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You're welcome, Rita, for the expression used. It really does fit, doesn't it? I have one client -- intelligent woman, otherwise -- who plays STUPID every year about every aspect of her taxes - until she gets her review copy, at which point she has (WRONG!!) suggestions for a dozen or three items. So then she needs placating and explanations. Then she goes back to bone-stupid with signature pages. Instructions from me clearly state SIGN AND DATE the signature forms and return them to me for e-filing. So this year she does that, PLUS sends back the signature pages of her federal and 2 state returns, signed, "in case I need those too" along with some other garbage that was completely unnecessary. What did she NOT send -- payment. (That came separately, a day or two later, WITH of course a copy of my bill as if I don't know what the bleeping money is for or what I charged her!) whimper whimper whimper Whimper

Every year, right about now, I get the real smart people, a week after they signed 8879 and left it with me, reading the letter and tearing off their copy of 8879, COMING BACK IN, and giving it to me. I'm going to have to edit the letter to say: Please review the enclosed copy, then sign the IRS e-file Signature Authorization Form 8879 and return it to me. When I receive the signed authorization, I will e-file your return. You signed it and left it with me on ______________. I swear you did. Don't sign your copy. Keep it. Seriously, I can't get over this one. It happens three or four times a year. In April. Sometimes the same people who did it last year.

The husband does NOT always go 'on top'. I have several clients where the wife is the primary earner, or when they married (both were clients) I rolled over the wife's return because it was the most complicated and added him to it as spouse. Having husband as taxpayer is just a throwback to the old days when wives rarely worked and were property.

KC is correct, BUT the ATX program or any program will not know if the loss from the prior year was carried back and used in some preceding year, so you have to check the numbers, and if those losses were used, then they shouldn't be carried forward. You would have to make a manual entry to tell the program how much has been used, if any.

I provide one copy with the pdf I send for client review. They don't get a second copy unless, of course, they print two. I had to edit my email instructions with the pdf to state, in bold, in capital letters to send ONLY Form 88879 (and sometimes another check box). I am so weary of the bank info page coming back or printed page 2 of 1040 (with CLIENT COPY plastered all over it) signed and dated. Only a week, only a week, only a week.....

Hah! It seems all I needed to do was shut it down. This morning when I opened the return, all was right with the world. I guess sometimes the calcs need time to simmer. Yes, I did have everything marked as home office. The red warnings took me there. Thanks!

So I printed client copies for clients to review while here. They signed 8879 went away, efiled. Now I want to print originals of local returns to pick up in a couple of days to save me postage and print 9325 and letters saying efile is successful, you getcher refund, blah blah Yup, press print, walk away, come back to half a ream of client copies - again. This season cannot end too soon.

Who's whimpering? I'm feeling like this today:

There are limitations on the size of files that you can upload, and also the format of the files that you can upload. If you want, you can email a copy of what you tried to upload along with the exact error message you received, and I'll try to see what's up. KC is right too, there's a lot better chance of me seeing a message if you send a PM to me directly.

She gifted them the timber, so their basis is determined by the gift rules. Let your client pay the resulting tax and be happy that their mom was so generous.

I tried that, too. They came in wanting to know, "Where is this 8879 thing you're wanting?" Yes, one week. Soft whimper stage, right here. (Thank you, Catherine, for putting it perfectly.)

I got home Saturday night about nine, and my 21-year-old son, home from college, had done five loads of laundry. All mine. Me: Thank you, honey, I haven't done it in a while, eh? David: Mom. Please tell me you are wearing underwear.

Sweet little lady that just left, pushing 80, looked smashing, I told her she looked like she should be in a beauty pageant today. Without missing a beat, she said, "Nah, I need to give everybody else a chance." Crying.

I may also insert a line that says, if I cannot complete their return by the 15th for any reason, they agree to having an extension filed on their behalf by our office.

I just printed a tax return for a client that contained approximately 105 pages. Several rental properties, deprecation schedules, 4 Schedule C's Sch D's B's A and the list goes onand on and then the State stuff. Not really complicated but definitely emptied my printer paper drawer. Whew I am glad it is done and the fee is in my cash drawer.

Sitzbath.......That did it for me.

KS has a worksheet you fill out but don't file....weird, but whatever. Available here: http://www.ksrevenue.org/pdf/iiallocation13.pdf MO allows SSMCs to file joint returns even though they don't recognize the marriage. A great resource is : http://benefitsattorney.com/charts/state-taxes-and-married-same-sex-couples/#Kansas I just got the link to that site yesterday from my lgbt bar message board.

The TRUE FACT IS - It does NOT MATTER!!!

FILE NOTHING ITS A DEAD ISSUE

7 more days!

