When Do You Start Preparing 1040's?

[GodFather]

When do you begin preparing 1040's?  For me, I normally wait until the first week in February.  That ensures that the majority of my client's forms should have arrived and it allows me to being entering their data and preparing their returns.  Just wondering the process for others?

I sent all of my clients a preseason email on January 2.  It reminds them of my process and time frames.  It also provides guidance on my preferred means of obtaining their information:  ProSeries Link.     

[Just-Lisa-Now-]

I may prep a few easy W2 returns that last week of Janaury, I wont EF until EF has been open for 4-5 days, so if it opens on Mon Jan 23rd, I may send a few easy returns in on Friday the 27th, after the Thursday update.

[ljr]

We "open" for appointments the last week of January/first week of February depending on how the dates fall. This year Monday Jan 30th, although we usually don't actually start doing returns until end of the 1st week. Not too many clients have everything that early. And I like to let the e-file system be open for a week or so before doing any filing. Not to mention proseries updates. . . . unfortunately more and more of my clients have at least 1 broker statement now or a crypto statement and they know they don't get most of them until mid to late Feb. 

[IRonMaN]

Depends on what comes through the door.  I have a handful of clients that are easy returns that never change jobs or banks so that I am confident I have all of there information when they bring it in.  If they are in the last week of January I will prepare their returns, otherwise the first week of February is the official start.  I don't play the game of "I have to hurry up and file to beat my ex".  Those folks can gladly go elsewhere, I'm not interested in playing those games.

And I also am not sitting on the edge of my seat asking, "what is the exact time that I can officially start transmitting returns?"  I will wait a day or two for the smoke to clear after the opening of e-filing.  Life is too short to trust Intuit not to screw things up when the avalanche hits.