Lion EA

He's picking up his 2009 returns Monday. Lives in CT and owes both IRS and CT; so both addresses are PO Boxes. IRS site is very clear that he can use FedEx as he wants, but is also very clear the FedEx will not deliver to PO Boxes. However, I cannot find any street addresses. Now what?

It was suggested to me at a NY seminar I attended, to do as Clay said and then to print the resulting page on the web site that will say you do not need to register and keep that page for your records.

I did learn that the receptionists at HRB were instructed to say that I no longer do taxes -- which is of course false. Guess the preparers were instructed to say that too, but I know some that didn't. However, I didn't advertise. Just used word of mouth and referrals from my current clients, church, broker, lawyer, etc. Someone's really being childish and must need clients more than you!

Kyle isn't there anymore, so I don't think they have anyone who monitors this board now. But, you can still call the toll-free telephone number in his "signature" to reach their sales department. Sales is probably open on a normal business schedule even though support is supposed to answer 24/7 within 90 minutes. They configured my back-ups to run at 3 a.m. to them and to my external hard drive and anything else I wanted them to do re back-ups.

Thanx, folks. And, that brings up another question. If I prepare a client's return, but he sends it himself, does he use the address for taxpayers preparing their own return or the address for tax preparers filing returns for their clients. Neither of those descriptions fits his situation! (The preparer-prepared address is to a PO Box in Hartford; the sefl-prepared address has no detail in Kansas City.)

I have a client who wants to send his just completed 2009 return to the IRS via FedEx. I confirmed on the IRS web site that they accept deliveries of tax returns via FedEx. But, doesn't FedEx require a physical street address instead of a PO Box? I could find no alternate address to use. Anyone done this before? :scratch_head:

I have one very part-time employee. I upload her pay stubs and W-2 via QB to ViewMyPaycheck.com. I also found unemployment Forms 1099-G on the CT DOL web site for two clients. Thank you Bert for posting that site; I'd been looking for it since I replaced my computer and didn't get all files from my old one yet.

NY didn't withdraw from one of my clients and then billed her for nonpayment and late interest !! It was such a tiny amount (I'm thinking only $2), that she decided to pay it instead of paying me to argue with NY. But, the IRS withdrew that year right on time.

Congratulations! :D

A huge Congratulations to both you and your daughter! Study, sleep, eat, exercise, and all those other motherly admonitions....

QB has a couple of KnowledgeBase articles on Win 7 64-bit with older software. I tossed them after my techie loaded QB, though. But, I called QB tech support when I was getting ready to order a new computer, and a nice gal emailed me a couple of articles.

Yep my first two "clients" are a mother and grown daughter, living their own separate lives. But, mother has been a long-time friend, so I've always done her return for free. Each year she brings me one or more of her grown children, expecting their returns to be free also. Mother is in a hurry to get her big refund. Well, she had $17,000 in unimployment benefits and only $186 withheld. Owes nearly $600 and can't understand why. Has no money to pay the IRS. Gave her unemployment benefits to a different grown daughter and son-in-law for their mortgage payments. Didn't keep any to repair her car or to pay her taxes. In tears. But, that's not the daughter that's in my office. This one is a single mom with three children and a nearly $7,000 refund due to EIC and additional child credit. I'd like to slap her upside her head and tell her to give her own mother $600 of her refund to pay her taxes. Now I actually wish I did RALs so I could keep $600 from daughter and give to mother. You all can guess who babysits for those three grandchildren while mom works at home depot.

I charge new clients based on their forms. For continuing clients, I keep the increases reasonable for the same forms. So, a new client very well might be paying more than a continuing client for a similar return. I've charged clients that left for a year as if they were new. When I know how much they paid the other preparer, I stay under that as long as it would be as least as much as I would be charging them if they had never left. And, hopefully more!

If you're trying to follow the rules for providing W-2s to employees who will paper file, you need to make them easily separated. Use the special performated paper for employee copies, or one-to-a-page so they don't need to be separated, or just slice them apart with your paper cutter before mailing them to employees. Don't forget to include a copy of the "instructions." When I used ATX, i ordered the Uniforms and corresponding envelopes; now I do the same via QB for the employee copies.

One a day is not going to make you scroll down very far...

Wear a catcher's mitt so you don't drop as many chimichangas.

Thank you very much.

Amen!

NATP has just been informed by the IRS of important details regarding the current PTIN process. Because many of you have expressed concerns, we felt it was necessary to share this with you as soon as possible. Preparing Returns After January 1, 2011 Guidance is in development for individuals who have made a good faith effort to obtain a PTIN but have been unsuccessful. This does not mean we plan to delay the PTIN requirement this filing season, but instead means that people who have had problems getting their PTIN can continue preparing returns during the short interim periods until they are successful. Stay tuned. Paper Inventory The paper inventory is being worked as quickly as possible. There are some applications (about 3,000) that are past the six week response time. These have failed authentication and special analysis is ongoing with them. There are approximately 16,000 other applications that are not past the six week response time and these are being worked first in/first out. The CSRs at the call site are also the individuals who work the paper inventory and currently an emphasis is being placed on the paper inventory vs. staffing the phones. While the majority of paper is being worked within the 6 week response time, people who have paper applications filed over 6 weeks ago do not need to call. The staff cannot confirm receipt of the application nor where it is in the process. The preparer can continue to try to register online. Phone Demand The wait time on the help line is quite high currently because the staff is working to clear the paper inventory. We apologize for the inconvenience while we balance these workloads but expect it to be a short term issue.

I use the CCH Site Builder including their File Share. Easy to make changes to the site. But, don't have to touch it when you're busy as they update the newsletters monthly. File Share is a simple portal but just right for my business.

Much too logical for our government!

I need to buy two new monitors (printed my copies to .pdf last year). Have a new computer and the software installed. Bought office furniture off Craig's List, but it's in pieces in the basement and not likely to make it into my office until after tax season. Some heavy office clean-up in progress after tearing it apart for cords and new printer, etc. Will be raising prices a bit. Want to start efiling entities, but CT seems like it'll take me a while to learn. Already take all major credit cards, but QB now offers a way to give my clients a link on an invoice to pay my bank directly from their bank; no checks to take to my bank in the next town. Might offer that to those that "forget" their checkbooks. Have folders; need to order more paper and black toner for my new, faster printer for tax returns. Have an update course scheduled and am thinking about a couple of other seminars and webinars this month, but time is racing by. Good luck, everyone.

Maryland. Looks like Randy Edsell will be head coach at Maryland as of Monday! So, have your son start sending his tapes to Maryland.

I'll take one forum. And, good labels for NT, Birthdays, etc. In fact, we could wish everyone celebrating on one day a Happy Birthday in ONE group post; that way there'd never be more than one Birthday post per day. I don't mind sharing my birthday with fellow tax preparers, but do enjoy receiving the greetings. Very easy to skip for those so inclined; wouldn't push other posts down the page.

I'm sorry for you loss, Eli.