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Sticker on the W-2: "W-2" Sticker on the 1099-SSA: "1099" Sticker on the 1099-R: "1099" Sticker on the 1099-DIV: "Interest" Sticker on the property tax: "Property tax" Sticker on the stack of donations I gotta add up: "Only if we itemize" Well, if you don't know, and I have to go thru this stack, you do. Last but not least, sticker on the outside of the envelope everything is in: "2015 Tax Envelope"

I hear you. But I will take the stickers any day over the meeting wherein they come in with a folder and taking out one piece at a time while saying, "this is my W-2", pause, pause, shuffle, shuffle, "this is the interest on my savings account, I think it is a 1099"............ Or the guy who comes in with his legal pad to give me his rental property information. He reads every line off of his sheets while I write it on mine. How cost effective is that for a use of my time? I have offered to copy his papers on the copier - no way Jose!

Have you been talking to one of my clients? "It's all there". Deliver the returns and: "wait, there's something missing with the student loan interest." Ok, send me the missing form. "[insert spouse's name] refinanced last year, I'll check into it tomorrow." I email back and explain about student loans refinanced for more and if additional funds weren't used for education, none of that interest is deductible. Message from client the next day: "you have everything for the student loans." So I'm still waiting for the e-file signature forms back and I'm hearing crickets! Anyone want to bet these people went somewhere else and told a different story for a larger refund?

I just yelled out - SOMEONE'S GOING TO GET WHACKED!!!!!! For about the third time this year I have strained to read the numbers on a poor quality copy or fax of the W-2 or 1099 or 1098 only to find the original in much better clarity deeper in the pile of stuff. WWWWHHHHHYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No sticker on their copy of your invoice for last year? "Exorbitant Fee for Tax Prep"

Had some that started out that way, but I broke them fast. "Give it all to me, if you read them out or hand them over one at a time, my fee doubles." That always worked for me. And the ones with the legal pad, I just took it from them and went and made them copies. I kept the originals in my file. I did give them back the rest of the pad.

Yes, I do think you should be able to deduct your fire hall bingo losses as a donation to the fire dept, but the IRS disagrees! Unrelated: Client with a $13 state refund this year ($200 last year): Boy, the state is really cutting back on its refunds. Me: [after several seconds of stunned silence] You should probably check your withholdings so you don't owe for 2016.

Haha, thanks for the reminder about Bingo. My mom won $2.75 playing bingo during her stay at the rehab facility, $0.25 at a time. Guess I better add a note to her file so I remember to report that on her 2016 return.

I'd love some stickers some times. Just had one client send in a big packet of forms. EVERY forms was in there three times; some of them FOUR times. In separate places in the pile. It's like she just started copying everything, lost her place,and started from the top again - and then sent me the lot. It took my assistant the better part of an hour to double check that we counted everything once and nothing more than once. Her bill just went up, too.

And don't you wish you had a nickel for every time you heard, "I think it's all there." And, "If it's not, let me know."

1.5% after 30 days. Invoices are due on presentation - making them past due the next day. I will give those few to whom I extend credit 30 days to pay - then I assess the late fee and fully intend to collect it. I am neither a bank nor a credit card company. My fees are due upon presentation. Now, all of that said, your state law will have a lot to say about what you can charge and when. Oh - and by the way, I consider invoice presentation at the moment that they are called to come get their return - not when they decide to come and pick it up.

My tax practice is predominantly clergy but I do have a smattering of others including a handful of small business types. For 28 years I've operated on a trust basis. I give my clients an invoice and they almost always pay within a reasonable time. Almost always. I know most of you expect your fee COD but for those who do accept deferred payments, do you assess a late fee? If so, how much? I'm contemplating 1.5% per month with a $5 minimum after 60 days (that gives them more than adequate time to get any refund they might have coming).

Well, gee, that was a significant detail to leave out, don't you think? Of course, given that fact, no education credit is available, no matter what the course was.

Now that we're scanning records before we do data entry, it forces us to go thru the stack, sort and weed out duplicates and useless pages. It's an unexpected bonus plus it familiarizes us with all the data before we start entering.

