Leaderboard

I file extensions on everything coming in after mid-March. Then I loop back and get some of them finished anyhow. The extension did no harm, and the client is better trained for the next year

Catherine, I'm impressed with your spreadsheet idea that works for you. You must be very disciplined to remember to go into the file every time a client comes up with missing info, signature, or whatever is needed. I would start off the season faithfully updating the sheet and then as things got busier put it off until days end, weeks end, and eventually never touch it again. Even though our office is fairly paperless, we track the progress of each return with an old-fashioned routing sheet. When a client comes in or their info is received electronically or by mail, a cover sheet is prepared with their name, phone, date received, and preparer. There's a place on the bottom for missing info, where I'll write things like "need car taxes" and the date I contacted the client. Once the return is done, there's a line for when the client was notified and we can check whether it will be picked up, mailed, or emailed. There are also areas to check off that the 8879 was signed, am 8453 needs to be mailed, payment was received, return was efiled, ACK received. Returns follow the tried and proven "basket" system." Those that haven't been touched are in one basket. Those in progress or missing info go into another basket. There's a basket for those that are done but awaiting sigs or payment. Ready to efile has its own box, from where they get transferred to the "awaiting ACKs" box, from where they go to the "to scan" box. The routing sheet accompanies each return on this journey and it too is scanned before heading to the shred bin. Your spreadsheet would make it much easier to see at a glance where each return is. The problem is remembering to use it. With our system at least everything is there, and nothing advances to the next step until it's physically moved there. Sure, we might have to dig around to locate a specific return if need be. I do keep a paper list on top of the untouched returns, adding to it when a new one arrives. I keep another paper list on top of the "need info" pile, to minimize digging. The routing sheet serves its purpose because it is clipped right on top of the client's file and you sort of have to use it.

Yes, the employer must add it to boxes 1, 3 & 5. It is no longer a 125 expense so it is taxable to the employee. This would have been the case even without the ACA. It is then up to the employee to take a deduction for the medical insurance premiums he is paying. This will result in increased taxes for most of the employees that lose employer provided coverage and are reimbursed by the employer. Especially since the floor for medical deductions is now 10%. ACA supporters do not like and usually refuse to talk about this increase in tax.

All working fine now. Thanks again Jack.

I also fine "Print Page" a handy tool for specific jobs.

You know, I looked at that chart a dozen times on Saturday and for the life of me kept missing that one section. Thx for pointing me back to it. And Now that I am fresh and rested I see it! Now if only I could get my payroll software to correctly calculate it! lol

I love extensions. I can make more money in 10.5 months than I can in 3.5 months. I've already put two returns on extension, both new clients: one is a family that moved to Singapore last fall that we don't want to file until they've been out of the US for 330 days (it's a three-year assignment from Yale to Singapore U. for a professor) and the other is a retired doctor with lots of investments that include a statement or two that always arrive late (maybe K-1s) who's coming to me because his last preparer made an error in 2011 and because his preparer lives a distance away across state lines and I live in the same town, so I want to have lots of time to go over his 2011 and 2012 returns and proofread 2013 without a deadline hanging over my head and most of my other returns staring at me from stacks on my desk! I expect to spend a fair amount of time on both of these returns; I don't do a lot of international situations but have this and another one this year involving Japan, and I know the doctor's return will be complex and I really need to understand what went wrong and cost him a lot of P&I for 2011 as it wasn't discovered until recently so doesn't sound like matching but like an interpretation of the law re one of his investments. I want to research this summer and not now.

I'm with John. I love extensions. It gives me an opportunity to spread my work out over a longer period of time.

Although critics throw a cheap shot at this, it is actually one of Obamacare's major advantages--no annual or lifetime limits on coverage. Obviously HSA's and FSA's have annual limits, so they needed new compliance regs (which have already been issued). The rules vary depending on the kind of program and source of the policy. So the critics are wrong. It is definitely still possible for an employer to pay for health insurance pre-tax. Plans just need to be updated for the broader coverage. Small businesses like our clients still have Section 105 Medical Reimbursement Plans as a really valuable option, and a good insurance advisor can still set up many other other arrangements.

But the question I have is: did he actually dissolve the S-corp? Should a 2012 corp return have been filed? What about assets in the corp?

jklcpa, I'm glad you found the very easy fix to Firefox pages showing up too small to read. I've been using Firefox for years, from way back when IE was having all sorts of security issues. (I never trusted Microsoft itself to begin with and was glad to be free of them even without their security disasters.) Firefox can do a lot, way more than I'm sure I use. I installed FlashBlock in Firefox, which prevents animated content including ads . A button appears there instead of the ad, slideshow, whatever. If it's content I want to see I just click the button. Otherwise I'm not distracted by bouncing ads when I'm trying to read something serious. I used to get dizzy trying to read anything on an IE page with all the motion all over the place.

http://www.wimp.com/bulldogdad/

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 found all of that last night and increased the font from 16 to 30. It is not working. Firefox IS remembering the pages that I've increased by scrolling, but any new page I visit is tiny, smaller than IE set at 100%. The only site that I've found where that setting actually made any difference is craigslist which is mostly text. ETA - I think I found it. In that same section and clicking the Advanced button, the next screen was showing that the minimum font was set to "none". I've increased that and most pages appear larger now. Thanks, all.

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.

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??

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.

Read these "reviews" -- they are horrifically, hysterically funny in a slightly disgusting way. Be prepared to laugh out loud, and don't be snacking. Review #2 is my own particular favorite (also the shortest). http://slightlyviral.com/beware-sugarless-gummy-bears-on-amazon-com/

My issue would be if the client can provide your support :-)