PDF Is Very Handy

Anyone who has been surfing the net for very long soon realizes that the PDF file format by Adobe has become the standard method of passing on forms and documents. IRS uses it for the forms and publications that you can find on its site. For the first time, the tax prep software that I have been using since 1985, Lacerte, finally allows forms to be prepared in pdf format for 2001. This has been extremely handy in the past few weeks, as I prepare extensions and email them to clients as attachments. As I tell them, we are doing everything possible to keep the Postal Service out of the loop because they have proven themselves over and over again to be the Weakest Link.

If you don't already have the free program from Adobe that allows you to open and read pdf files, you can download it from here. It's something everyone should have on their computers. In fact, as you realize how handy pdf files are, you may want to upgrade to the full Adobe Acrobat program that allows you to produce pdf files from many programs. When installed, the pdf appears as another printer on your system. When printing a form or report, you just select the pdf printer instead of your regular one and give a name for the file. I use it quite often for preparing financial statements and reports from QuickBooks that I can then email to clients.

KMK
- posted by Kerry M. Kerstetter, MBA~CPA~ATP~ATA @ 4/11/2002 03:07:00 PM Send this post: