The very purpose for which your legislator was born!

Um... You've never programmed automation to a federal form, have you?

Yeah, if only we could fix the government forms to make this easier, but that would take an act of Congress! Ha ha...oh wait.

With a converter?

BWahahahhahahahhaaaa..

Um... You've never programmed automation to a federal form, have you?

The Pols seem to have hit the right market this time. Where will the Mom and Pops go?

As with Sarbanes Oxley and immigration - aren't there laws on the books already.

Maybe this is just another Federal land grab.

If this increase in reporting & record-keeping is too onerous, what _would_ be a good way to detect this kind of fraud?

Michael, I generally find some value in your comments but here you're showing your elitist side.

Correction: I'm showing my engineering side.

Nearly none of them rely on computers for much more than some appointment setting. We're talking an interconnected group of small businesses that use paper receipts, date books, etc because it's EASIER than entering this stuff in a computer, and their margins are slim enough that the applications (which mostly suck) for their environment aren't worth the cost.

How do they calculate their business tax burdens? Do they have to go through all their receipts from the past year, calculate their income and expenses, find the right tax rate, etc?

their margins are slim enough that the applications (which mostly suck) for their environment aren't worth the cost. They spend enough on other equipment that the digital side doesn't offer enough benefit to spend on that.

Ok, now I'll show my elitism: GnuCash. It's not Peachtree, but it's better than Excel or dead trees.

Further, your comment really indicates a lack of understanding on how many people just are not that computer proficient.

On the contrary, that comment indicates that I am _painfully_ aware of how most people use Excel.

Many, MANY small businesses don't use or keep much information in electronic form. Anecdotes (not data! ;)): My wife is a groomer, and regularly attends small workshops and such, interacting with nearly every other groomer, dog/cat sitter, etc that serves that business niche between Tampa and Orlando (so not that small a pool). Nearly none of them rely on computers for much more than some appointment setting. We're talking an interconnected group of small businesses that use paper receipts, date books, etc because it's EASIER than entering this stuff in a computer, and their margins are slim enough that the applications (which mostly suck) for their environment aren't worth the cost. They spend enough on other equipment that the digital side doesn't offer enough benefit to spend on that.

More than just pet related stuff, you've also got the people who sell the incidentals that these businesses use, the shampoo vendors, knife/scissor sharpener guys who travel around, independent dog/cat food people (they generally sell homemade treats). Most of these people don't have much in the way of electronic invoicing either. Add in the time over what they spent just performing the trade that generates income on what they spend keeping track of receipts, travel expenses, and everything else, adding more paperwork or regulations to create the same info in another form and you're looking at more hours spent NOT generating income.

Further, your comment

Also, people who use Excel for anything but spreadsheets should be hit with large amounts of paperwork, just on principle.

really indicates a lack of understanding on how many people just are not that computer proficient. Basic excel is easy enough and allows people to use the computer successfully. More complicated stuff confuses them enough and benefits them little enough that they don't want to spend the time to learn it. They already HAVE a job and skills...these aren't worth their time to learn.

You're assuming that mom-and-pop LLCs

Presumably Mom & Pop LLCs wouldn't have any trouble keeping track of their owners, to wit:

1. Mom
2. Pop

Regardless, how you convert that to the required forms is an outstanding question, Mike

With a converter? Once the information is in structured electronic data, making copies is free, and conversions are a one time expense.

In the case of Excel, a macro of VBA script could do it. For actual accounting packages, they would include converters for you, so it's just a click of a button.

If you really wanted to avoid burden, the government would provide a web service where the software can automatically submit the signed information on a scheduled basis. Then nobody would have to do anything but keep their accounting data up-to-date, which they should be doing anyway, right?

The reason you're not concerned about increased paperwork, I take to be because you're not a small business owner.

A lot of small business owners that I know, especially side businesses, just use Excel or equivalent.

That's still existing information in electronic form, so again you just have a one-off expense to create a conversion routine and that's it.

Also, people who use Excel for anything but spreadsheets should be hit with large amounts of paperwork, just on principle.