Checklist

[Black Bart]

It's gettin' close to time to order supplies and ever'thing else needed for tax season. Lemme see now; what all do I have to do/get/buy/round up/tend to?

Okay, first off, gotta call ATX and re-up. Don't know why I put this off every year -- maybe 'cause I keep thinkin' Lacerte will have a half-price sale (wishful thinking). But anyway, the earlybird discount is so piddlin' ($30-40 isn't it?) that it's not worth lockin' myself in during the summer.

Renew my W-2 program (done). Busiware out of Chattanooga. A great bargain-$49 (Snag referred me), very user friendly. Still thinking about maybe sometime filing through SS office though. Question: Does the 10 efile limit mean that we must also switch our W-2/1099's from paper to efile in 2011?

TMI -- order TheTaxBook. Did that earlier.

Then CPE hours. Okay, check that off -- not all done, but got the last seminar lined up: Two full stupefying days with a drone-on speaker whose style is as exciting as a glass of warm milk. I can't wait...

On to Supplies:
Paper, first off -- usually get five cases of ten reams each. Just thought, though; when that mandated efiling goes through next time, I'll bet Quill will be almost givin' the stuff away. Either that or they'll double the price to make up for lost volume.

Need to order some free red W-2s from IRS to give to customers on request. I figure if I don't throw 'em out, then I might pick up these do-it-yourselfers' tax business if it someday overwhelms them.

Order some 2009 IRS pubs to keep on hand -- I'd rather look something up in the paper version than scroll through it online.

10X13 self-seal Kraft envelopes to put clients' papers in when then they bring the stuff to the office.

A bunch of giveaway advertising freebie stuff for the folks (pens, keychains, calendars, rulers, a shot of whiskey, whatever).

Tape, paper clips, pens, pencils, Flairs, Magic Markers, calculator ribbons, laser cartridges-printers & copier, envelopes, fax cartridge, labels......

Good grief, this is going to run into some money....

And what are you buyin'?

[BP.]

And what are you buyin'?

Pretty much the same stuff, plus a wall-mount hand sanitizer, scented candles, and some plane tickets for May.

Need to order some free red W-2s from IRS to give to customers on request.

And get the free 1099's to hand out too.

[tilt53]

Ditto the above. But, doesn't your W-2 program print W-3s? Red copies are only require for 1099s and 1096.

[JohnH]

I don't see any Rol-Aids or Pepto-Bismol in that list of necessities...

[tilt53]

Or a good supply of comfort food!

[ChEAr$]

And what are you buyin'?

One thing I am NOT buying this year is a calendar for my office wall. Already have one
from the back room where I save them. Maybe, just MAYBE, clients won't notice
that it is for 1999.

But 1999 wasn't a leap year and the days are straight.

[JohnH]

There is one other piece of equipment I find very satisfying - a big, noisy paper shredder.

It makes for a lot of entertainment to take all the boilerplate stuff included in broker statements, empty envelopes, and excess paper attached to various tax forms and shove it into the shredder & let it start grinding away while the client is sitting there in front of you. Watching the expression on their face is priceless.

[Burke]

I am going to order the QuickFinder Social Security & Medicare reference book, which is new this year so I don't guess anybody has any experience with it yet. Did not see it in TaxBook's offerings.

[MariaR08]

I'm well stocked on supplies. Only thing left for me to do is renew my tax software... and yes I left that 'till the end so I wouldn't get "locked" in just in case something else came along. But at this point I think I'll be renewing with ProSeries by this weekend.

Wait a minute... ah yes, I need to order new business cards. I established a business phone number and had a little logo designed that I can't wait to start using on my letterhead, envelopes, etc

~maria

[S T]

More

Well I have been renewing and ordering a little at a time and I have two offices to deal with so !!!!!

Placed another small order today for some paper - always need it for something, but it sure goes much further since I am filing returns by efile - and now a lot of clients are asking for PDF copies rather than "paper copies" Cut down my paper costs, printer cartridges envelope costs and postage costs and and lets not forgot those "nice presentation folders" that cost me a fortune

So my order today was for a few boxes of paper, some odd size envelopes, sign here tags if needed, and paper clips. Always have to have two sizes small and jumbo. I have already ordered my W-2 stock, 1099 Stock - but some of that I will also be efiling this year, so that cost is down as well - and my software renewals - OMG they are costing a fortune and I do believe the softward companies have us exactly where they want us

I am sure I will still find that I need something else before years end, but that is 6 weeks away - so small orders here and there, and to make sure they are large enough to qualify for my "free delivery service".

So everyone, thanks for your lists and your inputs - keeps us all on target for those items we conveniently forget about.

Sandy

[joanmcq]

Need biz cards, got the freebies already (pens, clients love 'em) need more laser cartridges, more paper, more folders & return covers.

[DTS]

Oft forgotten items

And what are you buyin'?

BB,

When I had my office, I would light white candles that helped rid the office of evil spirits left behind by unhappy clients. I hear burning a bundle of sage will work, as well.

At the time, the candles seemed more important than paper

D

[S T]

Voo Doo

Or old Indian Practices! Sometimes we just have to use those methods to clear the air and spirit to move forward

Hey DTS

Where have you been?

Sandy

[DTS]

Lurking about

I've been enjoying a brief lull and taking care of some much-needed personal stuff. I check the board regularly and read some of the posts that are of interest to me.

You haven't been on too much lately either. You?

[Black Bart]

Pretty much the same stuff, plus a wall-mount hand sanitizer...

Forgot about that, but I now worry more about such stuff than I used to. If I wear a surgical mask as I cast tax pearls before swine flu-infected clients, wonder would they take offense? Hmmm, maybe better go to Plan B (Lysol the place after they leave).

Ditto the above. But, doesn't your W-2 program print W-3s? Red copies are only require for 1099s and 1096.

Yes it does, but these are (free/no cost to me) blank IRS-printed forms which I'm giving to clients for THEM to fill out (they want to cut me out of the loop, do their own, and save money). This used to be a bigger problem than it is nowadays -- lots of people would ask and I'd waver between charging them $1.00 per form, giving them a cussin', smiling & mildly complying, throwing them out, or whatever mood struck me. This traffic's fallen off in recent years (I'm guessing the younger bunch is PC printing theirs) and now I only get a few older strays asking for W-2/W-3/1099/1096 forms.

My theory is that if I act nice, hand them over with a smile & no charge, then, if/when their 1040s someday get over their heads, they'll remember the kindly old soul who gave 'em those W-2s (and I'll collect a hundred bucks to make up for all these #!$@^%freeloaders).