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Put up a sign outside saying we're gone 'til sometime next month-same for voicemail. It's every taxpayer for himself. Beat/dead - it's gonna take some dayyys to lie prostrate & unstress, Can't remember when's the last time I got zonked-out, but thinking about popping the cork on that fifth of the grape somebody Xmased me last year (it's white and I like red, but what the hey-nothing else went my way this year).

My client brought me these cute little pictures that she had made from looking at our three cats. It made my day. She did tell me that I looked exhausted and my eyes were really puffy. I am really feeling my age these days. I do love most of my clients, some need to make a trip to Rita's yard.

One of the first things I was taught is there is no such thing as an accounting emergency. I like to revisit that item often. If needed, I take a vacation anytime. Could be 10 minutes, a day, whatever. If I am in a state where I need time off, I am not my best for clients.

My vacation is next month so I've started my CE as of yesterday! Will have my 24 hour certificate BEFORE I get on that plane.

Exactly what I was doing thru the school zone.

I was engaged a few years ago to help an elderly woman with her checkbook and help her sort mail and pay bills. She did not have children, but had a nephew who was afraid he was not going to be getting any money from her because she was making too many donations to the church. Now - I was young and didn't realize how messy this could get. But after a few months of helping her, the nephew called me up just furious because my name was on a credit application that she received in the mail. Yikes! I did not apply for anything, but my name got on her mailing lists, and so he accused me of trying to get credit in her name. And he was also mad because I had "allowed" her to continue to make contributions to the church. I certainly could not stop any one from making a contribution. But somehow he felt that I was supposed to. I quickly disengaged myself from that mess. (Unfortunately shortly after that they managed to sedate her heavily and moved her to a nursing home where she died a very untimely death, in my opinion.) So - anyway - BEWARE!

Yesterday was just brutal. It's like a huge crash this year. I had seven sales tax returns to do and the great State of TN has revamped their site and made it far more difficult and illogical than ever. Put out a few other fires. Went to dentist, where a very pretty and annoying young lady walked in like she owned the place, wanted them to fit her in even though she was supposed to be in the office of another dentist named Darryl in another town. All I could think was: "This is our April clients. They are everywhere." Then I went home, driving thru one red light, then a school zone where the friendly cop had his hand up waving at me and even blew his whistle. So sweet.

Yep, Drake hasn't had a price increase in a long, long while. And the program, although excellent as it is, continues to get better and better. But as far as prince increases are concerned, I keep raising my fees each year. One purpose of being in business is not only to earn salary/wages, but also to make a PROFIT.

I have had some small success in refusing to provide information to a *new* accountant until I have been paid. And one client contacted me after several years needing some crucial document and hoping I had a copy. I did - but would not look for it (anything that old was in deep storage) until she paid up. Paypal payment within the hour, and I found her stuff that evening. We were both thrilled.

The usual offer from ATX quoting the best price of the year. This year they apparently are not sending a CD. This year's increase is even greater than ones in prior years amounting to right at 10% for the package I use. Next year I am planning an across the board increase for almost all clients. I look into other software options from time to time but never find one better price wise than ATX. I have never packed my returns with stuff (calculations and all that stuff) but next year will begin doing so as apparently many clients feel it really means they are getting their monies worth even though they have no clue what all that stuff means. Despite my concerns about diy returns the business was fairly stable this year and I had all I should really take on as I about wore myself out. I sincerely appreciate all the responses to my posts during the season as so many help clarify these occasional thorny problems.

Don't know if this in any way eases the pain, but here's my experience. Over the years, I've had one or two ex-clients whom I would have gladly PAID someone $1,000 to insure I never heard from them again. One situation did involve a new wife who obviously knew more about this business than I did (at least according to her).

Unfortunately, without a Section 7216 disclosure, you cannot tell ANYONE (her kids, her lawyer, her minister) that she is even your client. The only thing I can think of is to ask her to have one of her kids drive her over for the next appointment "so that you have some help carrying those papers in" and the tacit approval of having brought her kid along might make it possible to talk to the kid. "Let's ask Mary's opinion since she's here" sort of thing. Nasty tightrope to walk.

I increase rates to accomplish 2/3 of the increases I have to incur. i.e. if my costs increase 6%, my rates go up 4%. I have had only one year in recent memory where I didn't have to increase prices. Most of the increase in costs come from sources within the industry. Providers of seminars, IRS fees, postage, publications, etc. I am lucky with software as Drake has increased prices only one time in 20-something years, and it was only $100. Another thing which doesn't register as a price increase is the amount of time I have to spend in the off-season maintaining files, records, etc. Example, I project all known depreciation for the succeeding year in the off-season. And I do charge for depreciation schedules, but not until the next year. Much of the competition does not raise prices. Most preparers do, but TurboTax never seems to go up, and there is now a number of "free" do-it-yourself options. The public doesn't know it, but "free" is worth what you pay for it.

