JohnH

Having several for the 8283 data is great. I start most returns using one to enter the usual answers for foreign accounts, another for "yes" to healthcare coverage, and then a couple of single-stroke macros for special situations. One that is useful right now will prefill Fed & State extensions, then pause and wait for me to input the amount the client is paying. After you write a few, it becomes almost second nature, doesn't it?

Those macros in Drake are an incredible time saver, aren't they? Now that I'm hooked, don't know if I would ever be happy with any software that didn't offer them.

I must say that my "one pass" rule is working well again this year. On virtually everything I'm doing, I make one pass entering the data. If there's something missing or I need to ask for more info, I just prepare an extension. (There are a few common-sense exceptions of course, but that's the basic process) Been doing that since the first of February. And of course everything coming in during the past few weeks automatically gets an extension. I'll get back to many of them, and that's fine. But if not, don't bother me - they will hear from me sometime after the 17th (or maybe after the 30th, depending upon how quickly I get the payroll reports out).

You're better off without that one for sure. Now that they heard someone will do it cheaper, they would probably pester you about it going forward if they stuck with you. May as well use that free time to replace them with a profitable client.

I agree with you on the standing desk. It's nice when clients drop by as well - doesn't happen much with me, which makes it even more of an inconvenience when someone does. If I remain standing, they don't sit down. So the conversation is usually shorter unless I have some reason to spend time with them and offer them a seat.

Definitely file a paper extension. It costs you and the client nothing, but could save you both potential aggravation (and money) in the future.

I was told many years ago that if you see a deer beside the road always look for its tail if visible. If the tail flicks up, the deer is about to bolt. Is there any validity to that?

I've never understood why they put those "Deer Crossing" signs along the road where they do. Too many deer get hit there. They should move the signs to a safer place.

I've decided to stop saying "How stupid can you be? " Seems like some of my clients are taking that as a challenge.

I like 6:21 forward as well J: "Did you have roaming eyes or eyes just for her?" A: I-I-I have eyes just for her..." (Long pause and stare-down by judge) A" I-I-I mean I'm a guy - you're gonna look aroun - uh-uh-uh I mean, listen your honor..." Suggestion: When you suddenly realize you're standing in a hole you just dug, the VERY first thing you should do is throw away the shovel.

I never really thought about requiring a signature since there's no IRS requirement mentioning it. I don't think the absence of a signature would invalidate a written acknowledgement as long as the document appears to be valid on its surface. On the other hand, over the past few years I've sent several letters to church financial secretaries over the years advising them that the "No goods or services" language was missing from their contribution summaries. I send the letters anonymously, not because I'm afraid of their finding out the source, but simply because I want them to know my motivation is not to drum up business or engage them in any manner. I also send them a summary of the court case regarding this matter. I suggest that they check with their denomination or the ECFA about the subject of the letter. Many small and moderate size churches have volunteers doing this task. My intention is to help them rather than discourage them from serving.

Happy Resurrection Sunday !

Utah? Fantastic skiing on/in dendrite powder. Slopes less than an hour from the airport. Beautiful scenery throughout the state.

But how is she going to get her loan approved if you don't drop everything right now and do all of them immediately? Those paying clients can just wait while you take care of HER emergency.

This is an interesting question. In the contracting business, it is normal for customers to require proof of workers comp and liabiity insurance from vendors as a condition of awarding a contract. But the main reason is to protect themselves against worker comp claims and also because litigation is common in that industry when liability issues arise. Applying that same logic in a client situation triggers the thought that the client is already thinking about assigning blame if something goes wrong. I might be inclined to make the decision based on the complexity of the return. If it has the potential to be unusual in any sense, then declining to take them on as a client might be the best route. So agreeing to provide proof of insurance would probably best be contingent on the outcome of the initial meeting.

Have you looked at the county assessor's web site to get a history of the property? I took a quick look at a VA county for example (Fairfax), and it was chock full of information. Once you identify the property and go to the property card, there is a menu at the top left quadrant with a complete history. It listed annual tax assessments and dates & amounts of sale, for example. Don't know if all VA counties are in the data base, but it would be a great source of supporting documentation. In my state (NC), I've gotten in the habit of checking the real estate lookup for missing info on a routine basis. I often use it to get missing property tax payment dates, amounts, etc rather than waiting for the client to provide it. Plus, when there's a purchase or sale of a rental property I routinely pull the property card and print out the info as supporting documentation for purchase/sale dates, calculating land value, etc.

Wondering if some contemporary worship leader has produced a mashup...

Part of the reason I suggest listing the total paid to the PEO and then backing out the Officer/SH wages is that it discloses the source of the Officer/SH wages. If the return were flagged for having reported wages without any 941's being filed, and if someone looked at it in a review, they would be able to see where the entry originated.

What about a line item on the “Other Expenses” Line 19 supporting sheet for “ PEO Outsourcing / Leased Employees” followed by a negative entry for “Officer/Shareholder Wages” on the next line? Then enter the “Officer/Shareholder Wages” on Line 7 of the 1120S.

That's one of the many benefits of using email/text communications as the primary means of communicating with clients. Avoids wasted time talking on the phone or sitting in your office After a many-years-long effort, I'm down to maybe a dozen clients who don't use email or text as their primary means of communication. To be honest, I'd get rid of them tomorrow if they weren't special cases (good friends, charitable cases, etc).

What software are you using?

I used to say that of all the hair stylists I've ever been to, none ever offered me tax advice but most would ask for it. Eventually I came to realize that most of them already knew the answer and they were probably just testing me to satisfy themselves that I really knew what I was talking about.

Can't you tell him you'll be happy to prepare the return for his sister if she wants to engage your services? People often ask open-ended questions about third party situations, but they usually understand if you tell them there are too many potential traps to discuss an isolated tax matter without knowing the whole picture. I know everybody works differently and I'm not saying everyone should do this, but I encourage my clients to text and/or email me at any hour. That's the great thing about email and texting - their question has been duly noted. Sometimes I go to bed late or other times I'm up early, and can fire off a quick answer right then if it's appropriate and if I choose to reply at an odd hour. But when I go to bed I turn off notifications so there aren't any sleep interruptions. The message will be there when I wake up, to deal with at my convenience. And absolutely zero time wasted on a phone call. Texting and email are your friends, provided you manage them instead of allowing them to manage you.

Sounds like my client several years ago who said her son who was a sole proprietor had formed an LLC so he could save on taxes. When I asked how, she said it Limits his Liability for taxes. All he had to do was fill out this form and send it in to the Secretary of State with a $100 check. My reply - "That's not how it works. That's not how any of this works !" Thank God she didn't say he wants me to take him on as a client since I'd have said absolutely not. Fortunately he was going to do his own tax filing, which was probably best all around.

That's why I posted the statement in its simplest form. Whenever an incorrect answer is posted, someone rings in with a correction. That happens on other forums as well, but the tone and tenor of the correction tends to be more civil over here. There have been a few times when the discussion went off the rails & got combative, but the general nature of the conversation here is collaborative and supportive.