joelgilb

It was a great seminar! They had a full breakfast ... or was it just tea and coffee.... and after the seminar they served chicken cordon blue for lunch with a wonderful creme brulee.... or did they serve pasta with alfredo sauce and ice cream for desert.....

Does it have payroll returns and W-2's? Definately need that here.

Ok, this is not tax related. My business telephone is with Vonage. Vonage is in financial trouble thanks mainly to 2 law suits from Verizon and now Sprint (I think Sprint). I am concerned that if they go out of business I will lose my business number that I have had years. But since I really like the features and service of Vonage, don't want to switch until it is inevitable that they will go under. Does anyone know what happens to my number if they go under and I didn't transfer my number to another provider before this happens?

Got all mine today JB. Just try again.They might be wanting you to play that game again! Giving you another chance to win it maybe?

Basis of the new trade is is $15,000. You take what you actually pay for the new vehicle and then add the basis of the old vehicle to it. In this case 0 + 15=15 as for form 8824, since this is a trade on, I am not sure you need report it here, and even if you are supposed to report it on 8824, I think you can just do an attached itemized schedule and show the basis properly on the 4562 and you will have met any disclosure rules. Bypass the 8824 and just put it on 4562 with the schedule. JOel

make sure the date is a future date even though it is after 04-15 though Joel

Well Eric, Made a donation tonight. Let us all know if you have enough for the board this year. and if I can ask, so we get an idea what to donate, how much does it take each month to keep running this community? Joel btw, I notice there are members, advanced members etc. So how did I get the honor of being an advanced member? Is it because I make lots of advances??? Seriously though what distinguishes us there (and in jest, maybe my grey hair) Joel

I would say that this was definitely business related and he can use it to offset revenues in a manner similar to Refunds and Allowances Joel

So you know my background. I am a CPA attorney that has helped with closing of others practices over the years. An I have done business valuations for a CPA firm several years ago, but dropped this part of my practice in more recent years. Generally, a professional's practice is generally worth a multiple of gross billings, usually somewhere from 1 to 3 times one years revenues, but probably for a basic tax practice on the low end (1 time). Some concerns: You don't want to pay for what doesn't come back in the door next year. You want the prior preparer to smooth the way as he has a relationship with these clients. Without him, even if they come back the next year they might not stay. You want to insure they come back more than one year, at least 3 for it to be worth your while to pay for it, so an installment sale tied to annual revenues is essential. Typically a small down payment and then spread the receipts over the next 3 years evenly (Seller will want to front load). This way you do not pay for clients that leave and you can still make a living doing the returns even if you have to pay staff. Additionally if you can do services for them that the prior Tax Practitioner does not do, this should not be revenues you pay for. And this needs to be stated in the contract, or they can expect value here. Hope that helps Joel

Osmosis? Or some States I think call the "Great Karnack". (sshhh as a matter of fact I consult with him too) Harder to get ahold of him these days since he died, but a good seance almost always works. Joel

KC Loved TAASC and never had a problem with the direct filing from them. TAASC was fast, and both gave you concise input sheets with a constant view of what the inputs were doing on the return behind it. And this was with both the DOS version and the Windows version. Actually in some ways I preferred the DOS version as it FLEW! Alas, it too has passed. I also had used their EZ-Accounting which was also fast. Have never found anything where I could do client write-up that quickly. But now I refuse to use it as Intuit owns it. Guess I would rather cut off my nose to spite my face. than give Intuit my money. After the Fact Payroll was also well done with them and they gave you the ability to modify the percentage tables each year so I did not have to upgrade year after year just to get the stupid tables. Keying in the percentage tables with only 3 or 4 numbrs was a breeze. In contrast, ATX has far more forms, beautiful grphic interface, but it is Extremely slow as tax packages go. And although I really like the package (and I have used the forms package since the year it came to market and was offered FREE), sometimes it is very difficult to find that one line of input that makes something work right Joel

I have 89 ACKS!!!!!!!!!!!!! Most accepted a few still to come YEAH!!! Joel

Create a new one in ATX with the same numbers and return that one to the client, they probably won't figure it out, and if they do I bet they won't even care. Might even get a laugh out of it. and Then eat the other one to destroy the evidence! JK on this part Joel (PS are you sure it isn't baby poop? Are you using your dog to cover up your own incontinuity?)

