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I've cleaned dozens family and friends' computers all running a wide array of antivirus/antimalware/security software. I have yet to find a any security software that could protect people from downloading and installing random wallpaper applications, or weather alert applications, or free solitaire and pinball games. Usually it's not viruses, it's just adware on top of webpage redirects and fake "you have a virus" popups compounded until the computer becomes unusable. I guess what I'm saying is... if you just do work on your computer and you don't fart around looking for free time wasters to install, then you're doing better than about 85% of the population.

My original plan was to groom my assistant to take over more and more. he is going to be a great EA (studying for the SEE this summer) but as time goes on I am more convinced he doesn't have the stamina to be a sole practitioner. He'd do better as a #2 or #3 at an existing firm. So that brings me to selling. I may keep my hand in as an instructor (the state EA society keeps asking me to teach but I have no time to prepare those classes) and drastically scale back my personal practice. But this year,between the town trying to evict us (which looks like it is going to fail), and this eight-days-dead computer issue, I've had it. I refuse to go through this again. Don't worry, I'll stick around here; you can't get rid of me that fast! Hey, I might be able to travel and visit people.

I like your plan. I don't like carrying around a bag of frustration. I have her folder prepared; the new bill prepared, the check written to the Mom for the entire retainer, and all of her information forms sorted. Her mess is in the outbox. I may not be here when she picks it up; but I feel a whole lot better; Thanks to all of you. Now, I am off to day four of the in-house audit I have been enduring. This time it will be at her office.

My elderly client just told me a story about dating his wife back in the day. He was at her house and had apparently overstayed his welcome. Her mother asked him if he thought he was spending the night with her daughter. He said, "I don't know, but I can call my mom and ask."

I'm exactly like JohnH (how do you think I got my name) except I'd look back a lot. And cuss. And stay mad for a long time. Otherwise we are twins!

Karma can be a fun thing to watch from a distance. Make sure you return ALL of the retainer. That way there is not even a tiny string of connection. Your peace of mind and relief at getting rid of a PIA is worth FAR MORE than the $75. If they ever call back, simply tell them you are not their accountant and have nothing to say. Karma will kick them, you can be sure.

This is the beauty of this situation. The new preparer may not know or care that the forms are coded incorrectly. This taxpayer may lose a lot more by listening to the financial planner than his usual fee. The Karma bus may roll right over all of them.

I don't know if this is IRS but check this scary notice I just received: Dear Margaret, This is to inform you to appear in the Court on the April 04 for your case hearing. Please, prepare all the documents relating to the case and bring them to Court on the specified date. Note: The case will be heard by the judge in your absence if you do not come. The copy of Court Notice is attached to this email. Sincerely, Anthony Neal, Clerk of Court. This was to my diver address which gets many such spam things. It's from [email protected] I didn't open the zip file. They will have to just manage without my presence. If you don't hear anymore from me, I've probably been hauled off to jail

It just struck me in these waning days or little sleep and much work that one of the things that makes me really angry are employees who are too cheap to print their W2s on perforated paper. Second; client called last night. She originally was going to change to another preparer but could not find anyone who would take her. Brought her 18 W2 and 1099 forms to me (She inherited her father's estate in 2015) After looking through the forms, I found at least two that were coded incorrectly; to her disadvantage. Had three separate phone conversations with her financial manager. Convinced him that the coding was wrong. Distributions are coded as normal instead of death; which will result in a hefty early withdrawal penalty for her. Now he told her that she really should take her return to a CPA. She finally found one who will take her and called and asked if she could pick up her paperwork. Of course, I told her that she could, but also told her that I am not exactly a fly-by-night preparer and that if I had not found the incorrect codes, she would be paying a lot more tax. The corrected 1099's have not been forthcoming, though they were promised in three to five business days. Now: her Mom gave me a $75 retainer to prepare this return. They want it back. How much of the retainer am I allowed to keep for the consulting, etc that I have already done? This one really pushed my anger button. I am not sorry to be getting rid of a longtime client because they have been getting a courtesy discount for many years. I hope that venting here will help relieve my furor. I wouldn't take her back now even if she offered me triple my normal fee; and the Mom can go right along with her if she so wishes.

I LOVE this!!!!!

I used to stay mad in cases like this. But I finally decided to become a feeling person who doesn't care. "How does that work", you ask. Well, I really don't care what the clients think about me. Occasionally I feel bad about not caring, but that feeling goes away quickly.

Download and run GWX Control Panel and 10 will not bother you anymore.

I am furious; but would prefer not to be. I have decided to work up a bill starting with the retainer; then itemizing everything that I have thus far done on this return to save her mega dollars. The final balance will be return of the entire $75 retainer. Then I will add balanced owed for services rendered. They can pay it or not; but maybe it will shift the anger from me to them.

