Abby Normal

I only use IE for eServices. I find it best to use Print button at the bottom of the page. We only print to PDF and have used several different PDF printers over the years. They've all worked fine.

The most practical seminars are NCPE. And by 'practical' I mean useful. But first you need to read the instructions for those business forms to get yourself familiar with the lines. Then try to do a sample return using a P&L and balance sheet from one of your business clients. NEVER skip doing the balance sheet and M-1 on these forms because doing those proves that you have it correct. Also, on 1065 and 1120S you must calculate the owner's basis to see if losses are deductible or not. 1065s can have plenty of debt basis but 1120S... well I don't like to have any debt basis because it's too complicated. If my sole shareholders tell me they loaned money to their S corp, I just show it as a capital contribution to make my life simple. You have a lot to learn.

Just logged in to PTIN system and renewing is not an option. We didn't used to have to renew every year. Maybe it will go back to that?

You're welcome! I don't leave home without them.

I buy all my components from Newegg and have my IT guy assemble and load windows. I'm sure I pay more than a Dell but I really like MSI motherboards and choosing all my own specs for cards, ports, power supply, etc. and I know it won't come with any brand crapware on it. I've also always liked a partitioned drive... but I may rethink that on my next build and just use folders for data, old stuff, personal, etc.

If I'm going to do a clean install, I'm going to buy new hardware. It takes me several days to get all my software installed and configured, including windows configuration. It's a total pain.

Almost every computer I've ever seen has tons of autorun crap bogging down the start up and operation. Intuit is famous for this crap. Autoruns is the best tool to clean that crap up, but I have a utility called StartupMonitor that runs in the background and pops up whenever any program tries to make something autorun, and let's you decide whether to allow it or not. It was written back before XP but still runs fine on 8.1 and, I would think, 10.

I've never seen a computer get through POST and BIOS load in less than 15 seconds. Then we enter our Bitlocker password and it's another 15 seconds to the Windows password screen. If you allow 3-5 seconds to enter each password, that's close to 40 seconds. But after entering the windows password, it's usually fully running and usable in less than 10 seconds. Total time is less than a minute. I'm talking from a cold start.

Is it the Home version or the Pro version of windows? A lot of Costco machines have the home versions of the OS.

I will never buy another hard drive. It's not just boot speed, it's operating speed. I popped an SSD into a 3 year old computer and it was like getting a new computer. Even a year and a half later now, it's still faster than the original machine with a new HD.

You have to check the box at the top of the K1 screen to 'calc basis' then the basis section 'magically' appears at the bottom of the K1 screen.

Thanks for all the feedback! I'll recommend he seek the advice of a pro.

I've asked for more info on his W2, but he is filing in other states and paying taxes to those states but IL keeps denying his credit. Here's the post: https://www.reddit.com/r/tax/comments/6h7tob/il_based_consultant_getting_double_taxed/