One more thing Michael AKA Booger. I for one want you to keep up the humor, admit when you made a mistake and try not to directly offend someone. And btw, you did not offend me by usng the word Nazi, but it still a term to stay away from! Joel Joel

First let me say that other than reading Booger's posts, I don't know him. Then I need to add, Booger is always making some post at an attempt at humor, something he usually pulls off well. Something that lightens up this board. Although Booger, sometimes it might help if you give accurate answers to others questions. I saw at least one time when you gave an answer, recieved a "Thank You" from someone that does not frequent this board with the frequency you , or even I do for that matter (I am not here as much as you). My guess is that this person did not see your later response indicating that your answer was a joke. Maybe add a little "LOL' or "JK" when you're joking might help. Still, i is refreshing to see Booger's posts, and they add a flavor to this board. Those reading my post here should know I read Booger's posts before they were removed. Booger's comments were an obvious attempt at humor although this time it was in bad taste and did not go over well. Amy aka biznester the person Booger made the comments about was and is well capable of defending herself, but it was still good to see others come to her defense. Sorry Booger I also agree that this time Eric should have deleted the posts, and that this should have been left to drop. Amy was clearly offended and rightfully so. Even after your apology, it supports her better that those comments are gone. And now we have another whole post on this, much of which has been spent on bashing you and rehashing things that should have been left where they were, especially since you realized your attempt at humor was in bad taste and offensive to Amy. As for the Nazi comment, I agree with Jeanne. As a fellow Jew, that is more offensive than any insult or any other 4 letter word. Please don't use it as an insult, or an attempt at humor. 6 million of my people went the their deaths by Nazis, most in the most horrible and brutal of ways. So many were used as lab rats and had things done to them that as American's we would not allow to be done to a lab rat. My own family had the numbers tattooed on their arms from their time in the concentration camps. You can not ever imagine the horrors they went through. Its not something to jest about. For those of you that are bashing Booger and asking for his removal, Give him a Break. He tries to make the season a little light for all of us. He is going to fail once in a while. As for Eric Great Job! and Thanks for the Board! Joel

ATX is still a good piece of software, Ann, even if CCh did a lot to piss all of us off. Still I am hoping Mel (former ATX employee writing a new tax software for us) does something. Until that time I am personally not looking at a compromise from somewhere else. After some initial trouble in the beginning, I find it is not very difficult getting into their website. I don't like having to change the password so often, but now I just make a point of changing it along with all the other online sites (IRS included) at the beginning of each month. Good way to handle is to use the month and year (ie: "042007") at the beginning or end of your normal password. I find that every site so far accepts this. As for support I received and gave my support here. Hardly needed ATX, but when I did I found that they did start to fix things mid to end of season, so I am hoping they learned their lesson. Clearly what they did in Dec (firing all the support in Maine) was more than STUPID. Joel

REST? Tomorrow I start filing new Tax Court Petitions and new Tax Court motions. No rest for the INSANE!!! AHhhaaaa Ahhhaaahhhahahahahahahahahaha Ahahhahahahahahahaha Jooooeeeellllll

Mel used to work for ATX. Currently he is in Hawaii (his name here is "Mel in Hawaii") and is trying to write a new tax software for us to replace ATX. Many have promised support in one form or another. Joel

Well I agree with others out here, as frustrating as it was, it is not the only software to have a bump at the end in e-filing due to volume. And usually I am done days earlier, sitting around the last 2 days of tax season twiddling my thumbs waiting for those emergency calls. This was just an unusual season for me. Anyway, TRX won't work for me thn. I have come to rely on how extensive the ATX software is. Does have some downsides though. CCH take Note... 1. Speed... its not the faster than a speedy bullet. 2. sometimes difficult to find the input fields. 3. Can't link files, for instance the k-1 to the 1040 4. And I still want a way to have 2 current year files open at once. It's Excel based and Excel can do this, so why not ATX? to name just a few. Joel

The software is still good Deb, even better than the prior years. Just because CCH screwed up is not a reason to leave it. However, if Mel can come through, that might be one. Joel

Used to use TASSC before Intuit bought them and discontinued the product. Never had this problem with them as they let you file direct with IRS. Joel

Think you might want them to guarantee in writing tht they will not discontinue the ATX software and force you to use Taxwise. If enough of the users are upset and leave (to TRX for one) they may decide its not profitable to support it. Me, I want in writing that if ATX is gone I get a FULL REFUND! Joel AND MEL, what is happening? Can you pull it off?

It has already been done. I tried to buy a tax practice from the widow of a friend that died mid tax season. Actually sat in his office (in 1986) and did returns for his clients. When I asked them questions they looked at me totally befuddled and said: " I don't understand why you are asking for my documents and asking me all these questions, Norm never asked for them or asked me these questions" I simply responded, "He must have known your situation better than me." and thought, 'no wonder the returns were such a mess!' Found out he tied the W-2's and 1099s, filled in the refund at the end and made up the middle not to save them money, but to speed up his manual prep work. Over 50% actually got back smaller refunds than they were entitled to. Wonder if he patent protected the idea. And since I worked on his clients, I bet you will have to pay me a royalty when you sell that seminar! Joel

Finally won this game! sheesh! Last year this happened to a friend of mine that used Intuits ProSeries, I told him to switch to ATX. Glad he didn't listen to me! Joel

Same thing happened here. I notice that every few years this seems to happen. This year with the stimulus payment I expected people early. Good thing I didn't place any bets that that would happen Joel