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New client had my first and middle name so naturally I entered my social security number as his.

One year I entered two out of three dependent SSNs incorrectly. It was my own return and my kids.

How about this client.... Phone call: Them: "I have a couple of questions about my tax return I just received in the mail" Me: "OK, go ahead..." (As I am opening the return in my computer and get ready to answer) Them: "Did you add all my medical expenses?" "How about all the mileage for my business?" "Why is my refund smaller?" Me; " What numbers on the Sched. C do you think are not correct? How much should your medical expenses be? Did you see that your employer withheld $500 less this year?" Them: "Oh I don't have my tax return here. I am driving to meet some friends and thought I would ask...."

Back by popular demand. . . . In recognition of newly recognized executive powers to modify the law any old way I feel like, any time I feel like it, with or without congressional approval . . . (see, I was against that before I just now decided I'm for it! I just didn't properly understand its benefits ). My earlier 10 minute power nap pronouncement is hereby made a daily requirement for the duration of tax season (including extensions and loading/testing of next year's software) for all tax preparers and is extended to a minimum of 25 minutes. Sweet dreams!

Nothing takes the wind out of my sails more than when I make a stupid mistake. For example a client moved to a new city during the year and I transposed two digits on their zip-code. Client caught it before the returns were filed so it wasn't a big deal but it still leaves me with that embarrassed, incompetent feeling. I'm surprised ATX didn't catch that the zip didn't match the city/state.

I needed a client to get a copy of his 1099G (unemployment income). NJ now makes you get it online or in person. So I explained to the guy "I need the numbers" off your 1099G and told him he can get it on line. 1st he calls back and tells me he got the form but it says not for use, information only, should he call 1-800-get forms. He went to IRS.gov and looked up 1099G DAH I told him NJ used to send 1099G showing unemployment payments but now you have to get it on line from NJ. He has a online account and I know he has used it from print outs he gave me. 2. I get another call from him and he says here are the numbers. OMB=1545-0121 What the Heck!!!! he took "the numbers" off the form. Now I may have been able to explain better to him what I needed from him, but really, how dense can you be? He's been unemployed for two years, this isn't new to him

I know someone who entered of his three grandson's social security number incorrectly on a family members' tax return last year. Their refund was delayed until a phone call straightened it out. He had to offer to advance them the money until the refund arrived, but they assured him that wasn't necessary. He had an excuse - he had changed from ATX to Drake and re-entered all his clients' info rather than do a conversion. It was one of 3 mistakes he made last season during the re-entry process. Said tax preparer will remain nameless - nobody knows other than my daughter and son-in-law.

Well, I was in Las Vegas, so you may be on to something...

staff is more dense than clients.... while I was typing the above post, our new 25 y/o intern came in with my daily deposit in his hand. 3 checks from clients and he asks are you sure you want to deposit this in this account? why? because you are depositing into Citibank and the checks come from chase and td. and my wife wonders why I drink at work!

I made a large transposition in entering a W2 this year. Printed the return, caught it on review, and corrected it (made almost a $20,000 difference in tax due). Somehow, staff shredded the new, correct copy and put together the incorrect copy for the client. Luckily, I had emailed the client to give a 'heads up' about the large tax bill. Client noticed that the return did not reflect the large amount due and called me. I was so embarrassed. What really scared me is that if I hadn't emailed the client, I might have efiled a return that was not the same as what the client thought he had signed off on. Note to self: Double check amount due/refund on signed 8879 before clicking 'send'. Easy to do at the beginning of the season, but a lot more difficult now.

How many times have you entered the client's SS# as the EIN on a W-2 or 1099-R? I stopped counting. Some W-2s have them directly above one another....

I have never cared for AOL, but I have had zero issues with ATX this year and not many last year. I DO have issues with how I am going to finish all of the returns that are sitting around in various boxes in my office.

Is that how you get rid of the in-laws tax returns. Note to self, remember this one. Tom Hollister, CA

I "like" all the posts. You are all making me feel better. Yes, we all make stupid mistakes because we are human and are overworked. My former boss said if we never make a mistake, we aren't working fast enough. Make too many, we are working too fast. Like the 3 little bears, find the consistent speed that is right for you. I don't know of my mistakes yet. Something will surely make itself known in the next month or so.

