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Get a google voice number and give that out as your cell. Then when you get a text, it's already on your computer and you can print the text to a PDF for your records. And set Google Voice to just take messages in case your clients ever call your "cell."

Yep. I'd say I spend twice the time on a new return as a returning client. Looking over prior year for carry overs and obvious errors, needing to type and double check for typos basic info, depreciation if applicable, among other things. After allowing for things like death my retention rate is almost always over 95%, so I guess I'm doing something right.

I think technically if you amend a return before the due date, it is considered a superseded return rather than amended. Practically, you don't need to wait and it would look the same, from what I understand.

Looks like he relied on his software to link mom and son's returns for the 8615, but forgot to recalculate son's return after preparing mom's return. I agree with your analysis of the numbers on the prior year 8615.

Interesting thread; at the other board where I participate, there would have been immediate warnings to not discuss pricing. That being said, there have been some great comments. I left Block "Premium" (now "Advisors") because I got tired of constant complaints from my clients about the pricing. I hated not doing a return the way I wanted because of how the client would be charged (for example $25 for a student loan entry that saved them $10). When I went out on my own, I was greatly influenced by that experience and wanted to offer my services at a fair price. It's meant that I have all the work I want and I can be very picky on whose return I do.

My son set it up so I get texts on both phone and computer. If an android: https://support.google.com/messages/answer/7611075?hl=en Guessing Apple has something similar. Much easier to type with a full keyboard. If I need to keep it, I use snipping tool to save it.

You can delete the texts if they contain sensitive info. It's no less insecure than a text to your cellphone. And having a landline has nothing to do with it. It's just an alias for your cellphone, but you don't have to link the Voice number to your cellphone. One nice advantage is that everyone in the office has the same cell number and everyone can see all the texts and voice messages in one convenient place.

It's on the Open Return tab of Preferences, and it's about halfway down. It's called Display Tax Research Tool Tips. Uncheck that bad boy.

Look under preferences to change it

Thanks for the reminder. I've been AWOL the last couple years due to some health stuff. Now that I'm back in the game, I need to help pay the freight.

I know that I am on the lower end of the spectrum. I agree mostly with Yardley CPA. I charges according to the circumstances. I know I am probably charging way too little, but you have to consider what the market will bear. In Central semi-rural Wisconsin, I don't have many high-class clients. I try to adjust fees yearly; some up and some down. I continue to tell my clients that this business is not all about money. They are first and foremost the most important presence in my office at any given time. I would never think of charging per form, per page or any other set method of pricing. I generally pull a number out of my head based on time and complexity; but I also consider the situation of the client. This might be wrong, but my clients are happy, I am happy and I sleep very well at night.

This year I have forgotten to click the "donate" button so that the electricity/maintenance is paid for this site. Please don't make that same mistake and I will click it soon.

The IRS won't disclose how many employees are still working remotely from home. Sounds like you found one of them.

It's totally free and has been for decades. If you have a google account/Gmail address, adding a voice number is easy. I have two voice numbers, one work and one personal. My SO has one for her cell as well. We give it out to people we don't want having our real cell #.

A superseded return can be filed anytime prior to the original due date. The big advantage of filing a superseded return is that it replaces the original efiled return, while an amended return is considered to be a correction which is processed manually which will take 5 or more months.

RitaB !!! Dont give clients your cell number !!! We have clients always asking for our cell numbers. But lordy, if we did we would get bombarded with texts and calls. Especially the pain in the arse ones. We just kindly tell them, "sorry our cell numbers are for friends and family only", please use the office phone or email any questions.

