Lion EA

Someone asked about HRB's TPS. As an ex-Blockhead who's still in touch with former colleagues, my take is that Block is using the TaxWorks software it purchased for entity tax preparation but TPS for personal returns. Don't know if that's their long-term plan, though. By good diagnostics I also mean over and above catching missing or inconsistent entries, the ones that would stop e-filing anyway. I mean reminding me during sleep-deprived March of alternate ways to handle something. I'm on my own and want the diagnostics to be my second set of eyes and that virtual colleague who bounces ideas around. ProSystem fx does a good job of that.

Thank you Eric & KC. Happy Holidays!

A very Merry Christmas to all my virtual colleagues and Happy Holidays of every kind no matter what you might celebrate or not celebrate this winter. Thank you all for talking taxes and providing stress relief and humor throughout the tax season.

I was with HRB. I've used ATX at Block and on my own. Last season I used ProSystem fx and absolutely love it. It's worth every penny. Although, to be honest, I received huge discounts as a small, start-up business. I renewed immediately but have mostly pay-per-return options for next season to get the entities and the states I need at the best price. I do love the support, even though you asked us not to mention that. I bought too late to get any training, so they had to talk me through a lot of tasks. They were extraordinarily helpful. I like the K-1s importing into the individual returns. And, I really love how simple it is to do kiddie tax. I like the choices about how to do things (even though the choices overwhelmed me my first year). I like how fast it prints. I like the diagnostics. I'm very happy with items carrying to other returns without me entering them twice. And, that includes multiple-state returns picking up the credit where needed (I have a lot of NY commuters living in CT). I thought Block's TPS was idiot proof, but ProSystem fx catches me when I'm going astray. :wub:

Just received an e-mail tonight that it left Minneapolis yesterday and will get to my door in CT 2 January 2009. Well, it won't get all the way to my door unless I shovel my walkway. Today the UPS man left a package out by the mailbox post at the street. I'm not giving him a Christmas tip!

It does work like a word processor. You highlight the text to which you want to apply codes, and then click the buttons you want. I typed Just testing... and then highlighted the text and clicked the buttons for bold, italics, and underline. I guess if I'm going to do one for real, I should enlarge the font.

Just testing...

In general, if you turn a code on with a word/phrase/formula, you then turn the code off at the end with a similar word and the / symbol in front of it as KC shows in her example.

Another use for an old Christmas tree! I think I'll save mine until 15 April and use it on the most deserving client of the day.

Does Mozilla Firefox catch spelling on this board, too? Well, I guess it does, since it's marking both "Mozilla" and "Firefox."

Do you have a Chase branch nearby? If not, I agree with Gail that you should talk to your own friendly, local banker to see if he will cash Chase checks from your clients with photo ID.

B of A is fixing their on-line backing service to coordinate with QB, sometime in December. Remember another large bank fixing their system already this month. Check with your bank. They will know if all runs smoothly with QB 2009 or if any patches are expected soon by either the bank or QB.

I hope Janitor Bob will post pictures.

And, has been mentioned, if you fill out the Preparer Information, then many "signature" blocks will be filled in automatically using whichever info is appropriate for each line.

Choose your own pin. My software defaults to the last five digits of the taxpayers' SSN. When you're the taxpayer, accept what your software suggests or choose your own pin.

Sure. Been inhaling paint fumes today. Gotta clear my head before the tax season. Form 8879 it is.

Form 8829 you keep on file for 3 years with their W-2s and any other w/h. Is that what you're talking about? Your software should generate the form for you.

I may have misunderstood the question. Is your client wanting to dissolve his corporation and then form a partnership with two other people? He'd distribute the corp assets at FMV. Check the secretary of state web site for dissolution procedures. He should consult a lawyer for organizational paperwork for a partnership, especially an operating agreement covering things like how to dissolve or procedures if one partner wants to withdraw or retire. As long as he's going to use a lawyer anyway, he should discuss the dissolution of the corporation as well as the formation of the partnership. Partners take guaranteed payments for services to the partnership. Remaining profits are divided per the partnership agreement on the K-1s. That operating agreement will be very important.

I won't prepare tax returns for people who bring spatulas to their appointments. They can bring Skittles, though.

The legal document is a stock certificate. Will the corporation issue or sell stock to the new shareholders? Or, does the existing shareholder own 100% of the stock, so he'll sell to the new shareholders? Shareholders who perform services for the corporation should be on payroll, S or C corporation.

Form 990 for years ending after 31 December 2008 (or is it years beginning after 1 January 2008 or some other timing?) is new and lengthier, more verbiage required. Doesn't sound as if a clinic that size would use QB, but if so, The Sleeter Group publishes a book on using QB with non-profits. Probably has message boards and courses available, too. Learning something new keeps us young!

Mike -- it's been a year since I used ATX, but I did get a new computer that year. I think there were two methods, and you had to be careful to match them: backup with restore; something with something else; maybe it was export with import. I do remember that it went easily for me, first installing the programs for a year or two and then -- I think -- using export to a flash and then import to my new computer for the returns. Since not a user anymore, no access to KB. Good luck.

These are the former ATX techies, just like all of us are the former official ATX board members that were dislocated. We know them and their skills. I for one, as a home-based preparer, have already used their services. I was tired of the software company blaming the hardware and the hardware blaming the software and the software blaming an incompatibility with another software and the expert on your problem isn't in and no service over the weekends or on evenings and I can't understand the accent and everyone putting me off and not offering to fix a problem when I was offering to pay to have my problem fixed. These guys are going to keep tax preparers' hours! Some of us are thrilled to have found out about them on this board. Please don't ban them with tax season upon us.

I'll bump you up since I am VERY pleased with your services.

So now every Turbo Tax and Tax Cut user will think of making some extra money by filing taxes for four friends! Then, next summer, we'll get the phone calls to help after the IRS letters go out. "Just a quick question. It's easy." I think I'm going to take new clients ONLY who come recommended by current clients. And, did you notice that neither said anything about states?! How much extra do they charge to prepare state returns and to e-file state returns.