BulldogTom

Every year I go in and modify the master billing form with the check boxes that I always want checked. You do have to replace the billing form in every return that you have rolled over prior to customizing the master. I have gotten into the habit of rolling my practice return as soon as I get the software and modfying the billing sheet so it comes through on every new return. Follow Kyles post on how to replace the invoice, it should work. Tom Lodi, cA

Nope. He is married at the end of the year, the choice is MFJ or MFS. He could adopt a kid and get HOH. Tom Lodi, CA

Good for you. We must always remember that we do this to make a profit. Remember tha about 4/12/09 when that guy comes in with a "simple return" that needs to be filed. Tom Lodi, cA

I can't believe you couldn't find a pink monkey suit to dress him up in!!!! New Commercial - ATX Software - $1,300 Office Supplies - $ 700 Picture of Kerry in a pink princess shirt and tiara - Priceless ROFLMAO. Tom Lodi, CA

This is terrible, but my first thought was "Did you get paid in advance, or are you on the hook for the work"? My second thought was, there must be an estate administrator. Even if it goes to the state to handle, there will be an estate administrator. Funeral homes are not free, they know who is paying the bills, so that would be a great place to start. My third thought was, call the IRS and let them give you advice. I don't like my third thought. Tom Lodi, CA

I think Daune is using them this year. He is a member of the board. You might want to PM him. Tom Lodi, CA

Jainen, The guy may be qualified. But you got to admit, this don't look good. Remember how your Dem friends punished the auto execs for flying to Washington in their corp jets? The press was all over it. Do I smell a double standard? What I really find interesting is the selection of Pannetta for CIA instead of one of the financial positions. He is a realistic, respected consensus builder who is known for his budgeting abilities in Congress. One of his greatest acheivements sits right across the bay from you. Cal State Monterey Bay was his working. When all the congressmen were trying to protect their military bases in their districts, he gave up Fort Ord, but got a uninversity in exchange. That is a peace dividend. I always liked Panetta. He did not play dirty with the opposition party. He respected their views and tried to work with them. So different from most of the pols in Washington today. Enjoy the beach my friend. I have heard the weather has been fantastic the last few days over there. Here is theater of the mind, Jainen on a surfboard with a backpack carrying all his code books strapped to his board. Flowery shorts and berkinstocks. Tom Lodi, CA

Jainen, you don't find it the least bit humorous or ironic that the man who will be in charge of enforcement of the US Tax Code was unable to prepare his own tax return? How about the fact that when he was audited in 2005 for the 03 and 04 returns, he did not fess up about the 01 and 02 returns that had the same error on it? He did not "pay up" until the Senate got wind of it. TWO DAYS BEFORE HIS NOMINATION he "paid up". And you think that blaming a CPA for not catching HIS error when the CPA did not prepare the return spells good news for Tax Professionals going forward? You been drinking the Democratic Kool Aid? Everything is just perfect when a Dem makes an error, because they must be good people because they have a "D" for their party designation. I respect you when it comes to taxes Jainen, but your politics amaze me. Tom Lodi, CA

I love this. The Treasury Secretary Designate failed to pay his SE tax in 2001 -2004. Somehow, two days before he was nominated, he got "tax religeous" and decided to pay up. The Dems are falling all over themselves calling it a "hiccup" and an "honest mistake". Apparently, his self prepared returns for those years were reveiwed by a CPA "who failed to catch the error". Isn't this just great. The guy in charge of the IRS can't properly prepare his own tax returns, and when he gets caught, he blames it on the CPA (that he was too cheap to hire to actually prepare the return) who glanced at it for him. This does not bode well for the next 4 years. Tom Lodi, CA

Hey, want to use my account this year? I would bet that bank only checks last names. I would not want to bank there. Tom Lodi, CA

It is pretty simple to roll the returns, so I don't think that would be a premium feature. Besides, trying to keep all the information for each year in a single file is hard enough. Imagine if you had 10 years of 1099's for a client and had to make sure you put them all in the correct years in one input setting. Sorry Kyle, I think I would prefer one year at a time. Tom Lodi, CA

@JohnH - You might be on to something. @Zeke - No skin off my nose. @ Jainen - I love Panetta. He is a good guy. Tom Lodi, CA

