Catherine

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 They've just been getting sneakier and less above-board in their methodology since Prohibition had to be repealed.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.

The 9325 doesn't include state e-file information, though. And the Massachusetts M-9325 is just boilerplate; it also does not update with e-file status. What I do is print out the e-file acknowledgment history, Federal and state, for the client, and mail that instead.

I have a separate WIP Excel spreadsheet where I list every return with boxes to either check or enter dates of various stages. Using Excel also allows me to color-code an entire return -- I can open the spreadsheet and see at a glance how many returns are in the works, how many waiting for 8879's, how many need printing, or pickup, or whatever. I've refined it over several years and it's really helpful to me. It's attached; perhaps it will help you. or someone else Tax WIP blank.xls

Hope you have a VERY :bday:

For those who like Calvin & Hobbes, snowfolk, snow, winter, or any/all of them. http://www.angelfire.com/wa/zzaran/calvin.html Enjoy!

Eric --I have the exact same Demotivator on my bookcase here in my office!

Hope you have a VERY :bday:

Another great place for older books is AbeBooks. They seem to specialize in old editions, out of print, collectible, etc. I'm not sure what their rules are for selling there, but I sure have bought my share of older books from them. Catherine

Happy New Year to all! Thank you for all the help and support during 2009. I look forward to more in 2010. May 2010 bring you all nothing but the best. Catherine

Bad. Very, very, very bad. I like it. :lol:

Hope you have VERY :bday: