jainen

>>tax preparation packages for the years 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, and 1996<< At a seminar last year TaxWare (www.taxwaresystems.com) distributed a free CD with "individual, depreciation and entities for years 1991 through 2005." I have not tried it, but I would expect something like that to be more useful than getting original programs. The old programs weren't very good to begin with. You may recall endless compatibility issues, especially concerning printers. Windows 2000 and XP don't even try to run all the DOS applications so you might need to haul your old 486 out of storage, and then copy the calculations from the screen onto paper returns. Even if you can get a system running, you will find the software very inadequate by today's standards. Diagnostics were extremely weak, especially in low-end products which hardly even reported missing data. Only the most common forms were included. Depreciation was often a separate module which might not even include all the options, and sometimes had inaccurate arithmetic based on faulty (and unidentified) assumptions. I still have the lapel pin I got in 1992 -- "I survived computerization at H&R Block!"

>>I also needed to use software that was not going to be bought out, combined, merged, improved into something I had to relearn.<< I use ProSeries too, and I use Lacerte in my principal office. I appreciate their complete programs, with built-in help files and fantastic diagnostics. However, I don't dream that just because Intuit is a big software company they won't spin off their tax divisions or sell the whole corporation whenever they get a suitable offer--and I know they get offers every month like any other successful operation.

>>While you can't go back and change depreciation methods that easily, you can for an omitted asset.<< This sort of makes sense and it might sometimes succeed, but it doesn't actually follow instructions and isn't supported by the regulations. Since you have treated the equipment as a non-depreciable asset for three consecutive tax years, you have already established an accounting method for it. This cannot be changed without permission from the IRS but fortunately it falls within the automatic consent procedures of Form 3115.