Changes Behind the New "Looks Same" 1040

With More to Come

At first glance, the new Form 1040 for 2006 may look a lot like the 2005 version, but behind the lines and boxes, much has changed. Renowned tax authors Terry Myers and Dee DeScherer highlight the changes - and what is still likely to come in - plus they include a client letter you can adapt for your clientele and prospects now.

Get ahead of the new 1040 now.

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Efficient Systems for Tax Season

Build Procedures around the Client

Although tax processing today is easier than ever, too many accounting firms keep focusing on just getting work out the door, says August Aquila, of Aquila Global Advisors. He shows why "Tax season is the best time of the year to plant the seeds of cross servicing."

Read how to build your tax procedures around the client for year-round gain.

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Ten Tips for a Smoother, More Profitable Tax Season

A Little Planning Goes a Long Way

CPA Sandi Smith offers ten practical tips on making sure this year's tax season runs more smoothly - and profitably - than ever before. Tips will advise on good communication, customer cooperation, clear processes, contingency planning, and leadership strategies.

Get started on your better tax season today.

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Hook in, Link up

Lacerte® and ProSeries® Professional Tax Software Leverage Technology

The newest versions of the ProSeries and Lacerte professional tax software have expanded their abilities to automate the ways you can set up up and prepare tax returns, with improved tools for linking with data in QuickBooks® financial software.

Learn about these new time-saving features here.

Join in Intuit's Rates Survey - Our Biggest Yet

Win an All-New 4G or 8G iPod Nano

More Respondents than Ever; Open to All Practitioners. Answer no more than 30 questions on how you charge for services and be entered for a chance to win one of two new 4G iPod nanos with your choice of colors (silver, aqua, light green, or, while supplies last, the special "Red" edition). Or, double your storage to 8G in the black casing. (Options are subject to availability.)

Read the Rules and Regulations.

Take the survey now.

Master Tip on QuickBooks Premier Accountant Edition

Making the Most of Accountant Edition for Billings

The billing process offers QuickBooks accountants and consultants a great opportunity to manage, control and grow their practices while making the most of the tools in QuickBooks Premier Accountant Edition. Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor and CPA Bruce Andersen walks you through the set up to make Accountant Edition work to its fullest potential.

Here's how to make Accountant Edition 2007 your solution for billings on all your services.

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Special Tip from CPA 911

The Hard Stuff: Moving an Applied Credit to a Different Invoice

Fixing this Client Error. When user error results in a credit being applied to the wrong invoice, the user looks to you to fix things. By special arrangement with CPA911.com, here are instructions on how to fix this thorny problem.

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Be Prepared to Deal with Clients Who Focus on Price

How do you handle customers or prospects who ask you for a discounted price or a special deal?  Do you have friends who expect you to do accounting favors for them for free?  Here are some tips on what to say when you encounter a price-sensitive individual.

• How to Deal with Price-Sensitive Clients.

Find more tips or share your own tips with others.

QuickBooks Release Notes

Intuit is expected to deploy the following release as an Automatic Update late in the day on Dec. 21, 2006:

• QuickBooks 2007, Release 4
  Note: This release is currently enabled as a Manual Download.

Intuit has recently deployed the following releases as Automatic Updates:

• QuickBooks 2006, Release 9
• QuickBooks 2005, Release 9
• QuickBooks 2004, Release 11

QuickBooks 2007 R4 is an especially significant release which also affects networked installations << link to come >> and supports a number of enhancements in payroll. Read more following on the payroll front.

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Intuit Responds to Your Feedback on Payroll in QuickBooks 2007

R4 Helps Reduce Confusion on Payroll Schedules, Addresses Other Issues. Some of you have provided feedback on usability and learning issues with how QuickBooks 2007 supports you in your payroll work. Thats why we responded with significant improvements in QuickBooks Release 4 (R4), which we expect to be available as an Automatic Update on December 21 (see story above).

No More Tripping over Payroll Schedules. One of the big wins in R4 is how you can now work on common payroll chores without tripping over the payroll schedules. Learn how to get the most out of the newly updated QuickBooks Payroll 2007 here.

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New Features in QuickBooks Payroll Offerings

In another response to feedback from QuickBooks ProAdvisors and others, Intuit has made significant enhancements and changes in the QuickBooks Payroll line-up. Two highlights are

• E-File & Pay federal and selected state payroll taxes in QuickBooks Enhanced Payroll and Enhanced Payroll for Accountants (requires QuickBooks 2007) at no additional charge. (See Note 1.)
• Auto-Fill Contact Information in QuickBooks Payroll 2007 (including Standard, Enhanced Payroll, and Enhanced Payroll for Accountants) allows you to have QuickBooks automatically fill in your signature information in forms. (See Note 2.)

Learn about these new advances in payroll here.

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Lacerte and ProSeries Annual Update Seminar Tours

Limited Slots Still Open to Help You Get Ready for Tax Season. Each year, we offer annual update Lacerte and ProSeries tours to learn the latest on new software enhancements, functionality, and significant tax law updates. Attending this course ensures that you understand all the changes and get up-to-date quickly. The Lacerte Annual Update Seminar tour is in 52 cities nationwide. The ProSeries Annual Update Seminar tour is in 24 cities nationwide.

