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Yes, this model: Edit to say - sorry this is so large!!!!

So you are saying I should get a newer model????

We got called yesterday about having some kind of problem with our computer. Husband told them what to do with themselves. I would have preferred to tell them I had to boot up, but the computer is at the other end of the house and the connection is slow so it might take awhile. I'd then put the call on hold, maybe pick up every five minutes or so to say I'm turning it on.....it's loading..... Then leave them on hold while I go to work. These guys get up early--call came at 8AM. Last year they called before 7AM.

They've tried this twice(?) before and stopped both times because it cost more than it earned and made the public hate the IRS even more. Aggressive commission based collectors who actually phone taxpayers will be confused with the phone scams that are happening. I don't see how this can't be an even bigger disaster than the last time it was tried.

In the User Guide it says the Admin can edit or remove a return password: 1. In the Return Manager, select the return whose password you need to reset. 2. Click the Options menu and expand the Administration fly- out menu; then, select Edit Password for Selected Return. 3. To set a new password, enter the new password in the Enter a new password field. 4. Repeat the password in the Re-enter new password field. 5. Click Save. To remove a password from a return: 1. Follow steps 1 and 2 for editing a password, above. 2. Leave the Enter a new password and Re-enter a new password fields blank. 3. Click Save.

Hubby has a lot of fun with those calls. Plays dumb. It's doing what? Wow, I didn't know that. How do you know that? Can you help me? What do I do? With all kinds of excuses to pause, like turning on the computer, waiting for it to load, etc. like Sara said. When the caller has been very specific -- such as this is a Windows problem -- and hubby can't string him along any longer, he eventually says something about his computer being a Mac or otherwise not matching the problem the caller identified. He tends to get an angry Fxxx Yxx comment and a hang up.

I love these phone calls. I can say things to them that I won't say to someone else. They are a welcome relief if I'm having a bad day. (That seems to be most of my days.)

Solved a mystery this weekend that's been buggin' me for about a year. Couldn't find any good ribbons for my calculators; everything I tried was maddeningly light, illegible, gray, or faint to the point of non-existence (like some of the unreadable gas tickets customers bring in). I ordered two new Canons from Quill and when the starter ribbons played out I bought new ones from Office Max/Depot -- they were gray starting out and faded quickly. Bought a second new package; same story--began to wonder if Canons were no longer a quality brand and considered switching machines. This weekend I went by a small out-of-town office supplies store (mom and pop shop) and explained my problem. The nice lady laughed and said "No, you're not crazy. The story is that Max used to buy from Burroughs Corp, but they dropped them and went to a cheaper, low-ink overseas supplier." She had an alternate ribbon (no box/just in a cellophane package) which she said was good, but not jet black like we used to get. I've tried it and yes, it IS good, if not real dark. Think she said it was made by Data Products or Data Supply (something like that); she had four left and I'm going back this weekend and get the rest. Just in case, anybody know a good quality mail-order supplier? Thanx. BB

Abacus consumes no energy or paper and requires no ribbon. <mind blown>

Here's a link to the Facebook group, if you want to join: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1424243784534391/

Yep - I don't even have a desktop adding machine anymore and haven't for 6-7 years.

I use an onscreen calculator with a tape: 4,545 + 1,668 - 2,877 T 4,676 + 923 - 3,753 T We copy and paste the tapes into PDFs of the records. Scans of calculator tapes were usually unreadable. My desktop calculator rarely gets turned on anymore.

its not really taxes that I need to track, software does that. its payroll, sales, llc fees, certiori's, financial statements, bank submissions, etc. And just having a due date on a calendar isn't good enough if I want to track progress, which info is in, which clients owe me more info, who in staff is working on it, etc.

In Catherine's post she was referencing the OP stating the poll worker was only paid $108.00. This amount is less than $400.00 the amount required as to be claimed as self-employment income. So, I agree line 21. I also agree with Rita, based on the income figures. No choice there but a Sch C.

From the Tax & Accounting Practice Group on Facebook: This post by popular demand. LOL. I'll preface by saying that although I really love my system now, that it's really up to the individual to find what works in their own office. I'm a solo practitioner and found many of the products out there are really aimed at teams making them bloated for what an individual needs. I'll also say that I've looked at and done trials and betas for 6 - 8 Workflow management solutions and found reasons for why each didn't work for me. Not least of which is the price tag. When you are a one-person office you have to weigh how much you can afford. The app I'm using does have an affiliate referral program, but I'm honestly so thrilled to have something that works for me that I don't even care about making a commission on the recommendation. It's called www.gqueues.com it's a Google product and the paid subscription price is only $25 per year. That's right just over $2 a month. It has the ability to put in due dates and make them recurring. Frankly that feature alone has me excited for payroll now. But it's given me the ability to list all my jobs and it lines them up for me. Now I just work through the list and don't have the distraction of all the other work on my desk.