https://www.irs.gov/uac/newsroom/irs-warns-of-new-phone-scam-involving-bogus-certified-letters-reminds-people-to-remain-vigilant-against-scams-schemes-this-summer Reminds People to Remain Vigilant Against Scams, Schemes this Summer IRS YouTube Videos: Tax Scams: English | Spanish | ASL Private Collection of Overdue Taxes: English | Spanish IR-2017-107, June 15, 2017 WASHINGTON – The Internal Revenue Service today warned people to beware of a new scam linked to the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS), where fraudsters call to demand an immediate tax payment through a prepaid debit card. This scam is being reported across the country, so taxpayers should be alert to the details. In the latest twist, the scammer claims to be from the IRS and tells the victim about two certified letters purportedly sent to the taxpayer in the mail but returned as undeliverable. The scam artist then threatens arrest if a payment is not made through a prepaid debit card. The scammer also tells the victim that the card is linked to the EFTPS system when, in fact, it is entirely controlled by the scammer. The victim is also warned not to contact their tax preparer, an attorney or their local IRS office until after the tax payment is made. “This is a new twist to an old scam,” said IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. “Just because tax season is over, scams and schemes do not take the summer off. People should stay vigilant against IRS impersonation scams. People should remember that the first contact they receive from IRS will not be through a random, threatening phone call.” EFTPS is an automated system for paying federal taxes electronically using the Internet or by phone using the EFTPS Voice Response System. EFTPS is offered free by the U.S. Department of Treasury and does not require the purchase of a prepaid debit card. Since EFTPS is an automated system, taxpayers won’t receive a call from the IRS. In addition, taxpayers have several options for paying a real tax bill and are not required to use a specific one. Tell Tale Signs of a Scam: The IRS (and its authorized private collection agencies) will never: Call to demand immediate payment using a specific payment method such as a prepaid debit card, gift card or wire transfer. The IRS does not use these methods for tax payments. Generally, the IRS will first mail a bill to any taxpayer who owes taxes. All tax payments should only be made payable to the U.S. Treasury and checks should never be made payable to third parties. Threaten to immediately bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have the taxpayer arrested for not paying. Demand that taxes be paid without giving the taxpayer the opportunity to question or appeal the amount owed. Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone. For anyone who doesn’t owe taxes and has no reason to think they do: Do not give out any information. Hang up immediately. Contact the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration to report the call. Use their IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting web page. Alternatively, call 800-366-4484. Report it to the Federal Trade Commission. Use the FTC Complaint Assistant on FTC.gov. Please add "IRS Telephone Scam" in the notes. For anyone who owes tax or thinks they do: View your tax account information online at IRS.gov to see the actual amount you owe. You can then also review your payment options. Call the number on the billing notice, or Call the IRS at 800-829-1040. IRS workers can help. The IRS does not use email, text messages or social media to discuss personal tax issues, such as those involving bills or refunds. For more information, visit the “Tax Scams and Consumer Alerts” page on IRS.gov. Additional information about tax scams is available on IRS social media sites, including YouTube videos. Page Last Reviewed or Updated: 15-Jun-2017

Over on the reddit tax forum, an IL W2 employee is saying that IL is not allowing him credit for taxes paid to other states because "I take direction from my employer's office in IL and my base of operations is IL." He has attempted to amend the returns to claim the credit but IL is fighting him on it. Any insights would be appreciated!

Was that a secret menu item? Because I've never seen Total Office on the website. Or is that just a nickname for the 1040 package?

Intelliconnect is included in Max. I looked at Total Office and Advantage and there's just not enough difference from Max... yet.

I'm surprised that ATX isn't pushing Total Office users to Advantage. Dropping users back to Max costs ATX money. Total Office has 5 licenses included and Max only has 3 but 2 licenses at 99 is only 198. Yet Total Office costs $700 more than Max (full price). I'm confused. I thought ATX was pushing us all toward Advantage. https://www.cchsfs.com/professional-tax-software/atx.aspx

E=MC^2

Not in the same year, but you can't take mileage one year and actual the next year if you do it right. And ATX calculates the depreciation component of the mileage rate in the years you use mileage. (Thanks, ATX!)

I don't find my blank template to be either clumsy or time consuming. ATX makes a good amount of changes every year and they are often things of which I approve or even have suggested. I'm pleased with ATX's progress and confident that they are making good choices about which suggestions to implement and which to not implement given the the time and money constraints they are under.

Vehicle - If you want to be able to switch between actual and standard mileage, you MUST take standard mileage the first year the vehicle is placed in service and you must use straight line depreciation. Inventory - areas used for storage are included in the home office square footage. The problem is the garage is probably not heated or cooled so your utilities proration will be overstated if you just let the 8829 do the math.

Just submitted the following in the Enhancements forum. Please go and add a comment to show your support or add your suggestions: Split Client Documents into federal and state so those who want state docs with the state forms can rearrange it. Show all letters, including those created from a blank template. I always have to check and uncheck letters in the print dialog because they are not listed in print packets. Some forms don't show in individual because they are tagged as business. For example, the MD Form 1. Sch C's that are an LLC need this form in the individual print packet. I'm sure other users can point to other forms that need to be available across all the packages. Expand forms to the page level so we can check or uncheck individual pages.

But ATX knows you have a workaround for this. Just create a blank template return that you copy for new client set up.

You can if you choose to print all 4 to PDF. Check the box to remember your selections, click print and when the save dialog comes up, just press Esc.