Research

[erchess]

What do people on this board do when they have a question that they can't find answered in TTB or on any bulletin board even if all they want is a printed citation for their files?

This year TTB was always the first place I looked but before I posted anywhere I would look in either the US Master Tax Guide or J. K Lasser Prof Ed or both. I think in all actual client return related questions the last two years I found my answers there and when I turned to a bulletin board my question was more of a "what if" or it concerned IRS Policies and Procedures.

I have had for the last two years Kleinrock Total Tax Office but I have used it only a few times and always either to find a document cited somewhere else and which I could probably have found free on the web or to research a question someone else asked here that happened to intrigue me. Given that limited use and given that it takes me more than three returns to pay for this service I may not renew.

[BHoffman]

What do people on this board do when they have a question that they can't find answered in TTB or on any bulletin board even if all they want is a printed citation for their files?

This year TTB was always the first place I looked but before I posted anywhere I would look in either the US Master Tax Guide or J. K Lasser Prof Ed or both. I think in all actual client return related questions the last two years I found my answers there and when I turned to a bulletin board my question was more of a "what if" or it concerned IRS Policies and Procedures.

I have had for the last two years Kleinrock Total Tax Office but I have used it only a few times and always either to find a document cited somewhere else and which I could probably have found free on the web or to research a question someone else asked here that happened to intrigue me. Given that limited use and given that it takes me more than three returns to pay for this service I may not renew.

I use taxalmanac.org to find cites and regs. It is free. There is a search feature with filters so as not to come up with a bunch of discussions. Once in a while those are useful too, but if you are looking for the actual Code Section you can filter them out.

There are some excellent articles in there as well

I think the US Master Tax Guide offers the code section as a reference. I sure wish the Pubs would do the same since they don't have any real authority and are substantially useless in an audit.

[jimmcg]

What do people on this board do when they have a question that they can't find answered in TTB or on any bulletin board even if all they want is a printed citation for their files?

This year TTB was always the first place I looked but before I posted anywhere I would look in either the US Master Tax Guide or J. K Lasser Prof Ed or both. I think in all actual client return related questions the last two years I found my answers there and when I turned to a bulletin board my question was more of a "what if" or it concerned IRS Policies and Procedures.

I have had for the last two years Kleinrock Total Tax Office but I have used it only a few times and always either to find a document cited somewhere else and which I could probably have found free on the web or to research a question someone else asked here that happened to intrigue me. Given that limited use and given that it takes me more than three returns to pay for this service I may not renew.

Google works for me about fifty percent of the time. Other fifty percent I ask friends who have given relaible advice to me over the years.,,,,,,,,,,,,The advise aspect also works both ways and provides a good networking tool.

[kaimana]

1. if it is a software issue the help in the software

2. if it is a tax issue the govt help site in the software, then Pub 17 or the IRS publication for the issue, then TTB and if I can't find it there Tax Almanac forum, then TTB forum.

[geekgirldany]

I try to find it first in TTB. Then I look in Checkpoint Tax Desk. I will then ask the question here... move to Google... go back to Checkpoint if necessary.

Although Tax Desk is expensive, atleast for me, it had paid off with all the detail it is able to find regarding regs and cites. Good explanations with examples. I went back and amended 3 years of tax returns for a customer because of some information I found researching for another customer.

Wish I would have bought TTB WebCD this year. Only regret

[BHoffman]

I'm also going for TTB WebCD for the 2009 tax year. Drake software includes Checkpoint, but I'm not sure if it's a free version or one that must be paid for.

[geekgirldany]

Yeah I am going to try out Drake again this year. I really did not have time last year because I was studying for the last part of the EA exam. I really did not give it a chance. Currently using Taxwise. I noticed that Checkpoint was included in Drake. In deciding to purchase I will compare the Checkpoint Tax Desk I have and what Drake offers.

[erchess]

Checkpoint through Drake

is shockingly limited.

[David1980]

My list is something like TTB, form instructions, publications, forums, tax code/regulations. I can usually get enough information from the earlier sources that I know basically what I'm looking for in the tax code. Often the exact cite from the code is available on a forum. To be honest, I don't do much that goes beyond form instructions & publications. Most of my questions are covered in form instructions.

[Burke]

My list is something like TTB, form instructions, publications, forums, tax code/regulations. I can usually get enough information from the earlier sources that I know basically what I'm looking for in the tax code. Often the exact cite from the code is available on a forum. To be honest, I don't do much that goes beyond form instructions & publications. Most of my questions are covered in form instructions.

My process is about the same, although I will pop it to Research with NATP if I can't get a definitive answer anywhere else. They always provide cites, usually more than one. And in writing.

[AZ-Tax]

National Assoc. of Tax Professionals research service

Its only $23 per question for members with umlimited related questions.

[geekgirldany]

I was a little disappointed with NATP Research this year. Had two questions they said was beyond their scope. One they said was more of accounting questions and told me to ask the NICPA (I think that is it). I told them if they would look at the questions again they see what I was asking for tax treatment of certain items. The answer was still not detailed enough to what I had been use to the previous year.

[Lion]

Cch

I've been using similar resources to all of you. This year I bought CCH's Tax Research Network or some such title. In recent renewal information it seems a new product might suit my needs better. I bought late in the year and really didn't train, so most definitely did not make full use of its capabilities. Will probably renew and learn more about using it. I can drill down to the code as well as get analysis. I can get explanations suitable to print for clients (a more expensive version actually creates client letters on the topic you choose). It has states and everything one could want. I can access it from within my tax prep software. My most used feature was the daily e-mail with updates and links to other publications. As my clients' returns and financial lives and businesses are getting more complex, the CCH products have become more important to me.