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My dad once predicted this simplified tax code: 2 lines only, 1. How much did you make? 2. Send it in!

Yep. Postcard tax returns, flat tax, fair tax - our job security has never been stronger.

Remember the Tax Simplification Act back in the 80's..........everyone thought the same thing! WE would be out of business if the tax system was simple.......wow that was a joke! I remember increasing my client base because folks heard about all the changes and were scared and confused.

First off, I *like* meeting with my clients. Yes, its a PITA, but I like to say hello, how are you, how are the kids, and what happened last year. I do encourage drop-offs, it does save me time, but I feel that it turns the tax return into to much of a commodity if there isn't that personal face time. So, I set the appointments and mail them the Organizer with the appointment date and time on the *outside* of the envelope, as well as on the inside. Most of my clients show up. Those that do not, get a phone call from a staff member to reschedule. I also use YouCanBookMe and find it to work great, I have the link in my email signature line. I tell folks to follow the link in the email, and they are good with it. Rich

With our new President dreaming to "Put H&R Block out of business" the possible simplification of tax laws may portend some not so great news for us tax guys. As I am now entering my 35th year in 2017 retirement down the road may not look too bad.

Could be, or then again there may be so many changes people will need us even more. This is the only business I can think of where things change on a regular basis. Other professions improve on policy and procedure, we do a 180 and need to re learn a whole lot of ship. This is why I consider us like firefighters, we're apt and daring, or we could get hurt if we're not careful and smart.

I like meeting with my clients, too, and we do plenty of yakking at both drop off and pick up as I am the only one here. Too much, but I like it, so it's fine. Some days it feels like I get nothing done between 8 and 4 because of the visiting, and I get started "working" when people clear out. I can't stand the chatter while I work, and want quiet. I commend all of those who can chat and work at the same time. But I'd make too many mistakes, I think.

No worries. Election results in 2012 gave us at least 15 years of job security. (bittersweet) Election results in 2016 just added 6-10 more years to the job security. A flat tax, fair tax etc., will never be enacted in our lifetime. Congress will NEVER relinquish the greatest power it has over the people of this country, the power to tax. There may be some "restructuring" or modifications, but our jobs are more secure than ever.

I too prefer drop offs, but in-person appts have advantages too. A big one is that the return gets DONE and doesn't sit there in the ever-growing stack. And sometimes you pick up things that don't get captured by just paperwork, like changes in family circumstances or sale of a second home (they never thought to bring in the HUD). I was chatting with a client who was picking up his dropped-off return and he mentioned that his teacher wife was now part time and had no retirement plan anymore. I had never heard of a teacher without a juicy retirement plan. I marched him into my office and set up an IRA contribution, so instead of owing a lot he owed just a little, and the state turned from a balance due to a refund. Bad things about in-person appts is that if the return takes 15 minutes, it's hard to justify your big fat fee. Most of my returns are complex and the clients would never sit there for 2-4 hours (or 5 or 6 or more), nor would I want them to. I do a couple of in face appts a day, a few more than that on Saturday, and the rest of the time I work in peace. One of my colleagues does the opposite--schedules 12+ appts a day and spends late nights and Sunday on the complex stuff (or gives it to me, or gives me the thorny parts and he does the rest of the return). ETax, you have to train your clients better to keep and/or make appts. Our phone will start ringing right after the new year for appts, and by mid-Feb most of the schedule is filled. We do not set their appts nor do we call them to make one or remind them. Funny how your clientele is so different than ours in this regard. It must be what they're used to.

If you really want people to book appointments, you can try https://youcanbook.me/ for free. You can set up the times YOU are available, clients can book for a half hour or an hour, both you and client get confirmation emails and a link to cancel or re-book. It links to your computer calendar, too, so if you block out vacation (or CPE class) schedules those are already included in your not-available times. I have used the freebie version for about a year now, and it works just fine.

I have moved to having as many of my clients as possible, drop off information. In my private practice, with ~220 clients, I only do 10 in office preparation appointments. The exception is for new clients. First time, I always have an in office appointment with new clients. After that, drop and I will call. It is much faster to prepare returns when the clients are not in my office. I am able to be more efficient. You are correct, people do not keep appointments and do not have enough courtesy to even call when they know they will not be there. One of the reasons I adopted the "drop and I will call" approach.

