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Client brings in Mar 21, 2016 letter saying IRS has resolved an issue with his 2013 return and will be mailing him a check for $2.77 in four to eight weeks. Whew. We didn't even know there was a problem. Dodged a bullet there.

Bahahahaha! I don't know, but I do know that every time a client says, "It's all there," I know for sure it's not all there. Every. Single. Time.

I'd fix the return and e-file correctly; or if already e-filed, amend the return for free. If they already paid, I'd give them a gift certificate for free prep next season. If not paid, I'd waive this year's fee. Thank them for doing their job to make sure everything on their returns is complete and accurate. Remind them that you do your best with their help. There was only one perfect man, and we crucified him. Today's a good day to think about that.

I got in a new client who moved to the area, but wanted a CPA because the guy she went to in LA that her friends went to just didn't seem 'right'. And some of her friends got audited and the guy wouldn't help them. Now this girl is just out of school, and 2015 is only the third tax retune she's ever filed. On the 2014 return: $3000 of cash charitable contributions (she only donated a little bit to goodwill) lots of employee expenses, including auto insurance, auto payments (she's a nurse, doesn't drive for work) some licensing and courses she did give him receipts for, clothing, shoes under other misc itemized: the pension payment shown on her w2, the code DD medical insurance from the w2, $1000 in hobby expenses (no hobby income) and some more stuff. $35000 in itemized deductions in total and she really only has state income tax and her vehicle license fee because the lil bit of legit employee expenses don't exceed the 2% floor. Oh, oh, and the preparer name was stamped on the return over the 'self prepared' note that turbo tax puts on the bottom of the return , and instead of being signed there's another stamp with an initial. And the PTIN is a stamp too. She's going to bring me 2013 too. She wants to bust the guy. I hope he gets jail time.

Yes, really how much a person DONATES is and should be, up to them. Some few might feel they never really benefited and don't feel a need to donate. Someone else might feel like this board saved them from a really bad goof, and it's worth a serious donation. Many will be somewhere between, valuing it as a critical resource. Please Eric, let us make that decision. We love and appreciate you, you know?

You'd think he would at least spring for a bottle of Wite Out. I hope he gets busted, too. It's a shame he hasn't already. Makes it hard on the rest of us that do professional work and have bills to pay. Even if we were filthy rich with no bills to pay, those crooks need to be put out of business. The lack of Wite Out, though. Wow.

The deductions are always on the top of the pile too!

I have two rooms I use as offices. One to meet clients in, and one to work in. One desk is clean and the other is under the pile somewhere.

Clients(New) brings there information in today, has all the deduction, and they have taken the standard for the last two years, then I ask what abut income, they did not bring there social security, brokerage statements and pension statements, they will go home and look for them, and they have paid for the last two years. What are they thinking of?????????????????????

A lawyer and a blonde woman are sitting next to each other on a long flight. The lawyer asks if she would like to play a fun game. The blonde is tired and just wants to take a nap, so she politely declines and tries to catch a few winks. The lawyer persists, that the game is a lot of fun. "I ask you a question, and if you don't know the answer, you pay me only $5; you ask me one, and if I don't know the answer, I will pay you $500." This catches the blonde's attention and, to keep him quiet, she agrees to play the game. The lawyer asks the first question: "What's the distance from the earth to the moon?" The blonde doesn't say a word, reaches in to her purse, pulls out a $5 bill, and hands it to the lawyer. Now, it's the blonde's turn. She asks the lawyer, "What goes up a hill with three legs, and comes down with four?" The lawyer uses his laptop, searches all references. He uses the Airphone; he searches the Net and even the Library of Congress. He sends e-mails to all the smart friends he knows, all to no avail. After a good hour of searching he finally gives up. He wakes up the blonde and hands her $500. The blonde takes the $500 and goes back to sleep. The lawyer is going nuts not knowing the answer. He wakes her up and asks, "Well, so what goes up a hill with three legs and comes down with four?" The blonde reaches into her purse, hands the lawyer $5 and goes back to sleep.

Client brings in Feb 15, 2016 letter saying IRS has resolved an issue with his 2013 return and will be mailing him a check for $8.73 in two to three weeks. That's after amount applied to tax owed for 2014 $4.67. We didn't even know there was a 2013 overpayment or 2014 underpayment. Well, we didn't know there was a 2014 underpayment that small; his 2014 balance due was $98,201.

it takes about 4 or 5 years for them to understand when they have it all, it is not ALL, they always forget something. Some times I catch it on the intake most of the time not, because they are worried about the deductions

Taken in my yard today............................

