Jack from Ohio

Box 12?? Wonder what she looks like today. I will bet it is not pretty!

Each person that is insured will receive a 1095-B from the insurer, regardless of where they get the coverage or who pays for it. It will show the dates of coverage and other information. Very similar to the MA 1099-HC. It will also include information about the amounts of any subsidy the taxpayer receives. Employers that provide health coverage for their employees will send a 1095-C form to each employee showing how much is paid by the employer and how much is paid by the employee. There will be 2 additional forms needed for every Federal return. One will be used to calculate any subsidy to see if the correct amount was received. This could cause an additional refund amount or additional tax, depending upon the numbers entered when the person signed up through the exchange compared to the actual numbers on the tax return. The second will be to calculate any penalty for not having insurance for the adequate amount of months and to calculate if employer provided insurance is "affordable" by the ACA standards. I am instituting another increase in my fees. I have spent 16 hours of training time on the ACA alone in the last 12 months and expect at least that much this coming summer and fall. As preparers, we are also be held accountable for the accuracy of information on these two forms. My increase will be totally "blamed" on the ACA and the requirements I must meet to properly document and report this information on the 2014 tax return. I am expecting a good year for 2014 because there is no way the "DIY" tax programs or "Freefile" can ask the proper questions nor vette out the answers given. Much confusion means greater demand for my knowledge and services.

I think he was helping us stay abreast of tax law.

I have been using IE11 since the day they rolled it out. I have not experienced any of the issues so widely acclaimed to be caused by the browser. Tom, I think there are other forces at work causing your problem.

Saving returns that way is chock full of problems. When trying to import, if there have been program updates, or critical form updates, the import will not be successful. The idea of saving by exporting was a desperation method for 2012. If you want to save to an external drive, use the backup to external drive process. From return manager click on returns, then choose backup. There is a button to "Copy backups to a local storage." You can choose the returns you wish to backup to the external source and choose the location of the source. Storing files by exporting does not include all information. The backup function works for 2013. For a file that will not open, try restoring from the backup instead of the exported file.

"...and it is just as good as a Xerox!"

Does having a left-handed son count? He is at least 20+ IQ points smarter than his Dad. I give him grief about it all the time. I exploit it all the time. Inside I am as proud as a peacock about it! He also is musical and artistic as well as being a programmer.

Basic high intelligence people like all things that require working the brain muscle. Ever watch "The Big Bang Theory?" We have a very high population of higher than average intelligence people on this discussion board, that is for certain.

Was 2013 her first year of RMD?

For all the peeps, my friends and family that think my puns are just for lofts and goggles.

There is a twelve step plan....

The only time I do not charge for an amendment is when it is due to my error or omission. Otherwise, it is a paying situation. I am not shy to charge nearly regular price for reasons I have stated in my other posts. I get paid for much more than what I do!

Cost of living increase is not nearly as relevant as cost of being an informed and professional tax preparer cost increase every year.

I transmitted it in the letter I send to all my clients at the end of January.

Who amongst us has not simply made an unintentional mistake. Yet our clients expect perfection with zero tolerance for us being human. I would fire that client and allow your blood pressure to come back down 10 points. I make my fair share of mistakes. So do our clients. I have stopped being held captive to the necessity of total perfection in my work. I strive for total perfection, but if there is anyone here who has achieved it, tell me what I am missing?? Fire the client. I have transmitted 4,960 files for about 2,900 clients this season. I missed a couple. Included in that amount were 269 extensions, all filed electronically.

You are a professional and deserve to charge according to your skills, knowledge and experience. To undercharge is to steal from yourself. I instituted a 25% increase in my base fee. One complaint, lost one client, had one question why and 236 that did not even hesitate when I told them the amount.

Have you ever tasted those baby food peas? It is no wonder he has that look on his face!!

And having a son who is 20+ IQ points smarter than his Dad get us this...

6:15PM 6lbs 11.2oz 20.5 inches Caleb David Schlafman Mom & Baby are doing great!! Grandpa is doing an AWESOME job of being Grandpa!!

I find myself believing it very easily!! The all the "trash" that has been uncovered about management at the IRS, I am in total doubt about ANY of the departments being ethical and following the regulations. Please show me where ANY IRS employees have been disciplined more than a tongue lashing? Even Lois Lerner (sp?) is keeping her pension and bonuses. It was easy for me to believe.