Exactly this ^ . No worries about running out of work. Anyone who thinks otherwise, remember that no matter who is in power, what is promised, or even if we were to move to a flat tax, we would have to transition from what we have now to what would be. Think about just 2 areas of carryover and the transition rules that would be needed for capital loss carryovers and unused passive losses. Then we'd have the lobbyists and special interest groups clamouring for their deductions or credits to still be allowed, or for some special handling. Even if we went fully to a flat tax, with all of various legal entities we have, we'd still have volumes of rules to define what constitutes income, who it applies to, and at what rate of tax. Yes, our jobs are secure.

Only the child can take the $2500 in your case. If I were the father, I would be paying December from my account directly to the lender.

Sec 221(d)(1)(A) covers this part of your question. As long as the son was a dependent at the time the loan was taken out, the father could take the deduction as long as all the other rules are met, including that the son isn't claimed as a dependent now by someone else.

For me it's easy to be very productive with nearly all mail ins and drop offs, that for some reason come in on a fairly metered schedule making for a fast turn around. I used to do appointments and it got out of hand. New first time clients (I only accept a few now), I'll meet at their place if local where I can manage the time and escape on my schedule. I'll have some chit chat on the phone during tax season but limit it to only a minute or two. Off season, all of a sudden I have 300 friends as clients knowing they can call any morning with questions and concerns. Then they try to get away from me as I love hearing about their lives. They say friends are like therapy and I find being genuinely concerned about their lives is a form of showing my gratification to them. I heard there have been studies done that showing gratification is healthy, so I win all the way around.

I don't make appointments, either. I find that the more flexible I am with that type thing, the less stressed I am. Drop off anytime, we'll talk as necessary, and I'll call you when it's ready. I also tell them, if the door is unlocked, whether during official hours or not, come on in. I used to keep the door locked on Saturdays, and always had somebody banging on it like they might die. I didn't find any bodies when I left, so I guess not. Now I leave the door unlocked on Saturday, and fewer people "have to" see me on Saturday. Seems like the way it works.

^ what Jack said! Drop off solved multiple issues for me. No more missed or late appointments, the few that always show up much too early and interrupt other work, and especially the ones that think it's ok to bring multiple very young hyperactive children with them. Most of my clients really like the idea too because it is more convenient for them. My only regret is that I didn't do it many years sooner.

I have a client who cosigned for private student loans for his son. The total student loan interest paid for the year will be about $10,000. The son is not a dependent of the father. Since both names are on the loans and both are legally obligated to repay the loans can they both take the $2500 interest deduction. Cant find any appropriate guidance on this. Comments are appreciated.

Drake Pre-Season Release is available for download.

We do hourly appointments from 9 to 5 Monday to Saturday. With a 1 hour and 30 min. break for lunch. Give 1 hour to each client. Collect our fee at each appointment. We do 500 1040 returns during the normal tax season with no time for a second appointment. Our average return was $178. this year. Do another 100 after April 15th. We don't bill. That's why I can't mess around with should I provide my e-file summary page or not. I have to be ready now and not have a snag in late January. We only do 1040's. I feel that's where the money is.

You can also make the client appt thru ycbm *for* them - they then get an email with the reschedule link. I've done that for some folks who dither on times - I pick one and let them change if they want.

Crank, like you, I can't find anything that says they both can't take the deduction.

Rita, I don't think that is correct about the who makes the payment. I'd have to look for an official cite, but pub 970 has this: Interest paid by others. If you are the person legally obligated to make interest payments and someone else makes a payment of interest on your behalf, you are treated as receiving the payments from the other person and, in turn, paying the interest.

Well at least the offer will bring in more customers to share the misery when the program acts up. Misery loves company.

I remember the first time I installed ATX on my current Windows System, I had to adjust the default security levels downward before I could install any ATX prpgram.

I have done two installs so far and everything went very smoothly. However, Win 7 Pro

Well, irregardless, I have mine downloaded and set up on two computers. I don't like seeing this kind of thing, but if I want to stay on schedule, I need to, first and foremost, have my software. In another month we will barely know up from down.

Before shelling out for a new computer, I would try to do a clean install of the operating system (windows 7) first. Those specs seem fine to run ATX. There even may be a restore the OS option in the settings of control panel so you may not even need the install disc to do it. I do a clean install on all my machines about every 18-24 mos. They run like new again.