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I didn't know you could even be required to have road block insurance.

If I see the withholding is less than 10%, I figure it's a pretty safe bet they will owe.

Well, did you get their extensions? Just checking...

I took a CE course last year where these tips really stuck with me: 1) Never underestimate your client's intelligence. 2) Always underestimate your client's knowledge. And that has very little to do with this topic, but you know I gotta talk, so... You know what's aggravating the crap outta me today is those who dropped off, were missing stuff, still haven't brought missing stuff, I told them they'd be getting extensions, and they are now reminding me to get them extensions. I guess they are not being condescending, just being careful. You know, since they had three months to get it together and didn't. They are all over it now. Got it covered. Told her to get an extension. Yessssss.

Silly Tom! Just *knowing* about the two of us totally stops any need for pasturage acres.

Wow. That really does sound like things are going from bad to worse for you. I hope whether you stay in the business or not, that next year finally turns the corner and is a great year.

Well, the end of my season got a whole lot worse this afternoon. Husband went to the eye doctor for what he thought was a floater and was sent directly to an eye surgeon for a consult. He has a badly detached retina and is having emergency surgery on the eye tomorrow, must be there in the a.m. for a noon surgery, and who knows what time we'll get back home. He called on the way home to tell me the news and I immediately cleared my appts and pushed most to Wed. When he walked in he told me that he has a follow up to the surgery for a recheck on Wed. I hope he can drive himself there on Wed, but I won't know that until sometime tomorrow afternoon. The only good thing I can say about tomorrow is that at least it isn't the dog's day to have her diuretic!

Can you imagine a combination of Rita and Catherine....Rita's passion and desire to "cause harm" with Catherine's deadly accuracy? There isn't enough pasture in Texas to keep all the bodies. Tom Newark, CA

When I was in the marines, the warrant officer I worked for would write a letter and ask me to read it. He would then ask if I understood it, and if I said yes, he would say "good, then anyone will be able to understand it."

My Crystal Ball is out for repair. Estimated time till usability - 6 weeks or more.

Another one I love -- from clients who have sent absolutely NO documentation so far -- "Am I going to owe this year?" Magic 8-Ball says "answer hazy; ask again later." Like, maybe after you send me some information on which to base a guess.

Reply: "Thanks. I'll be waiting for it. You're on extension until then."

I would deduct it as medical transportation.

That would be [email protected] As an added level of protection, I tell my clients to set up a personal account on the SSA site and click on add a extra level of protection where they will send you a text with a code to log in. Scammers who get personal info from phishing or wherever (doctors' offices are notorious) for people who are near age 62 and can hijack your account. Takes a couple of minutes. There is so much we can do to protect ourselves, I know, my ID has been breached twice, and when I catch the little twerp there will be hell to pay.

How does someone forget about a baby?!

Lady delivered her tax info last Thursday. On Monday late afternoon she finally informs me what her IRA contribution will be for the year. Then declares she has to meet me today to pick up and go over the return because it just isn't convenient the rest of the week and she doesn't want to wait until next week. My spidey sense informs me she didn't like my response.

The surgeon said it went well. He shaved and smoothed the detached part, inserted a gas bubble to push the flap back in place, and then used a laser to seal it. Husband must take the week off from work to lay on his left side for a minimum of 40 mins of every hour so that the gas bubble stays in the proper position. It will be healed enough in a week for him to be more upright but still no heavy lifting, flying, or mountain climbing. The gas bubble is eventually absorbed. There are no tacks or sutures and the patch will come off tomorrow. AI and abx drops QID.

Language changes from generation to generation. My daughter mentioned to me one time that her son went through a road block and got a ticket for not having insurance. I said "what? Didn't he have sense enough to stop for a road block?" She said, "oh no, he stopped for the road block and then he got a ticket for not having insurance." One word can change the meaning of a sentence.

It is a good idea to do that.

Not even close to the worse Business communication has gone "text" and "twitter" for far too many. Daily, I get communications asking for help, but no actual question. Messages saying they are having a problem, but no hint as to the problem. I spend more time trying to ferret out the issue than answering the issue, with more than a fair amount of the issues answered by the error or other message already shown on their screen. There is also a fair amount who ask for help, then argue that the reply cannot be correct. It is what it is, and rather than be frustrated, I have to remember to adapt. Toughest part of the job!

I have a couple that jump out. And, at least one that has no interest in increasing his withholding.

Might I recommend a good 24# sledge hammer instead of a firearm for the recalcitrant printer? You can hit it repeatedly, can do it within city limits, don't need to wear ear protection (eye protection would be a good idea, though), don't need a permit, and swinging a sledge that heavy will really work out the rage. You can borrow mine, if need be. (My grandfather was a mason, and sometimes you need to take *down* the brick wall. I have a complete assortment of sledge hammers from a little 2#-er up the the big one. I still remember how proud I was the first time I was strong enough to get it 1/4" above the floor... musta been about six years old.)

