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I'm still confused. Who owns and rents property without a profit motive? It seems like it would be a trade or business even if it is not your primary job. Most of my clients with rentals have losses anyway. But I have one client who owns about 20 properties with no mortgage interest and has a nice profit. It is not his primary business but I'm thinking it would qualify.

Hey guys, I just wanted to share my experience. I switched to drake after the horrible ATX revamp experience a few years ago, but I continue to use the payroll software because as far as I'm concerned it is the best payroll software out there. I had to upgrade today but my password was not working so I had to call support because the rest password option is horrible and forces the user to enter a "registration code" instead of normal procedure like security questions. After a tough time getting through due to the system would hang up on me for a mistake in my user number and that I had to look up my user number I have now been on hold for 20 minutes to speak to someone just to reset my password. Whenever I call drake support I am able to reach someone after a few rings. I can't believe that ATX does not realize that these customer relations blunders are the reason why they have lost so many customers.

I’m sorry, but if an ownership interest in a PTP or REIT qualifies when these are, for most people, nothing more than investments, my rentals, from which I derive about half my income, is a trade or business

I found a way to put it on the invoice, if the worksheet was listed. But it is not automatic. You have to go into the worksheets tab on the billing manager and pick the 1040. All the worksheets for each line should be listed. But right now, there is nothing listed for line 9, which is where the Section 199 worksheet should go. I assume that when they release the worksheet, it will pop in to the billing manager. If not, I am going to have to hand type it in for each client. I wish I could charge $500 for each client. Just does not work with my clients. Tom Modesto, CA

Make Joan's suggestion a $500 fee increase, and discount heavily for clients with no QBI (and less heavily for those with simple QBI) deductions.

Atx isn’t giving an option a add fees for the schedules. But I just increased my base 1040 charge by $50

Yes, I just remembered today that I also have to do 941X along with the local amended reconciliation and, of course, the state. I think the church still has an EFTPS account. Years ago when I was treasurer I did everything including payroll so set up all these things. Virtually every treasurer since then has managed to mess up something along the way. In theory all was 'solved' when it was decided to use a payroll service. However, a part time employee was paid from a different account for extra work that did not make it into the payroll reporting and, of course, no taxes withheld. The current treasurer is well meaning and grateful for assistance but he didn't catch this payment from October. I think he will be looking at every check in the future - or I will scowl at him every Sunday. Thanks again for your help and reminders. This is my task tomorrow as I got copies of all the original filings from Paycor this afternoon. Ugh, I really didn't want to do this. At least I'm not busy yet with returns.

It should be amended, as previously there was nothing and now there is something. That's a change, as I see it.

I have one of those, an older semi-retired engineer, who hasn't updated his spreadsheet heading since 2007, so his long-deceased wife's name and his and the year 2007 appear in the heading every year. He does put his name & SSN in the body, but not the year!

Well it doesn't work with *my* clients, either. But they think they're getting a HUGE deal and thank me if they see a $500 charge and a $450 credit - where they might fuss about an extra $50 charge.

Look at the lower left side of Tab # 2 on K-1 screens for QBI Input.

To add to the confusion, this from the recently released draft of Pub 535, pg 2. The draft is dated Jan 7. Emphasis added. https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-dft/p535--dft.pdf I In general, to be engaged in a trade or busi- ness, you must be involved in the activity with continuity and regularity and your primary pur- pose for engaging in the activity must be for in- come or profit. If you own an interest in a pass-through entity, the trade or business de- termination is made at that entity's level. The ownership and rental of real property doesn’t, as a matter of law, constitute a trade or business, and the issue is ultimately one of fact in which the scope of your activities in connec- tion with the property must be so extensive as to give rise to the stature of a trade or business. However, the rental or licensing of property to a commonly controlled trade or business is con- sidered a trade or business under section 199A.

Many software companies were letting people e-file during the hiatus, and holding them until e-file opened. It's the same as if you'd done that.

You should call support about this because if you haven't already done so, you probably have to send Drake a copy of your PTIN showing it is active, and possible your EFIN since you are a new customer with them. When I switched and had to send to them, I think it went to their accounting dept to finalize my entire account's setup within their system. It's an easy one-time thing.

According this article in the Journal of Accountancy, Statutory Employees may be able to claim QBI: https://www.journalofaccountancy.com/issues/2019/jan/qbi-deduction-for-statutory-employees.html How many more things will pop up like this during this tax season?

As Oprah says: You get a deduction You get a deduction YOU GET A DEDUCTION!!!!!

hmmmm....big box....how exciting. Oh look - the 2017 deluxe version of "the Tax Book". (got that last year.) And 2018 version of the State Tax Handbook. (Also got that last year.) And the 2019 Master Tax Guide. Well, at least 1 thing I can use. Do they just send a kid into the inventory room and tell them to clean off the shelves?

I disagree. The person creating the K-1 has to indicate to the partner/shareholder/REIT owner how much of the income generated is from QBI sources. It is reported on the K-1 on lines 20/17/14 (I am not sure of the exact line numbers) to be input onto the K-1 worksheet of the final personal tax return. When preparing the personal tax return we must include all forms of QBI, including Schedule C (if any), to determine the final amount of QBI, subject to taxable income limitations.