I agree my needy clients pay more. They should. Last week I increased on invoice because a new client, who had told me he got text messaging, called me asking when they could come in and see what I had done with their [very special] tax return. I generally hate phone calls as they waste my time. I had texted him on March 16 that the return was ready, please come in at your convenience. He had made two trips to drop off, called before each one, my greeting plainly says come in at your convenience, and he likes to hear the sound of his own voice. At pick up, he lamented that according to my projection for next year, he not only does not need to make estimated tax payments, but he will get a $4,000 refund. "Oh, no, I really hate getting refunds." Me: "Well, that's on you, Chief, tell somebody to reduce withholding by $4,000." He kept talking. And talking. He now knows the tax brackets, has a copy of same, and that it is cutting your nose off to spite your face to pay 22% on a withdrawal you don't need because you don't like getting refunds. Notes in file in charge more next time. So anyway, Kathy, I'm probably at $285 federal, $50 state, provided the client didn't waste a lot of my time. We have a preparer here who plays that game with the invoice listing every form in the return, some not even in the return, with the big discount. I am getting several of her clients because she's making mistakes. The last one in here, the 2021 invoice was $325 marked down to $110. If the return was correct, $325 would have been fair. As it was, $110 was too much. Everything is relative; all returns, all clients, and all preparers are not created equal.

How do you get rid of the blue tick marks in the input fields that bring up the CCH Research pop-ups? Very annoying!

Present The state released a communication in early February that the rebate was not taxable.

Please forgive my double negative error, that should have read "don't think the estate is entitled."

Among the posters on this board we have a wide variation in skill levels from those who are just be beginning their careers to those who are winding down their careers. While you have a right to your opinion, I think your posts are excessively sarcastic and don't belong here. Perhaps you have had a really crappy day and you normally wouldn't have posted your comments?

"New clean vehicles placed in service on or after April 18, 2023, are subject to the critical mineral and battery component requirements even if the vehicle was ordered or purchased before April 18, 2023. A vehicle's eligibility for the new clean vehicle credit is generally based on the rules that apply as of the date a vehicle is placed in service, meaning the date the taxpayer takes delivery of the vehicle." Updated EV Vehicle Credit FAQs: https://www.irs.gov/pub/taxpros/fs-2023-08.pd

Many of my low income clients are extremely classy, kind and appreciative individuals.

Worked like a charm. A simple error in interpreting data entry. Thanks for pointing out my mistake.

Reviving this as I have the same issue with a new client, so thank you for the post and answers that followed. Very helpful right now as I also have this with a new client. The former preparer missed including income for an entire brokerage account that created a false overpayment on 2021 that was applied to 2022. Those '21 earnings and tax effect will certainly not be insignificant amount if the '21 earnings are like that of the '22 TY, it should be somewhere in the $35-37,000 range.

Go ahead and share it, and attribution is fine. Yes, on occasion, the muse strikes, and it all just flows without effort. It struck this morning and off I went!

Back when the K-2 and K-3 first came out and I was trying to explain to a client, a summer theater actress, but lapsed into a Dr. Seuss-like poem re K-2 and K-3... she emailed back: That's the difference between us - you think Dr. Seuss and I immediately go into dirty limerick mode. When deciding who next they should screw, The IRS knew what to do. They designed with some glee New K-2 and K-3 Nailing client and accountant, too!

Another day in the life of tax preparation

Well as a last full measure of my devotion to our work I again called Senator Bryce's office in Spotsylvania who after a lengthy discussion with his aide decided that any service veteran paid with a pension from the Defense Finance & Accounting Service qualifies for the benefit which oddly enough is passed on to their spouse after the veteran's death. Actually Gail retired Virginia National Guard members do in fact draw a pension from the Defense Finance & Accounting Service. It reads as follows Defense Finance and Accounting Service and in the second line just below U. S. Military Retired Pay.

I've always charged what I feel is fair to both client and myself. My fees are generally well below the national average, definitely less than the H&R's. I don't aim to be the lowest cost, just what I think is fair. The per form fee ended up at $322 which I felt was high so I discounted it by $50. Their kids are aging out, so I spent several minutes with them explaining what credits they will be losing over the next few years. After all that he wanted to know what to do to lower my fee!

As a CPA and a one man office, who prepares returns on the side, I know my rates are below what is considered customary. I confirmed that after reading through this post. There is no way my starting rate is $500, I'd have no clients. With that said, my rates are based on the complexity of the return and normally my rates are adjusted from year to year, in some instances they may even go down if the return warrants that. However, I know they are generally lower than they should be.

Single, no dependents, no credits, nothing. The return was really just the W-2 wages about $40K, standard deduction, fed and state withholding. Nothing else. Very simple and straightforward. As for the age, I doubt that it was a programming error when that 2021 return was prepared on 4/14/22. The preparer either had a typo or made up a date because the taxpayer did not get the benefit of an age-related deductions. How else would you explain that?