From MSN earlier today. Sen. Dianne Fienstien (D - CA) wants them to seat Burris. Looks like the Senate is going to be forced to do so. The Illinois Supreme Court is being asked to immediately hear Burris' case. The pressure is mounting and it looks like the Dems will have to take him. Obama says he is willing to accept him too. Score one for the Governor. He is going to thumb his nose at the Dems in Illinois and just do what he wants. Tom Lodi, CA

If you don't get your disk, you can borrow mine. We can meet in Elk Grove tomorrow to get it. Just sent me a PM if you really need the disk. I know it works because I loaded it twice this year. Tom Lodi, CA

I like your governor. Straight up and honest. "I want money for this appointment". It is the same thing every politician does, he just did it in the open. I like a man who tells it like it is. We need more pols like him. Tom Lodi, CA

Actually, this is an old story. The state has passed a budget, but the revenue projections were whacked out. So the state does not have enough cash to operate. They have shut down some construction projects. The State Controller says he does not have enough cash in the bank to make the refund payments. I had a client in my office the other day looking to make a final estimated tax payment. I told him not to make it and to pay the penalty instead. When I ran his preliminary state return, he won't owe a penalty anyway, so he will just mail a check with his return. Wait until they actually start showing "poor" people on the news who can't buy groceries with the IOU's. That is going to be interesting. I am pretty pissed off, I did not get my withholding down low enough when this possibility was first mentioned in November, now I am going to get an IOU from the Governator. I wonder if you can send back the IOU as your first estimated tax payement? Tom Lodi, CA

We had a great Christmas and New year. I hope everything is working out for you. You are in my prayers my friend. Tom Lodi, CA

I think what he is getting at is the old problem that always happens when you call tech support - they blame it on hardware and tell you to call your tech. Your tech cannot find a problem with the hardware, and says it must be the software. You are now stuck in the middle of the blame game trying to get each side to work on your problems while the time slips away. Wouldn't it be nice to have an expert on BOTH the hardware AND software available to you? I think that is what Kyle is asking - would you be willing to pay for support if it was for BOTH sides of the equation. Interesting concept, but as always, price is the over riding concern. As billy said, why would I pay for support that is included in my software. On the other hand, it might make me decide to use a certain hardware tech if I knew they were competent in my software applications. Tom Lodi, CA

Eli, Good to hear from you on the board. You need to read your contract. SBBT will not be separately adding the doc fee this year. You will need to add it into your invoice. If you go into billing, you can add a fee when you pull that form into the return if you are billing by the form. If not billing by form, you can just add it manually when you create the invoice. Hope this helps - and don't be such a stranger. Tom Lodi, CA

I could not find it on-line. Can someone confirm the first day to transmit is 1/16/09? That is the first day indicated on the Refund Cycle Chart. Thanks. Tom Lodi, CA

Actually, I am suprised no one has tried this. Take the taxpayer's 2008 return, then fill out a 2009 W4 with Advanced EIC payments for the client. Calculate the amount of the Advance EIC and CTC, Loan it to the client at 19-29%, prepaid, and they don't have to repay the loan until next year when you file their 2009 tax return. Don't you think clients who have "people" wouldn't be signing up like crazy? Tom Lodi, CA

That is hillarious. Does that mean ERC is Jeff Probst? Tom Lodi, CA

Does that mean the are in line for a federal Bailout? I wouldn't put it past them. Tom Lodi, CA

Interesting. HSBC is still providing RAL banking for HRB but not for anyone else. HRB must have some kind of insurance on their RAL business to keep HSBC as their bank. At one point they owned a big chunk of Household, but I thought they divested that holding. Thanks JRS. Tom Lodi, CA

I was sitting in my office when a bus went by with an HRB advertisement on it for W2 Loans. Some crap like "I got my money with only a W2 because I got people". The bank I am using (SBBT) strictly forbids W2 Ral's. So who is HRB working with that allows them to make this loan? or are they making this loan themselves? After Household got out of the RAL business, who is HRB going to use for their bank? Are any of the Banks that ATX is partnered with allowing W2 loans? I don't want to do any of them, I am just asking. Inquiring minds want to know. Tom Lodi, CA