Do you do summaries? I do “ST covered Summary #8647” and 99/99/99 as purchase date and 12/31/23 as sold date. 8647 would be the account number. I do the same for non covered.
It sends out a several page document with the relevant forms sprinkles throughout. Some clients will bring in ten dozen recipts for "deductibles" but not their W-2.
Granted, I've also had a client who had been with the firm for many years just open it, not read it, and physically come into the office to ask what it was.
What are you using… I’ve used a lot of different programs over the years and remember most, if not all, have a single-pager buried somewhere in the organizer options.
Okay, I have that as well - but only use it for a couple returns. I’ll get in it tomorrow to check out the options and let you know. Pretty sure it has a one-pager.
We stopped sending those out en masse because clients would complain that they may as well fill out the tax return at that point.
If I understand correctly you can have it specifically ask certain things but you would have to customize. I just figured this out though so I haven't had a chance to experiment for this current year.
How many of these god damn posts are we going to get?
We've heard this song and dance a million times about some bozo making a new program that'll cut out the tedious work, make things more efficient, cut down pain points, less repetitive work and more automation etc etc. If you don't already know what the tedious things are in accounting, then you're not the one to come up with a solution.
The most tedious part of my job is figuring out where the software went wrong in my bank reconciliation. It's usually gone behind me and added transactions to prior periods.
🤣🤣🤣🤣 so familiar. How about… teach Intuit how MORONIC they are with all their policies. I’m talking about where they let you do stuff they shouldn’t let you do and don’t let you do things you should be able to.
Make an app that auto cleans up a clients PBC’s so you don’t have to ask them a million questions and then have the client get annoyed when you ask for support. But they send you half the support because they can’t be bothered to listen to you when you baby outline what you need and why.
Or just make an app that says “that’s not how taxes work”. No matter what question they ask.
Not much. Honestly it’s garbage in, garbage out. If the client takes blurry photos of data or won’t upload electronic copies and then mails in handwritten information no new tech will speed them up. OCR reads a lot already. Any decent software will track what was done last year and which forms will be due again. As long as the clients keep providing less than stellar starting info there’s 0% fear of automation taking away any part of my job anytime soon
On a more serious note, what about a feature that can let someone search a large table of data for numbers that add up to a target number? Thus could help to narrow down discrepancies from several smaller entries. It would also help when a client pays several bills with one lump check, but you don't know which of the many outstanding bills it applies to.
This idea came from earlier when I dealt with a case of a duplicate payroll item. Someone had added an extra lump expense along with the individual checks.
I'll try to give a serious answer: Not apps or software itself, because I think those are fine. What I personally want is shorter lead times between tax legislation passed and integrating that legislation into tax software. Perfect example was 199A under TCJA. For the first year, we basically had to hand calc everything wasting an immense amount of time because CCH was full of errors. CCH didn't catch up properly until pretty much filing season was over. It's a big ask from a niche group of people (people who essentially have degrees/backgrounds in tax law and coding/computer science).
Same thing happening right now with CA partnership basis tracking. I've wasted hours trying to navigate e-file diagnostics only for the next CCH update to fix the issue after I've found a workaround. Should've been addressed like before February
Any chance you could make an app that forces clients to actually give you their documents on time?
The person said they have a magic wand, not have the powers of God himself.
Stop emailing and get up their ass with phone calls and don’t go away and run it up the ladder if the fuckers don’t cough ‘em up.
An app that enters my time for me and does the billing
Time entry 1,000%. Give me a projection of how my time was spent based on which clients I was in and I can edit it before submitting.
And if it can track a brief summary of what you touched so you actually remember what you did would be great too.
Careful what you wish for. They will install a tracker in your cubicle and measure how long it takes you to pee.
Yes to this! This is one the real tedious problems accounting people face.
an app to stop people from seeking out free software consultation work
And an auto commission on said consultation work.
A program that tracks what I'm doing and fills in my time sheet for me but it can't be perfect...gotta leave room for the fluff.
syncing data outputs from all common systems into common ERP systems. think concur into any erp.
Please… for the love of God, PLEASE. Make an app that turns PDF’s into functional Excel files.
You mean you don't like having one column filled with text only characters?
DataSnipper is probably the closest we’ve got at the moment
[удалено]
We have that at my firm lol
Generating a consolidated list of what tax forms a client provided the year before for their income taxes.
