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I don't know why people think we are here to help them cheat. But many of them do, and they manage to find a Loophole Lefty down the road a ways. Oh well, we are the cat's pajamas for waving good bye to these "taxpayers".

I agree. That was anything BUT an "Oh, by the way" comment. If it had been truly innocent, he would have taken your advice. Bart, the client was clearly making a feeble, amateurish attempt to tag you with some responsibility if the issue ever came up in an audit. The first thing out of his mouth would have been "I told the preparer about it, and he said it was OK to ignore it." Then he would have been harassing you to pay any penalties & interest (maybe even the tax liability itself - some people are funny that way). I can't help but wonder if he had already visited another preparer, received the exact same advice, and so you were his next stop. Eventually he will figure out that the only way to get away with this is to just not mention it. But even then, it's likely he will try to shift blame if he's ever audited. I feel sorry for the last preparer in the chain - you should be glad you're not that person. Sometimes the most profitable thing to happen in a business relationship is when they take their business elsewhere.

I don't charge em to walk thru the door, but there's a couple I would pay to leave...

Yeah, every single person that ever sold real estate in this town thinks that. Every. Single. One.

If only some kind soul would show up here and present me with just an ordinary "gray/either-way" ethical tax problem. That way I could at least entertain the possibility of solving it, acquiring, and retaining a steady client. Nicest folks for quick $75 "short forms" are late-50ish people, computer-shy (think Turbo-Tax is a washing machine), don't know anything about taxes and aren't likely to, maybe with grand-kids (raising them nowadays, of course) which will run the fee up to $95-$115. Anyway, a Prospective Client (in this category, but no kids) showed up Friday. Said he was single; gave me his docs (two W-2s, small pension, bank interest) which I plug in the computer and give him the refund amount. After a pleasant 20 minute chat I told him to come back in three day; he starts to leave, turns around, and says: PC: Oh, it don't really matter, but I guess I'm supposed to tell you - I sold a house last year. BB: Your house? Your personal residence? PC: Naw, my uncle died and left me his old, fallin'-down rent house. It wasn't worth but $10,000. BB: Oh, well, uh; we have to put that down. PC: No, no, it's okay. See, I let this guy have it for just what my uncle owed the bank on it. I put it on a land contract between him and me. BB: Well, we still have to.... PC: No, you don't understand. He cain't pay for it all at once, so I'm helpin' him out. He pays me exactly what the bank payment is ever' month and I turn around and give it to them until the $20,000 note gets paid off. I never get no money to keep and so I don't make nothin' off the deal. Failing to grasp this irrefutable logic exasperated him. He guessed he'd have to go somewhere else where they knew more about taxes. And out the door he went.

I thought y'all were talking about my issues again.

Of the (1) return I have seen done by Ohio preparers, they don't charge near enough IMO.

I just had a guy from OH. State, city, school district. Holy Toledo.

Actually I'm not real sure that "land contract" between him and the person he's "helping out" doesn't last several years beyond the life of that bank note (possibly at a higher interest rate) or could be there was some unmentioned cash down. But, that aside, while one or both of these guys may have a wire down, it's nothing new for me to hear that argument about "no cash - no gain" when someone's getting a debt paid off for them. Many people can't seem to grasp the concept. Nobody else ever heard that? Re the AR fee, rfassett - we have to charge what the traffic will bear so as not to bare the bank account. If I jack my fees up to your PA rates, they'd consider it gouging and nobody would walk through the doorway which would remain permanently darkened.

I was going to say, Oh Rita, what did you do this time

But, I for one would accept help from RitaB for the one OH return I prepare!

I just got the fact that this is an Ohio tax issue, not a request for help from RitaB.....No wonder I did not understand the post when I read it. DUH! Tom Newark, CA

Me, too! I figured there was something special in Ohio that needed the Rita hug treatment as a standard practice.

Musing: Nice uncle. PC should have disclaimed the inheritance and let the bank have the property - or the estate sell the property to pay off the loan. I may have asked him to set another appointment with me where I could do some educating. This guy probably would not have darkened my doorway because the fee you quoted is way below the minimum fee I charge just to walk though my door. So how stupid do these PC's think we are? PC accepted the property that was upside down with financing. A buyer is found that is OK with paying twice as much as the property is worth? The PC may be correct - that he is making "nothin' off the deal" (as presented), but that does not excuse the reporting requirement. The PC must realize there is some sort of reporting requirement - why else would he bring it up? Those are just my musing this early Tuesday morning.

I wanted to take the opportunity to thank the people who, last year, had suggested using Nuance to convert our ATX pdf organizers to fiillable forms. I bought it for last tax season and really appreciated having this tool. Now, after a year of experience, I am so pleased to have this capability. It helps make a useful and professional looking organizer to send to my clients. thanks so much! The information that people share is so valuable!

Well, she got to dream about the anticipated big payday for 3 years. Not much different than spending $2,650/ year on lottery tickets, and roughly just as sensible.

Maybe it was an OH CPA office this was seen in (and not MA, as believed):

Just to be sure we all understand each other, I am well aware that fees differ somewhat from area to area. But I will state this - I am in Podunk USA - population 5,500, with the nearest "big" town (pop 20,000) twenty minutes away, and the next "bigger" town (pop 105,000) an hour away. My clients would have a lot of choices to go elsewhere. We have the big box places in town, other professional offices, etc. My point is - don't sell yourself short. And I also recognize that not all are in my position. I have been doing this for more years than I care to count. And my plate is always full. I would wish the same for all of us.

Frankly, Rita, I and likely many others would be so happy to give that special 'Rita' hug to the RITA return. It's an abomination whether in paper or electronic form. But then, that sort of describes all the myriad Ohio local tax returns, too!

If it was sold due to a road expansion, whatever, couldn't she rollover the money into a new property without tax?

There's an option in your preferences to opt for all caps, or to opt out of all caps.

Sent you a PM. I am not as good looking as RitaB, but I have RITA experience.

Ha-ha. Reminds me of a joke (think I already told it here, but it's worth telling again). I once had a doctor client and he overheard me complaining about a PITA client who'd just stormed out of my office. Doc said the guy was also his patient and "I'd like to refer him to Dr. Kevorkian!"

I bet tax preparers in Ohio make a lot of money.

I never use the RITA form. Use the OH General City Form. The RITA forms are a waste of space and time.

Looks at the county tax rolls for the tax value in 1984. This establishes the basis when inherited.

I'm in CT but have NY commuters, so I subscribe to NYS e-newsletters, check the NYS website, belong to the NY/CT-ATP which has state updates during our 2-day December seminar as well as lots of networking with NYS colleagues during each dinner meeting and seminar, subscribe to CCH's e-newsletters including their State Tax Review and Tracker News - State Tax News, and read everything I can, not to mention having NY colleagues that I can question when needed. I already had copies of both DLs from my Singapore couple (US citizens) with a NYS rental two months ago. This wasn't a big surprise. For 2015 taxes, I had to get DLs from my VA (? one of those southern states) clients. I started warning my northern clients last year that DL information might be a state or even federal requirement in the near future. We knew this was coming. NYS isn't the only state requiring DL information for 2016. Expect even more next year. As an EA, I do NOT receive CEs for state education toward my license renewal or even for NAEA membership, but I consider state education very important to my career so take courses re CT, NY, PA, MA, multi-state returns, etc.

This has been the biggest benefit of scanning records first and entering from the scan. Even W2s can have tiny bold-faced numbers that are hard to read. I'm always zoomed in. I can also keep the lights in my office lower.