This is my 4th bad year in a row. Im almost ready to call it quits. 2013 I got caught up in the TRX debacle and had to convert to new software in early February. 2014 my new custom PC's mother board died on 12/31 and I had to send it back to California for repairs, got it back early February, 2015 & 2016 I have been battling sever health problems and the possibility that I could be hospitalized at any time. Spent 4/18/14 - 12/8/14 in the hospital. What a horrible year, but I got through tax season. Although for 2014-2016 ATX has performed well. At least thats a plus. I keep saying next year cant get any worse, but unfortunately each year has been as bad or worse than the last. Hopefully next year will finally be a good tax season. On the plus side I fired a bunch of PITA clients over the past 3 years which has helped with my sanity.

Yes, I've actually had to explain to some clients that, yes, glasses and hearing aids and wheelchairs do count as expenses. And if you are paying premiums and not getting insurance through your employer I can see a lot more people taking medical expenses. Of course I'm also going to start amending that extremely egregious fraudulent return I got as a prior year return for a new client. I ask, I explain, and I always want the prior year. How else do you know if they itemized, or have carryovers without looking at the prior year?

I got paid this year with a glock that the client wanted to get rid of!

Come here, little printer, let me love you...

Has anyone else develop some type of sense when you see TP W-2's and right away know they are going to owe?

I had one where the IRS sent a notice to their employer and forced them to have more taxes withheld, after 3 years of owing and needing an installment plan. Icing on the cake? It was my ex's new spouse!

Actually my spidey sense can spot them without seeing the W-2s. Everybody that drops off last week of March - December. Every. One.

See? We really do have to be careful how we say things.

It's the repeaters that get to me after you told them last year to reduce an exemption or two. Or have more kids, they don't like that comment, but I get a kick out of it.

When communication goes awry, and I want to see if it was me, I used to have my spouse read the messages, now it is my daughter. I have to find someone new every now and again, as they get jaded (as well as protective of me) if I use them too much... The jaded/protective is why my spouse and daughter never watch me umpire any more (our boys can, since they are also umpires) because they take what the crowd says personally. Plus my wife is my worst heckler! I suppose the real "issue" for most here, as well as me, is we have no insulation. We are the ones doing the work, and have to hear comments regarding our work. Our customers know that, and make an assumption we not only remember every thing about them, but can understand intent. When there is a go between, folks tend to be clearer so the "message" gets through.

It took me a while to find the board - I did not join until June. Or maybe it took me that long to quit cursing ATX for taking the board down right before the end of tax season.

Communicating has always been difficult at best. I've tried to eliminate words like it and that to be more clear, even at the risk of sounding condescending.

.22 caliber double National Gallery Match course (600 point match) weekly. "Donut league" since after the match we have donuts while the scoring is done. I also usually add up the scores 'cuz I can do it faster by hand than the rest of the folks with calculators.

Just looked up mine; 4/12 - so it didn't take me too long, either. THANK YOU Eric for setting up this board; it has been a professional lifesaver and pressure-relief valve all in one for all these years.

Ive been trying for years to get my clients to accept a .pdf of their return and scanned supporting docs. So far only one taker. I dont get why they want to have more clutter. I stopped printing my personal returns at least five years ago. I alos went back and scanned all of my prior years returns too and shredded everything. Best thing ever.

I would take it if the client had proof it was paid.

I say it doesn't matter to you or your client if the driver reports it as income. If you KNOW that the driver hasn't reported it (if you prepared the driver's return) I don't think you could use that information even if it was relevant. I find nothing in Pub 502 that says your transportation must be furnished by a commercial service.

I wise woman told me one time you can't get emotional about tax returns. Just do them correctly. Yes, it is income from self-employment. I would add to that don't volunteer the penalty and interest.

file it late and there will be penalties. Not your fault they didn't tell you about the income.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY... remember William! Salute and all of you - Thank you!!

Hey, I, too, was a 4/11. Long time, great company!

That last one is one reason Catherine and I have Smith and Wesson. Just kidding.

Never fails. in the 11th hour, there is always printer trouble of some sort. In years past we've had last minute overnight orders of toner or drum. Sometimes it's lack of paper. This year it jammed. It has been cleaned out. And it won't clear. It's a simple little printer. There's nothing stuck in it. Turned on and turned off. Unplugged. All the usual. Come on little printer. Just a few more...............

Anyone taking out their frustration on office equipment with guns might consider adding quarter to half a pound of tannerite for some extra boom. Serious talk: You should be 100 yards from the target. Wear ear and eye protection. Don't sue me if your blow yourself up.

We can't be expected to remember ALL the minor details.

What 'make money on rentals'? I make money on my rentals! Maybe I should try farming?