My business for 2013 tax season suffered loss due to the issues of ATX2012. Despite my best efforts, I lost about 20 clients. As I predicted a year ago, the effects of the trash program would follow us for at least 2 years. As a result, I am looking very skeptically at the simple 10% normal early renewal discount I have been offered as an insult to my professionalism and intelligence. This year was FAR better than last year, but ATX/CCH has yet to deliver a program that is nearly as stellar as it was in 2011. CCH management has no clue how the trainwreck of 2012 is still costing us money and clients. Rollovers this year would not rollover all fixed asset information. Now this problem may not be here for 2014, if they have standardized the data storage protocols. CCH is still leaving a bad taste in my mouth i.e. the lack of quality tech support. Same song second verse from last year. I managed to make myself such a nuisance that I could send an e-mail and get a call if I had an issue. This is NOT the typical tech support response for most ATX users. I am on the fence again. At the firm, we will probably not change due to the extensive resistance of the preparers here at the firm to adapt to the totally different methods of other softwares. I, however have no trouble adapting whatsoever and changing is on my plate of consideration again. CCH is going to have to be even more forthcoming about next season to sway me. Currently on the fence and do NOT have any reason to be pressured one way or the other. I guess all my public relations actions this year have had no meaning to anyone there. Film at 11.

http://www.smallbusinessdelivered.com/hourly-pricing-9-reasons-to-stop-charging-hourly-rates.html 9 Reasons To Stop Charging Hourly Rates When’s the last time you walked into your dentist’s or accountant’s office and said, “I want to buy some hours”? I’d bet some pretty good money that it was never. Instead, you ask to have a painful tooth checked or your taxes done. That’s because people don’t buy hours…they buy solutions. Hours are an expense…solutions are an investment. And you always want to be talking about the investment. In fact, hourly rates are rarely in your client’s best interest-or yours. For you, hourly rates… · Double the trouble. Giving estimates with hourly rates means the prospect can take issue with both the rate itself and the number of hours you estimate. So now they have two fronts to try to needle you about when they want a lower price. · Cause sticker shock at invoice time. Folks who don’t do the type of work you do or who don’t bother to track how much time they spend on similar tasks are often shocked at the number of hours it takes. · Instantly brand you. Prospects want a fast and easy decision. If your hourly rate is much lower than the competition’s, you must be an amateur. If it’s higher, then you’re the “expensive” option. Remember, the prospect doesn’t know it’ll take the competitor take twice as long to do the work or that you automatically include something that they don’t. And since quality of work is so subjective, they may not even bother trying to judge it…because it’s much easier to judge based on price. · Penalize you for experience. It’s ironic-the more you work with a client, the faster and better you’ll naturally get at their projects…but since you’re paid by the hour, you end up making less. Maybe I’m crazy, but that kind of math just doesn’t add up. · Involve tracking every smidgen of time. Every phone call you take while you’re in the middle of something else. Every email you write. Heck, even the time you spent brainstorming on the way to the grocery store…are you having fun yet?! · Mean renegotiating. If you’re going to keep paying the bills, hourly rates eventually have to rise. But telling clients you’re raising them is about as much fun as a root canal. And if they’re a particularly big client, you may end up having to justify the increase, negotiate your new rate, sign a new contract and so on. Every year or two. · Occasionally spark jealousy. A client once made a snide comment that I should be rolling in the dough, given my hourly rate. So if you work with folks who get a salary, inevitably some will divide it out to an hourly rate and compare it with yours. Of course, they don’t get that you’re factoring in health insurance, taxes, expenses and so forth that they get in addition to their regular paycheck. All they see is that you seem to be making more than they do. And the resulting attitude can be a pain in the arse to deal with-especially when they DON’T say something and you’re wondering what’s wrong. · Undervalue what you provide. What’s a new $20,000 client worth…especially over time? Or to have a professional-looking website presence that builds credibility and trust? To finally be pain-free? Or to finally find the career or relationship of their dreams? Granted, it’s harder to judge worth in some cases. But the value of the solution you provide is certainly worth more than an hourly rate. · Mean your income is forever limited by the number of hours you can work and the hourly rate you feel comfortable charging. Enough said.

Minimum $100. Not for what I would do, but for knowing what to do.

Anyone who only charges by the hour is robbing themselves.

Yes, and I am still contemplating what/if/when/$$$ if I do. Film at 11.