Leaderboard

These are the most difficult clients, it's like bailing water from a leaky rowboat.

I too am the only one responsible for tax returns in my office. My process is similar to DANRVAN’s but I do it by making use of the columns in ATX. A return is rolled over from prior year when received. There is a column for date received, one for notes, fed/state extension and efiling, as well as making use of ATX AR tab.

ATX Return Manager does all we need done. We assign client numbers sequentially as they come in and ATX shows the date rolled over.

A log which list every job in chronological order. It starts fresh on January 1 and has columns for date in, client name, extension if applicable, date out, amount billed, check box for paid, and a check box for efiled. I am a one man show so the responsibility is all mine.

Wouldn't the rental income on Schedule E only offset the rental expense on the business entity.

Be aware that there is a bug in ATX Rollover Manager where returns will be missing when you filter by not rolled over. In our case, it was hundreds of returns that did not show.

Correct. We also use status codes for input, missing data, ready for review, ready to efile and done. I'd recommend against rolling everyone over because early on, there can be errors in ATX that require you to rollover the return again. Also, it keeps your return manager clean with only returns that have come in.

I only roll a return when the paperwork comes in. You can then sort by "Not Rolled Over" to see the clients that have not come in yet. I pull the folder for the client when their paperwork comes in and put it in a file holder/organizer on the bookcase shelf. I can see my backlog every time I look over my computer screen. When the return is done, It moves to a different shelf while waiting for acks and ERO signatures. Then it goes back into the filing cabinet. In ATX, when the return is accepted, we change the status to complete and filter them out so we don't see those returns anymore. My practice is small enough that this works for me. Tom Longview, TX

Basically - I just need to do everything myself, and then my old system of writing down the name when they come in works best:) I have never utilized the client # or job status within ATX return manager, other than to indicate it's an estimate or paper file, or something like that. I will sort on that column and any one that doesn't have an efile status should have a memo in the client # column. But maybe I can work something out like Abby Normal. hmmm. Thanks guys for the input.

Reduces SE tax. Tom Longview, TX

You can depreciate Land Improvements perhaps a driveway or a graveled parking lot. You can deduct maintenance. Curious investment since he could have rented parking space for a few hundred dollars a month which is deductible.

I utilize the client progress feature pretty much any professional software offers. When someone drops off I write their name in a notebook with the date. When they have been notified their return is done and ready for pickup I mark them off. If they pick up and don't pay me, their name goes in the back of the notebook as a reminder. Also, their information is stored in such a way I know where they are within the system. Drop offs that haven't been touched go in 2 different locked drawers in my credenza. Items in current process go in 2 other locked drawers on the other side of my credenza. If I'm done with it or we are waiting on data which I don't expect to arrive very quickly, they go in a locked "safe" in another room. If I'm done and expecting pickup in the next 24 hours, I put them in a bankers box. At the end of each day my desk is completely cleared off. I don't like client data sitting in view of other clients coming in my office. Anything I'm currently working on gets locked in my desk drawer (it's never more than 3 files).

I am still doing exactly what the original poster does. I am the responsible party so I keep two sets of pages. One for when the return is dropped off. When it is finished, it gets crossed off. The second set of pages is for income because some clients pay up front. Archaic, I know, but if it's not broke, don't fix it.!!!

Another big memory hog are full blown Security Suites like Norton

It's almost always a memory issue. Have you installed other software recently? Have you looked at Task Manager to see what's running that you don't really need running? Go into services and changed unneeded software to Manual from Automatic. Look for things like Adobe update or QuickBooks update, QuickBooks backup or even QuickBooks itself. The new Edge browser has a quick start setting that keeps it running in memory, called startup boost. I discovered this because after recent Edge updates, my Startup monitor program notified me that Edge was trying to make something run at startup.

I have been with them from the beginning and really don't plan on ever leaving. Overall, I am very happy with the program and my sales rep is the sweetest ever.

I have had ATX for over 20 years - many times I swear I am going to switch - but their service has been incredible the last couple years - and the issues we have had - were mostly related to single glitches with a client, not overall. It has all the forms I need - I do about 70 S corps and about 800 total returns. I have tried a few others but do not like the format nor the price. This is easy to teach - even to remote preparers. and it does have the interview available. It has "lost" some features I dearly loved - calculator in the line, cannot open more than 1 return in the current year, - can in prior years! Compared to another program I had, I wish it had a timer on!! I have even stepped down a version as I did not need all the extras. I think! D

Same here, here, here. While there have been issues in the past, I must say the program has been working well for me the last few years.

Same here, here.

Here's the spin: "Because it's their job to hold others accountable, Ernst & Young — one of the "big four" accounting firms — says it holds itself to a high standard of ethics. In fact, the firm's entire global code of conduct is based on an "ethical" framework. "At EY, nothing is more important than our integrity and our ethics. These core values are at the forefront of everything we do," Brendan Mullin, a spokesperson for Ernst & Young, said in an email to NPR. "Our response to this unacceptable past behavior has been thorough, extensive, and effective." Many of the employees interviewed during the federal investigation said they knew cheating was a violation of the company's code of conduct but did it anyway because of work commitments or the fact that they couldn't pass training exams after multiple tries."