Leaderboard

Any client that is not understanding of a non-intentional mistake by a professional does not deserve our professional assistance. Show me anyone who has not simply made an error from time to time??

He created and implemented it. He also swears by Google Chrome. He spent 3 days at Sylvan headquarters rolling the new website out and making all the configurations to get it working. He also maintains it. It just makes his day when he "outsmarts" his old man!! (I make a big fuss, but inside I am bursting with pride!!)

Like Lion, I usually put the return to one side, then I review it the next day by double checking every number on the original documentation against the return. I use the Tax Organizer to make sure I didn't leave something out or the client forgot to give me something, even with those clients who won't fill out the organizer.

Thanks for starting this one, Jerry. Ok, I generally enter everything on the return, laying the forms and client-provided documents in a stack. Then I start over with the stack and make sure I didn't miss anything. I also look at the prior year return; I keep hard copies of everything. Yes, every form, every piece of paper with anything on it that went on the return. Sometimes they fail to bring a 1099-Int or something. I have one lady that always gets a K-1 late, and she never remembers to wait on it. On clients with college students, I try to list the year and the Education Credit on the inside front cover so I don't take the AOC five times or something like that. I still goof up. A client brought in a letter for 2011, she had four W-2's that year, and I gave her husband credit for one of hers. I didn't even notice that there was an incorrect credit on the return for excess SS withheld. I explained what happened, apologized, double checked that 2012 was ok, gave them a check for the interest charged. She understood, and we had a nice chat. It happens. I still hate it when it does.

I have a spreadsheet I use, and the client's line is color-coded by what's going on: received papers, untouched; in progress; waiting for documents; etc. (Have given copies of this out before; if you - or anyone - would like that spreadsheet drop me a note or post here and I'll send it along.) When I know there is one TYPE of item I am looking for, I flag that item in the return as estimated, either in the input screens or on the forms page.

I always added a column the return manager and made brief notes there. If it was only one or two items I put the details there. If much more detail was needed, I'd enter "waiting on info" and the notes of unresolved matters or missing information would be with the client's file and source docs. I also used 2 other columns in return manager with info about e-files. One was for the status of those e-files through the system with brief notes like "wait'g on sig forms", "sent/acks?", "complete". The other e-file column I used in return manager was to indicate what returns were or were not e-filed with the column heading of "Efile Y/N". Entries were something like "Y-Fed & DE", "Y-Fed, Y-DE, N-PA" , "None". I wanted to see the status of everything in the return manager. Returns were not marked as "complete" until out the door, e-filed, AND backed up. If anything still required any action on my part, it was not marked complete.

The issue you described is NOT an issue with WIN7 and IE11. It is poor construction on the SSA website. My son is a software engineer that designs and implements websites. I asked him and he echoed my sentiment. To verify that he is qualified, check his latest production. http://www.sylvanlearning.com/ It is a wonderful thing to have a son that is much more intelligent than you to keep you up to speed! (I exploit his knowledge and intelligence at every opportunity!)

There are NO perfect humans. To expect perfection from someone and not be able to be perfect yourself is total hypocrisy. Intentional carelessness, neglect or indifference is a different matter. Doctors are human and diagnosing and treating another human body is an art, not a science.

I have a client who was horrible about not getting W-9s from contractors, and no matter what I said they kept writing checks. I changed their QuickBooks vendor "check payable" line to print, "No more checks until TIN obtained!" Got a call from them the next week when they went to print out yet another check to that vendor.... the office manager didn't know how to change it back (tee hee). She learned, and started getting W-9s from everyone. Mostly. We still occasionally find missing TINs from (for example) a new plumber called in once in January and then again much later in the year. If fewer than 25% of the 1099s have a missing TIN, you can still e-file the 1099s. Tell the client to expect letters from the IRS on all the missing TINs. Frequently that warning is enough to get them to hunt down the contractors. If not, telling them they must immediately start backup withholding of 28% usually kicks their behinds. They do NOT want to do that work, argue with the contractor about "underpayments" and quickly decide getting the W-9 is easiest, fastest, safest for them.

There is no automated way to know if all the returns have been submitted. In Return Manager, when you highlight a client, the status of e-file shows at the bottom. I think I am going to adopt the process that easytax recommended, and then regularly highlight the clients and manually check the box in the column I added. If I do this daily, it is not so cumbersome. At the CAB meeting, this was another issue that we lobbied for very hard. We want a column in Return Manager that shows the status in e-file manager. Currently, the two managers are two totally different programs within the ATX program. When you create an e-file, the preparation part makes a file and sends it to the e-file part.

I don't check that the return is complete until I get an efile acceptance.

I go over the returns with the client when they come in to discuss, sign, pay, and pick-up. So, sometimes I catch something then or client does; but I really try NOT to have mistakes discovered with the client sitting here. My proofreading takes place before they come to pick-up.

I would never send the 1099 for a big reason, if they fight it you have absolutely no records to back up what you are reporting to the irs and since most clubs are owned by people that perhaps play a bit rough you don't want to start with them and good luck getting their ein's or even the real corporate name. YOu might have a rational to think you can 1099 them for the door fee but for the dances, they might take the position that they charge the customer 40 and pay you the $35 net so in fact they should 1099 you. YOU really don't want to start with all these problems. Take the amount she reports to you as income, maybe write off some costumes and that's it. And no one here has yet to address the fact they make lots of tips over the dance fees. You truly want to file a return based on what you were told, keep it under the radar and keep it simple or you should pass on it. BTW the profession should be listed as entertainer or actress not STRIPPER, or all the local irs guys will want to audit just to see her <s>

Tell them the alternative is to not deduct the expense, and they will realize that 'doing the sub a favor' is too expensive. If you tell the client that you are required to answer a question ON THE TAX FORM that they have filed all required 1099's, and that answering it 'no' will FLAG their return, they will usually get you the info to file the 1099. At worst, you file the 1099 with REFUSED in the space for the SSN/EIN.

not me, no clergy just strippers, I have my standards. Of course I had to stop doing returns for barter once I got married.

I once had an audit on an escort that deducted birth control and the agent accepted it.... That aside, I too do a few strippers since my old office shared a parking lot with a club and they would come in from my sign. [ah the benefits of having a store front office]. You aren't doing an audit so you don't need records other than what they tell you, get it in writing and educate them how the irs will do a lifestyle audit; what is their rent, their car payments, their child care, food, clothes etc. Most of mine would show a 20k-50k profit, especially the ones that were thinking of buying a condo etc. ps: I no longer am in the store front but its available if any one is interested, the good part is I never had to give a guy directions to my office. me "hey its across from the ******Trap" them "ok I know where that is"