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If he doesn't have his Vanguard stmts for each year, V should be able to supply him copies. He can also get the information from his IRS transcripts of form 5498 and figure it out from that.

They have already told us so.

Any RI tax preparations that are familiar with the data entry in ATX for military retired pay? I have a client that received miitary retired pay and starting with 2023 tax year, Rhode Island no longer taxes military retired pay. I believe I found the correct section to enter the reduction on the RI personal return, however ATX is throwing me off with their data entry screen information. My particular client was born after 1957, but I'm pretty sure they still qualify for the exclusion based on Rhode Island publication on the matter. Any chance someone's been down this road and can point me in the right location to enter this into ATX, or confirm ATX's data entry info is out of date? FYI, I do have a case open with ATX to get their take on the matter too. ATX Data Entry Screen: Rhode Island Publication:

A fair chance there was insignificant taxable profit, which is the only part which may be taxable. Remember, the contributions are not double taxed, they were taxed when earned, so they can be withdrawn at any time.

I've sent specific notes to a couple of folks, but it may well be there are people not in CA who do a plenty of CA returns. A client of mine who is resident PY in NY and CA would like to talk to other preparers about switching. I'm not sanguine about CA returns any longer, as he's the only client I have left with any CA exposure, so I made the suggestion to him. If you are interested in a new client, let me know and we'll proceed from there.

See Page 31 & 32 of Pub 590 B https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p590b.pdf I wonder who advised him that this was a good idea?

2023 Form 1099-R : Box 1= $120,473 / Box 2a Taxable= blank / Box 2b= Taxable amount not determined Box 7 distribution code= J He thinks he started doing Roth IRAs (Vanguard) about 2013. I've searched for any worksheets to determine if any of this is taxable or not, but have not found any help. Please help me. Terry

Unless we change our legal system, it is what it has to be. Defending against even the most frivolous of suit can put a business out of business (with no risk to the plaintiff other than expenses, especially if they find contingency representation, since there is zero penalty for losing). Much worse are those who use "review" sites to try to intimidate or to use as a protection racket. I get nastygrams almost daily from those complaining saying they expect me to keep them from harming themselves (in some manner, such as sending their data online for safety without consent, hacking into their computer to keep them from doing something or fixing what they did, etc.). Maybe the worst is from those who pay the license, then expect me to handhold them through every payroll, teaching them payroll processing along the way. Such is life, being reachable to consumers I suppose, but said life has to be worth living, so one must do what can be done to insulate.

Exactly!

For 2023, the widow can't file as QSS because the TP died during that year. Her choices for 2023 are MFS or MFJ, but joint is only available with permission from executor of his estate. I would suggest she continue as MFS so not to open up the possibility of her becoming liable for his tax debts. QSS is available to a widow that meets the requirements in the two tax years subsequent to TP's year of death: 2024 & 2025. I have never dealt with CNC status and do not know if that would remove the protection from TP's tax debts that MFS has afforded her since he is now deceased. His tax debt would become a debt of his estate, and any assets should be used to satisfy that debt before she gets anything.

Taxpayer and Spouse have filed separately for the last couple of years. They have a child. The Taxpayer had a huge tax debt and we have been able to get Spouse in to Federal CNC status. The Taxpayer died in April 2023. I do not know if the Taxpayer filed or would need to file. Does the Spouse continue to file separately for 2023? Or can she claim Surviving Spouse? I don't want the IRS to come back on her again. We are in NY - so still fighting NYS on her CNC status from 2021 and 2022. I am inclined to file MFS. But - of course - more money as QSS. Her income is quite low. What would you do?

All thoughtful ideas. I'll pass them along to my stressed-out friend. Thank you for the suggestions.

Unfortunately our tax software is going to make choices for us.

I'm going to check into some of the things Medlin has posted. There has to be a way to satisfy the regs without doing the absurd.

What a great father! Mertz's father was an 80% owner of the company and left his son holding the bag.