I've had good luck with Amazon in finding supplies for my old Sharp calculator and HP 4000 Laserjet.

Then you're probably going to pay handsomely for truly customizable software or else customize something yourself from Excel or a database software. For economical + customizable, you're going to have to demo a few (or maybe, many) to see what might meet your needs. Obviously, something that allows you to add custom fields. Call your current software provider to see if they have something for you to demo. Take a look at Catherine's worksheet. By the way, all the "calendar" programs I've seen DO include payroll, sales, that sneaky NY LLC fee I sometimes miss, etc., so you'd need fields to add client-specific needs, such as financial statements, info needed, staff, etc. When my sister worked at Northrup Grumman as government liaison with all the paperwork she had to deal with and government as well as company deadlines, she used a Windows calendar to track. She set it to alert her of upcoming events. Her computer would Ding, and then talk to her, such as, You need to get information from Jane Doe in XYZ dept. by Friday, and send her an email, and leave a text on her screen. I was sitting in her office one day when her computer spoke to us telling Jan she had to buy me a birthday present by tomorrow if she was going to get it in the mail to me by Friday to get it from IL to CT by my birthday! Since I was in town, she'd already given me my gift (Cub's tickets) but had forgotten to mark that activity done. Maybe you have a staffer who's good at research, demo-ing, customizing, etc., or three staffers.

A problem with those lost 1095As is that if you later get insurance off the exchange, you no longer have internet access to your account. Have a client who got a job with insurance during 2015 and cancelled her exchange policy. Of course she can't find that pesky form at this late date and can't retrieve it online.

Now, now, Rita. Just give her a hug.

There is a stand-alone called "FileInTime" that is low cost and may be useful to you.

The numbers change all the time. Today I got one on my business landline and another on husband's cell phone, both robocalls from the wireless # 336-848-2137. I'm getting a few each week from a variety of numbers and area codes, all robocalls saying the same thing.

I haven't called back yet, no time, but the number I have is 216.539.0790. That's a Cleveland area code. The message left in my voice mail was pretty dire. It went to my 'zero' box though, not box 1, CPA, box 2, spouse and I or box 3, diving and music business. Someday I may return the call to, you know, yank some chains.

I just got another call from "IRS" on my cell phone. Left a message about the "arrest warrant" so I called them back on a land line and said it was my wife's cell that they called on and she was out. I gave them a phony name and SS# and then played the game with them for 37 minutes and 14 seconds. They verified that the phony name and phony SS# did actually owe $9780 for "willful mistakes" made over the past 4 years. I told them that I take a standard deduction and only have 1 W-2 form, but they were "certain" that I had purposely made a false calculation and the warrant for my arrest, 5 years in prison, and a $95000 fine was coming my way! BUT, if I cooperated today with them, they would eliminate the big fine and jail time--all I had to do was pay the $9780. I told them i never have seen that amount of money at one time and that I only had about $200 in the bank. They asked about credit cards and I told them I thought I had about $2000 left on my only credit card. They kept transferring me to other agents and collection officers and I was put on hold many times. Finally the collection officer, a heavily accented "Patricia Wilson" said that she would work with me on a payment plan as long as I got them the $2000 today. She told me to drive over to Walgreens with my cell phone and purchase four $500 I-tunes cards. She gave me a tip--"don't tell Walgreens that the cards are for the IRS or they will charge you $50 more for each one." I thanked her for saving me the $200 and she said "You are welcome--at IRS we are dedicated to helping out the taxpayers." I told her that it was my wife's cellphone and I did not have a cell, so she told me to put the call I made to her on hold, drive to Walgreens and buy the cards, and then come back for further instructions. When I hit the 37 minute mark, I told "Miss Wilson" that I had just one more item to mention and then told her I ws an accountant and really enjoyed wasting her and her associates time this evening. I ended with "Have a nice day and perhaps get a real job." She ended with "(Bleep) you for wasting my time." And here I thought she was dedicated to helping out the taxpayer. Her number, if you care to have some fun, was a DC number 929-294-1482