The Competition

[Black Bart]

Maybe so, but...

...I agree some tax software out there is quite good - including TurboTax - but the GIGO principle always applies. As others have noted, I have spent much time resolving problems created by TT users...The exit to the cheap, or DIY preparation, will continue. I take some solace in the fact that many folks going that route at some time will return with their tail between their legs...

Granted we amend a few, but it's the loss of volume that's hurting us. Not all TTs are EITC-grade trade -- the ones I get are upper-income itemizers with maybe a small C/E that I'd have charged $125-$250 originally. Point is, we'll never see the majority of similar GIGO-laden box returns that make it past IRS. These are the desirable, quickly-prepared "bread and butter" money-makers we're losing -- there's a limit to what we can charge for the time-consuming, challenging work to make up for it.

For us to lose much sleep on the matter is somewhat akin to the owner of a fancy French restaurant being concerned with the price of burgers at Wendy's...

I'm not so sure; I've seen more fancy restaurants than burger joints go out. Snag posted a good analogy here about the demise of 70s full-service gas stations (attendent: pumping/windshield wash/oil check/air tires) who figured people wouldn't abandon their "quality" service for the few cents discount at self-service stations. The less than token few remaining are eloquent reminders of the immense pressure of cheaper prices. Too, Sam Walton once showed Main Street, USA a thing or two about that.

I no longer do RALs and not a lot of "just-W-2" work -- most of that has migrated to J-H and friends. Catering now mainly to age 40-50-60s and up solid, substantial middle-class clients, I felt somewhat insulated from "the box", but I feel that more and more of the "younger" members of this older class are trying the free/cheap and the older ones, of course, will fade away (unless I fade first -- maybe that's the answer).

[JSLATER]

>>During tax season two or three years ago a man (not my client) came by the office and asked me to correct his fouled-up, semi-complex tax return -- recently prepared by a new outfit called Mo' Money. An obvious PIA thing I didn't want to fool with, I turned it down and suggested he go back to them. He said he already had and they told him they couldn't fix it.
At the time I'd never heard of MM and, curious, I asked him why he chose them to prepare his taxes. His reply: "They gave me a free T-shirt!"<<

I couldn't resist, so I looked MM up on the web. The following quote is their idea of training an expert!!!

"We will even provide training for your employees. We have a mandatory two-week tax course to ensure that all tax preparers are experts in their chosen fields. This training will cover:

* Data Entry

* Types of Forms (1040 A, 1040 EZ)

1. Childcare
2. Education Credits
3. Earned Income Credit
4. Itemization
5. Schedule C (Business taxes)
6. Self-employment form (1099 Misc.)

* State Income Taxes

* Fee Entries

* Data Transmission

* Customer Service"

[BHoffman]

New tax credits might help us

Bart - I dunno. I'm thinking a lot of folks are going to be very interested in the new tax credits that are available and concerned about preparing their tax returns correctly to get them.

I just hope folks start showing up earlier than last year. Seemed slow in Feb and then came a real push in March and even April. There were many more extensions than I've ever filed before.

[Black Bart]

Pretty funny, JS

...I looked MM up on the web. The following quote is their idea of training an expert!!!

"We will even provide training for your employees. We have a mandatory two-week tax course to ensure that all tax preparers are experts in their chosen fields..."

Here's something related which demonstrates the expertise of our IRS overseers. Just before dismissing class at the end of the second grueling day of our EA exam, the IRS monitor called us to attention and, holding up a form 1040-EZ, said "If you pass the exam you will be fully qualified to fill this out." Nobody wanted to make her mad, so there were a lot of tongues-in-cheek that afternoon.

[Black Bart]

I hope so, Hoff

Bart - I dunno. I'm thinking a lot of folks are going to be very interested in the new tax credits that are available and concerned about preparing their tax returns correctly to get them.

I just hope folks start showing up earlier than last year. Seemed slow in Feb and then came a real push in March and even April. There were many more extensions than I've ever filed before.

and maybe they will, but I might as well shut about it anyway. I'm just blowing off steam and there's not a thing in the world we can do about it anyway (at least none that I know of).

I wish IRS would lay off of us and get after the box users with a will, but we're a handy group to target and they can't hang all those individual TT self-preparers for ignorance.

[taxxcpa]

Cell phone

I also made that mistake and gave a client my cell phone #. He used it way too much. He even called me on it during office hours instead of the office number. I found out that I can block a few #'s free of charge. Good idea. At any rate I will not pick up his calls any more. And if he leaves a voice mail I will call him back on the office phone during office hours.

New office sign.
Full body scans are not required by the IRS this year.

I tell everyone who asks if I have a cell phone that I have one, but only carry it in case of emergency and almost never turn it on.

I tell them that the best way to contact me is calling my regular phone and leaving a message if I'm out or sending an e-mail or fax.

[PIGLEE]

I heard about this, and never forgot it.

New Barber Shop Sign " Hair Cuts $5.00.

Other side of the street sign, "We Fix $5.00 Haircuts"

[Zee]

Mo Money Tax commercials been running here. Couldn't believe that wasn't a joke.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-3YC...eature=related

This ad is for real? Do they really have 250 offices? Unprofessional as it is for the type of services offered, it's kinda "funny". But, I can't imagine folks choosing their services based on this ad. It's a crazy world.

[ChEAr$]

Probably I've the best reason at all for not giving out a cell phone number.
Don't have one! I'm in the ReAL Yellow Pages and clients have my email
address.