Hang in there; we all do it. Couple of years ago clients moved and told me the town. Left out the "north" in the town name -- at least, it wasn't in my notes -- but it was on one or two of the tax docs (most still had the old address). No one noticed until after the return had been filed -- and the refund check was sent to a non-existent street one town over. Took a while to get it right but eventually it all got sorted out. (Fortunately, it was a refund for less than $50 so it wasn't like the mortgage depended on it!) Now we laugh about it but boy did I feel like an incompetent fool at the time.

The way I see it is that this is a private forum created and owned by Eric, assume you made some payments to Eric those were donations not membership fees. Nothing gives you the right to dictate how it is being run Eric owns the board and KC is his majordomo. The only one here who could censor her is Eric. Maybe if you ask nicely Eric will set up a forum for "SCL approved posts". The only comments KC should get are thank you's for all the work and time this takes from her life. I appreciate the "attempt" to keep political posts separate but too many times the lines get blurred. When I don't like a post or its heading then I skip it, I don't complain about it being here. I like the humorous posts and don't like the spring flower ones, so what, someone else will like the flower talk and not the humor. this forum is a nice tool to share tax ideas, work on problems, discuss political issues that affect taxes and some that don't. its a great diversion while taking a little break or printing a return. Its not a cch forum that is dedicated solely to taxes. I can't believe all I learned here which is something I planed on posting after tax season but will post now. Being on the "gold coast" of long island its easy to get very jaded. My associates, my clients and most friends and family are from around here. What I have learned is that this is a big country with such varied social and economic differences. I love guns for self-protection, I train in martial arts and petkiti-tirsia knife fighting but except for a "few" cop friends most think I am crazy. When I read all of those here from across the country who defend gun ownership I see I am not alone. When I first saw some posts here about people raising fees $5 or others whose clients complained over small increases, when I see people here talking about the cost of toner or paper, or see others worried about depreciating $100 items I used to roll my eyes but I have learned here that while $100 here is nothing, not even a movie night out, for others it is a very significant amount. I couldn't pay my rent or eat around here if I charged what some of you charge but, you charge what makes sense for your area. Even a simple rental house around here starts at over $500,000 so to me, capitalizing anything under $5000 [in most cases] would be ridiculous. its just a different way of looking at things. I think I pay more for health insurance for my employees [$25,000} here than some of you earn, but that's not a slight, its just an economic geographic thing that I learned here. Being here you get used to big numbers but I learned that they are not normal nor universal. I bet many of you don't have to pay $20 for a sandwich but because I do, I found it hard to understand some of your posts but I am glad to have learned to look at things more universally. ok, I rambled enough after 5 hours of sleep each of the last 3 night.

Favorite Clients ; 1. Ones that are organized. 2. Ones that follow my letter and bring everything. 3. The older clients who pay their estimates and stay on top of things from a tax standpoint. My all-time favorite, now deceased, had retired 5 different times. His job was to pay his estimates quarterly. My job was to make sure he never had to pay more than $100.00 on the 15th. Never batted an eye at my fees and always gave me a very nice tip for my services. The family lives all over the U.S., otherwise they'd still be clients.

Arrival gathering: My new niece picking berries: Uncle Lenny stealing the shot: Backyard games: Aunt Maude with new pet: Family gathers to all say good by!

I got married in Vegas, remarried that is. Don and I were out there for an IRS forum, in fact, and decided to do it as a reaffirmation of sorts. It was a lot more moving than I expected it to be, as I was just 18 the first time, so those promises involved meant a lot more after 35 years and raising 3 kids and all life had handed us over those years. I recommend it. But yes, Nevada does keep a record of it!

I charge per staple that I have to remove....I copy everything and that a client gives me. when it takes 20 minutes to remove all the staples on 1099's k-1's etc I add a frustration fee.

The family resemblance is very strong.

Macallan 18 y/o in 3oz doses does the trick. -

just send a bill- they will run

that's what this kind of thing makes me want to do, hit my head against a wall.

If I had a nickel...

Yes we all have done it at sometime or other. This happens because we are human and if the truth be known, we beat ourselves up worse than the client would. Hang in there only 10 days left.

Tabby: I will take her off you hands... I do a number of lawyers returns. Crabby ones? I LOVE to bill them... Rich

I played hooky last night and went to a contra dance. Feel SO much better today!

It's ok to kill that guy. 10.4

I like clients that know nothing, hand the forms over, and scram. Also like the smart clients who ask questions. Not partial to the clients who think they are smarter than they are and have to know things like, "OMG, why did you put $500,000 on line 1 of 4562 and 2,000,000 on line 3???? OMG." Also becoming increasingly irritated with clients who don't bring me everything first shot. I just escaped to get fried pickles at Sonic and an ice cream cone at McDonalds. I am eating my feelings, and they taste great.