Son's basis is mom's basis of $45K. Mom's basis is $33K for the 50% inherited (50% of $66K total value in the estate) plus $12K for the other 50% she acquired by purchase from her brother. Ask if mom made any improvements to the property before deeding to son, or if son made any improvements before the sale.

I am laughing my head off at my client's 3rd urgent message. "IRS picked the wrong guy to mess with, I've called my Congress Person, and she is all over it. I'm also going to drive to Knoxville or Chattanooga and speak to someone personally. Meanwhile, I am going to make sure that I OWE THEM NEXT YEAR." I called him back, I know many of you would not, and let him spew it all again. That's how I choose to run my business. He said he's not mad at me but hates those bleeping bleeping %$%#$%$#$$%^&**&* at IRS. Bleep. Bleep. It was hard not to laugh. His return was accepted 2/29. He's such a loose cannon. I told him I agree, I'd back off on the unnecessary withholding, and I know it doesn't help you right now, but there is so much fraud I understand why they might need to be cautious when issuing a refund of $14,492. I don't think he understood my point of view. At. All. But he said he felt better, and he'd let me know the minute he knew what was going on. Oh, I know you will... I'm actually crying I'm laughing so hard.

Thanks. Would you be the Possi Galore from Goldfinger?

We just don't help the general public with tax questions, only other tax professionals in the business. I was able to find your LinkedIn profile as someone who has been involved with taxes and in the State of IL. I don't have an answer for you; maybe someone else will though.

It's amazing how obsessed everyone's become with their phones, playing with their phones all the time -- at restaurants, movies, gym (so I've heard), while driving, eating, walking, talking. The other day I was at a funeral when the person next to me asked me, "Rabbi, what's the wifi password at the cemetery?" I told him, "Have some respect for the dead!" "Thank you Rabbi," the person replied. After a pause, he asked, "Is that all lower case?"

The $18,000 loss would have been dealt with by the brother when he reported the sale of his interest to your client's mother. It has no affect on your client's basis

OMG.... LOL

try this: https://www.irs.gov/uac/Where-to-File-Paper-Tax-Returns-With-or-Without-a-Payment

Understand what you are saying, but given the complex nature of your subject, more detail is sometimes called for. To the question, I don't think you should be doubling the credit. Perhaps there is a box you missed checking? Or checked and shouldn't. With ATX, I've often found that they deal with complex issues with check boxes, and almost always, when a result does not make sense, or "feel right", I find the problem there. Let us know, please, if you find it there.

He's bringing me half a Big Mac to celebrate. Sometime April to May. Counted it down.

I wonder, if the IRS was allowed to have a policy of giving a one time "Directed No Change" to anyone who brings in such a return, where the deductions are clearly bogus, and agrees to testify at the preparer's trial, wouldn't that lead to a huge reduction in this sort of scam? Right now, the preparer plays the 'audit odds' game knowing that the clients, as co-conspirators in many cases, will not want to expose him/her. What do you think?

In Drake, you can enter a return as MFJ and label each income and expense item as Taxpayer or Spouse or Joint. You then hit the "split" icon on the top toolbar and the program will calculate the results for both methods. You can change to MFS at that point if you want to.

Rich, the only reference I saw to cash value is that if the charity cashes in or is expected to do so relatively quickly, then the cash value can be used as FMV. That was from pub 561.

One Easter a priest and a taxi driver both died and went to heaven. St. Peter was at the Pearly gates waiting for them. 'Come with me,' said St. Peter to the taxi driver. The taxi driver did as he was told and followed St Peter to a mansion. It had everything you could imagine from a bowling alley to an Olympic size pool. 'Oh my word, thank you,' said the taxi driver. Next, St. Peter led the priest to a rough old shack with a bunk bed and a little old television set. 'Wait, I think you are a little mixed up,' said the priest. 'Shouldn't I be the one who gets the mansion? After all I was a priest, went to church every day, and preached God's word.' 'Yes, that's true.' St Peter rejoined, 'But during your Easter sermons people slept. When the taxi driver drove, everyone prayed.'

Beautiful!

A couple of articles: http://www.dfhlaw.com/turbocharge-your-charitable-gifts.php http://www.kiplinger.com/article/retirement/T034-C000-S004-donate-life-insurance-to-a-charity-or-college.html http://www.forbes.com/sites/northwesternmutual/2014/03/31/creating-a-charitable-legacy/#1d6203f65e5f

On Line 52, enter the MRD that should have been taken. On Line 53 (if you use ATX), click on the arrow, and it will take you to a waiver explanation. Enter the full amount that should have been taken, and enter you explanation in the blue box.

