7 feet of monitors

[Abby Normal]

Just upgraded from three 24 inch monitors to three 32 inch curved monitors. Measured horizontally, it's just shy of 7 feet of screen space, because screens are measured horizontally. My eyes are so happy! (Excuse the mess!)

[mcb39]

Your mess isn't as bad or any worse than my mess and I only have one monitor.

[ILLMAS]

Did you have to use a special video card?

[Abby Normal]

16 hours ago, ILLMAS said:

Did you have to use a special video card?

It is a somewhat higher end video card: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060, but any video card with 3 or more ports will do.

[jklcpa]

Nice!

Are we ready for liftoff? 

[BulldogTom]

Abby is my hero.   I am looking to do something similar next year.

Tom
Longview, TX

[Margaret CPA in OH]

Geez, and I thought I was the bees knees with my single new curved 32 inch monitor.  I just can't keep up with the youth of today!

[mcbreck]

I have 2 monitors plus my laptop screen. Both external monitors are plugged into a splitter that then plugs into a USB port. Plugging into my HDMI port presented issues so I used the USB.

[Sara EA]

Two monitors work for me.  One for what I'm working on and the other with prior year or reference info.  In an online class, one to see what's going on and the other with the text.  My son, who works in IT, has six.  Sorry, I'm not that good at multi-tasking!

[Randall]

I have two monitors for myself.  They are 20 inches and suit me well.  I have them set up as number 2 being an extension on number 1.  I can show the client docs on my no. 2 and work on the tax return on no. 1.  I do have a third monitor sitting farther away.  I have this no. 3 set up to mirror my no. 2.  I only use it if I need to show a client something.  I can move the doc to my no. 2 and turn on the no. 3 and the client can see what I see without standing over my shoulder.

 

 

[JimTaxes]

my set up.. two monitors for me and one for my clients to follow along

[Lee B]

I have one 21 inch monitor and my paper copies

[BulldogTom]

3 hours ago, JimTaxes said:

my set up.. two monitors for me and one for my clients to follow along

I don't believe you are a tax preparer with a desk that clean!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Mine has not been that clean since the day I put the desk in the office.

Tom
Longview, TX

[Lee B]

18 minutes ago, BulldogTom said:

I don't believe you are a tax preparer with a desk that clean!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Mine has not been that clean since the day I put the desk in the office.

Tom
Longview, TX

I agree, my desk tends to look a bit messy. Once in awhile I even loose things on my desk 

[Abby Normal]

3 hours ago, Lee B said:

I have one 21 inch monitor and my paper copies

Seriously old school. I noticed that I was always holding the paper documents up and typing with one hand, so scanning the documents to read on screen was a no brainer for me. Also, no longer needed a magnifying glass or good lighting.

[Abby Normal]

4 hours ago, Randall said:

20 inches

You must have excellent eyesight or really good glasses. I didn't know they still made monitors that small!

[Lee B]

4 minutes ago, Abby Normal said:

Seriously old school. I noticed that I was always holding the paper documents up and typing with one hand, so scanning the documents to read on screen was a no brainer for me. Also, no longer needed a magnifying glass or good lighting.

I have a work stand that sits beside my monitor which holds any paperwork 

[JimTaxes]

1 hour ago, BulldogTom said:

I don't believe you are a tax preparer with a desk that clean!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Mine has not been that clean since the day I put the desk in the office.

Tom
Longview, TX

Client comes in.. by appt.. they bring their docs.. I prepare the returns.. they follow along on their own screen.. print out, signed, efiled.. i give them their docs back and their copy.. desk ready for next client!

[Lee B]

1 hour ago, JimTaxes said:

Client comes in.. by appt.. they bring their docs.. I prepare the returns.. they follow along on their own screen.. print out, signed, efiled.. i give them their docs back and their copy.. desk ready for next client!

So you prepare most of your tax returns while your clients are sitting there and following along?

I don't think I could do that

[JimTaxes]

1 minute ago, Lee B said:

So you prepare most of your tax returns while your clients are sitting there and following along?

I don't think I could do that

yes... record year last year... 15-35 minutes typical return. in and out. one appt.. no dropping off or emailing me docs

[mcb39]

1 hour ago, Lee B said:

So you prepare most of your tax returns while your clients are sitting there and following along?

I don't think I could do that

I could never do that.  I ask too many questions.  Also, I am with Lee.  One monitor and paper copy.  You know what they say about an old dog.  I have no room on my desk for another monitor.  I will jump ship before I even try to catch up to some of you.  

[Lee B]

1 hour ago, JimTaxes said:

yes... record year last year... 15-35 minutes typical return. in and out. one appt.. no dropping off or emailing me docs

I'w afraid I would get distracted and overlook something or make a mistake. I need the extra time to double check everything

[Sara EA]

4 hours ago, JimTaxes said:

Client comes in.. by appt.. they bring their docs.. I prepare the returns.. they follow along on their own screen.. print out, signed, efiled.. i give them their docs back and their copy.. desk ready for next client!

Doing returns in front of the client makes a clean desk mandatory.  You can't have a scrap of paper with another client's info on your desk when someone else is sitting there.  Maybe we all should schedule one in-person client a week to force us to clean up those desks (like when company's coming).

You have to be careful when you have a monitor for the client's viewing.  When I worked at Block, any client notes you wrote last year came up when you opened that client.  One preparer had written "This client is a PIA," and that's the first thing that showed on the screen.

[Sara EA]

3 hours ago, JimTaxes said:

15-35 minutes typical return. in and out. one appt

You don't have the type of clients I have.  It takes me that long just to sort most of my clients' docs, longer if I have to open the envelopes.  Why, oh why, can't they at least open their mail?  Especially annoying are the ones where you have to fold this flap first, tear here, tear there, tear your hair out.

[Jim Oh Bkkr]

10 hours ago, Sara EA said:

I have to open the envelopes.

I'd rather that, than the ones who open the docs with a chainsaw - half the docs are ripped to shreds!