I am partial to those that read the letter I send them in January, and follow the instructions. Heck, I am partial to the ones that can read....

I can make that $10. When we'd offer our daughter a couple of cookies and she countered with four, we'd go to one. Or read for 30 minutes and she countered with 15, we'd go to 45.

I liked in previous versions of ATX, when entering stock sales you could just press 'V' and it would spell out 'various' instead of having to type it. Overall I haven't had many issues with ATX, a few updates back fixed the 'retry' error for me. (standalone)

Oh, I see what you mean. Yes, that's annoying. And I must say, I think I hate the letters. Not messed with them enough to know if it's my fault or not.

None of my clients. I don't ask, and I won't ask. Tom Hollister, CA

I don't have your issues with the server because I use stand alone. Overall, I am much more pleased with the software this year. And I don't think ATX is monitoring this board anyway. But I do have a couple of pet peeves: 1. The education credits. The input is clunky and the information does not flow like it should. No where does the software check the grants and scholarships against the qualified ed expenses. This is a joke. 2. The home office worksheet. While I appreciate where they are going with the form, it is clunky and hard to work with. 3. E-file CA 541. Their inability to get this form to E-file is a joke. 4. CA 100S Schedule B depreciation differences. It is a joke that I have to override all the fields to get the CA depreciation in when the depreciation comes from the rental activity. This should flow through to the form. With that being said, I am still happy with the software. Good value for a good product. Just no support anymore, which is a dirty shame. They were one of the greatest support departments ever, now they are the biggest joke ever. Tom Hollister, CA

Your latest post "ATX issues" says a lot though about wasted time during the busiest part of the year. The one-time conversion might take some doing, but how much aggravation would it have saved you, and how much more productive would you have been when it mattered most? I could use a vacation about now. For a fee, I'll come down to GA (?) and do your conversions. Will you renew with ATX for next year too?

Thank you! i thought so too. This client is a PITA.

marked no, less money in politics the less tv ads I have to see.

never heard that because its not true

OK, that actually made me laugh out loud. That is really dense! Still laughing....

I'm getting in a TV episode while eating dinner and then the nap is on!

End to the story...maybe I told her to file an extension...NO...she didn't want to! We came to an agreement about the home office that did not involve calculations. She told me that the large brokerage account was joint with her X...and I should divide it in half. I said I couldn't....that both of the accounts had her name and SS number...and only her name and SS number. Then I got a really good idea. I told her to call the broker...and ASK...who was the owner of these accounts. So...we are now waiting for an e- mail from the broker. And when it turns out that I'm right...up goes the fee! I do think the "you go on extension " tactic did put her in her place. But I don't want to do her again. She's just not worth the aggravation.

It's a fact, not a "forced rationalization". And this subject is one that I want everyone to be aware of. Because the one thing WE who do not live in Mass can do is make sure the story does not die the way they want it to, by posting about it on any group, and ask others to post, write letters, etc, so the heat stays on the politicians to stop ignoring this horrible abuse of this child by the government. NO education for over a year? NO visits from her family now, and only ONE HOUR PER WEEK before, with ARMED GUARDS present? As Cat said, "accused terrorist Tsarnev is incarcerated BY MASSACHUSETTS, and has been since the Marathon bombings last year. HE gets all the family visits he wants, medical care at HIS choosing, educations, religious visits, and more -- all at state expsense. This girl would see better treatment as an accused terrorist than as a "patient" under the care of Mass DCF." I repeat, the one thing WE who do not live in Mass can do is make sure the story does not die the way they want it to. And BTW, I couldn't care less what your opinion is. This is not about politics, this is about human rights and exposing this as the child abuse it is.

Think I'll print all of them, cut them out, and paste them over my window panes to hide the gray sky, bare gray trees, brown grass, and all the logs from the trees knocked down during Sandy and Nemo/Athena.

BEAUTIFUL!

If it should have been reported on 4797 in 2012 and doing so would save $5,000 this year, then why not amend 2012 and extend 2013?

This is on one me. In addition to tax prep/accounting, I'm also a pastor. Sunday morning our children's ministry leader thought it would be hilarious to hide my Bible and sermon notes! I didn't find them until about five minutes before service time! I didn't think that was near as funny as the time I did the same thing to someone else !

Shhh!!!!! Margaret's client does NOT need to know this!!