File/Organize Client Files

[veritas]

I would equate using file cabinets and paper today with using a rotary telephone. Or how about a copy machine that uses wet chemicals. Maybe a Victor 10 key?

Electronic is the only way to go. Hard drive space is cheap. But you must have an good backup system and that means keeping a complete backup offsite. I dare say there won't be much left of those paper files in a fire.

Once you have a couple of years in electronic format and you realize those file cabinets are going away the excitement begins. I can retrieve a document or return in seconds from my desk. Can you do that with your file cabinets?

[Safire]

I keep a paper copy of every return. ABC order, one folder for each client.

I also do a CD backup of all the files, just in case.

[Black Bart]

Gimme a break, Oregon

I would equate using file cabinets and paper today with using a rotary telephone. Or how about a copy machine that uses wet chemicals. Maybe a Victor 10 key?

Electronic is the only way to go. Hard drive space is cheap. But you must have an good backup system and that means keeping a complete backup offsite. I dare say there won't be much left of those paper files in a fire.

Once you have a couple of years in electronic format and you realize those file cabinets are going away the excitement begins. I can retrieve a document or return in seconds from my desk. Can you do that with your file cabinets?

Rotary phones, etc.? Not quite. What is it that compels people to not only dismiss the technological equipment of yesterday, but to ridicule those things as if they had never themselves used it? I've used rotary phones. Have you? You and I both still have to pick up a piece of paper and look at it now and then, but ten years from now somebody may be chuckling at your quaint "electronics" because it doesn't project and suspend in midair a holographic image of that piece of paper.

I don't have a good backup system. In fact, I don't have a backup system at all and don't particularly want one. But if I decide to get one, I guess I can do like Bees -- buy a laptop, scan stuff, and take it home (does that qualify as "offsite"?). Fire loss: How often does your office burn? How often do you lose data to lightning surges? Although it happens infrequently, I'd say the latter happens quite a bit more. I've never had a lightning spike zap out my paper files. And, if the office burns, clients' files are the least of my worries (the main one is: is my building insurance current?).

Retrieving document in seconds: You may have me there. I do have to get out of my chair to get the paper file. But...I can bear it. It's fifteen feet to the file cabinet and I just timed it -- took me 17 seconds to get there, pull the file, and look up a document. If your computer's off, I'll bet it takes that much time to turn it on and get past "WELCOME," etc.

Now...having said all that, since you ride a motorcycle, you can't be all bad (may even teach Sunday School or somethin'). But don't be so quick to throw "old stuff" overboard. Just because it's the latest thing out doesn't mean it's the greatest thing out.

[sea-tax]

I keep a paper copy for 3 years then scan to a cd or eventually to a dedicated hard drive. during the year I back up my program to a flash drive and take it home . I do this during tax season twice a week. After the season i do a final back up. For bookkeeping we backup every day .
I agree with BB in that we to often times dismiss the old for the new most flashy technology. Just like when the power went out and I went to the store to buy some food and they told me she could not ring it up because she would not be able to make change. It was 9.80 dollars and I gave her 10.00. Geeez!

[outwest]

My 2 cents worth...

I scan everything using a nice fujitsu document feed scanner into a dual monitor system so I can see both the document, old return or whatever and still work on the other screen. Bottom line, the few times I went to the file cabinet this year were an interruption of my work.

In the pro column:
- No desk hunting for the document SOMEONE has.
- My whole office goes home with me each night. The backup happens while I look at these discussions.
- Indeed offices don't often burn down, but hurricanes and water happen. Kinda nice to have your livelyhood in the car as you head to high ground.
- External drives now cost less than a file cabinet: $70 for the 160 gig drive I got today.
- Client wants a copy faxed to the bank: click, click, fax number and gone.

In the con column:
- Need to think out filing. I use client name, subfolder for year, subfolder for activity. Hmmm, ought to do that for paper.
- Got to do backups, hmm... seen enough dead computers that you ought to do it anyway.

Last comment, after reluctantly testing it last year, my partner showed up one day with scanners for everyone!

Doug

[veritas]

"Rotary phones, etc.? Not quite. What is it that compels people to not only dismiss the technological equipment of yesterday, but to ridicule those things as if they had never themselves used it?"

How about the Victor 10key calculator? I even knew how to multiply by subtraction.

BB If you use a computer you need some kind of backup.

The electronic storage system will eventually become the standard.

Anyhow went on youth retreat this weekend (my wife is the Sunday School teacher) and rode the"hog".

[veritas]

I keep a paper copy for 3 years then scan to a cd or eventually to a dedicated hard drive. during the year I back up my program to a flash drive and take it home . I do this during tax season twice a week. After the season i do a final back up. For bookkeeping we backup every day .
I agree with BB in that we to often times dismiss the old for the new most flashy technology. Just like when the power went out and I went to the store to buy some food and they told me she could not ring it up because she would not be able to make change. It was 9.80 dollars and I gave her 10.00. Geeez!