Sometimes I break the ice and say 'let me see that' and then reach for the whole stack, then say something like 'I see, looks like everything's here, anything new or different from last year?'

The absolute worst. Reading to me. I'm glad they can't read the thought bubble.

Too bad there isn't a sticker on the DUPLICATES. Or sticker for useless information!

I won't login on behalf of clients. They have to login and retrieve the documents. Or have the broker send me directly.

Back when I first started preparing taxes I had a retired client who waited until the final year to cash in a bunch of stock he acquired through an employee stock option program. It resulted in a total tax due (federal & state) of $120k. He called to ask how it was going. I hemmed and hawed and told him I had figured it six different ways. He replied, "I'm sure you did a good job. How much do I owe?" I again dithered and assured him that I had applied every trick I knew. He again thanked me and asked how much he owed. I finally told him $120,000. He practically screamed, "$120,000!" I again started trying to explain all the work I had done to minimize it, but he just yelled again, "$120,000!!!" Then he said, "How did you do that? I thought it was going to be at least $160,000! How did you manage to get it down to $120,000?" Every once in a while, I love getting to be a hero. I just never thought it would happen when I told someone he owed $120k!

Simplify your lives! I hold a check until they call. Or I hold CC information, buried in the software so no one would know what it is, but me. But never let them walk out without paying or arranging payment. I keep a simple list of these clients and if I have to call anyone, they don't walk out the next year without paying. I bet last year I called 3 people out of 517. THREE. Would you leave the grocery store with your groceries without paying?

$25 plus 1.5% interest. Your invoice must state this in order to collect [in NY]. Usually when I send the late fee I always get a check dated 2-3 days before that for the initial amount. I am ok with that, I provide personal service, and like my clients or I don't keep them. the late fee is just a kick in the butt to get me my money. If the client pays it, I keep it of course, but I never really expect to collect it.

I had a client bounce two checks, I am going to play it nice, but as soon as I collect my fee, good bye.

I hit folks with a late fee if they are chronically late. Yes, 1.5%/month. Basically once I start getting annoyed at repeated promises of payment without payment showing up.

I wrestled with those same thoughts. It is a gift to the tenant, but it is a payment of a fee to the landlord. That would mitigate in favor of a 1099. However, it was a substitute payment on behalf of an individual who is not required to issue a 1099 thus mitigating against needing to issue one. In my mind, the second argument is more compelling. I've spent more than an hour searching the net and about half a dozen IRS pubs for some guidance and found nothing. I think I'm going to go with your counsel & my gut. Thanks, all!

Yes, the first estate return filed determines the filing year, so if none was filed, choosing a calendar year for 2015 is fine. Mark it first and final. No 2014 return was due because income was below $600.

My client called a few minutes ago to tell me she got the statements in today's mail. All of it was a total waste of time!

Wow - I am going to have to start hanging out with a younger crowd!

I'm totally frustrated with this. One client that vacations in FL during the winter requested the broker send me his 1099s via secure email. That required me to set up an account with them and a password specific to either their site. This is only one of his investment accounts, not all of his activity. Today I got a call from elderly client that wants me to download statements directly from her broker, broker must provide the site, the account #s, and doc id #s for me for each of her accounts. It doesn't give me the actual 1099s, but has the information in a csv file. She has a lot of other activity on her returns besides this. She might already have her 1099s, she isn't sure, she's old, she thinks this is better. According to the broker, she only has 10 broker transactions this year, and the 1099 has the basis for all but 2 of those. She hasn't even set up an appt yet, and has interrupted me numerous times with the same questions, and now this plus the calls from her broker. How much aggravation fee should I charge? /s I prefer to work from the original paper copies of the documents and scan in for storage later. How many of you do this for each client, would you set up these passwords that you have to maintain and remember from year to year? /rant

I've been there for a long time. Been where?

I didn't make it to March; I'm already there!

This will get more widespread as we head into March and then April.

