Lion EA

Anything that takes my hands off the keyboard, especially taking my right hand off the number pad, does NOT speed me up. I too wish I could master more keyboard shortcuts and not touch the mouse. At a seminar, the preparer next to me used the mouse with his LEFT hand so he could keep his right hand on the number pad. He's right handed, but practiced with the mouse on his left during the off-season. Keep meaning to try that.

Just received this email this morning, so if anyone might need a 10-pack: To My Tax Professionals, If you would like to see CCH Research or have access to our online professional development (CPE, CFP, and CLE) please reply by email as the following popular seminars good for two hours of immediate CPE or CLE are coming up at the bottom as terrific way to get timely and relevant professional development before the end of the calendar year. We also have on demand self-study on over 330 courses enclosed that are as low as $240 for any ten courses which are up to (see this link for all 330 to choose from http://www.cchgroup.com/opencms/opencms/web/TAA/Microsites/learning-center/pdf/lc-matrix.pdf ) as they can be up 7 hours each. Let me know if you see any of these as useful or helpful and I would be happy to get you access for at least 20% off when going through me and some of our current promotions for the webinars and at least 75% off when subscribing to any of our self-study pick 10 courses or bundle libraries. Thank you, Tom PS. I have included three timely newsletters’ (latest issue complimentary) put out by other leading practitioners which are great for planning and running your firm more effectively. They are Estate Planning Journal, The Financial and Estate Planning Trends and CPA Practice Management Forum which is chock full of great ideas to serve your firm more profitably in 2014. P.P.S. If you are a current subscriber who is using RIA or BNA and are your anniversary date for your renewal is in the next 8 months then you really owe it to yourself to let me show you why 9 out of 10 firms that I show our tax or accounting research to like it better on our platform than on theirs and feel like we pull up more relevant answers than they do. The reason I say 8 months out is because if it something that you see as helpful CCH has a promotional program where if you did want have our content you could at no cost up (to 8 months) or till the end of your sub (whichever is greater) with an agreement with us as now is the time to take a look! Federal Tax Day - Current, I.2, IRS Releases 2014 Standard Mileage Rates (IR-2013-95; Notice 2013-80), (Dec. 9, 2013) Tax News, Journals and Newsletters > Federal Tax > Federal Tax Day - Current > INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE > I.2, IRS Releases 2014 Standard Mileage Rates (IR-2013-95; Notice 2013-80), (Dec. 9, 2013) The IRS has released the 2014 optional standard mileage rates that employees, self-employed individuals, and other taxpayers can use to compute deductible costs of operating automobiles (including vans, pickups and panel trucks) for business, medical, moving and charitable purposes. The 2014 standard mileage rate is 56 cents per mile for business uses (2013 - 56.5 cents) and 23.5 cents per mile for medical and moving uses (2013 - 24 cents). It remains at 14 cents per mile for charitable uses. For purposes of computing the allowance under an FAVR plan, the standard automobile cost may not exceed $28,200 ($30,400 for trucks and vans). The updated rates are effective for deductible transportation expenses paid or incurred on or after January 1, 2014, and for mileage allowances or reimbursements paid to, or transportation expenses paid or incurred by, an employee or a charitable volunteer on or after January 1, 2014. Notice 2012-72, I.R.B. 2012-50, 673, is superseded. IR-2013-95, 2013FED ¶46,591 Notice 2013-80, 2013FED ¶46,592 Sincerely, Tom Evans, JD, MBA Account Executive for Manhattan, Nassau, Westchester Counties, Upstate New York, & Western Connecticut Advising Professionals for over 14 years CCH Tax and Accounting North America 877 745 5393 phone and fax [email protected] December 10 Form 1099 Tax Reporting for 2013 and the Impact of New Tax Laws Effective 2014 Marianne Couch, J.D. December 11 Form 990 Update 2013 Jane Searing, CPA, M.S. Taxation December 12 Last-Minute Keys to Year-End Audit Success Alan W. Anderson, CPA December 13 Residency Rules in California: Tax Issues and Audits Kathleen K. Wright, CPA, J.D., LL.M. (Taxation), M.B.A. (Taxation) December 16 Tangible Property Regulations – Understanding Capitalization vs. Repair and Maintenance Eric P. Wallace, CPA December 17 FBAR & FATCA – The New Frontier in IRS Enforcement Eric L. Green, J.D., LL.M., Laura E. Pisarello, J.D., LL.M. December 18 The New 3.8% Medicare Surtax - Impact on Real Estate Investors and Closely Held Businesses Robert S. Keebler, CPA, M.S.T., AEP December 19 Ethical Issues for Tax Professionals James R. Hamill, CPA, Ph.D. December 20 Estates and Trusts Tax Law and Planning Update Steven G. Siegel, J.D., LL.M. (Taxation) December 27 1040 Individual Income Tax Forms and Law Update Claudia Hill, EA, M.B.A.

