BLACK BART

Try 1-800-638-8291. That's ATX and they're there. Hold time was ten minutes for my recent renewal. The down side of that is it's ATX which makes some lips here curl. But, I like it, have used it 15 years, it's forms-based, and I'd rather be tarred & feathered than switch software (caveat: support's just...ah, well, I don't wanna talk about it). The hesitation to answer is not that we're unfriendly (I, for instance, am only slightly irked since Time magazine passed me over -again- for Man of the Year). But, this is a board for professional tax preparers and your post has the tone and timing (3 posts total-January) of a do-it-yourself newbie. Of course DIY's fine if you wanna do it, but (how to put it?) there's nothing in it for us. Good luck. BB

Moving; well it's...hmm...terrible. The easiest part is moving your stuff, but changing the address everywhere was a big pain for me at least; I know others said they had no problems. All the vendor/utility/net/cable reps were mostly from the Philippines speaking Urdu while their voice-recognition apps prefer Greek to perfectly-enunciated English. Also, where is everything in this place? That aside, the reason for doing it (money) did offset the pain somewhat. I've gotta do it again sometime in the not-too-distant future pending certain events - not looking forward to it. As to what to do/ when to quit/ whether to keep a token batch of customers and carry on; nobody can say except you. While rasslin' with that I made up a short, good client contact list and renewed ATX, so that's that for now, but next time - who knows? Running? Mainly to the refrigerator. P.S. In case you leave, I've enjoyed your posts quite a bit - you're a good egg. Best regards, BB.

I posted before knowing the extent of the devastating tornado damage in Arkansas (and other states). We were close, but not hit. Sorry if the post came off as cold and/or tone-deaf at such a time.

Ah-ha! Finally got in (or on). Had moved (but still in AR) and lost password but finally unearthed it in all the junk (good advice: stay put if you're an old shoe 'cause it's a B.) Anyhow, this dang thang wouldn't believe I'm me - kinda unnervin' to be reduced to a pixel in this tech age. Note to jklcpa - I sent a note last night to the "contact us" box in the sign-in place after I couldn't get in. I assume you're buried in tax stuff and hadn't got to it yet, but was just curious to know if you did and would have responded (even if I'm a poor lawyer and made a weak plea). Other Stuff: What are the tax ramifications of this? Moved, but too old and decrepit to do it alone, so granddaughter and boyfriend flew in from Florida and did lots of the heavy liftin' (along with the furniture-movin' guys). Gave 'em $1,000 for air fare & BNB's; she went back home and had Amazon send me a big box of "Bison Shepherd's Pie" and they all expire tomorrow (like that gal in Clueless", I felt brutally rebuffed - how'd you like to eat six chicken pot pies in a day?). But, that aside, and since I'm (naturally) ignoring it, I wonder what erchess (a finicky poster from a mutual old board who would 1099 his mom) would do with this? It's not a barter and it's taxable work, but since it's kinfolk, the question is answered (forget it). Comments? Nice to be back. Where's everybody at? FDNY - you out there?

Catherine, This is a long shot, but look on the next page under my post "Good News" where jklcpa posted a reply to a question Possi and I asked She quoted an IRS rule on it and listed a link further explaining it. The link was from a guy who just happens to be the President of Colorado E.A.s and his contact info. Don't know if he'd help but maybe out of professional courtesy he could/would hook you up with somebody. Good luck - Bart

Don't know what's going on with my posts.

XXX

Now here's a waiter (beg pardon, I mean bar-easta or however you say it) with direction and a goal (cain't say the same cause I'm still hackin' at various gigs 50 years later). Good information jsd, but '84 was my last time through Dodge so don't wait up. Can customers maybe express themselves with an excellent Slurpee? Coffee at a dollar was okay but $5 a cup seems a bit much. P. S. First guy I ever saw who's further off-topic than me.

Bump to get an answer to WITALADY's (and mine) query to Possi.

I'm curious too. If you can't give 'em the details about your clients (name, address, fee, favorite ice cream flavor) and you may not wanna stick around as an advisor; then what do you have to "sell" them except gross sales and X number of C/E/F etc. (which isn't particularly valuable)? I don't know how this works.

Thanks for the quick service, jklcpa. You are way within error-tolerance limitations and have definitely got your cheese together!

No, no; I'm not tryin' to proselytize you or hand out Witness phamplets; I saw a Help Wanted KFC sign yesterday which may appeal to those of us who are sick/tired/fed up (I'm in there somewhere) translating taxes for the terminally obtuse. It offers $15-20 an hour (possible manager training for those who can tell the difference between Original and Extra Crispy), 401-K, full health insurance + dental & vision, two weeks paid vacation, and fast-tracking for the skilled employee (if only I'd played basketball instead of majoring in business; accurate burger-flipping is probably a plus). Yes, yes, it's cheap pay, but think of the enticing attraction - soothing that wrung-out, worn-out brain of yours with a desperately needed island-class rest. The only thing you must really know is not PPP ins-and-outs, back-door Roths, or tracking CTC advances, but merely this (50% errors are tolerated): "Did that guy say with cheese or without?"

