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Just don't forget your annual Ethics, Terry. It does get old. My best Ethics course was taught by an IRS agent who started the meeting with "I know I'm preaching to the choir." Second best didn't use a text but scenarios used for class participation. Worst was one presented by Karen Hawkins, then head of OPR, who literally spent the two hours reading us Circular 230 and making it clear that all tax professionals are dishonest and will be penalized.

I have not been in a car collision this century, yet I still make sure I belt up properly, and keep my seat as far back as I am comfortable with. I rode a motorcycle for just over a million road miles and never had to lay it down, yet I gave it up when I had kids because I cannot control others, and it did not seem fair to be so risky. I have raced boats, cars, and karts. Never got hurt, yet I wore all safety gear available at the time. Same for being a baseball ump. Best gear I could get, yet the one time I was hurt (besides a few more bell rings), it was a HS kid who bailed on the first pitch of the game, THEN told me he had never caught before. When someone tells me they are no good with a computer (yet they want to use my software), either they are being honest, and they likely should be hiring out their accounting/payroll, or they are being less than honest, and want me to do some of their work for them. Usually the latter these days. Either way, it is a huge red flag not to be ignored. Unless the data you put in your google drive (or sheets, docs, whatever the current verbiage is) is encrypted before you upload, you may as well consider it public. Same for any of the "drive" type sharing services. Any online storage can be hacked. Online storage is great, but you must first secure the data before upload. Look back and see the number of times such services have been compromised already.

I use LibreOffice and have for over 10 years, used to use OpenOffice but when they announced it would no longer be updated I made the switch. They are both open source programs and based upon an old Sun Microsystem program. I just use the Writer and Calc programs which open Word and Excel files but it has a database and other programs included. Years ago on an MS Office upgrade they wouldn't allow you to open certain file types - LibreOffice would do it so I made the switch. Also, Libre will open .numbers files I believe in case a client is using Apple. LibreOffice does everything I want except customized labels on pie-charts. I like to be able to manually move the label and it use a line to direct to the wedge - Libre doesn't allow that. I find it FAR superior to Google Sheets but my wife uses Sheets and says it's better than it used to be.

Just because someone is bad with computers is no reason to not use a service. I have shared files and received shared files from Sheets for almost 20 years and never seen the mistake made of sharing the entire Drive or even a folder.

You can still buy the installed "permanent" version of Office rather than Office 365. Just search for Microsoft Office Professional 2021. Open Office and Libre Office are free open-source office suites. Open Office was first, then Libre Office broke off. They can be used with all Office files and most basic things are compatible, but if you use advanced features like pivot tables in Excel, they won't port very well, at least the last time I tried. There is also WPS Office, free from Chinese company Kingsoft, which is even more compatible with Office, if you trust it. According to Wikipedia (which you can search for more info on any of these), it comes pre-installed on Amazon Fire tablets.

Sub vs version licensing is tough. Years/decades ago when computer users were computer experts, versioning worked. After 40 years, we went away from version based to time based license to remove any excuse for using non current software. No more having to support multiple versions, keeping old versions available for install, etc. No holding off additions to wait for the next new version. A win win in our case. With all candor, for any software you depend on and/or use for important data - you must keep the software current.

This website offers Excel for free, but I haven't read the fine print: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/excel Excel is included in Microsoft 365 (formerly Microsoft Office). It includes word, Excel, powerpoint, OneNote, etc. I can't imagine working without it, both in the office and personally. I think it costs about $100 a year now, and lifetime licenses are available too. I hate that everything is going to subscriptions now. I really want to upgrade Adobe but the extra features aren't worth the cost to me. Don't get me started with Quickbooks. The online version is awful, but that's all you can get now.

Yes, the performance of the post office is less than stellar. But when it must be mailed, Certified Mail is still the gold standard for proof of mailing. Just be sure to keep the receipt. And online tracking is a good backup for those times when the green card never makes it back.

So to get this straight, you are trying to set up client accounts for the first time? Go to the home page but do not log in. You will see a tab to "enroll" https://www.eftps.gov/eftps/direct/EftpsHome.page I just did one few days ago.

This is a fairly large NP that must file a 990. They didn't file 2020 due in 2021. Ok- you can probably blame covid. Then they didn't file 2021 due in 2022. Well - shouldn't they have gotten a notice by then? So then they didn't file 2022 in 2023. Hmmm. No notice? No "hey you gotta file?" They claim not. Regardless, as of May 15, 2023 they lost their status. I did not have that notice. Tried to file 2020 and 2021 and 2022 in Oct. Nope - all rejected. Oh - we got this notice of revocation - do you think that's why? UGH! Now - who gets a handful of crap when I tell them we have to re-apply for status? And they don't know where to find articles of incorp. or bylaws. or any originating paperwork. Sorry - I can't make up this stuff for you. What is with these small NPs! I get so aggravated. It's a boys club and they don't want to pay for a bookkeeper and they don't want to take the return to someone to do right. So here we are with them calling me up saying they can't sit around and wait for their exempt status to be re-approved. Well - file as a c-corp. Grumble mumble.......grumble mumble.....