For SFA, you say you have CPAs on staff to handle the high-end work and year-round accounting. Are you looking for seasonal help now? Then, an EA or other non-CPA sounds like what you are really looking for. According to you, a CPA would expect year-round work -- and this one might want to grow his business and leave you. Even if not at your expense, not taking any clients with him, as has been said, clients might leave anyway when he does. And, you really can't expect to keep him forever if he's trying to build his own business, so you're back to hiring and training again.

I get charged from time to time -- they tell me after X months with no activity. I call, and they reverse the charges.

Intuit does not charge a monthly fee to ProAdvisors. I don't use a "swiper" but just type into my computer, or any place with internet access. I do have the Intuit GoPayment attachment for my iPhone but seldom use it. The 2+% is worth it to get paid immediately, to not have to drive to the bank from my home office out in the boonies (my business account does not yet accept deposits via iPhone, only personal accounts at my bank so far), to take their charge info over the phone when the person picking up the return is not the one holding the checkbook, to not have to mail out invoices/reminders, etc. I also take PayPal and have a link on the home page of my web site. I want to make it as easy as possible for my clients to pay me. I don't want to spend my time tracking payments. Some of my higher priced returns are for people who prefer to use credit cards to get miles or cash back; if that makes them happier with my fees, then it's worth a small percentage. If you are not yet taking credit cards and will start next season, raise your prices 2+% across the board so you'll come out even on those that charge and ahead on those who don't.

Happy Birthday, Eric!

An IRS liaison in CT speaking at a tax preparers meeting, spoke of the agreements with a large number of states (40?) to share information with the IRS. However, much of the information the IRS acts upon from the states has to do with Department of Labor audits re employee vs. independent contractor. Also, some states have a longer statute of limitations than the IRS, so some information is too old for the IRS to act upon unless it's fraud, nonfiling, large percentage of under-reporting, etc.

Grandma had an outhouse, and we pumped water outside and carried it in. Only heat was from the wood-burning stove for cooking in the kitchen. When we visited, we slept in the attic in a feather bed and raced downstairs to the kitchen to stand in front of the stove to dress and heat water for washing up. Aunt had an outhouse but had a pump at her kitchen sink to pump small amounts of water without going outdoors to the main pump. Baths were via a wash tub out back in good weather, on the kitchen floor in bad. You bathed fast as the water cooled. And, when you were the kid, you were well down the list to take your turn!

I'm going to put it on my Christmas list. People will think it's odd that I'm asking for an Advent Calendar for Christmas, and odder still if they figure out I asked THREE people for it. With Tax Season overlapping with Lent, there's probably a product opportunity there...

Yep, been there, done all that. And, helped my mother and grandmother make the (lye?) soap we used to scrub clothes on the washboard. Do you remember starching and pinning lace curtains and tablecloths and doilies to a form to dry in the basement? I thought spray starch was the greatest invention when I had to iron my first husband's button-down oxford cloth shirts. My mother let me use Green Stamps to buy my first steam iron.

Do you think there's a version for Tax Season? I'll need it more then than now during the holidays!

Forget the clothesline, maybe I should just go outside to air dry! No bath towel needed, no clothespins, no electricity. I think I'll wait until springtime to try that, though.