One of my clients received this today. Dear User, Your e-services associated with ??? email address will be suspended due to that fact that we where unable to verify your PTIN for the 2015-2016 filing season. Verify Your e-Services by logging below with your username Follow instruction below: Log In (edited to remove link) Sincerely, IRS E-Services+ You'd think that they would at least try to find someone that had a PTIN. Strangely enough, I received a form 5122A from the IRS today, saying that they can't verify my professional status and if I don't send them my credentials within 10 days that they will remove me from the online Directory Website. Boo Hoo! I don't want my information out there anyway. It does go on to say that it won't affect my PTIN anyway. I'm not sure why they can't verify my status. I have my certificate right here along with my individual permit and the one for my P.C. I'm doing to check to see if this is real and then fax them what they want.

In my 36 yrs in the business, I've almost never had the 5498s when preparing the return and would not put them on extension if the form wasn't available. I use what the client tells me they've contributed. They almost always bring me the statements for documentation, but I do take their word and alternative support for it and have never had a notice.

I agree. On the 5329, there is a way to waive the penalty and assume that the IRS will agree. I have always filed this way, with the return and not separately, and I have never had it questioned.

The due date to recipients is the end of May to allow for contributions made by 4/15 for the previous tax year.

I am a controller full-time. Went home for lunch and checked on e-file status - "accepted"

I don't think it will reject. My question is: Why are you not at your office today? It's March 24th!

We finally put in a generator. Love it. Best decision we ever made. Don't know why we didn't do it years ago. Worth every penny. Even when we don't need it, it reduces my stress and worry because I know it's there and I won't be out of work for 11 days during tax season every again.

Rum. Definitely rum. Or brandy.

Leave the Honey off.........just the Cashews!!!!! We have a good foot of snow and it is still coming down.

Saw the severity of the storm on the news last night. Hope everyone stayed safe and the disruption of daily lives is over quickly. Also, if you are even thinking about going out to shovel remember this, you've been behind a desk for 2 months, so be really careful. Now where are those neighborhood kids with the shovels?

Honey Roasted Whole Cashews

A client brought me 3 choc covered peanut butter eggs(homemade) that must weigh a lb each. If I going for Cadbury I want the Big ones.

I agree with Gail. From the last section on this page at IRS site it says: Signing a joint return when spouse is not available If your spouse is serving in a combat zone and you do not have power of attorney, you can still create a self-select PIN for your spouse and e-file the return. After e-filing your return, just submit a signed statement explaining your situation with Form 8453, U.S. Individual Income Tax Transmittal for an IRS e-file Return, and mail according to the instructions. If you have power of attorney for a military spouse or anyone who must file a tax return, you can use the self-selection PIN method to sign their return. You must also attach the power of attorney to Form 8453 and mail both to the IRS. Again, you should follow the mailing instructions on Form 8453. Form 8453 can be used to submit any required paper documents in support of your tax return.

Google tells me I may be Alice Dilbert. Fist of Death. Nice.

Guy called me Friday the 5th, can I drop off Saturday the 6th, no, please wait till next week. He drops off Saturday the 6th. I refrain from killing him because I knew he would do that, and my daughter is here in the office studying. And I love her and don't want her to see a dead body until she gets out of grad school. He comes in with another form Wednes the 23rd. No, I hadn't done the return. I know better with him. That's right, you better say my hair looks nice. That's right, you better come to a rolling stop as you lay that gently on my desk and turn around and don't let that door hit...

My filing instructions state, "If after three weeks you have not received your refund, you may contact the IRS at 1-800-829-4477." And, I highlight it in yellow along with the amount. I still get calls. But, I like to think fewer calls.

I send clients the link to the "where's My Refund" from MY web site - hoping they look there first, next time. A vain hope, I know.

I *think* you have her sign, e-file as usual, and put a copy of her POA with the 8879 in your files in case there is a question.

I have a student whose return was accepted 2/12/16. He still does not have his refund. I think that it is because he is claiming himself, and getting refundable AOC, the IRS is checking a little harder. I have told him that. But since he is a student and self-supporting, he could really use that money. But as far as I am aware, there is nothing that anyone can do to cause the IRS to release a refund until they are ready.