$83 is the per diem rate for lodging for locations without specified rates. Basically, he's giving you the per diem for lodging rates. But they can't use per diem for deducting their lodging expense so it's a meaningless number.

Thanks, Lion and Judy. I think it's out. Extension is also out as she always owes quite a bit and does a payment plan every single year. Hmmm, this may be the last year for her for me....Thinking, thinking....

Only to the extent that it does not increase the value of the house. Written doctor's orders. House appraisal before and after mold removal. If removal costs more than the increase in value of the house, then that excess is deductible as medical. Probably. Had some similar issues years ago with someone with MS that needed various accommodations made to her house upon doctor's orders. And, no, the appraisals are personal and not medical, if I remember correctly. So, the whole process might not be worth it. EXTENSION for that woman now, and tell her not to contact you until May!

NOPE. He died 6 yrs ago, at which time he did not owe this, and his share of the house was inherited by spouse. So in 2013, he has the income, but no assets. Still, I favor my second option, file nothing.

But because the timber would have been a capital asset in the mother's hands, as long as she had held it for over one year before gifting it, they should be able to use LTCG treatment for the sale. And I agree with Jack; if they don't want to pay the taxes, gift it to me. I will pay my share!

Well, since it's 2013 income, she's not able to file a joint return with it. Why not file a 1040 for him as single, deceased, and report the income as non-taxable due to insolvency? Or just ignore it, since there is no way the IRS is going to be able to find him. Any mail received from IRS to him should be returned to the PO unopened, marked "Deceased".

Are you aware you cam use the Private Message tool to send Eric a message, just like you do other members?

I agree with Jack. Please do an amended return. It should be a simple amendment. The explanation should something like: Tax Payers were going to file as MFS but later on decided to file jointly after wife filed MFS. So we are amending original filing to include husband income and filing MFJ. Line 1 has increased because his income was included. Line ... has increase because the tax liability has increased. In taxes, husband always goes on top, BUT not always. Please leave wife on top because that's the return you are amending and you want "not to confuse the IRS", which is not hard to do (I mean both). The following year, you can let the husband go on top again but this year, leave the wife on top.

Say the 2013 return had income instead of losses. The NOL offsets the income by using a negative on line 21. In that situation it would be necessary to have the -9,000 on line 21. I would imagine the reason the IRS has you enter it on line 21 regardless is to simplify things. Why have separate instructions depending on whether the losses are needed for any specific year or not? Just enter on line 21 and if they're needed they offset the income and if they're not needed they continue to carry forward.

If the loss is on line 1 of the 1065, is from ordinary trade or business activity, and the partner is a general partner that is active in the business, then the loss on line 1 is netted against the guaranteed payment to arrive at the self-employment income on the K-1. Hypothetical - it's also possible to have a sec 179 that is allowed because of the guaranteed payments even though there is a loss on line 1, so that actual income subject to s.e. tax might be reduced further yet.

You have her information, select "amend return" and enter his information and select "MFJ" on the "new 1040 that will never be filed" and enter his income and you will have a correct 1040X. You can also file that 1040 before April 15 and ignore the one you efile. In any event, you will have to paper file.

The former. You'll amend by adding his info to hers. He does NOT need an original return to be on her 1040-X.

If they are DOT drivers, it is $59 per overnight day. That is for meals and entertainment, small incidentals. If they pay for their motels, that is separate. Make sure they aren't reimbursed for any of this stuff. Some are, some aren't; some get partial. DOT drivers are hauling people or product interstate. They are the ones who get the 80%.

An NOL carryforward is reported on line 21, and it will make line 21 negative if it is the only item on that line, or if it exceeds the other income on that line. Make sure that you don't need to carry back first, or that the NOL coming forward is that which is remaining after the carryback, or that the client elected to only carry forward. I don't understand why you are saying that the program is adding the NOLs from 2011 and 2012 together. Was the 2011 NOL shown on the 2012 return on line 21, and then that is part of what is creating the NOL for 2012?

New client call's, wife in prison has POA wants to get the return done. During phone conversation I ask last name and realize it's one of my biggest trucker clients son. - Noting with caution he hates both sons, and both are in/out of the system more than in civilization. Once he gives me the first name major red flag. It's the one that just got out from a drug bust! My response! My schedule is full until the 15th, I did hear that HRB has plenty of availability, would you like there number. Click from other end. Sigh of relief in my side. Way to old for the bottom of the barrel.

Engineer who spent four days trying to do his return before handing it over, pays $19700 in investment fees, picked up last week, comes in today to give me the signed e-file authorization, and ask / say: 1) What is the $336 on Sch A for medical? I know we don’t get anything for that, but can you take it off? MC premiums on your wife’s disability. Oh, are insurance premiums deductible? 2) You only gave me one copy of the return, I will need one for myself. See this e-file authorization you signed? You, uh, authorized me to e-file. That’s your copy of the tax return. Also says here on the letter, that I will e-file it. You know, when you give me the signed e-file authorization. 3) Hey, are you cooking something? Smells real hot. 4) Hey, I will get more bang for my buck on the 19,700 investment fees next year cause my deductions won’t be limited and I will only have $100,000 AGI. 10.7 I may look calm, but I have killed three people in my head today.