I had a former client return to me after leaving for one year. She went to HRB with one W2 and one 1098. She could not itemize for either federal or state. HRB charged $275, and I have already amended the state because HRB preparer didn't ask her DOB and so missed the extra deductions and credits for older filers. Also, I'm not charging enough....

More than $300 but, if well organized, probably less than $500. If lots of messages getting the documents (like the 1098T and answers), maybe more. I bill by time, not form. When it takes a lot of time - begin the return, ask questions, pick it up again, more messages for answers, etc. - it costs the client lots of money. Like the video that's been around, I'm billing time and also expertise.

The ERC credit just made the IRS Dirty Dozen tax scams.

Personally I have no issue with 64-bit Windows, my argument would be if they turn access to the program off after 3 years.

All at the same increased SNAP AND WIC benefits are expiring and millions of people will lose their Medicaid benefits due to the end of the expanded Covid programs.

Many, many taxpayers under 25 and over 65 did benefit last year and it was a sweet credit for the hard working low income clients. This year, no soap and I have seen it over and over and over. It was never a lot of money, but it was a little extra and I think it's a shame that they did away with it.

According to the Tax Book with respect to 2022 Residential Energy Credits, "Costs are treated as being paid when the original installation of the item is completed."

It's official: "Intuit has announced changes to QuickBooks Desktop for 2022. Most notably, Intuit will now only be selling its Pro, Premier, and Mac products as Pro Plus, Premier Plus and Mac Plus subscriptions." "Users will only be able to install QuickBooks Desktop 2022 on computers running 64-bit Windows."

As @Donnarae once said, "Zip up your jacket; your heart is falling out."

@joanmcqNo problem here with your ranting. I still work off QB 2003. I have the install codes, can move it to any computer I own and I keep a copy of the 2003 license in the container with the CD that says I can load it on any computer I own. Don't know if I could pull the trigger on subscription to Intuit. Tom Longview, TX

Dennis, I know what you are saying. But this is where I am. The last copy of QB I bought was 2019. I think I bought it at the end of 2018. Installed it on my computer. It's a desktop model, and I don't need to run the latest models anything. I'll keep it for years. Then I bought a new computer. I could not get QB to migrate to the new computer. So I have 2 computers sitting side by side on my desk; the old one for QB, the new one for everything else. Except this year, I couldn't get QB to import any data at all. Kept saying I had to 'upgrade' to their new version which is a subscription model. F*#k that. I need to access QB to do my one 990, so they gave me one of their licenses. They get 5 and usually use one. Now I'm good for this year at least. I always hated that QB made one have to update every few years because even the accountant version only looked back a couple of years. Now they want you to update every year or go to QB online. I don't want QB online. Every other program I have (like Office) I buy when I get a new computer or transfer from the old computer to the new. I'm ranting now so I'll quit.

I hope this goes off without a hitch but I am expecting hitches.

The Roth IRA conversion has NOT been stopped.

Remember to ask client if they have any other IRA accounts that might have deductible contributions in them, so you can allocate deductible vs nondeductible to the conversion. Your client might think that only this new contribution to a nondeductible account is being converted, even if he has previous deductible contributions to Traditional IRA accounts.

As far as I know, "Backdoor Roths" are still allowed for 2022 and so far for 2023 too. It was tried to be shut down with legislation last year but did not pass in the Senate iirc. Taxpayer must obey the rules for contribution limits (age-related limit, him/her/spouse covered by retirement plan, and must have compensation to allow the contribution) but should be able to contribute and designate as nondeductible. The nondeductible contribution is then immediately converted to a Roth before any earnings in the Trad IRA, which utilizes a loophole in the tax law that allows the higher income taxpayer to circumvent the income limits for contributing directly to a Roth. I have clients that have been doing this for years. Does anyone have a cite to the contrary that says this has been shut down?

Had a similar situation only it was 28 trips in total to 10 different organizations. Weill try and remember the 12/31 trick next year.

Shhhhhh....that is our little secret that we don't want to get into the ears of the IRS. Tom Longview, TX

Should have read instructions more closely. If he meets other requirements, he must file it regardless of dependency or not.