I keep paper. It's true. I love getting the file out and holding last year's return in my hands. With all the notes and all the forms and calling clients and saying, "Hey, last year you had $435 interest income from Cumberland County Bank." And they say, "OMG, thank you!" And they call the bank and the interest this year was 34 cents, and I saved the day. Just kidding.

At the high risk of sounding like an idiot, why do you cut the W2s apart if you're electronically filing all the returns? I'm panicking that I've been doing something wrong for, oh . . . about 12 years!

I'm so sad to read the posts by Catherine, Joan and Lion. Sorry, Ladies! Catherine, had you been thinking previously about selling your practice? I hope you won't leave our 'family' here. Best to all of you.

{{{{}}}}. Virtual hug to everyone!

I went into the season already being tired, and now I'm staring blankly at the screen.

My problem is that the children's returns do not go thru this office. They go thru HRB or online and claim themselves. And of course they always say they don't. Feel pretty good today. Going to be a late one tonight, however. Rich

Amazing! I just put 10 nickels in the CD drive. Let me know when you get them. Thanks so much!

I totally agree, John. Unfortunately, a lot of my clients get very upset about extensions. I seem to have lost several that I extended last year after I sent out my engagement letters with a deadline of the 15th. Most of them were small ones that absolutely should have been here the first week of February. I just need to value myself more and charge more. I'm slowly getting better about it.

It was boggling my mind why people were wanting this also. I don't keep a paper copy of ANYTHING. Literally my entire office could get packed up and moved with my laptop - a zip drive and one box of files the size of a copy paper box (cost basis information). And I agree with the giving of the $75 back. If they need it so badly that they ask for it back - good luck to them. When they come back later with questions - good luck to them. I absolutely hate those tear away forms and I hate stapled, double sided 1099s. I RARELY if ever look at old forms - the info I need is almost always on last years return.

I like your plan. Although you didn't complete the returns, this person did benefit from your work and time expended by your noticing the incorrect codes and requesting the corrections.

I had a computer crash during the season a few years back that took its toll on me. Actually it was a new computer late the year before that had one or more fans that didn't work that overheated the video card on the motherboard starting in January and finally getting all new innards the end of March. Everyone went on extension with a lot of zeros. I feel your pain. Your clients need an intelligent, ethical preparer. But, I can understand that you need some peace of mind and body. Give yourself some time after the 19th to unwind and decide what you want to do. And, for now -- breathe.

I'd probably prepare a bill covering all the time I spent, deducting the $75 on account, and giving a balance due, and put it on top of their documents for them to pick-up. It's just me, so I'd hand it to them and not say a word and get back to my desk. I wouldn't expect to get paid but would expect them to shut up about the $75. If I had an assistant to hand the stack to them, she'd ask how they want to pay their balance, check or credit card, and then not argue but let them leave. If they insist, I'd return the $75; it'll be worth it to get rid of them. But, I think I'd mail it to them along with that invoice that now doesn't have $75 on account !!

1. Right or wrong, I quit cutting W2 forms apart unless I have to for paper filing. I run the whole form through the copy machine and just keep that. 2. It is sort of soothing to actually fire PITA clients rather than hope they don't come back. I do it in a nice way. $75 is what it costs to never have to deal with their crap again.

I'm guilty of printing nonperf'd W-2s and prefer to receive those from my clients because they don't get stuck in the scanner as much. I also think you've earned the retainer, but if mom is putting up that much of a stink, you might consider giving it back for for your own peace of mind. I hate that this person thinks a CPA or anyone else will be able to wave a magic wand over those distribution forms with coding errors and have a correct return for daughter. Don't take her back if she doesn't like the outcome, or the bill, and comes back to you whining.

I've needed the late nights, but back is in spasm to the point of taking muscle relaxants that have me too drugged up to work, so I'm falling farther and farther behind and the calls from clients re their pending returns put me farther behind, too. Wish I had an assistant to return the emails and calls or maybe should just set up an auto-response. I too have fingers with arthritis this year, one of which is painful, so more typos and more time proofreading. Thermacare heat wraps help my lower back without the extension cord of a heating pad, but don't do much for the spasm in the middle. I have a cold or sinus issue, coughing (which throws my back into spasm each time I cough). So, zinc and cough drops for that and turmuric and Move Free from Costco for the arthritis and the heat wraps and anti-inflammatories (sp?) for the back and then the big guns when I finally sleep. It looks like a doctor's office in here with a pile of pills on my desk. I have a cracked tooth, too, that the dentist said could wait until I have more pain. Maybe Joan and I can merge practices and share an assistant and a nurse.

What does your engagement letter state regarding 'retainers' or deposits? Mine says they are nonrefundable, and that's how I would treat this since you've put time into this. Lynn

I got the same email last week. I just deleted it. I think I would have known if I had a court case pending.

