mcb39

My clients never owed any tax because their LT care expenses were always way more than enough to wipe out any tax liability. He had fallen and was paralyzed from the neck down. She had dementia. They were only in their 60s and enjoying retirement; when, Bingo: Everything ended for them. Live each day as though it were your last.

Had clients for years: Husband was in hospital in WI until he passed; Wife was in Nursing home in Colorado, where son lived. Daughter with POA was in Florida. I always used the address of the daughter in Fla as she was my contact person until and beyond the death of the wife. Never had a single problem. Originally, this husband and wife were my clients while they lived in WI; until tragedy struck. First him; then her. Fortunately, they had their affairs in order and son and daughter were in agreement also.

Thanks for spelling it out. I have printed your post for reference. I have attended two seminars on ACA and have received my AFSP certificate; but these instructions put it all in one nutshell.

You might start by asking them to set up an appointment to come in and see you during office hours and then discuss all of their questions. Actually, a few years ago I fired an "ask too many questions; any time day or night or weekends" client and have never looked back. In the time that she wasted for me; I was probably able to add an additional five or six clients to my client base.

I really love the second kitchen. I didn't care much for the one where you couldn't open the drawers. Good Luck with the move and the new home. We will all be waiting for you here. Thanks to technology.

You also have to know and find which form to use and add it to the return. No software is going to automatically know that taxes were paid to another state. Some states withhold for the resident state. Some tax it all as a resident and others split the withholding. If I have a client with income from two or more states; I have to file part-year or non-resident forms for those other states to get the refund due. After preparing the OS; I have to attach copies of all of the Other States to the return. Software cannot do all that work for you. There are two many variables, for one thing.

In Wisconsin, we use Form OS. Of course, you have data entry, but it takes the information that you input and carries it to the correct line on the Wisconsin Return form. I have had as many as six other states on one return.

I encourage my regular clients to call me with questions and information about any major changes in their lives throughout the year. I don't want them coming in with surprises at the end of the year and issues that they should have asked for advice on before going forward. This works well for me. I am, however, going to have to do something about prospective NEW clients who are calling with a million questions and may just be scoping out the field. I have to start telling them that they must make an appointment to come in and see me during regular office hours. (One of the problems of OIH is that they think you are available all hours including Sundays).

I have had no issues whatsoever. But, then, I was gone for classes a couple of days so did not access the site.

I'll drink to that. The last few years we have been receiving our property tax bills two or three days before Christmas.

I also charged myself $1. Don't have a smart phone so purchased a very inexpensive tablet to use with the square. Am excited. Now that I am asking people, lots of them are already using it. If your wife is going to use her own phone, just set up the account as you did on yours and use the same account.

That is an excellent idea and something that many of us will be doing from time to time. The complications and off-sides of this thing are way more than I ever dreamed. They told us to allow from 30 to 45 minutes extra with each client in order to ask and document all of the questions and answers. It is times like this when I wonder what ever made me think that I was capable of doing this job.

I, also, did the online IRS ACA webinar and just finished attending two days of accredited IRS Tax Learning. A great deal of time and effort was spent on ACA and the consensus of the IRS reps is that this will be the most difficult tax prep year EVER! In truth, they aren't even sure that they understand it and there will be no telephone assistance available. You either learn it or find the answers online. They don't want phone calls and have heavily reduced the numbers of their employees. They want you to use their website; which leaves many of us in a terrible predicament. If it were not for this Community board; we would be lost in never-never land. Thank you so much Eric. Thank you to all participants who ask and answer the right questions. FWIW, I have earned my AFSP designation until someone chooses to file a lawsuit and shoot that down. I am intending and hoping to address each client on a one by one basis in regard to the ACA. There are so many ifs, ands and buts; I don't see any other way to do it. I have plenty of reference material now, unless there are indeed changes before filing begins. The IRS is also projecting that to be some time in February (tentatively). This entire system leaves us all on very thin ice. Without each other, we would surely fall through.

My first thought is to include them in wages and then break them out in Box 14.

I was actually trying to say that this is a far better board. Always has been. Yes, the time change is why it is darker out earlier. I am still "out of sorts" but getting better.

But, Margaret, look at the resulting great family that we have here; and we have service providers in the form of tax, software and hardware experts all in one spot. As a sole proprietor, this is the only place I have to go for answers that I can't figure out for myself. This board often has an answer to a problem before it even occurs to some of the rest of us. This is the place where you can get the "warm fuzzies" if you need them; and/or you can vent and nobody thinks you are a bad person. These are the good new days and I know that you feel the same way.

When you have all those different categories of posts, this board would become like the "other" ATX board. So many good and important posts get lost in some of those lesser categories because most of the newbies (and others) don't know enough to read anything other than the main category, which soon ends up being a complaint category; which ends up not being read at all. (Hope this makes sense to someone) I've been a little out of sorts since the time change on Sunday.

And, in re-reading the title of this thread, it reminded me that when this particular client came to me in 1998, we were unable to obtain the depreciation schedule from the prior preparer. We ended up rebuilding it from scratch; according to the 4562 info on the prior returns. These clients have fallen on extremely hard times since 1998 when things were "flush". I have no animosity toward them. Everyone has the right to choose; and in the end, they chose me.......again.

Believe it or not.; I called a long time client a couple of years ago just to make sure that they knew they had to file. Turns out, she had taken the return to VITA. I asked them to bring it in so I could look it over free of charge. Unbelievable, how many serious errors were on that return; plus the preparer had never even filed it. I fixed that one and filed it and they have been the most appreciative and generous clients again, ever since. I lowered their fee to accommodate their lower incomes and all is well. She brings me something every time she shows up; along with hugs and even cooks a Thai meal for my husband during tax season. So, really,. you just never know.

It goes way back to when they purchased Parsons Tech and then offered us users THEIR software at exorbitant rates. Since then, I have observed their business methods of jerking prices and renewals around. I used to use ProSeries when it was Turbo Tax and I was working for another accountant. She had to pay for every single separate module that she added on. I converted her to ATX Max and she did business happily ever after until she retired; and saved a good deal of money in the process. This is clearly just my opinion.; and is not meant to influence anyone else.

I wouldn't prepare a cup of coffee for Intuit. As to unknown clients. I have several clients that I have not seen in years. Therefore, that is not the reasoning behind my not preparing for Intuit.

Where do you come up with this monthly fee? Is that an assumption of using the card reader for EVERY client? My understanding is that there is no fee unless you use it and, then, it is 2.75% of the charge. The client that I am helping to set up had a machine that she had to pay for when she installed it. Then there was a monthly fee in addition to the percentage, which was around 5%. She just purchased the business and got rid of the credit card machine. Also, I am in complete agreement with Tom. I DID look at the I-transact. Scary!!!!

A funny thing happened on the way to the Word program. I had already installed all three of my 2010 Office Home and Student, but was only really using one and occasionally two. Recently installed it on a fourth computer with no problems. I bought that one on Ebay. I purchase many brand new items on Ebay and sometimes you can find some phenomenal buys at great prices. PS. The Office program is registered to me.

I only expect a few occasional clients pay with a credit card. I thought I could use this as a ploy for those who forget to bring their checkbooks. Most of my clients are excellent about paying and many will pay up front. Thanks again to all of you for your input.

Thanks all.....that is great encouragement. My client will be using it with a mini ipad, but I will be using Android, if I use it at all. Anybody see any problems with the Android issue? Everything I have read about Square says not; but it is obviously geared to Apple.