Re: Quick Books/ Was Re: Am I charging too much here?

labor, IF LISTED SEPARATELY is not taxable.

if i sell a lock, including installation, the whole thing is taxable. but, Lock $19.95 labor $25.00 tax is the lock ONLY...

EACH state has their own quirks... someone said if the internet tax ever does get passed, there would be THOUSANDS of different rates required plus the paying of the taxes to each county/town...

--Shiva-- nuk pu nuk

is

in my state, the 'whole' thing would be taxable. the lock wouldn't become part of real property till 'after' its installed.

internet

different

nuk pu nuk heard that !!

I don't bother to use the 'inventory' part of QB, as being a one man fully mobile business, it is more a pain in the arse than a help, as every bit of stock you use or sell, you have to spend time recording it, and sure as houses, you will forget to record stuff after a busy day, and it just becomes a real hassle. I think one really useful ingredient of QB is the 'CLASS' section. Give every one of your customers a 'CLASS', i.e., 'Private Job, Shop, Factory, office, Government, Realtor, Body Corp, Repo, etc etc. You will then be able to keep track of which 'TYPE' of customer you should be targeting, and where your money is really coming from. Quick Books is GREAT MATE !

you got it.... 95% of mine is businesses, schools, churches... and NOT the public-especially houses...yes I got some old ladies that I unlock the house for... or the car, and get an occasional call otherwise for a car... but around here, all one does is get in hot water in housing problems...so, I dropped them... my bottom line picked up after doing so...

and yes, DO NOT USE INVENTORY... total waste of time....

--Shiva-- nuk pu nuk

Got finished with the job today plus did two others. The customer was happy. Bought me pizza plus I got a tip. He said he'd call again and tell his friends. Charged as quoted plus twenty more for two strikes. Check cleared. Taxed for parts

Here if the customer gets the key before you get payed you better not leave because the lock becomes real property when it is installed. Learned that the hard way on a job a few years back with 62 Schlage cylinders. Never got paid but you learn every day.

Glen

Can you clarify "Here if the customer gets the key before you get payed you better not leave because the lock becomes real property when it is installed."

Is there somehting in the law that puts you at further disadvantage to collect after you leave the premesis? Or do you just really mean get paid before you even hand over the keys in the first place?

Damned if I would have rolled over on that one Glen. Plenty of avenues around to re-coup your money or property. Hope you let every other Locksmith in town know not to deal with that particular scumbag. Always more than one way to skin a cat !

Here in Texas if you give the home owner the key before you get the money, ( "Let me see the key to check the locks"), and then the home owner goes inside the house and locks the door, if you leave the house to call the police or for any other reason, the police tell you they can't do anything because you left the house.

The law says the locks become 'real property' after they are installed. If you take the locks off the door or damage them, then you go strait to jail. Do not past go and do not collect 200 dollars.

If you have a hot check or a bad credit card and the customers signature you stand a chance of getting the customer for service theft.

I walked into the house like an idiot, rekeyed the locks, gave the customer the key and let him check the locks while I being a moron at the time due to lack of knowledge, went to the truck to get the bill. He locked the door. I left because I didn't have a cell phone to call the police. I got screwed.

Really didn't have a leg to stand on. No signature, no hot check, no bad credit card number. The only proof I could have shown was the copy of the customers key.

Also here if you manage to get the customer into small claims court and you win, all that means is you have a judgement in your favor saying you won the case. Then you have to collect on that judgement. You can spend more money than the job is worth.

The real lesson I learned is only trust the trust in the 'In God We Trust' on the dollar bill and never the customer no matter how friendly they act.

So if I understand you correctly if you make the mistake of turning over the keys but call the police and wait for them to arrive without leaving the premises then they will take action?

Sounds like the best thing is to make sure you hold onto those keys till you get your $$.

here?

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message

much here?

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The customer was

he'd call again and

two strikes. Check

you better not

installed. Learned

cylinders. Never

before you get payed

when it is

disadvantage to

mean get paid before

you get the money,

home owner goes

house to call the

can't do anything

are installed. If

go strait to jail.

customers signature you

gave the customer

at the time due to

locked the door.

police. I got

of turning over the

without leaving the

those keys till you

at least have you're cell phone handy !

Since I asked about the quickbooks thing, I wanted to say thanks for the feedback rather that just fading into the e-world twilightzone. The input made setting up QB much easier. I'm sure I'll cahnage some things as I go, but at least I have a base to start from. None of the templates seemed to fit.

Here, pure service is not taxed, but if any product changes hands (even from the pinning kit, the whole job becomes taxable. About the only thing I don't charge tax on is auto openings.

The direction the thread has taken has also been useful to me. I decided to check on recourses available to me such as the "mechanics lien" and what if any similar protections might help get me paid before the situations arise.

Anyway, Thanks all.

A mechanics lien will sometimes work wonders in getting paid. However in Texas it is useless on a house that is being 'Homesteaded'. If you work in Texas and take a customer to court for a lien you need to check the customers tax recoreds before giving the customer the summons or you will walk away from court crying under CERTIAN situations. And they can also file a chapter 7 and stop payment on your lien too.

When I originally began using QB I must admit I got a bit frustrated trying to set it up, especially as our country had just introduced a completely new taxation system. I hired the services of a professional QB mobile consultant / trainer to come to me, and set QB up the way I wanted it to work, as well as relevant taxation settings etc. She was only here for about 2 hours, and charged about $120. Money WELL spent, and of corse a claimable business expense. I can now do my entire years 'business and personal' taxation submittal in under 30 seconds. Gotta love that !!.

say thanks for the

twilightzone. The input

things as I go, but

seemed to fit.

bit frustrated

introduced a

professional QB

the way I wanted it

was only here for

expense. I can now do

in under 30

there are QB reps here in the states that will come and do the same thing. many accountants also are familiar with QB and can set it up for a particular business. (wish I would have known that years back when I started using QB) :-)

g'day Steve

You can file a mechanics lein as you say, however in Texas apparantly there are some sticky issues when you do it with regard to real property. I don't know the ins and outs as I'm not in Texas. The text you quoted above was text I had already quoted from.......Glen???? I think it was.