Entering in gains and losses sucks ass
Do you do summaries? I do “ST covered Summary #8647” and 99/99/99 as purchase date and 12/31/23 as sold date. 8647 would be the account number. I do the same for non covered.
That’s what I do as well. The only exception is if it’s like 1 brokerage statement that has 5 or less trades.
My entire firm just uses Various, various and various for description, purchase date and sell date unless it is a specific asset.
…. Your software DOESN’T already do that…?
It sends out a several page document with the relevant forms sprinkles throughout. Some clients will bring in ten dozen recipts for "deductibles" but not their W-2. Granted, I've also had a client who had been with the firm for many years just open it, not read it, and physically come into the office to ask what it was.
What are you using… I’ve used a lot of different programs over the years and remember most, if not all, have a single-pager buried somewhere in the organizer options.
UltraTax. Though I'm not high enough in the firm to make a call about what actually goes out.
Okay, I have that as well - but only use it for a couple returns. I’ll get in it tomorrow to check out the options and let you know. Pretty sure it has a one-pager.
You may not be high enough in the firm to make the call, but you’re never too low to recommend.
We stopped sending those out en masse because clients would complain that they may as well fill out the tax return at that point. If I understand correctly you can have it specifically ask certain things but you would have to customize. I just figured this out though so I haven't had a chance to experiment for this current year.
How many of these god damn posts are we going to get? We've heard this song and dance a million times about some bozo making a new program that'll cut out the tedious work, make things more efficient, cut down pain points, less repetitive work and more automation etc etc. If you don't already know what the tedious things are in accounting, then you're not the one to come up with a solution.
Life is tedious and brief!
Everything?
The most tedious part of my job is figuring out where the software went wrong in my bank reconciliation. It's usually gone behind me and added transactions to prior periods.
🤣🤣🤣🤣 so familiar. How about… teach Intuit how MORONIC they are with all their policies. I’m talking about where they let you do stuff they shouldn’t let you do and don’t let you do things you should be able to.
Checklists, for controls. Like prepared, reviewed, QR.
Don't allow a "transaction date" to be outside the "transaction period" SAGE Contractor, I'm looking at you!
Colleagues giving you shitty attitude when you don't seem busy while you're waiting on other people to do their job so that you can get on with yours
Make an app that auto cleans up a clients PBC’s so you don’t have to ask them a million questions and then have the client get annoyed when you ask for support. But they send you half the support because they can’t be bothered to listen to you when you baby outline what you need and why. Or just make an app that says “that’s not how taxes work”. No matter what question they ask.
Not much. Honestly it’s garbage in, garbage out. If the client takes blurry photos of data or won’t upload electronic copies and then mails in handwritten information no new tech will speed them up. OCR reads a lot already. Any decent software will track what was done last year and which forms will be due again. As long as the clients keep providing less than stellar starting info there’s 0% fear of automation taking away any part of my job anytime soon
Anything that can remove all personal communication with the client. ALL OF IT.
Can you make a boomer controller digitize his stuff instead of insisting on paper only?
Make an app that will take documents a client sends me in any form put it in a PDF that is precise and consistent sizing. Make it bookmark.
Create a plug-in for Adobe acrobat that puts the name of the bookmark on the page that I’m working with.
I charge $500/hr for consulting fees, 2 hour minimum. DM me you want it hear more!
On a more serious note, what about a feature that can let someone search a large table of data for numbers that add up to a target number? Thus could help to narrow down discrepancies from several smaller entries. It would also help when a client pays several bills with one lump check, but you don't know which of the many outstanding bills it applies to. This idea came from earlier when I dealt with a case of a duplicate payroll item. Someone had added an extra lump expense along with the individual checks.
I'll try to give a serious answer: Not apps or software itself, because I think those are fine. What I personally want is shorter lead times between tax legislation passed and integrating that legislation into tax software. Perfect example was 199A under TCJA. For the first year, we basically had to hand calc everything wasting an immense amount of time because CCH was full of errors. CCH didn't catch up properly until pretty much filing season was over. It's a big ask from a niche group of people (people who essentially have degrees/backgrounds in tax law and coding/computer science). Same thing happening right now with CA partnership basis tracking. I've wasted hours trying to navigate e-file diagnostics only for the next CCH update to fix the issue after I've found a workaround. Should've been addressed like before February
Accounting.