The "broker" told him to take the investment fees to the Schd D? Wow. That's malpractice right there. I just sent 2 trust returns out with $2.5m under management, and 40K in investment fees, and the accounts did not even cover that in income. I told the client to roll all the money out into a CD and make more money... Seesh. I raised my fee on them also. Rich

I'd put it in the same category as paying a personal trainer. There's definitely medical benefits to exercise. There may be medical benefits to the Alexander technique. But that does not turn it into a medical deduction.

I think in essence Mom gave your client $10,000 in timber, and your client sold it. I mean, no, that's not exactly what happened, but she just needs to pay up and be happy, in my opinion. Alternative is to look a gift horse (mom) in the mouth, and put it back on mom. Not cool.

There are so many variables in the pricing that you give to a client. It is really hard to know if $110 is fair or if 3X that amount is fair. I have clients who bitch about my fees, and I just smile. If they think it is too high, they can go elsewhere. I have clients who tell me they paid a lot more and got a lot less service in the past. I have clients who don't even know what they paid before me, and don't know what I charged them last year, or this year for that matter. Every situation is different. As for being upset at low fees and preparers who charge too little, you would really have to know why they are doing it. When I first started, I really went out cheap, trying to build a practice. I don't do that anymore, but if I moved into a new area, I might just do it again to "buy" clients so I could start building a client list. Tom Hollister, CA

I really don't have this problem often, but I learned a trick at an IRS conference ...which I used one time. To write a letter stating that since your name is on the return as the paid preparer....you will request the IRS to take your name off..which will leave the return more open for audit, It worked like a charm; I lost the client...but who wants clients that don't pay.

Chicken. Charred chicken. Flaming charred chicken. MMMMM. Side order of smoke.

Yes, it's in guaranteed payments. He can deduct as an adjustment to income on his 1040. But, still SE tax. It was part of his compensation.

Make that paragraph bold and one size larger font. Place it at the end right above where they sign on your engagement letter. Go for it. I am doing something similar as well.

I like JohnH's process. Spend the extra bucks to send it certified, then forget it. Increase fees.

The add needed forms automatically is whacked now. I get Sch A every time someone has state withholding, the 8960 when people are nowhere near the income level to be affected. And worse, the damn forms don't stay deleted! I had to print a return three times because of a 1099-G that kept rolling over the prior years state refund and putting it in as taxable when the previous year had been filed late so the refund wasn't taxable in the next year, but the one after. Delete, save, hit print...oh crap, there goes another ream of paper before I noticed (I'm too tired for this crap!). The Sch A wouldn't be an issue except that I use the forms billing and it screws up the invoice.

A button on the Printing Menu: "SAVE THE SELECTIONS FOR PRINTING LATER" So I can make all the selections for that Client, and then let someone else print it. Not just "save selections", as that only seem to "stick" if you print the return. Next: THE ABILITY TO DESIGNATE WHERE EACH CLIENTS PDF CAN BE SAVED. And it remembers to the next year. Smith, James goes in his folder. Jones, Jane goes in hers. NEXT: THE ABILITY TO HAVE THE CLIENT NICKNAMES CARRYOVER ON THE CLIENT LETTER. So, I do not have to check the box, and then type in the clients names each year. NEXT: THE BOX FOR ATTACH CLIENTS LETTERS BE LARGE ENOUGH TO SEE ALL THE SELECTIONS IN IT SO YOU DO NOT HAVE TO SCROLL TO GET THE STATE CLEINT LETTER OR THE MAILING SLIP. NEXT: MAKE THE PRINT SELECTION BOXES A LITTLE LARGER When you have to click those boxes for each return, three times, having them a little larger makes it easier to hit them quickly. NEXT: WHEN SELECTING WHICH PAGES TO PRINT, IF YOU DELETE A FORM AT THE TOP, IT LOSES THE WORKSHEETS AND OTHER ATTACHMENTS AUTOMATICALLY If I delete the 6251 as a Federal form to print, Down below the various other detail pages disappear.... NEXT: WHEN IN THE PREPARER MANAGER, IF I SELECT 30 CLEINTS TO PRINT A REPORT, GIVE ME SOME CONTROL TO PRINT TO 1, 2 or 3 PAGES WIDE. I have to send it to Excel just so that I can get some page size control. That was a start. Maybe we can take this to the "complaints Section" that exists at ATX? Rich

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 !