kcjenkins

Please watch all the way, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsdSxk-qxZE

I'm not going to say anything to defend the printing manager, I have several gripes with it. But I will suggest one steo that I have used for years to make it work better. Yeah, takes a little more time, which is irritating, but still..... I always set my Fineprint PDF printer as my default. printer. That way, I can look it over, delete any form that shows up that I did not mean to include, then I can save it, add anything I want to add, then print the pdf to my laser printer when I want to. I've found the extra pages I don't accidentally print is worth the time this step costs me.

The real "trick" is that they are NOT efiling now, they are giving LOANS on the anticipated refund.

Sounds like good advice Rich. I had a problem a few years ago that i got the same advice for, and it worked for me too. After I made sure everything was working correctly, I went back and deleted the ".old" file.

HEY, IF YOU GOT THE LETTERS, YOU CAN KEEP THEM ON YOUR CARDS, ETC.

Still in AR Tom. Surgery delayed to 2/12 But as soon as I get out there I will certainly get in touch with you. Send me a PM with your contact numbers. I look forward to seeing you again.

So the first question to the clients is "Do you hold yourselves out as married?" BUT keep in mind the excellent point that Ceintax made. There is a tax advantage to a married couple who both work, to file single, so the IRS does look at things like how the paperwork on the mortgage reads. There are different forms used for two unrelated people buying property, versus a married couple buying it. The IRS position is that if they use the married form, that equals "holding yourself out as married".

Your hourly rate? Plus a one time 'set-up fee'?

It's on it's way!

For the first time this tax season, the "Where's My Refund?" tool will provide personalized refund timelines for taxpayers. After the IRS starts processing returns, it expects to process refunds within the usual timeframes. Last year, the IRS issued more than nine out of 10 refunds to taxpayers in less than 21 days, and it expects the same results in 2013. Even though the IRS issues most refunds in less than 21 days, some tax returns will require additional review and take longer. To help protect against refund fraud, the IRS has put in place stronger security filters this filing season. After taxpayers file a return, they can track the status of the refund with the “Where’s My Refund?” tool, which is available on the IRS.gov Web site. This year, instead of an estimated date, the Where’s My Refund? tool will give people an actual personalized refund date after the IRS processes the tax return and approves the refund. "Where's My Refund?" will be available for use after the IRS starts processing tax returns on Jan. 30. The IRS also provided several tips for using "Where's My Refund?" after it becomes available on Jan. 30: • Initial information will generally be available within 24 hours after the IRS receives the taxpayer’s e-filed return or four weeks after mailing a paper return. • The system updates every 24 hours, usually overnight. There’s no need to check more than once a day. • “Where’s My Refund?” provides the most accurate and complete information that the IRS has about the refund, so there is no need to call the IRS unless the web tool says to do so.

I'll confess that that tip came from the DOS days. But I've still found that when I notice after a lot of opening and closing things that it is going slower, rebooting always speeds things back up. I like the idea of checking task scheduler. Certainly can not hurt, and might be a part of a problem.

Just thought we could all use a laugh...................

What's up with that is that when you first open, it opens everything, then when you close the program, it does not actually close EVERYTHING so when you open it again, some files are still running in the background so don't have to be reopened. This is true for almost every program. That's why, if a computer seems to be getting slower and slower, and you have opened and closed a lot of windows, rebooting will speed it up, because it shuts down all those "close and stay resident" files".

Yes, I'd suggest all those things. The earlier you do conversions the better. If you do conversions of 2010 year returns, and then do them in the 2011 new program, and compare the results, you not only learn the new program, you learn where the conversion had faults. One thing is sure, ALL conversion programs end up with some errors. Knowing here the weak points exist keeps you from nasty news down the road.

It's pretty darn cold here, even colder in Ohio, maybe you could just go outside for a few minutes? LOL

Bergen, I think you must be confused about this board. The "official" board is run by CCH SFS. This is a private, Unofficial group board that was set up back in the days after CCH suddenly, without warning, killed their Community board on the 10th of April 2007. We are tax professionals, not employees of any software company, with just a few exceptions. Some of us, over the years, have dropped ATX, but stayed here because they truly are part of our "community". We try to help each other, by sharing solutions, tax advice, etc. The recording you refer to does not mean this board, it means the CCH board, which they brought back some time in 2008 [?] after getting a ton of complaints about their elimination of their board. Go complain there, if you wish. PS Please, the member names are shown in the blue line at the top of each post. the "Titles" shown above your avatar are based on the number of posts, so they just indicate a member's participation here, not their name. If you direct a post to me, KC is just fine.

I don't exactly understand what this chart is supposed to represent [compliance???] but I think it is significant that the other top programs cost two to 10 times as much. Here is a link to a good article that gives a lot of info on many programs, including some pricing info near the bottom. http://www.journalofaccountancy.com/Web/2012-tax-software-survey.htm I'm not defending the company's output, BTW. I suspect that CCH has been giving ATX the short end of the stick as all of their tax products rush to attempt to incorporate all the changes. I'm just cautioning those who want to change at this point, that even if they change to a program with less problems, they will still be behind the time curve due to the problems of conversion, learning new software, etc.

I agree, Medlin.

If the LLC is taxed as a corp, no 1099 needed [yet, although IRS is trying to change that soon]. But if you are unsure, it's no big deal if you do send them one.

Drake is a good program, but it's very different from ATX.. And no matter the quality of the conversion programs, there are always problems. Often, the problems that are the most damaging are the small things you don't notice until too late. The only sensible way to make a change of software, IMHO, is to do it at the end of the season. Not only do you get the best pricing options then, you give yourself June to Dec to check all your conversion, become familiar with the new software, etc.

Here is a link to an article with more detail on how to respond to each of the letters http://www.accountingtoday.com/ato_issues/27_1/Red-letters-65103-1.html?taxpro

They had to accept "legal tender" I wonder how long it took them to count it all?

http://www.accountingtoday.com/ato_issues/27_1/Red-letters-65103-1.html?ET=webcpa:e6585:125313a:&st=email THE NOTICES TO EXPECT As part of this initiative, the IRS created four new letters that question business returns with possible unreported income, based on a Form 1099-K analysis. These letters question the accuracy of your client's return. Each letter provides information on the reported gross receipts on the return, as well as the total amount for Form 1099-K payments received. The letter will also provide information on the specific Forms 1099-K filed on your client's business. If your client receives Letters 5035, 5036, 5039 or 5043, Notification of Possible Income Under-reporting, they may have under-reported gross receipts. The IRS compared the amount in gross receipts reported on the return to the amount in receipts from merchant card payments on Forms 1099-K. Based on the IRS's analysis of your client's industry (presumably using the merchant category code on Forms 1099-K), the IRS thinks that your client may have more income than what is reported on the filed return. Depending on the letter, your next steps vary.

NO they can not file MFJ. Remember what the M stands for? Even in a common-law state, which you say this is NOT, they would have to hold themselves out as married, to qualify for common-law status. As for the CTC, you need to go through the worksheet to determine if he could claim the child. I don't see it, given the facts given, unless he marries her, making the child his step-child. And that would not apply to last year, if they married now.