 hours, you'd all be so drunk you'd start throwing things at me.

Oh My, Coffee just shot through my nose null After my ACA conundrum I really needed a laugh! Thank you!!!

A classic telemarketer prank! https://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_420523&feature=iv&src_vid=mkdoogjic4I&v=-7OgWcwgB50

Yes, it's for real, and I'm hosting. No need to bring anything, but I do need a count. If you're not sure, a "maybe" is fine. June 23 in middle TN. Anybody interested please message me for directions!

I had a call the other day that started out with a female thanking me for my recent inquiry about affordable health insurance and if I would just stay on the line she would connect me to an insurance agent. I said, wait, when did I inquire about affordable health insurance? And she just kept talking over me. I repeated myself four times. On the fourth she said, well, don't you want affordable health insurance? I said, mine does not get much more affordable since I will be going on Medicare very shortly. Click! And I kept talking into the phone - wait, I am not done yet. Come back on the line please...........

You should consider an incinerator that generates electricity so these people can contribute a little something to society on their way out... besides just fertilizer.

Rita, I have to say it again - I just LOVE you!

You (we) just can NOT save some people from themselves!

I own farmland in Montgomery County, IL, but it's a long way to ship from CT. Weston, CT, is two-acre zoning, but my home is grandfathered in at only 1&2.3 acres!

The neighbor with the farm across the road knows some of my clients and has graciously given me a key to his gate. We work on his fence once in a while. It's like sharecropping only different.

Do you have enough pasture land to accommodate your tax practice?!

So, my fab client story ( /s): The first person I've seen today brought her 2017 W-2 and a bunch of receipts for furniture she purchased with some of her 2017 $50,000 early IRA withdrawal. We discussed this "move" she wanted to make in July, to pay medical bills, and I told her to pay $100 a month, or something, toward medical bills and avoid taking early withdrawals. She indicated that she just wanted to pay the medical bills and get them behind her. I wonder how far behind her she meant, and when exactly she was going to begin putting them behind her. There's a grand total of one receipt here for one hundred smackers toward a medical bill. She only forgot her 1099-R, her 1098 Mortgage Interest, and her 1095-A. Yes, 1095-A. I am pretty glad I sent her a letter in July memorializing the conversation, and warning her how she'll be repaying the APTC. She does remember the letter. She said she opened it this morning, had laid it aside [how important could it be], and is now worried. You don't say.

I'll have what she's having.

In prior years, UBER reported only miles while the "taxi" was occupied with passengers. Last year, they sent the reports including miles that the driver was on line. That makes sense. I do believe that as soon as you start the application, you are working since you cannot be refusing pickups or your ratings will go under. All my uber drivers make money if not, common sense will tell the to get out of the business. I saw another preparer's returns for 3 years where the uber driver made 26K and after repairs AND MILEAGE his profit was 2K. His wife brought him to me because she was not getting a big refund and she wanted to file MFS. I showed her that her 25K filing MFS she was going to get a refund of $400 vs the $1,100 she got for the last three year, she gladly went back to the old preparer. I don't want this type of clients so it is better they go away. My brother was as an Uber driver and for sure he makes money and pays a lot of taxes. As for the employee relationship to Uber... there is no way that the courts, states or IRS will make that relationship become other than independent contractor. Uber doesn't not train these drivers, Uber doesn't control their schedule and there is no employee/employer relationship.

That can be a mixed blessing.

It's the little things that bring a tear, right? LOVE it. I have 2 retired military officers who bring huge files, lots of paper, and spreadsheets that bring that joyful tear. I go in alone, and come out refreshed... just like a shower. Ahhhhhh......

Thankful for this forum, and everyone on it, where we get to "Talk Turkey" all year.

I AM THANKFUL: For the wife who says it's hot dogs tonight. Because she is home with me, and not out with someone else. For the teenager who is complaining about doing dishes. Because it means she is at home, not on the streets. For the taxes I pay. Because it means I am employed. For the mess to clean after a party. Because it means I have been surrounded by friends. For the clothes that fit a little too snug. Because it means I have enough to eat. For my shadow that watches me work. Because it means I am out in the sunshine. For a lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning, and gutters that need fixing. Because it means I have a home. For all the complaining I hear about the government. Because it means we have freedom of speech. For the parking spot I find at the far end of the parking lot. Because it means I am capable of walking and I have been blessed with transportation. For my huge heating bill. Because it means I am warm. For the lady behind me in church who sings off key. Because it means I can hear. For the pile of laundry and ironing. Because it means I have clothes to wear. For weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day. Because it means I have been capable of working hard. For the alarm that goes off in the early morning hours. Because it means I am alive. For my wife who always seems to nag at me. Because it means that someone cares about me. And finally, for too many e-mail messages, posts and messages on FaceBook. Because it means I have friends who are thinking of me.

Sorry, cain't make it. That's family reunion season and several relatives in dire straits are depending on me to co-sign their bank note renewals. Too, although I am allowed to leave the state, I don't like to get much further away from home than Little Rock. Good luck with your barbecue'n and stuff.