I don't use fabric softener, liquid or sheets, with towels and usually not with cotton underwear except when it really needs softening. I'm clean when I use a bath towel, so I don't wash it after every use. I also hang up towels in hotels for reuse. Hand towels I let go a few days also, especially now that the kids are grown and out of the house, unless hubby hasn't cleaned his hands thoroughly before drying. I don't put damp towels in the hamper, because they not only get musty but make all the other dirty clothes musty. I gather them up when ready to do laundry, or if a time lag, lay them over the washer/dryer in our unfinished basement to wait. As a kid, we ironed everything, including sheets and my father's underwear. Remember sprinkling and wadding up in the refrigerator?! Now with permanent press fabrics, I hardly ever iron. I hang my husband's shirts and khakis in the cool basement for a day after taking out of the dryer. If needed, I use some wrinkle release spray. I have a lot of knits, tee-shirts, etc., that fold nicely. Anything I would hang in my closet, I let hang in the cool basement for a day. I do miss my clothesline, but my allergies would act up from the pollen, etc., that lands on the clothes outdoors. I have a drying rack in the basement for bras and slippers and sneakers and things I don't want to go in the dryer. My new dryer has a drying rack for items, such as sneakers, that I don't want tumbled. I just used it for a pair of slippers that take very, very long to air dry the plush insides. Now, if someone would invent a washer/dryer that also folds and puts away my clothes, I'd be thrilled. And, sort the socks, too, of course.

Also, check out the software that came bundled with your scanner &/or the capabilities of the full Adobe Acrobat that may have been bundled with your scanner, especially if you bought Fujitsu.

I am my clients' advocate. I inform my clients how to reduce their tax liabilities to their lowest LEGAL limit. It is my job to inform my clients. It is never my job to keep secrets for the IRS.

I use only fragrance-free, dye-free laundry products, and an extra rinse until the water runs clear.

My dryer sheets used to come out pretty used up, thin, limp, soft. After 23 years, I have a new dryer. Now the dryer sheets are still "starchy" stiff when my clothes are dry. So, I throw each one back in for another load. Glad to hear that nothing's wrong. Thank you for sharing.

All caps, because they stand out when I look at the page or the form as what I entered vs. what the form says. (And, a bit because that's the way Block trained me years ago and old habits die hard for me.) In my software, I can set it to print all caps on the forms but allow me to enter mixed case. I think that would let letters and other items remain as mixed text. But, that isn't of high importance to me, so I just hit Caps Lock when preparing a return and rely on Windows to notify me when I forget to turn it off when typing in another software.

Same inlaws, father-in-law flew often on business back when airplane restrooms had those tiny bars of soap. He'd go in all the restrooms immediately and take all the soaps. I'm sure the rest of the passengers were upset. The first time I stayed the night in their guestroom, I was looking for a larger bar to use in the shower, and opened drawer after drawer filled with the tiny bars! They also had drawers in their kitchen filled with restaurant salt, pepper, sugar, ketchup, mustard, tea bags, and on and on. They'd take the rest of the rolls/bread and butter and salad and anything else left on the table, wrapping in napkins and putting in pockets or purse.

My ex-mother-in-law cut napkins in half so they would go twice as far! The first time I was invited to dinner at my then-boyfriend's home, I was so confused putting my napkin on my lap thinking I'd opened it wrong or something. She also poured half of her dishwashing soap into another saved, empty soap container and added water to water-down each container by half so they'd last longer. She had an entire closet full of gifts. If I wanted to go shopping for a new purse, for instance, she'd pull one out of her closet to give me so we wouldn't have to waste gas to go shopping.

Oh, and you could add the potential of a partnership return to your bundle at three times the price of a 1040.

Accused her of agreeing with you?!

Congress has built in fee increases for us as they add new forms, revise the intent/use of forms, add more due diligence items, etc. For many of my clients I can point to the new (for instance Schedule D/8949) forms/additional pages from last year to explain a price increase with few words needed from me. (Another reason I print all their worksheets, etc., for the client copy!) If I need to say much, I talk about my increased education, often at the last minute due to Congress delaying, that adds to my costs to provide them knowledgeable and accurate service.

I show my current prices on my invoices and then include a Loyal Client Discount.

Isn't that too late to change withholding, order equipment, etc.?