JohnH

Are you running Vista?

Why wouldn't you follow the directions on Page C-3 of the Schedule C instructions? That's why they printed them.

Does your phone have a battery backup for its clock & memory? If so, it may need to be replaced.

Page C-3 of the Schedule C instructions simply states that if you are reporting less than the total shown on your 1099-Misc form(s), you should attach a statement explaining the difference. That's what I would do, and maybe include a listing of the checks as a part of the statement. There's no justification for recording an expense that doesn't exist, although as a practical matter I wonder if it would be an issue if ther return wre audited (provided the net income on the Sched C is correct).

I like the new look. But if anyone really, truly, absolutely hates it, they always have the option of going back to using the official ATX community. It's had a new look since last April.

I think you should mount a hidden camera in your office & post the pictures of them snacking on the peanuts on this forum. Why should you have all the fun?

pdf Factory is worth its weight in gold. (or maybe worth MY weight in gold)

I remember a couple of years when I entered the info in a spreadsheet that I wrote myself running on an Apple computer. I'd then write the results on the tax form (typed it for the really important clients). Then I got a PC with an HP laser printer and a special cartridge for the tax forms. I thought the thing was magic. And I also remember coming in to the tax office I worked in while I was still in college and stapling 3 sheets of each form together with carbon paper in between. I'd make up these sets between clients. Eventually we started buying the carbonless forms from Nelco and just using the hand-assembled carbon sets for the low-volume forms.

I stick a refrigerator magnet at the top of my screen. It pulls up all the newest electrons first.

I'm not trying to start a new discussion - just wanted to have a topic that would make it easy to go back at any point in the future and research other discussions on Alternatives to ATX. I'd suggest the only responses to this topic should be suggestions on how to quickly locate other topics which discuss alternatives to ATX. The most recent string is "Is ATX Doomed?", and the way to locate it is to search on "Doomed". (Keep in mind that seaches are only successful on words of 4 characters or more)

I'm not sure if this is correct, but I think the Updated Forms List only shows returns that you have alerady processed which are affected by the update. So for example if the 8880 form updates, but you haven't yet processed a return which uses the 8880, then it won't be on the updated forms list. I also think this is another good reason not to roll over returns form the prior year until you are ready to actually work on that return. This is the procedure I've been following based on advice given in the past on this and the prior forum.

I updated yesterday and today on manual. There were only about a dozen each day, but there were some. I always use manual - don't know why other than I think William (or somebody at ATX) said to always use manual last year.

Tom: If you happen to take part of the deduction twice, just add the extra to the client's invoice for this year. That makes it all come out even, doesn't it? :)

You're right. My math skills are way out of sync tonight, and what's worse is,I'm from NC. At least your rambling is accurate.

Sen Dole was elected in 2002 - will be up for re-election 2 years from now, although I'm sure the campaign will begin later this year.

My first thought would be Line 21 - not subject to S/E tax since she is not in the business of donating eggs. And no reduction of the amount for basis or expenses. Of course, I'm assuming she didn't incur any significant expenses in the process and she doesn't do this on a regular basis.

I've been looking for it as well, but it was not in the most recent update. You do have a couple of easy work-arounds if that it all that's holding you up. First of all, you can go to the NCDR web site and fill in a web-fill report, print it, and attach to the return. If all the officer info & registered agent info is the same, you only need to enter the ID numbers and company address info. A second choice is to go to the NC Sec of State web site and file the Annual Report electronically. The filing fee is a little cheaper for doing it this way, and then you don't even have to deal with it on the corp return. You omit it from the return altogether and just enter -0- on the Annual Report Line on the corp return.

We've been having a lot of discussion about the proposal on another forum, but I agree it's probably best to leave it alone until the legislation passes. In the interim, if clients call to ask, you can always tell them the best & most comprehensive information on the rebates is available right now at the IRS web site. http://www.irs.gov/irs/article/0,,id=177937,00.html

There won't be any 1099-G's for the rebate.

Last year my state forms were late in being approved (North Carolina). This state offers the forms in pdf on their web site with fill-in blanks, so I'd just retype the important info on the form & print it out. Nobody knew the difference and I didn't have to wait to complete the return, give a copy to the client, and get paid. Maybe Oregon offers their forms on their web site as well...?

Don't forget, anyone who doesn't think they should receive a rebate (or thinks they don't deserve it) has the option of sending it back. It will be applied directly to the national debt AND it qualifies as a contribution deduction. Be sure to communicate this to your clients - I always explain it to anyone who complains to me about tax reductions or rebates, or in any way expresses that they think they are not paying enough in taxes. I'm going to keep some preaddressed envelopes ready for them, although in the past no one has ever asked for one after I showed them this very practical way to put their stated convictions into action. Anyhow, I think it's likely that if the next election goes they way lots of pundits are predicting, the Federal Government will take it all back, plus a hefty chunk more. And that won't be a one-time adjustment.

We had a lengthy discussion about this over on the Tax Book Forum, and opinions were all over the place. The instructions are not crystal clear on this, as they only relieve you form sending 1099-Misc to corporations. However, it is worth noting that the W-9 was revised in Oct 2007 and LLC's were given a space to enter their tax status (Disregarded Entity, Corp, or Ptr). That would seem to indicate that IRS is giving us a means of eliminating LLC's which indicate they are corporations from 1099-Misc filing even though the instructions don't specifically state that yet. I just finished a batch of over 160 of the pesky 1099-Misc, and that's the policy I followed. If they told us they are an LLC and received $600 or more, they got a 1099-Misc unless they certified for us that they are an LLC being taxed as a corp.

You can prepare an SS-4 and have the client sign it. With that in hand, you can get an EIN in about 5 minutes online. (Or you can have him come to your office and you can apply for it with him standing there)

All but a couple of my 941's & 940's were completed by mid-month. (But then, I'm still doing them the inefficient way by paper filing them - guess I need to get up with the times)

Could it be that they just have a keen sense of how to appeal to their target market?