And do NOT feel bad about charging fairly for the 1041. It was her fault, not yours, that it became necessary !

I've gotten this down to a handful of clients (in large part thanks to my very convincing staff), and I make those who still want to come give me an itemized litany bring me lunch or a latte. I've received both this week! Somehow, it makes it much easier to sit through.

My practice is conducted over the Internet. All contacts, docs,returns, etc. Any document I physically recieved is scanned in and shredded. None are returned (This is highlighted in my Engagement Letter). Client recieves a password protected copy of the return(s). After their review and any questions (via the Internet), they return the Form 8879 and I electronically file the return. When IRS receives the return, I send the a copy of the Form 9325 to the client. They are provided a phone number they can reach me at if necessary...so far this year I have received three calls.

Thanks Judy. In looking up the examples, I found the following which seems to allow the credit in this case, even though the wife only works on a few of the days during the year when the day care is provided. Part-time work. If you work part-time, you generally must figure your expenses for each day. However, if you have to pay for care weekly, monthly, or in another way that includes both days worked and days not worked, you can figure your credit including the expenses you paid for days you did not work. Any day when you work at least 1 hour is a day of work. So I guess I can use the expenses for the full tuition even though the wife only worked on about 8 or 10 of the days the dependent was in the preschool. It just seems to violqte the spirit, but not the letter, of the code.

Isn't there a phrase something like "In order for the taxpayers to work"? Someone must know a cite....

Mostly good ideas except for keeping the credit card information. I don't know who your processor is, but that would be a violation of the terms of agreement and security/privacy policies with mine, no matter how well hidden the information is. I'm not allowed to store that complete information, only the last few digits.

I have the same policy and rate as rfassett.

Thanks AGAIN Judy. My MD is occasional and really in this case depends on if some grandkids want theirs done or not. BUT, being "anal" I wanted to know. It is interesting that their requirement sounds like a "political" statement --- can be, may be required, depends if significant (well defined, is it not). AGAIN, appreciate all your help ---- now -- quit worrying about those "account statement logins" and relax, watch a good movie or go brain dead like me and watch a good "AcornTV" episode of a mystery. Be well ///

Vanguard won't issue a new 1099 (if they do, someone's a better talker than me). 1041.

I've actually had this situation also. Finally they remarried, then divorced and went their separate ways!

I agree. I wouldn't expect a 1099 to be produced. IMO the Church would consider it a gift to the tenant.

I need readers over my contacts. ouch.

I have one client that does this and it drives me nuts. He was 100% positive he had a 1099 coming because of all his dividends. I told him they were all in IRA accounts and he argued with me until he logged in and verified. Just not comfortable with it - send me the .pdf.

Didn't even think about this. Apple computers rarely have CDs. We have multiple mini-computers in the office that don't have CD drives. I use one at home as a Plex server. CDs will be like those 3.5" floppies in a few years.

Good points, Michael. I think you are right, the church did not pay this as a business expense, it was actually a gift to the tenant. So no need for a 1099 from them.

The PA preparer is probably so happy to see the client gone that he will tell him whatever he wants to hear, just to be sure he doesn't come back.

You could call him and tell him you have good news and bad news: 1) The bad news is he owes IRS $ 9,720 2) The good news is he only owe you $ 972 for all the double-checking.

I am right with you JB. You have to have some comfort in know you did the right thing. It's not even worth mentioning the consequences you could face had to succumbed to the client's desires. Good Job!!! All I know is that for every client that I have lost for what ever reason, at least two or three takes their place. Go figure. I fired a client last summer that was almost at the top of my PITA list. They opened the door by asking me the tax consequences of selling a building and have the buyer pay them partial cash and the rest with a check to avoid paying capital gains on the sale and if they absolutely had to report it. This opportunity was a blessing to say nope and now you breached our agreement and I can no longer provide you service as I cannot be part of anything that suggests tax fraud. I was told to forget everything I had just heard. Nope no can do, engagement ended. Man am I glad and I have already gained another S-Corp to take their place. So, stand up for what is right, you can't go wrong.