Catherine

I also have a couple of one-or-two employee clients where it's just faster/easier to directly input from QB reports, but the import is great for more than 2 or so employees.

Hope you have a VERY :bday:

Usually the "thinks he knows everything" engineer is a poor engineer as well as a PITA. A -good- engineer wants to know where every number comes from and why it's handled the way it's being handled, but never claims to know everything or even to know better than another professional. But there are way more of the former than the latter, and one of the reasons I'm glad to be -out- of engineering. One of the best engineers I ever worked with was very clear: "As long as proper care was taken in collecting data, then the data ARE. And if they do not agree with your theory, then it's time to re-examine your theory for the flaws that surely exist." But there are far too many numb-noggins out there who blithely and cheerfully convince themselves that their beloved theories must be so, therefore the data must be wrong. Phlogiston chemistry, anyone?

I've never bothered with 941's but the W-2/W-3 are easy -- it's all built into the ATX program. (Working from last year's memory - none from this year are ready to go yet.) ATX creates the file you need to upload to the SSA. Log in to SSA and pick the right file -- go back the next day to make sure they're accepted. Poof. Done except for the client copy and mailing individual W-2's (which I usually give to the client to mail to the employees).

Absolutely feel free to use the analogy, Elfling.

If he barges in on you at home without knocking again I would call the police. Maybe even call the non-emergency number this morning and ask their advice -- you want it on record with them. But definitely lock your door!! His original documents you can't keep. Anything you have done for him, for which he has not paid, isn't his yet. A loaf of bread in your shopping basket at the store isn't yours until after you pay for it. Trying to leave the store before then is stealing. This guy is trying to steal your work. Cash in hand first and then you hand over your work.

Hope you have a VERY :bday:

Hope you have a VERY :bday:

Hope you have a VERY :bday:

Which reminds me.... Booger, darling, it's been far too long and I've missed you so. How are you doing? :lol:

Glad to provide the comic relief!!

Welcome Back!!!

Thanks for the jokes, everyone; I enjoyed them all. My degree is Earth & Materials Engineering from MIT (a small technical college in Cambridge, MA). And yes, engineers can be a royal pain in the patootie. These are folks I know through my Varsity team -- they were on the team years after I graduated, but we're all a pretty close-knit bunch. Yes, they do their own taxes. They contacted me with a simple question on Roth conversions but I told them to talk to a planner before jumping in. And since I know so many nice folks through these newsgroups I figured to pass on a couple of names. So I'll pass on Dan's name and a couple of others I've collected as well. Dan -- I will send you their first names privately so if they call you'll know from where they got your name.

Keep in mind also that many credit cards double the manufacturer's warranty -- so check with your card issuer first.

Hope you have a VERY

Hi Tom -- I charge a set amount per Schedule D and then add an extra line item under the "Miscellaneous options" at the bottom. Something like "Excess Sch D transactions, 279 @ $1 ea" in the description and then the extra $$ in the amount column. It would also work to charge by line and then add the additional schedule charge below. But I don't know of any way to do it automatically.

Anyone know a good financial planner who is willing to work with engineers in the 94010 / 94303 zip code areas? Thanks. Catherine

Or possibly the only one who will admit to being in DC??

Hope you have a VERY

Think of how much you'll make in a year or two, when he comes back with his book completely mucked up and a few IRS notices on badly done taxes..... Even if you show him the door at that point, the satisfaction may be worth it. Catherine

Hope you have a VERY :bday:

Not at all, and I was interested to see what folks would come up with. But I was in the middle of getting my tax letters to clients out and having my older girl home from college and chose not to try it myself. But I really liked the concept.

Regulating all aspects of our lives "for our own good" started with Prohibition. They've just been getting sneakier and less above-board in their methodology since Prohibition had to be repealed.

We aren't allowed to do any of that in Massachusetts. All client folders must now be kept in LOCKED cabinets at all times unless they are actively in use. It's really, really, REALLY annoying.

I put all my 8879's in one hanging folder at the front of my cabinet separated by year, keeping three years. Each year I take out the rearmost pile and shred it, making room for this year's papers.