• Lacerte: Register or get more information.
• ProSeries: Register or get more information.

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Detailed Look at All New Accountant's Copy*

The All New Accountant's Copy in QuickBooks Premier Accountant Edition 2007 greatly increases your ability to exchange and work with client prior period data.

Now the Accountant's Copy lets you exchange, review, and adjust a range of transactions in your clients' prior period accounting -- while the clients can continue working in their ongoing QuickBooks files.

You can adjust most prior-period transactions -- but not everything -- and it's important to know what the limits are. One chief exception is with bank reconciliations. See the detailed list of transactions available and the exceptions here.

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Seven New and Updated QuickBooks Webinars

Invest in your learning and enroll today for any of our updated and new QuickBooks Webinars.

These seven Webinars range from basic to intermediate level and are designed to help you get the most out of QuickBooks, learn to be an expert in product usage, specialize your practice and work more efficiently with your clients.

Invest in your future and enroll today.

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Limited Offer on Free Shipping (Ground) on Tax Forms

To Help You with Tax Season. As we get closer to tax time, we want to remind you that for a limited time, QuickBooks-compatible W-2 and 1099 tax forms are available with free ground shipping.

The forms provide QuickBooks software compatibility and great value with the all-inclusive, IRS-approved W-2 and 1099 kits. Kits are available in quantities as low as 10 and payroll information will print onto the correct section of each form.

Learn more about available tax kits here or call 1-800-433-8810. Be sure to enter special offer code C40986 when you check out on our Web site or mention it when you call to get free ground shipping.

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"Year End/Tax Season" Special on QuickBooks Newsletters

Get Special Report: "Certainties in 2007: QuickBooks and Taxes." Readers who act now can sign up for QuickBooks Extra (upper level coverage of working with QuickBooks financial software) at a discount and receive an updated special report on QuickBooks and Tax Prep - at no extra cost - and still get $25 off the full price of the subscription.

For Clients: The QBU is a QuickBooks private label newsletter, for practitioners to send to clients. Our readers receive a special 20% discount on this client newsletter, which can be customized to position your practice as the source of the newsletter. Available in print or e-mail versions.

Learn more or order newsletters here.

Chance to Win a New, 4G iPod Nano – Choose from Four Colors

The Web and Your Purchasing Behavior

We are considering different ways to improve our online offerings and would like to hear from you.

One Lucky Winner. All of you who take this very short survey will be entered for a chance to win the grand prize: one of the new, 4G iPod nanos, available in your choice of silver, aqua, light green, or, while supplies last, the special edition red iPod nano. We also will provide you with the option of free etching (up to 46 characters) to personalize your iPod. Options are subject to availability.

Read the Rules and Regulations here.

Take the survey here.

Keeping You in Charge

Dear %%CUST_FIRST_NAME_CASE%% %%CUST_LAST_NAME_CASE%%,

This monthly e-mail is being sent to you because you have subscribed to the Intuit ProConnection Newsletter. This is our December 20 issue, in which we bring you articles, tools, and resources, manyh of which are meant to lend a hand as you prepare for the upcoming tax season.

We really appreciate your support and for being a subscriber since %%FILLER1%%. If you have any concerns about this newsletter, please let us know. Several options are set out in this Subscriber Center to help you manage your subscription. (Please DO NOT REPLY to this e-mail.)

Find previous issues in your newsletter archive here.

We publish the Intuit ProConnection Newsletter for you each month to give you the information and tools you need to succeed as an accountant, bookkeeper, tax preparer, technology consultant, or related practitioner. You control your subscription, and we want to make sure it works for you.

For all of these, please write to the Editor, at IPC-Editor@Intuit.com.

For general matters or issues, you can mail letters and comments to Intuit Inc., Customer Communications, 2800 E. Commerce Center Place, Tucson, AZ 85706.

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STAFF
Brandon Wilson, Publisher
Bill Teague, Managing Editor
Amy Munson, Web Production

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MID-MARKET OPPORTUNITIES IN JANUARY

Next month we look at those larger businesses that make the so-called mid-market opportunities. We talk to accountants who have succeeded in this area and share their best practices with you.

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NOTICE: DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY
Intuit does not warrant or quaran-tee the accuracy of any statement or other information and materials provided in this newsletter. All articles and other information and materials in this newsletter (collectively, "Information") are provided for general information purposes only and are not intended to constitute legal, accounting or tax advice or opinions on any specific matters. The opinions expressed in Information are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of Intuit. Laws and regulations change frequently and their application can vary widely based upon the specific facts and circumstances involved. You, and not Intuit, are responsible for the applicability and accuracy of Information as it relates to your practice or to your clients. Your use of Information does not relieve you of responsibility, including those to any third party, for matters involving your practice or your clients (e.g., preparation of tax returns, etc.) and you may not rely upon Intuit for advice regarding same. The provision of Information by Intuit is not intended to create, and your receipt does not constitute, any form of relationship between Intuit or the author(s) and you.