Catherine

Are you using Internet Explorer? The IRS system does not work properly with any other browser - so we are stuck using the one with the most (and the biggest) security flaws if we want to see everything and print what we see.

Elrod's picture reminds me of the Calvin and Hobbes snowmen pictures.

OK. Client had -and took - Office in Home expenses for years. Fine. In the last year of his business, however, he had a loss (medical reasons; lots of complications on that year's return). I thought it was possible to take the loss on office in home expenses (and any carry-forward losses, which he does not have) in the final year of the business. But I can find nothing online or in the various pubs that either confirms OR denies this. Lots of mentions of carrying losses forward to when they can be taken. Ditto for depreciation on the home office; can it be taken -- and if not, then it would be excluded from the "allowed or allowable" depreciation recapture upon sale of the home (no income due to illness; he sold before he totally ran out of money), yes?

Your information is correct, and the issue is definitely to make the software bend to your will. Have you tried overrides on detail screens? Those can work even when nothing else seems to cooperate. I stopped using ATX after the 2012 debacle so cannot give ATX-specific advice other than overrides.

@Margaret CPA in OH - most computers these days have un-zipping capability built in. But we all have *those* clients who cannot figure out anything even slightly outside the norm.

@Margaret CPA in OH you can also try WinZip; it has encryption capabilities and the program is about $30.

I am SO grateful for all of you. May you all have a wonderful holiday; one to look back on for years as a pinnacle in your family's times together.

If you click on your own member account you will get a listing of all your posts. Perhaps you can also search there.

If you are looking for something dead simple, try ye olde One-Write System. One-Write I'd rather have a small client on a good paper system than a poorly-kept electronic system.

An extra twist in MA -- coverage counts for federal purposes if you have even ONE day of coverage. But in MA, coverage must be for 15 days in a month or it is considered NOT covered. So I get to ask two separate sets of questions of anyone who does not have 100% coverage. At least this year, more people won't be blind-sided by the existence of the questions. I hope?!

Wishing you a quick and full recovery! Most of the folks I have known who have had the surgery wonder, afterward, why they waited so long. Colors are much brighter and everything is in focus once again, they say.

Signature Flow by CPAperless costs a couple of bucks per client. NO huge monthly fees; use it when you want. Sends securely, e-signatures are accepted by the IRS, comes back to you automatically once signed. Signature Flow info

One of the really nice things Drake has is a built-in pdf printer that allows you to password-protect your files as you print them AND set the password (or use their default algorithm). And you can call the file whatever you wish; again over-writing their default naming convention. But I will make note of the other two that @Roberts mentions. Always good to have options! But I am very surprised about the cnet warning; that has historically been a source of known-good download files, not malware.

A central problem with one-size-fits-NONE regulations. Sigh.

True, but my state (MA) still holds *me* responsible should a data breach be traced to email I sent. Heck, it holds me responsible if it comes from an email sent TO me by a client that I did not (1) delete from my system - including attachments, and (2) email the client back, separately (no "reply") telling THEM to delete the email and attachments from their system. First important step: stay out of looney-tune-central MA. Wish I could follow my own advice on that one...

I use Gruntworx organize (beautifully indexed pdf file) and trade (excel and csv files for trade data import - when there are more than a dozen or so to enter). I tried the populate but found it took just as long to double-check the entries (which are good but NOT perfect) as it took to just enter the info myself. Scan with *at least* 300dpi resolution; more if you can stand the extra scanning time (both my scanners bog *way* down bumping up to 400dpi but between 200 and 300 there is no noticeable extra time) and you will get less of the 6/8/3 problems. Although having documents not printed in 4-point font helps, too, and we have no control over that.

Thanks - I think....

They will be increasing but I have not determined how much. Office rent is up, utilities are up, CPE prices are up, supplies are up.... if prices don't go up I will be making even less than I do now which is already less than it should be.

My deepest, deepest sympathies on your loss. You have my prayers as well. As far as selling your practice, have you also posted on taxprofessionals or TaxProExchange Yahoo groups?

Then you are ahead of me. At this point, I don't even bother to ask as I have easier ways to waste my time.

That mirrors my experience. Box 3, Box 7, Box 6... I have seen ALL of those used for one client for whom the work is all the same and definitely SE work. I have seen honoraria of less than $150 reported in Box 7 when it was clearly NOT SE work (and under the $600 threshold). All manner of nonsense on these forms where many are clearly prepared by people who have no idea what they are doing; they've just been told "send these out." So while what @mcb39 and @Jack from Ohio state may well be the official IRS position, it does not absolve us from firing up the old neurons and seeing if the information presented to us is good - or garbage. GIGO, after all.

It was KC's posting last year that reminded me; this year I remembered. PTIN Renewals underway

I have found the phrase "I'll have to research that one and get back to you plus bill for the time" makes lots of folks demur. But it is always a judgement call. One of my local colleagues starts every tax return with a $150 PITA fee. IF they are not a PITA, and IF they have not pestered her with calls during the year, she discounts the fee. And of course you can start with a smaller fee and discount as much or as little as you want. So then it is built in to the tax return. I have some folks who call with multiple questions every year; when I do their return I keep those calls in mind when deciding how much to discount from my standard per-form fees. YMMV.

Too funny!!

You are right. Will work on finding an attorney in the current state who works with trusts. Hmmm... I wonder if the firm that set up the trusts is still around. First place to start looking, I guess.