Roberts

Two things - a freeze as I know it is supposed to stop people from getting loans (credit) in your name - not get your information illegally. You have to go to all 4 credit reporting agencies or you've done nothing. Sadly you have to pay money to all four even though you never agreed for them to collect the data in the first place. Isn't that a nice business model? Second, don't trust the Equifax website on whether your information was hacked or not. The first run through basically said nobody was hacked if you looked up your individual name. The second run through said you might have been hacked regardless of the information entered and I don't know about now. Basically, don't trust Equifax regardless of what they say.

I used to say their fee made them worth the pain - I've changed my mind. Fired my 4 worst clients in the past 12 months - my level of happiness has gone up considerably. I don't need questions at 9pm on Saturday night that are deemed emergencies, I don't need someone informing me I'm untrustworthy for something that wasn't my fault, I don't need someone who wants me to argue they shouldn't have to pay estimated tax payments.

This should probably be a sign that you should disassociate yourself from that associate.

temporary phone numbers are free. You can go online and get them for anywhere in the country you want to appear to be calling from. I have one from a cell phone app that allows me to make unlimited, darn near free international phone calls using wifi. The wife and I went and lived in Ireland for a month, we'd do about 2 hours of work before dinner and I could make phone calls to clients with it - appeared I was coming from a local number. No clients realized I was gone.

Nevada is one of the three states I've never visited.

It seems I get an IRS warning about a different scam every other week. Honestly, I've given up reading them at this point. I get a big IRS email from our local rep sent out every Friday at 5:00. Who's still in the office at 5pm on Friday in the summer?

I hope that's a joke. Was the $593 check cashed by the IRS?

Your address CAN be used. That's perfectly legal and I would have far less trouble with it if they did use direct deposit.

What do you charge for the service? (If I may be so bold to ask) I've seen fees advertised all over the map. One guy locally charges $50 (an attorney). Another firm it's $100 if you are a tax client, $300 if you aren't. Advertising online like with Google ad words will mean charging a very considerable fee. I don't know what H&R Block charges. Noticed last week a CPA down the street is heavily advertising this service - $200 per applicant. I do taxes for foreign doctors at a local university hospital and for foreign professors. I think I can do the 5 per year the IRS requests from that. I noticed a few years ago a guy paid $500 for an immigration attorney in another city to do the job and had no clue what anyone else would charge. The same attorney wanted to charge him $1,500 for his taxes. He charged $3k to declare that money loaned to him in a foreign country wasn't taxable income in the US!

I had the IRS hangup this summer. Drove me freakin nuts. You know what really drove me nuts? Client had died (IRS knew this) and they mailed a CP notice to the client for a final return adjustment. Well, the IRS basically refused to talk to anyone about the account. Me, the client's POA, the client's family members and the client's attorney. The IRS agents on the phone said the only person they could talk with was a court appointed executor but 100% of the assets were in a trust and already distributed by the time the CP arrived. All that was remaining was this refund check. Very frustrating.

I take credit cards and I use Square. Honestly, I only do maybe 3-4 per year but it's exceptionally easy with my cell phone. No monthly fee, they just take the 2.75% fee. Every once in a while I have to key in the credit card number but not that often. I have a few clients that don't have checking accounts (boggles my mind). I have a paypal account but really only make payments with it. (office supplies since I don't have a corporate credit card)

I searched and it seems a few of you are certified? Do you get much business with it? How do you advertise your service? I saw the IRS site lists people / firms. Thanks

Good luck. I personally can't sit through tax classes that long without entering into a coma. Just finished my 40th hour of CE today! Done for the year.

full coverage, zero clouds at my office. Very cool.

Most schools and many businesses are closing in my area. It's a 20 minute event - don't see the issue except schools have been warned that if they hold viewing events, if kids get injured the legal liability could be substantial so they demand a parental waiver. Thus they are closing. Wineries are supposedly going to be packed.

When it says ROI of 25%, I think you should probably read that as "we hope to return 25% of your money". I've never had an investor like that receive a 1099m. As Illmas says - K1 is the appropriate form.

What's his actual cost of the $70 in goods sold? If the cost was $20, he lost $50 pus some opportunity cost.

Thanks. Rental property would be the only applicable route for my client base but I've yet to see one do it.

I've never done one of these but have had clients inquire about it. Do all your clients use an outside intermediary to handle the transactions? Whenever someone asks about it - that's the route I tell them to go and I never hear from them again about it.

my parents both quit smoking after each had a heart attack and about 8 years afterwards they packed up to move to a smaller home. They opened boxes in the back of the basement that hadn't been opened in 20+ years including a box with my childhood teddy bear and were heartbroken to experience the smell. That's when it dawned on them for the first time, they were really stinky for 40+ years. I have only one client who stinks from smoking. Every year he sits across from me and I can smell the stale smoke coming off of his clothes. It's always odd because he's in my office first thing in the morning every time. I'm guessing he sits in the parking lot finishing his cigarette because he only lives 1/2 miles away. As for the delayed distribution - I'd have the IRS bill them for such a small amount.

I've never had a problem with Thunderbird. Used it for probably 14ish years? Before that I used The Bat! because it was the smallest sized email program I could find. (had an old computer running dial up) Since I moved my corporate email account to Google - Thunderbird calendar is automatically linked to my google calendar so I can access it from any of my computers / cell phone. I might use Firefox Send - thanks for that. That seems pretty good. Not being able to use IE - wonder if that'll ever be an issue. It works for Apple products? Thanks again.

Yep, most of us are in the business of billing for our time. I have no problem with doing these things for clients, don't understand why others do. My co-worker is a chronic complainer about EVERYTHING. I don't give him any of the attention he desires like my co-worker ("Oh, I'm so sorry you had to go through all of that, I was so worried all weekend about you"). He doesn't get this that a client asking you for help, IS OUR JOB.

I agree with the client making that determination. Is it really ordinary and necessary for a client to have an office in a $75 per square foot building? That's not for me to decide.

It depends upon the client but all things equal, the rate goes up a little every year for most. the really high paying clients - I'm actually fine keeping it where it is since they are so high above my normal rate. Some clients as they get older actually get far easier returns so I don't raise. Really poor clients (I have a few) I'm fine charging a small fee. Consider it a karma investment.

Who are we at war with?