Accounting & Bookkeeping & Small Business Forum

[Guest]

Does anyone here still does their client taxes manually? If so how long does it takes, and what is the advantage of doing it manually as opposed to a software. The taxes I am referring to are as follows. Corp Tax Partnership tax LLC Tax Sole Proprietor Tax

[Guest]

It is better to use software to be more efficient but you need to know the laws in case you have to do it manually.

[Guest]

Can understand wanting to do company taxes other than sole proprietorships manually if just starting out...program costs for doing these can be enormous...for just a few clients not worth the cost...have found software that you pay by return and still have the benefits of software "accuracy" and support...

But if you know the tax laws and feel more comfortable, your clients are happy with results, no reason not to do them manually.

[Guest]

Although you will pay for the computer and the software, manual preparation is dead.

The only time, and I mean the only time manual preparation should ever be considered is if the return is very simple and the costs far exceed the benefit of both professionalism for repeat and new customers.

I did a manual return last year for an elderly women who was ill and had a simple, simple return. My returns are paid on a per return basis and I charge a fee to the client. I was able to reduce her fee and did it as a special service to her. I did not anticipate getting additional business based on the effort, nor did I wish to encumber her.

If a client comes to you with a completed return and is having trouble with something simple, you could do something similar, but don't sign the bottom for an error check if you don't prepare the entire return.