See a dentist. You probably have dermatitis on your finger, Doc will write you an RX for Desonide ointment. Get on a stretching routine for your back. Eat organic dark cherries and take turmeric twice a day for early arthritis. You'll be good to go in no time at all. I'm not a doctor, just got a good night's sleep last night.

My post made me realize something. Why do we remember and dwell over every single error we ever made (I still remember my first one almost 20 years ago) and not feel good about the zillions of clients we have helped over time? The ones we found eligible for credits they never claimed, played with the numbers and discovered MFS actually would save them a bunch, cajoled into increasing their withholding or paying quarterly, warned about missing sales tax returns, spent precious time calculating basis of assets, dropped everything so we could meet some outside deadline for them......

Debt must be secured by a qualified home, either the main home or second home, and it must have cooking, sleeping, and toilet facilities. I took a vaca on a house boat that was pretty nice and was technically a pontoon boat.

I just made a rule that there would be no filing of dependents' returns until parent returns cleared!

Welcome! So glad to have you in my world!

See Rev. Proc. 2013-30: https://www.irs.gov/Businesses/Small-Businesses-&-Self-Employed/Late-Election-Relief Don't forget to note "reasonable cause". I always blame the attorney.

it's usually the relatives that send the mess or piecemeal it to you. love the relatives.

Agreed. I've looked at Advantage and it's no where near the premium that they want for it.

I'm with Rita on this. If you keep the $75, or any part of it, there's some responsibility that lingers along with it. You may not see it that way, but we all know they will. I'm not that desperate for $75, and my ego isn't on the table either. So leave out the emotion and this becomes a pure business decision. I'd give them the stupid $75 without a moment's thought, consider it an investment in my future peace of mind, and never look back. As far as any future business relationship is concerned (for either or both if mom wants to join in these shenanigans), it isn't going to happen at any price. If they ever bothered to ask, that would be my answer.

I don't mind the non-perforated W2s; sometimes I am guilty of that . When I prepare W2s they get the first one on perforated paper; if I am reprinting them again and again, they sometimes take what they get. And I think that you have earned the $75 getting the 1099s corrected. And then some.

My main computer has been DEAD for a week. In that week I have managed to complete a whopping total of SIX returns on my assistant's machine, while playing EMT/nursemaid/assistant to the slew of IT professionals who always say this next attempt will fix everything. Today I set that machine aside and brought in and hooked up my home computer. I need to access my network storage (another call to an IT center but this one has a hope of getting me good info), then bring over my data files and a couple of other must-haves, and then be back in business. EVERYONE is going on extension, my assistant will be starting to process those tomorrow. No guesses of tax due or anything. I have well over a hundred UN-touched returns in house and more arriving daily. I can put everyone on extension, collapse in my office, or be in Belize or New Zealand before anyone realizes I have left. I pick the first one. I'm done. My practice is going up for sale on 4/20. I'll do pay-per-return for family, a couple of nearly-pro-bono's I do, and my very elderly clients (because change is so hard on them).

1) Agree. I hate having to cut those apart. Right up there with glue balls on the SS-1099 Forms. 2) I would be furious. Having said that, I'd just return the retainer and continue to be furious. I know I'm in the minority on that.

Even though it's non-deductible, this is absolutely true. Just proved it to myself this evening. Worked till 5 P.M., quit, ate supper and watched TV 'til drowsing off at 6:30, then up again at 11 P.M., nursed fever (and fever blister) with two Tylenol, and now back to work until 3 A.M., then bed 'til 9 A.M., get up and do it all over again tomorrow. Like Jack, I'm meeting myself coming out of the file room.

I sort of like crossing the line into real exhaustion. Nothing else exists or matters except the work. That mono-focus is pretty liberating in some ways. What's for dinner? Well, maybe a frozen pot pie and a glass of single malt. Who cares? What should I wear today? Well, what's clean in the closet? Did my stupid sister hurt my feelings today? Yes. Should I go round and round or simply plot revenge? The obvious answer is to plot revenge and enjoy it by going out of town for Thanksgiving. Sis was supposed to cook for us on alternating years. After two years in a row of showing up for dinner and there's nothing, we relieved her of that duty and we always host. Going to Baja this year. Vaya con Dios, you crappy little blighter!!!! Hmmmph!

"Cough syrup"

That happened to me twice. Now I have a new MO. I hold every dependent return until the parent's return is accepted. Standard Operating Practice now. It will never happen to me again. Then, I have a jello shot. Right, Rita?

I have made this very mistake - once. After that I vowed to always file the parents' return first, and then the dependent's return. Oh, and the year I made this mistake I did not charge the parents for the returns. I didn't wait to file the parents, just made it a paper/mailed return with an explanation cross referencing the dependent's amended return.