Acutally, I'm in no rush to send them money, but I too like to get ready for tax season. Call me a pessimist but, as you know, we must have the PTIN to do taxes, so I like to get a jump on it if possible. Rarely (but sometimes), the IRS site has stated that my ID and/or password (known to me to be correct) is wrong, or that the computer's down, or for some reason they ae unable to process the application at this time. If their damn 1980 computer doesn't work, IRS is, of course, incommunicado. That leaves the paper option available by mail (probably as soon as the unprocessed 10 million return backlog is cleared) and doubtless, you would receive the OK by next July. P.S. I'm presently unable to process any critical responses to this hogwash. Check back later and let fly. _____________________________________ Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean they're not after me!

Anybody know the date it will be available? Just logged in to my account and no selection offered yet.

Any recommedations and/or approximate cost?

I'm looking for a form which I'm not sure exists. I've always paid my taxes with a bank check but now that it takes IRS months to cash one I want to pay direct debit. I've never done it before and thought there used to be a form that had to filled with the return (88-something) to do that. Maybe I'm mistaken because on my ATX 1040 EF Info page it simply says "you owe $xxxx" and gives me four check box options (paper check/ direct debit/ credit card/ installment pay); then says go to bank account info and fill in. Which is all fine and simple; I do that; no error messages come up; and I'm ready to file. But is that correct? Is that all there is to it? Years ago, before I was filing EF, it seems like some fan of direct debit told me of another form to be filled out and sent with the return. I never did pay that way and my clients always send checks. Reason I'm doing this is (1) the mail is so bad now (2) IRS Collections is going full speed ahead with "pay-up" and Levy notices even though they have our unprocessed checks. Thanx for any help.

Gosh, it's been a lloooonnnggg tax season. I got (and passed) my second wind about two weeks ago; am now working on the third which is disappearing fast. Lost/non-received refund complaints are frequent. Think I'll ask the preacher to revise a prayer and invoke it for me - to wit: (from medieval Englishmen) "Lord, protect us from the wrath of the Northmen" -- to that I'll add ("and from the ravages of lost and unknown Stimulus payments to the lost and unknowing souls who declare {"think we got it/don't remember/seems like we did-maybe/part, but not sure which/is this any trouble?"}) It's downhill from here, so after 4-15 I'm disappearing for awhile and to heck with May 17th.

Did ATX fix the calculation problem for sure back in February as someone here said? Still have a complaintant without a refund who claims this is the reason.

I'm sorry for your loss and I'm sure, as many here have said, you were a wonderful comfort to her.

If the text on these 1099 forms gets any smaller I may accidentally order one as a prescription drug. And I thought last year's were bad ...

Thanx, but such an important announcement should be expanded upon (or exceed three words after my three paragraph bloviation above) - therefore ... Had a truck-drivin' client tell me he went to Minnesota and it was so cold that his truck tires froze to the pavement while he was in the coffee shop. Which begs the question - "How's the weather up there?"

Fortunately I live in a non-taxing SS state. What a mess. I've tried several returns - depending on income, sometimes the IRS and ATX worksheets give the same taxable result; sometimes more, sometimes less. Mostly nowadays, the churchers drawing SS are the ones who actually paid $300. The rest of the crowd - like me - put ten bucks in the Salvation Army pot and about the same (twice ) to the door-to-door church groups selling $5 worth of peanut brittle. Anyway, I'm stalling them (this is a tedious problem) until the fix. Called ATX on it this week - tech said she never heard of such. Nice lady, but offered directions to online ATX Support (you can imagine the help there on this sort of problem). Oh well; "Such is life," the old man used to say. Positive note: Customers seem suprisingly flush this year. One exception-T/P and his wife rack up just under six figures, but says he'll pick up next week when his check comes in - currently broke flatter than a duck's instep. Taxpayers today - what can you say?

I just bought ATX Max a few days ago and the contact number we used was the same as Randall's above. The account manager's number on the invoice we received was 800-867-5713. In case the other number was overloaded or busy, maybe they'd transfer you to your guy.

Anybody heard from her lately? I'm kinda missin' that girl.

Whose woods these are I think I know, His house is in the vilage though; He will not see me stopping here To watch his woods fill up with snow. My little horse must think it queer To stop without a farmhouse near Between the woods and frozen lake The darkest evening of the year. He gives his harness bells a shake To ask if there is some mistake. The only other sound's the sweep Of easy wind and downy flake. The woods are lovely, dark and deep, But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep. Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening - Robert Frost (1874-1963)