Memory is not

[fliszt]

something that improves with age. For those of you in the beginning of tax preparation, self employment, I would like to mention something I didn’t do which came back to haunt me once in a while. So, to help you in your tax building business, I suggest when you are interviewing your clients, take pencil notes on what is discussed. It’s like in the corporate world, what you don’t write down will come back to bite you later. Just enough note to jog your memory 2, 3, or 4+ years down the road.
I hope you all have a very successful year.

[ChEAr$]

Memories

Now Larry, I'm not being facetious here, but I really recommend
a dose of vitamin e every day, about 400... units. whatever they call it.
I can't remember what they call them.

(grin)

Seriously, it helps me a lot. I can still remember what happened to a client
ten years ago with that investment, or the year he had trouble claiming a kid,
or the incorrect W2 from an employer.

But remembering something my wife reminds me of? seldom.

[BOB W]

I have been........

......... very lucky most of my business career. When a client comes in AND sits at my desk, that client's whole life conversations with me pop into my brain. My clients are amazed at my recall ability. To date that has not changed.

If I were to meet them on the street, I am lucky to remember my tax clients names, go figure. Your point, now that I am approaching 65, is very good. I just may have to start jotting down conversations.

[taxmandan]

My software has a NOTES page and I often put info in there so it will carry to next year as a reminder of important stuff.

[Gretel]

Thank you so much for this advise. I hope others, who don't have a brilliant memory, will jump in too.

Not do I have problems taking enough notes, I also have problems trying to figure out what I meant, sometimes just a day or two ago.

[Snaggletooth]

Client Perception

What your clients think:

1) You don't have any other customers but them.
2) Once having told you very intricate financial details, since they are your
only client, you will keep them in the front of your mind all the time, and
not confuse them with anyone else's data.
3) If sweeping legislation occurs during the year, you immediately interface
the legislation with their intricate details and pick up the phone and tell them.

The written record (notes, etc.) is every bit as important as this thread suggests.

Classic case: Alabama client was partner in an apartment complex in Minnesota.
The other partner was the "operator" since the Alabama partner had moved away.
Apartment complex was sold in 1991.

I claimed half of the profit on a 1065 K-1, and told the client I was certain they would have to file Minnesota tax on the large capital gains. Alabama would allow a credit for taxes paid to Minnesota. They said that their Minnesota partner used a CPA for all reporting and it would be handled from the frozen end of the partnership if anything was due. After all, the CPA knew Minnesota taxes and I didn't, right?

In 1996, client called, furious. Minnesota was going to send them to the electric chair if they didn't pay on the 1991 capital gains, so they had to cough up some $2500. They wanted me to take credit against Alabama taxes, but we couldn't file an amended 1991 return because the statute of limitations had passed.

They had since moved to Birmingham and used another preparer, but were blaming me for losing the credit. I sent them notes of our conversation: how I had brought up the subject and they had refused at the time. Furious wife took out her anger on her husband instead of me....

[ChEAr$]

I had to laugh at that one, Snaggletooth.

Here I am on the border so most of my clients work in Georgia, live in Alabama, take credit
ont he AL 40 for the GA income tax.

Every now and then I hear of somebody paying off Alabama income tax because they had
neglected to even file an AL 40. So years later they are assessed AL tax and are allowed
no credit since it's outside the statute.

Serves them right I always say.

[TaxBird]

'Idiot Savant' is how I would classify my memory. My gift seems to lie more in ferreting out what they 'haven't' told me.

For the most part, I remember things in terms of 'themes'. If I can be reminded of the 'theme' then I can access the memory sometimes with astonishing detail. Other times not so much.

As a practice, I take copious notes, file them and then let it go. I figure as long as I know where to find the information (any information), I don't need to keep it 'readily accessible' in my brain.

[Snaggletooth]

ChEAr$ to you as well!!

[QUOTE=ChEAr$;28461]Here I am on the border so most of my clients work in Georgia, live in Alabama, take credit
ont he AL 40 for the GA income tax.

ChEAr$, mind telling me the GA town you're at? Maybe Trenton? LaGrange? Columbus? I won't show up for dinner, I promise!!

Ron J. Manchester, TN

[Matt Sova]

Same here

'Idiot Savant' is how I would classify my memory.

I am the same, except for the Savant part.

[veritas]

Years ago

I took the Dale Carnegie course. Along with how to win freinds part. haha- we learned methods to memorize things. It is pretty cool. First you learn a memory picture for say numbers 1-20. You then could ask someone to point out 20 objects in a room and you would associate each item with the picture. It is amazing you could ask me what number 15 object is and it was easy to tell them the correct object.

unfortunately I have forgotten the memory pictures.

[Black Bart]

Veritas -- Memory pictures

I took the Dale Carnegie course. Along with how to win freinds part. haha- we learned methods to memorize things. It is pretty cool. First you learn a memory picture for say numbers 1-20. You then could ask someone to point out 20 objects in a room and you would associate each item with the picture. It is amazing you could ask me what number 15 object is and it was easy to tell them the correct object.

unfortunately I have forgotten the memory pictures.

You're right -- that stuff really works.

My nephew once told me about it and he could still recall stuff from years ago. Like you said, you make up a picture (I used goofy objects) and associate it with the item you want to remember. I tried it on a dozen items and it worked like a charm. Only problem is that now I've completely forgotten all the items and can recall only the goofy prompters: dollar bills stuck on limbs in a treetop, dagger stuck through the sail of a toy boat, etc., etc.

[oceanlovin'ea]

Evelyn Wood Library

I went to a one day seminar on Microsoft Office put on by Fred Pryor and Carerr Track. (which was actually very good) One of the other products they tried to sell us a program designed by Evelyn Wood for Reading Dynamics and Memory Dynamics.

Any of you ever heard of it? It really looked very interesting. The older I get, the harder to remember what I am reading. Maybe that is because my mind is always thinking of the other 50 things I should be doing instead of reading.

Linda F

[Grumpy]

I was going to add something really important to this thread . . . . but I forgot what it was.