Lion EA

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.

Haven't used ATX for a year and never TaxWise, but my old packing slips used to have installation codes, but called something else (?), either at the top right or in a list following the item descriptions. Codes were also available on the site under My Account or something similar. A current user should hop on and tell you where codes appear, if they do now. Also, post under the general forum for a faster response from current TaxWise users.

All tax preparers have a lot of minutia in our heads, unfortunately some of it is from prior tax years.

For those of you (like me) who don't speak or understand Geek, have you signed up with VMS yet? I did today. It was a pleasure having someone in Caribou coerce my computer into talking nice with my printer again -- especially since my unsuccessful attempts at downloading a new driver for my printer had messed up the communication to start with. Now I won't waste any more of my time trying to fix something when I'm in over my head.

Well, I'd been meaning to sign up for ages, but today my printer wouldn't print so I finally called. I called Kyle directly, and he set me up with the services I need to keep functioning. Then Susan got my computer talking to my printer again. After I finish this return, I have an appointment next week with Susan to audit my computer and set me up with secure off-site back-ups. VMS is just what a home-based sole proprietor like me (too old and too isolated to be as computer literate as I'd like) needs. It's a small price to pay for techies who speak english and are always available. I'm a happy camper.

You can poke Kerry for me, for no particular reason! I keep meaning to call you folks. I'm an old lady working on her own with sub-par computer skills. Maybe I'll finally get around to calling you. Thanks for the reminder.

I wanted to try it for a couple of my clients, and hope to for myself for 2009; but I never got around to it, too rushed when they were here getting taxes done...

Haven't tried to print those forms in this ATX, so won't try to answer most of your questions. But, as to the blank page, I think your adjusting has moved something (probably blank space so not obvious on the screen) to a new page per your margins or per the print area for your printer. I usually give up long before you. I don't think I've ever centered the X on the red forms; if it's close enough to denote the type of forms, I'm happy and move on to more important things. This year, I might actually e-file. By the way, you can print all your W-2s on blank paper and not have to worry about the pre-printed red forms like the 1099 series. Relax. Someone will have a precise answer for you.

A copy of ATX just arrived via FedEx. However, I did not use ATX last tax season. So, why are TaxWise users complaining that they haven't received their copies when ATX has time to deliver to us non-users?! Why aren't they putting paying customers first?

The latest I'd heard was red or e-file for the IRS, plain paper for recipient and payor.