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NOTE PLEASE, THIS IS A JOKE, NOT POLITICAL COMMENTARY ! A Win-Win-Win Situation Everyone concentrates on the problems we're having in this country lately. Illegal immigration, hurricane recovery, wild animals attacking humans in Florida. Not me. I concentrate on solutions to problems. The result is a win-win-win situation: Dig a moat the length of the Mexican border + Use the dirt to raise the levees in New Orleans + Put the Florida alligators in the moat. Any other problems you would like for me to solve today?

Just spoke with ATX on the beta testing. They are still taking names for testers (in case anyone else is interested). Starts on 9/9 and goes for three weeks. Week #1: installation (stand alone AND network; they need both) Week #2: client letters Week #3: printing You will note there is NOTHING in all that addressing functionality, non-glacial processing speeds, or any of the other major problems we had. Just those three areas. I will still test, but it's looking more and more like Drake. Anyone here going to the Drake seminar in NJ on Nov 7&8? I may see you there.

AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE I'm not sure about the "actual" bit, since it has been attributed to the U.S. Air Force, United Airlines, Qantas Airlines, and more. But it's a great old classic about clear communications. --- Here are some actual logged maintenance complaints and responses: P = the problem logged by the pilot. S = the solution and action taken by engineers. P: Left inside main tire almost needs replacement. S: Almost replaced left inside main tire. P: Test flight OK, except auto-land very rough. S: Auto-land not installed on this aircraft. P: Something loose in cockpit. S: Something tightened in cockpit. P: Dead bugs on windshield. S: Live bugs on back-order. P: Autopilot in altitude-hold mode produces a 200 feet per minute descent. S: Cannot reproduce problem on ground. P: Evidence of leak on right main landing gear. S: Evidence removed. P: DME volume unbelievably loud. S: DME volume set to more believable level. P: Friction locks cause throttle levers to stick. S: That's what they're there for. P: IFF inoperative. S: IFF always inoperative in OFF mode. P: Suspected crack in windshield. S: Suspect you're right. P: Number 3 engine missing. S: Engine found on right wing after brief search. P: Aircraft handles funny. S: Aircraft warned to straighten up, fly right, and be serious. P: Target radar hums. S: Reprogrammed target radar with lyrics. P: Mouse in cockpit. S: Cat installed. P: Noise coming from under instrument panel. Sounds like a midget pounding on something with a hammer. S: Took hammer away from midget.

Did you try to figure them out first? Here are the answers: 1. The third. Lions that haven't eaten in three years are dead. 2. This one's fairly lame, but the woman was a photographer. She shot a picture of her husband, developed it and hung it up to dry. 3. Charcoal. 4. It's pretty easy: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow! 5. The letter "e," which is the most common letter in the English language, does not appear once in the long paragraph.

QUESTION DURING A JOB INTERVIEW: Why did you leave your last job? The Company relocated and didn't tell me where...

If you don't mind dealing with mail-in rebates here's another deal, $140 shipped 2nd day air for an (almost) 24" http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236112&nm_mc=EMC-IGNEFL081513&cm_mmc=EMC-IGNEFL081513-_-EMC-081513-Index-_-LCDMonitors-_-24236112-L0A This one has a nicer LCD panel, but maybe not $60 nicer: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236335

I think it means Windows Server, Microsoft Office, etc.

The IRS quality review rules sound ideal--the volunteer who prepares the return makes a few judgement calls re filing status etc and enters the data. Then a person more knowledgeable goes over everything before the taxpayer leaves the office and the return is filed. EXCEPT THAT the knowledgeable person isn't there every minute the site is open. And when there's a line out the door, those checklists aren't always followed to the T. IRS's own audits have shown that. The situation reminds me of my days at HRB. The computer locked certain returns for quality review, either because they had something unusual (even a K-1) or the client bought the peace of mind guarantee. At the end of the day, those returns were checked and the checker's code entered so they could be released to efile. Problem was that the client and his/her original documents were long gone. There was no way to verify that the client really qualified for HOH status or was entitled to claim that dependent. All you could do at that late date was check that the W-2s etc that we retained were entered correctly. And often when the original preparer was a respected colleague, you just signed off on it without questioning anything. Out of the hundreds I reviewed, I can only think of a dozen that I continued on hold because something seemed out of whack. What a waste of time and false sense of security. And that's exactly what I think of the IRS rules for its VITA sites. Sound good on paper but.... I too know many really good preparers who pride themselves on volunteering for VITA. Several EAs, others with 20+ years tax prep experience, even a former IRS agent. I'm sure they do a really good job with those clients who are lucky enough to see them. That said, a very experienced pro I know left VITA because she was the one who checked returns and said that 90% of them were wrong. She thought they were harming rather than helping their clients. The problem reflects the fact that so many people think they know how to do taxes. (How many returns have you corrected that were done by someone's coworker or brother in law?) The IRS reinforces the idea by giving people a brief training session and a rulebook, and then certifying them as "trained" volunteers. Yet filing status and EITC are among the most complicated parts of the tax code. at times stumping even those of us with extensive training. As much as they'd like to make it seem that anyone can quickly learn how to do a "simple" return, I don't think there is such a thing as a simple return anymore. We do few EITC returns where I work, but I confess that I have referred to VITA a couple of them where I suspect unreported income. The unpaid volunteers don't have to answer the due diligence questions on Form 8867, nor are they subject to the huge fines.

Good luck with that one...

>>That doesn't make it right to put an entry on the wrong line.<< Yes, and I had a similar objection, also on mortgage interest, in another thread [home office standard deduction]. So it's not necessarily a problem with VITA volunteers. And really it's not even a problem of bad preparers. We all make mistakes all the time. In my opinion that is acceptable. What I don't like is a weak or missing review process. That goes to how the organization is structured, not the quality of the workers.

Somehow, my brain won't let me connect the avatar with Jainen.

>>How do I handle this disposition of asset on S-corporation tax return<< The corporation reports (and presumably passes through) $245,000 capital gain (assuming "donor basis" means the corporation's adjusted basis). In addition to the capital gain, the shareholder reduces basis in stock (and reports ordinary gain if there isn't enough basis). The son gets a basis step-up and a new depreciation schedule, and hopefully they all get a new attorney.

>>new avatar, Jainen<< Yeah, cool! I got one of them new smart-phoney things, so of course right away I took a picture of myself in the bathroom mirror!