I'm suprised that you don't use the electronic filing cabinet software that comes with your tax software. The size of you office would make it very practical and cost effective.

[Unregistered]

i am infact looking into it , however like others i am a little slow on decisions when it comes to technology. I have looked at a fellow collegues office and he does it. I am seriously considering going paperless this season. I guess like most i have trouble changing somethings that are not broke.
SEA-TAX

[Black Bart]

Oh, I know it,

BB If you use a computer you need some kind of backup.

The electronic storage system will eventually become the standard.

but I just wanted to complain about all that stuff that's blowin' in the wind. I've already been hauled kickin' and screamin' into the...umm...21st century, I think it is, and I like it not.

Guess I'll go to Office Max tomorrow and see if they've got one of those seventy dollar frog-giggers that outhouse-west there is pushin'. That's fifty cheaper than a 4-drawer file cabinet -- but then, if I can just figure out what the hey to do with the dang thing.

Say hello to the Sunday School teacher for me -- it's nice of her to serve like that. I didn't mean anything "smart" by that post and I'm still lookin' around for a used "metric."

Best regards, BB

[geekgirldany]

Filing Cabinets

I have two large filing cabinets and a old bath tub full of storage boxes of previous years returns

I was going to get into the paperless office thing but just couldn't. I bought a HP Scanjet 5500c with the document feeder and everything. Paperport 7 just wouldn't do the trick at the time. Just bought PaperPort 11. Excellent software! Really is perfect for paperless office. But yet I am still having a hard time getting into it. I guess if I had a large office (more than one person) I could see the need for going paperless.

For me I need to sit at a desk with the paper in my hands. Looking at the screen just isn't the same. Now I could print it from the pdf.. I know. But what if I need to look at it later down the line. I have to print again... then I would be killing even more trees. Even though I use recycle paper some tree gave up its life for me to print. I owe it to the tree to print once and put it in the filing cabinet as a tribute for the paper it has provided j/k

I do keep offsite backups though of the tax returns and important files. This is mostly backup from my tax program. I have every tax program installed on my computer since I started back in 2000. I use a firewire harddrive and take it back and forth with me from office to home. Jumpdrives are great too since they have increased greatly in size. Have a 1 gig myself.

[veritas]

but I just wanted to complain about all that stuff that's blowin' in the wind. I've already been hauled kickin' and screamin' into the...umm...21st century, I think it is, and I like it not.

Guess I'll go to Office Max tomorrow and see if they've got one of those seventy dollar frog-giggers that outhouse-west there is pushin'. That's fifty cheaper than a 4-drawer file cabinet -- but then, if I can just figure out what the hey to do with the dang thing.

Say hello to the Sunday School teacher for me -- it's nice of her to serve like that. I didn't mean anything "smart" by that post and I'm still lookin' around for a used "metric."

Best regards, BB

I like to complain alot myself or so my wife says.

"seventy dollar frog-giggers that outhouse-west there is pushin'." LOL

[veritas]

i am infact looking into it , however like others i am a little slow on decisions when it comes to technology. I have looked at a fellow collegues office and he does it. I am seriously considering going paperless this season. I guess like most i have trouble changing somethings that are not broke.
SEA-TAX

I think you are using Lacerte? If so it seems to me they will do a special deal for the 2005 DMS product. We use Fujitsu 4010c if memory serves.
Here's a link.

http://www.lacertesoftware.com/products/dms/

[Matt Sova]

Electronic file cabinet

I cannot believe that people still use paper files. There are a number of electronic storage solutions out there. I use File Cabinet Solutions because I use Creative Solutions for all my software needs. However, I have seen e-file cabinet (www.efilecabinet.com) and it seems to be pretty good as well.

Everything gets printed to the file cabinet and all client doc's are scanned in. As far as how they are organized I have everything in alphabetical order. 1040 clients are last name then as many letters of the first name to make an 11 character id. Corp clients are usually initials or part of the first word about 5 or 6 characters normally. I discussed this with a person that has the same software and all his non-1040 clients start with zzz then initials or part of the first word so they all show up at the end of the file cabinet. I am just too darn lazy to change all mine over at this point.

[Unregistered]

I think you are using Lacerte? If so it seems to me they will do a special deal for the 2005 DMS product. We use Fujitsu 4010c if memory serves.
Here's a link.
http://www.lacertesoftware.com/products/dms/

Veritas thanks for the advise I will be calling Lacerte soon. Sea-tax

[Armando Beaujolais]

The first time I used computer software to prepare a tax return I thought it was cumbersome. I could do a paper return faster than I could do a return on a computer. Or so I thought.

I knew a writer not many years ago who couldn't bring himself to use a word processor. He wrote everything in pencil.

New technology isn't better just because it's new technology. My office hasn't gone to paperless yet either, and the thought bothers me a bit. However, anyone I've known who went to paperless has sung the praises and nearly insisted that I do the same. I'm starting to wonder if this is the same kind of deal as using a computer program to prepare tax returns or using a word processor to write.