Lion EA

Did you try it with your left foot and left hand? Do you have to make the 6 backwards? My daughter's a leftie, so am curious.

It's still snowing here. Not as deep as predicted -- yet -- but blowing around. I too get power outages on blustery days and lose my internet and telephone, also. The perils of a home office out in the boonies. And, my husband the school teacher is home and constantly walking into my office while talking about whatever he just read on-line. He's thinking a delay on Tuesday. Oh goody!

I also suggest an estimated, conservative amount early -- to get their investment working for them. Then, when I complete the return, I can give them the exact maximum contribution.

And, I also read on the IRS site that an exception to the disclosure requirement for client signatures is gathering and disclosing ANONYMOUS AGGREGATE information on our clients. Does that then say that mentioning a single name (instead of the anonymous aggregate 100 clients) is against regulations? The IRS makes it sound that way. If we could mention our clients by name, then why don't we see lists of clients posted on the windows of storefront offices? My colleagues and I at a Block Premium office certainly had a few clients whose names would've been good publicity if able to be disclosed! But, that wouldn't be disclosure for the purpose of preparing and transmitting a return -- which is allowed. I guess a discussion with a former accountant could be necessary for preparing a return, if getting a depreciation schedule or other required information (don't we need signatures when the discussion is outside our own firm?). But, the OP just wanted to report his new client to his other employer or get permission or something like that, preliminary to actually preparing a return.

Try updating your program and forms and then recreating the e-file.

I thought I'd finally get around to e-filing payroll forms this year. Well, the one set of 1099s I had for a client, I gave him the paper forms to file. But, I did try my own set of W-2s for my company. I e-filed federal via QB from which they were prepared. That was quick and easy. QB had "beta" software for CT that appeared to have it all figured out, but I had an error I wasn't going to try to correct re the length of a field and other things I was not going to mess with. I used the CT site to type them in and e-file. Maybe next year!

Up here in CT the weatherman's saying 14 inches. Don't think I've seen 14 in one storm in all the decades I've lived here. And, my husband the school teacher is getting tired of snow days. I'm getting tired of having him around all day!

Tell him the max he can contribute and ask him what he's going to do. I have a couple of clients who like nice round numbers and would never add the extra $87.12 and others who would go up to the max. It's their decision.

A very :bday:

Hey, that's why many of us are no longer with Block! However, they have a big legal department, so if they said it was against the law to reveal clients' names without a warrant, then that was probably true, at least at that time. It would've been to their advantage to make it go away as quickly as possible. They gained nothing by delaying and lost plenty due to bad press during the delay.

A very :bday:

Wouldn't giving out the name of a client fall under the disclosure of information for OTHER than tax preparation rules and call for the client's signed consent prior to naming him? So many of us worked for Block in the past. Block taught me to NOT mention the name of a client nor even enough identifying characteristics that someone could identify the client based on my description. When a receptionist in White Plains pilfered client credit card information, Block said they could not provide the police a list of clients who might be affected until the police returned with a warrant due to confidentiality.

Do tax preparers wear the costumes and act as barkers, or do they hire separate characters?

And, now we've sent some of that attitude to D.C.!

And, you can get it in the FREE e-file marketing kit from the IRS with the schedule printed on slick paper and brochures explaining e-file and payment options and some cute stickers to denote the client copy as e-filed and a desk sign and posters and...

It sounds like part of his job search expenses.

I'd deal with 2008 with the documents I was given, if they came from other bookkeeping. But, I'd lay out the correct procedure for 2009. Set him up for EFTPS to direct debit his ES, maybe. If he doesn't file ES, then can he be trusted to get you a good balance sheet, file annual reports with the state, and do other obligations of an S-corp? If he needs simplicity, he's probably better off as a sole proprietor/LLC. If he needs withholding, then explain the requirements for an S-corp. You do have a very few more days to make the election for 2009, if that's really best for him. You explain his choices; he makes the decision. You live with it or send him elsewhere. Maybe you can train his bookkeeper, preferably for a fee.

Obviously, if she has some high interest rate debt, she should pay that down first. But, otherwise, putting $7,500 against the principal of a 30-year loan will make a nice difference in the true cost of her home.

It seems to me that the highest concentration of the wealthy are in D.C. Didn't they give themselves raises recently? And, we know they don't have to pay taxes, and when forced to don't have to pay penalties and interest or go to jail.

I make the clients give me the FMV. I do provide the Goodwill and Salvation Army web sites and Tax Book lists and sometimes some others if current. I do explain the meaning of FMV. I don't insist upon their writing or signature since more and more is done over the phone, but I try to ask the question via e-mail so I can print out a hard-copy of their answer. As far as purchase date and purchase price, I'll put Various and an amount 4-5 times the FMV once they give me the FMV. Yes, I try to get ALL the information from them, but if I get FMV from them, I'm happy enough.

Take the loan and pay down her principal. Show her how much she'll save. Then, raise her fee!

Probably estimate and charge hourly. Tell him you'll give him a template/sample to do the bookkeeping himself to save X hours or Y $. Or, if you have a good handle on your form charges, estimate using forms. Charge a lot more for other states than your home state. I agree with those that say estimate high. You'll find more when you get into it. And, if you don't, you apply a discount this year.

Happy!

Don't we have to keep our clients' identities confidential? Not just names, but identifying information? How can he talk to his per diem firm about a client from his personal firm?

If the aunt died after giving a gift, it's still a gift and follows those rules. If the reason your client has the stock is because he inherited it from his aunt who still owned the stock when she died, then it's an inheritance and follows those rules. And, why do you have to amend 2007. Did he sell the stock in 2007?