Lion EA

How important is it to you to keep the girlfriend as a client? Is she an expensive return? Source of good referrals? If you don't mind losing her, send the guy packing. If you want to keep her, charge the guy three times your normal rate with a huge retainer in place at all times. Stop working whenever the retainer drops below your comfort level.

I used the special button for Eric earlier. Leave it up a long time, Eric. It's after-season and tax preparers are on vacation or not reading tax boards as often. Have a great dinner out, a good bottle of wine, a break from the ordinary!

I'd give him a copy of the yellow pages with tax attorneys. If he wants you, tell him to show up with a retainer of $10,000 ($2,000 per year plus the OIC retainer) and his information for at the least the oldest year -- in person. No check -- return documents. No show this time -- no further appointments or communication allowed. When you complete the oldest year, have him pick it up in person with a check in hand to rebuild the retainer. Charge three times your normal fee: prep fee, rush fee, and way prior year fee. He has to keep replenishing your retainer, because you know 2004-2009 will be needed before the IRS accepts an OIC or even an installment agreement. Explain that an OIC has a down payment attached and that it is granted for doubt to liability &/or doubt to collectibility (guess that's not a word). A healthy 40 year old has earning potential and is not a good candidate for an OIC. Discourage the girlfriend from marrying him!!!

A very :bday:

I'll donate to that. Bon Appetite, Eric!

You're the greatest, Eric! B)

A very :bday:

I like the idea of instant back and forth, bouncing ideas around, getting a quick cite to pursue, etc. I'm thinking we could turn on some type of "log" feature to print out our chat? Certain times of day would work, too. I remember when the kids were looking at colleges, some colleges provided a couple of hours in the evening when prospective students could chat with current students to learn more than the admission office said. But, I'm not thinking and you're not thinking of pros answering questions from the public. We're just trying to make it possible for a critical mass of us board members to know when to chat vs. when to post. I really like the idea. But, would also like the logs archived someplace for all of us to search. Or, at least, available to print out by the participants. We often need quick help after tech support is closed for the night, so maybe late hours.

A very :bday:

A very :bday:

It's her red hair. Never mess with a redhead.

Part 2 identifies your qualifying child(ren) and amounts spent on each that were not reimbursed. I realize for one child, it could be a repeat of Part 1 amount re your provider, but I'm guessing the IRS wants confirmation that you spent for care of a child living with you and wants that child specified. And, if you would have excess spent to be able to take the credit as well as the benefit, the three parts work together.

Eight. Maybe I'm younger than I feel.

Have you looked into VMS? See the link on this site.

A very :bday:

A very :bday:

A very :bday:

A very :bday:

A very :bday:

I belong so I can keep up with the software each year; my clients have a variety of years, and I can't have older software to read their files. And, to get the US-based support line. I never did finish the tests, so I shouldn't be official. But, they have me on their site. I have gotten some calls, but one wanted Mac help and another wasn't all that close and another wanted Quicken and one had inventory which I try to avoid. So, it seems to be an active Pro finder site. I get discounts on payroll and accepting charge cards and on payroll for my clients and on accepting charges by my clients and on QB for clients, which has made my clients happy and more loyal for a while until they forget what I did for them. If getting clients a good price on QB will bring me better paperwork come tax time, it's worth it. I used to get free disks of their basic software for my clients, but they don't do that anymore. The courses have been thorough. If you could keep your clients from upgrading before you're ready to, you could easily do without the ProAdvisor designation. But, my clients aren't that easily managed.

I think we all knew that about Jainen!

I used to have a landscaper client named Lawn & Order.

A very :bday:

And, poor Troy has 350 calls from this board's members to answer! Probably burned out the phone lines.:wacko:

I fronted a check to daughter-in-law's 2009 IRA until she received her refund in April and sent it certified/return receipt since it was so last minute. Never received receipt; postmaster couldn't trace it; no record of it ever leaving my local PO; on line tracking showed it at my PO only. However, check was cashed by the Fund, so we know that it WAS received and the date! PO blames the recipient, but it was not scanned at ANY step along the way. Next time, I use UPS or FedEx and not PO. (On that same day, I mailed two tax return copies with $0.70 confirmations of receipt. Those tracked on line from local PO to every stop along the way and delivery destination with frequent updates, such as sorting now in Philly.)