Although e-record access is common and usually fast, I would try to find an attorney with an office in the same city as the county/parish/district seat where the real property is or where the probate will be filed. They will be familiar with local rules and will be able to get things done without issues, and likely have someone visiting the records counter daily.

FL state bar has a referral service. Lawyer Referral Service – The Florida Bar 1-800-342-8011

Thanks for the direct link. What I had was something from a newsletter where I can only post a snip. In my naiver days, I would sign reports for others (friends I was doing payroll checks, reports, and creating the checks. I stopped once I wised up. I won't even do payroll for friends, but I will teach them how. Anyone about my age or olde will likely "catch" the name of Mertz. The court definitely said "Nertz to Mertz".

This is a pretty clear cut case of someone who knew what he was doing, was one of only 2 persons in the company to sign check and basically admitted to these facts. Here is a pdf of the case. It's only 8 pages long, but the first 2 will give you a complete picture. COA 365480 JEFFERY C MERTZ V MICHIGAN D... - Per Curiam - Unpublished 06_12_2024.pdf

I used the state bar to get a list of locals who were probate specialists. Also reviewed their discipline records.

Any of you have recommendations for a FL attorney experienced with probate issues? A friend is dealing with her mother's FL estate and dueling siblings in FL; friend is in CT.

Even with the FTC requirement, one can still self-manage. MFA is not required, there are other options. But, when the data is not in your direct control (online), things like MFA become reasonable if the software creating said data does not "do" something else, such as self-managed encryption. The other issues. Computers and software are now appliances. They are expected to do all for you with a button push. Learning how to use computers and software is not something people expect to have to do. Thus, a huge part of programming is preventing human actions from causing issues - rather than the user having any responsibility. So a company which stores your data online is not going to want to let you self-manage since they will not want to deal with customers who have forgotten their security code, login, etc. This is where MFA makes it easier for the vendor (with only a tiny fraction of security) since all you need is access to a device or email account (which even a new scammer can get/spoof easier than the public believes). Then, we deal with those we elect who want to "do" something to prove their worth, such as the myriads of local "protection" laws, which do not even make sense (such as requiring data to be kept in the control of the owner, within the local jurisdiction, so no online storage/backup is practical). Here is another wasteful aspect of MFA. I am using a very popular process to share access with a trusted person, to manage our company web site. It has an MFA aspect, which is a mobile app, and I can see the mobile app creates a MFA code even when not asked for. Not sure if it is constant, or only when I open the new password app on my phone, but maybe once every month I need the MFA code, but it generates and times out what appears to be constantly. How secure it that? How wasteful in resources? One may also want to look at the laws for access. IIRC, face lock does not require a warrant, but a pin type code needs to be compelled by warrant. I use both, but my ultimate protection is a boot/IOS code, which is complicated, cannot be brute forced, and no known (to me) hacks when coupled with BootLocker. MFA has and continues to be less worthy.

Well the FTC and the IRS apparently think that we aren't intelligent enough to do these things.

Yes, I am tired of protecting myself from myself. I am tired of running to get my cellphone because someone is sending me a code to get into a site. I, too, am a sole proprietor with my office in an addition built on to my home. Nobody does or has any reason to go anywhere near my work computer. My husband, who is the only other human living in this house, doesn't even know or want to know how to turn it on. There are two other computers in the original part of the office on which we do data entry, bookkeeping, look things up, etc. My office door to the outside has a double lock and a deadbolt. My filing cabinet has a lock. My main desk has a lock. My computer has a password; my cellphone has a password. My safe has a key. We even shut the watermain off when we leave for the weekend. How safe is safe?? Oh, my outside dropbox also is under lock and key.

Well, if the estate wasn't cash poor and had enough to pay the tax prior to final distributions, it would have been paid from estate's liquid assets prior to heirs receiving the property and they would have received the net value. They will end up in the same position once they sell, if they sell, the property. From form 706 instructions