Thanks for all the help

[spt]

I have been doing small business and individual tax returns for 25 years. This has been one of the hardest tax season I can remember. I want to thank all who post to this site because as a sole owner (I have a year round accounting business) I have been able to get answers for some of the gray areas we all see. I have had to do more reasearch this year than ever before. If this is a taste of seasons to come then I will have to cut back on the number of clients I have. Just for the feed back I prepare 56 business returns (1065, 1102 and 1120S) and 400 individual counting extensions. I also handle about 35 sets of monthly books with more than half of these having payrolls and sales tax. I maintain 1 full time person for bookkeeping only and 1 part time person. I handle from the interviews, to data entry, to printing and assembling, efiling and checking efile status and last sending out the acceptance notice of all returns. In other words no one touches a returns business or personal except me. I work an average of 75 to 80 hours each week of tax season. I talk with other preparers at seminars that handle 1000 returns by themselves. There is no way possible I could do that many. Am I just very slow or could they be inflating their numbers? Just wondering how the rest of the profession fairs in this area. Again thanks for all the help.

[RitaB]

If you are slow

If you are slow, I am a turtle. You have done more than I have, and I have worked my butt off. You and I could have done a lot more if we did not have to do all the meeting, talking, chit-chatting, copying, ordering supplies, filing, preparing payrolls and summarizing records for monthly clients, cleaning the office, goofing around on message boards, answering the phone ("Hello? I have a quick question. I'm doing my return on Turbo Tax, and it is asking for...""Hello? Wonder if you could help me? I am online gettin an EIN cause I want to LLC my business...")

I don't know what the guys completing 1000 returns are doing, but I want no part of it. I am wiped out. Kudos to them, congrats, and all that.

[oceanlovin'ea]

Sounds to me like you are a supertaxperson. I would have a very hard time doing all you are doing.

When I worked at HRB many years ago, I had a couple of years that I did around 400 returns. BUT that was all I was doing....my clients. I didn't have to do any of the other things that you are doing along with the returns and no business returns.

Now this year probably around 150 returns, business and personal. But I am also not working as many hours as you do. Since my office is in my home, I can work in the evening when I have other things to do some days.

So you sound like you are overworked! I think the one doing 1000 is not telling the WHOLE story.

Linda

[taxxcpa]

Huge volume

One guy who used to work at my former employer as a gas revenue accountant did 300 tax returns on the side. After working about 8 hours for the company and commuting back and forth from his home, he must have put in about 8 more hours every evening plus a lot of week-end hours.

I would have to be awfully money-hungry to work myself to death that way. Incidentally the man I'm talking about took early retirement at age 55 and died shortly thereafter.

[BHoffman]

Any one of us could prepare 1,000 1040A and 1040EZ forms in a season.

I only prepare around 200 returns, but it feels like a 1,000.

[dyne]

I have prepared returns for 276 clients. I did not stay busy. My daughter has worked for me for 25 years but did not help this year as she was required to work overtime at her full time job and I did not need her. My friend prepares 3,000 returns each year but his wife, daughter, granddaughter: CPA and son-in-law all help him.

[DaveO]

SPT, my numbers are similar to yours as far as returns go but I only have a handfull of writeup clients. Big difference is I work in a small office with someone else inputting and copying the returns. Hat's off to you doing that much alone

[spt]

ok so I

am just the average CPA. That makes this season alittle better. Hope everyone has a good year and may God bless you.

[JohnH]

Thanks to everyone for all the help, and especially for the corrections when I offered wrong information. This virtual water cooler is great, especially for us solo types.

[Black Bart]

Tortoise and the hare.

...Just for the feed back I prepare 56 business returns...and 400 individual...35 sets of monthly books...no one touches a returns business or personal except me. I work...75 to 80 hours each week...

You're a better man than I am.

I talk with other preparers at seminars that handle 1000 returns by themselves. There is no way possible I could do that many. Am I just very slow or could they be inflating their numbers?...

Slow? Your numbers would blow away half the people on this board.

[BHoffman]

“Old age and treachery will overcome youth and skill”

hehehe

[Possi]

Thank you for another year...

Thanks for all the help and comic relief this year! I love this office!

I also work alone, doing no corp returns and no accounting. I have a few single owner LLC's, lots of sole props, lots of rental properties, and lots of regular 1040's. My goal was to go from 370 all year to 400 all year...

I will clearly meet and exceed my goal! With extensions, I have 395 returns! Now, I know most people do not set goals of numbers of returns, but since mine are all just about the same regarding difficulty, I just count the returns. If I were doing business returns, I know I'd probably do half that and make twice the money. Maybe when my lifemate comes along and joins me, I'll let him do the easy ones and I'll get more into the business and accounting.

I had that 5 yr carryback that nearly drove me to drink, but I got help. I thank God for all my blessings. Even for the ones that tick me off.. it teaches me to be nice... or as John says "Nice doggy... until I find a rock"... I stole that one for my email signature!

I'll stay on board here after tax season from now on. I have extensions and I also have time to research topics for other people who might need some help.

Blessings to everyone and many many thanks~~~
Now, where's that glass of wine???

[anu31402]

Thanks to you all. What can I do sometimes without this board like yesterday when I had to quickly look up Form 1099-Q.

B I G T H A N K S!


Kay, EA

[gboykin]

I personally did 964 returns this year. I do all the interview, input, assembly, scanning, etc. Have a personal assistant handle the phone calls, and a part time payroll processor for the payrolls that we prepare. I feel that 1000 is a reality for me, but it is really intense for 3.5 months. Really excited to have tomorrow to myself for the first time since 12/28/09.

This board is great, and hopefully I'll have more time to contribute during the off season.