Catherine

I'll stick with Drake for now. I know the program, I've not had much trouble with support, they are still very responsive in general. Plus with having downsized my practice, it doesn't make sense to spend a lot of time evaluating new programs and learning a new one. I'm down to less than 100 returns a year. Could just about do those by hand (except for the e-file part).

Four days after signatures, he gave me a debit card number. Returns were submitted and accepted, and his copies mailed to him (first class, not Priority). I'm done with him, and it was technically only a day later than we are "supposed" to wait. But it also took him three different promised times to call me to pay before he came through. At some point in the next few weeks I'll make sure he knows that was a last-time courtesy for his mom's sake, and that I have no unaffiliated individual clients that I work with under the age of 80. (That last is true; sold off the bulk of my practice some years ago. Kept the elderlies 'cuz change is too hard for them plus - let's face it - they're not long-term clients. Also kept family and a few friends and charity cases that I do for a song. Anyone who wanders in new gets referred out to the guys who bought me out. He is not his mom, and he's under 80, so he's also history. Better ask the guys if they want him, or not...)

She prepared the last-known returns from her office in Florida. At this point I'll wait for the POA to be uploaded by the CAF unit, and see if there is a record of return filed for those two years. If they're filed, we're done. If they're not filed, I have prepared returns to enter in my system and I'll get them submitted.

Good dodge; thank you. I have not had too much extra trouble with support, although I don't like the "press 1 for" nonsense - I prefer a person. Yes, s/w has been buggier than in the past - but the tax laws have been changing as fast as Italy changes governments, and states are lagging in accepting federal changes. I figured it was all a part of the general upheaval of the past few years. I'm sticking with Drake for now.

Not really, and for anyone else I would file and not worry about payment. This guy is different. Loser son of a very nice couple (now deceased). His mom paid for his returns to be done for years, but she's gone now. This will be the last time I help him - he can go to the big box store of his choice in the future. Good news, though - he emailed me back (I had tried one more time) and promises to call tomorrow late morning with a debit card. If that happens, I can file. If not, I still don't know what to do.

Deadbeat client, did his return as a favor to his mom who recently died. He was told flat out - several times - that I cannot e-file his return until I have 1. signature pages properly signed and 2. payment in full for the return. He's sent me signature pages, and refuses to answer email queries about payment. Now what? I'm not (yet) the paid preparer, but I have signature pages.

2848 was submitted today, so in theory I can wait a couple weeks and see if there is a return transcript for her.

I have her name and supposed office address in Fort Myers FL. No phone number, no email. Can't find web site or phone. Very frustrating. Need to find out if prior year returns she prepared were ever filed (paperwork is not clear, and the client's husband who would have known is deceased).

I have the woman's name and her town and even a corporation name. But I can't find her. Corporation lookup gets me incorporation date, but no web site or phone. Nothing on LinkedIn or Facebook. Nothing in the yellow pages under her corporation name or the white pages under her name. Searching on a Florida CPA site returned no results, either. Where else can I look? Anyone got any clever (or even dumb) ideas? TIA

It all went very easily. Hit enter too quickly when a client showed up at the door unexpectedly.

Did mine yesterday; very annoying. First step: log in with 2FA including a very long delay before the code showed up in email (was ready to try again but I waited; good move). Which then required me to update the password with ridiculous requirements. But then I had to log in again with the new password and 2FA, as if maybe it wasn't the real me who had been fully logged in with the old pw and 2FA. That brought me to a screen with no "renew your PTIN" option. Tried all the other options before trying the "home" button (did find a confirmation of last year's PTIN renewal - so timely), because as we all know sometimes on the IRS site using the "home" option bumps you out leading you to log in again. But that Home button did get me tot he "Renew your PTIN" choice. After I got to that point, it all very easily.

F0urScoreAnd7YearsAgo (not one I use)

I'll put it on my to-do list!

Maybe you're just not that special any more, Tom. Or, maybe you are, but they're not ready for you yet!

I don't know; that would be a conversation to have with the client. I have no knowledge of how an entity structure could help or hinder the client's efforts.

I try hard to look for ethics classes that aren't some iteration of Circular 230 over and over and over ad nauseam. Best one ever was an interactive class of "gray areas" where a situation was given, what would you do? What if this detail changed? What if instead of stating case this way, it was stated that way? What if as time went on and you had an investment (time, effort, sympathy) in the client's case, it edged in this direction? Where is the line that crosses from advocating for the client to colluding with the client, and how can you anticipate where it might be so as to watch for it? It was excellent. Most of them are boring as spit, and not nearly as useful. I truly detest the classes (and especially the presenters) that assume we are adversaries and threaten with the horrible penalties that await. Have sometimes felt those people should be publicly flogged.

It would almost be worth sitting through the "other" kind, just to see!

Good information; thank you, @Terry D EA!

Even if they have not outsourced support, they could still have hired ... insourced? ... support originally from elsewhere. Definitely something to keep an eye on. On the rare occasion I've gotten someone who I did not think understood my issue, I've thanked them, hung up, and called back to get someone different.

You do get a couple of days to correct a rejected e-file, at least. But boy oh boy do I ever hate those *&^%$# 1095-A forms. Around here (MA) half the providers don't send them; they have to be downloaded. But they also don't notify people they are available. First we know is that reject. Then client has to scramble to figure out if it's paper (where, or get a replacement) or electronic (then how to log in to get it).

Today is the tax deadline. It's nearly impossible to hire for your worst couple of days, keep those people employed year round, and still make a profit. I called tech support last week, got answered on the 2nd ring, and had an excellent rep who spent a good twenty minutes with me figuring out a particularly gnarly issue and we got it resolved.

Piffle; wrong size for my Canon; it uses the 051 size/series. Thanks for the offer!

Never knew it existed! Thank you so much, @Lynn EA USTCP in Louisiana!

I used to get forms from Tenenz/TangibleValues but have moved almost entirely to online services. They'll efile, print, and mail it all - and they always have the perfect number of whatever forms I need. I believe Tenenz/TV offers that service as well but they started a year or two after I picked an online provider.

Good resource; thanks!