I can not remember a year that I have not increased fees. When the cost of living does not go up and my employees don't accept their raises and when the health insurance premiums don't go up, etc., well maybe that year I may not raise my fees. OK, not really. I would not want to startle my clients that way. They have come to expect my increases for all of the reasons stated. i too appreciate everyone on this forum!

Rock and a hard place, Jack. ES didn't give the worman any work product, and is required to give back the original documents, if asked. It is an ethical violation for CPAs to hostage a client's original records for a fee. ES, I'd let it go and never do business for this family again. Others here have laid out the path if you decide to try to collect, but I think you may rack up more in aggravation that it may be worth.

I think all or nothing. And get paid up front. Prepare all as paper returns & hand to him for signature & mailing. The client can choose to send them in (or not) as he wishes.

Jack, I agree with you that this is taxable income. The only carve-out for not being taxable income is for loans forgiven under 108(f) where the student works in certain professions or classes of employer for a designated period of time, or for certain refinancings, and obviously these aren't the case with your client. One of those is the link that ILLMAS provided. I would treat this as any other cancellation of debt that is taxable AND has the potential for exclusion under the rules in sec 108(a) to the extent the person is insolvent. Do the worksheets to determine the involvency and go from there. In other words, treat it like any other 1099C and include the student loan debt in the liabilities on the worksheet. Found this on the Nelnet website related to Student Aid, says it's an Office of the U.S. Dept of Education. Re: cancellations due to Total and Permanent Disability: A notation in the U.S. Federal Register, 2012, Title 34 for Dept of Education, on pg 4 of the linked pdf, righthand column, says : "The treatment of loan amounts discharged based on the borrower’s TPD as income for Federal tax purposes is governed by the Federal tax code, not the HEA." Again, the IRC addresses only those discharged under 108(f), and makes no mention of discharge for TPD as an exclusion.

This just got weirder. I was preparing amended return (2016 & 2015). Then realized his mother contributed to a Roth IRA for him. Ha. Taking out his W2 income renders him ineligible for the contributions. Sheesh.

https://cpawilmingtonnc.org/cancelled-debt-cpa-discusses-tax-consequences-of-student-loan-forgiveness-cancellation-and-discharge-insolvency-form-982-and-form-1099-c-from-92-instructions-form-1099-c-instructions/

I would never bash those people - however, I also do NOT want to BE one of them. The bonding and insurance requirements are stringent, and the liability risk high. However, we cannot call them and give clients' names. We can only recommend to a client.

You can check the box on 1040x. It has two boxes, one for yes and one for no. A one sentence explanation as well might help.

I am not even sure what you can do legally to reach out to the children unless their mother involves you. I have a situation like that where my client obviously has bad memory issues like coming on the wrong days and wrong times . I followed him driving one day and was petrified. His wife and only child are dead and I have no idea of anyone that I could reach or if I legally could anyway.

Forget it. They won't pay you unless you go to court--and attorney fees would be at least $1000

prayers to you and your family. my dad died from cancer 2 summers ago. the time, the grief, and worry - it all takes a toll. still does, 2 years later. take care and god's peace be with you and your mom.

I have had two clients who requested refunds this year and the IRS froze those refunds until they filed missing years. I loved it because a lady said: I haven't file 2014, 2015 and 2016. I prepared them and she was getting a refund because she had a daughter a nice withholding. Two years before the baby was born she didn't file and IRS said... hold your caballos, if you don't file those years, you will not see any of the three refunds totaling 15K. Thanks to the IRS, I have two more years to prepare and more dinero to make.

Let's be honest and realize that when you inform them that 2014 is a requirement, they WILL pack up and go to the next preparer and fail to mention 2014. I would inform the potential client that when a refund request for 2015 shows up, the IRS will run a tax return without any deductions for 2014 and assess them a tax owed far higher than your return will generate. Inform them that at that time, fixing their error will cost significantly more than doing an original return.

We prepare the returns. If they choose to send in or not is up to them. They will get the notice when the IRS sees the missing year....eventually. No filing, no statute of limitations. They can pay a bunch more when you have to help them set up the payment plan in the future and try to get all the penalties abated. Tom Newark, CA

Ain't THAT the truth! And the same ones who want to write off as charity deductions for their dogs, contributions to the local legis-vermin races, and some things you just shake your head at to think *anyone* could consider them deductions.

I agree with Ron. Prep all 4 years of returns. Hand them to him to mail, and with a bill for all four years. Rich

I had one client this year, complaining about taxes ($250K+ AGI from a large 1000 unit apartment building that is managed by DAD) that he should move to the Bahamas where they don't have taxes... I told him: "Don't let the door hit you in the ass" PS... he filed to get SS at age 62. Yeah.. those "taxes suck people"? First in line to suck off the nipple. Rich

Agree with everybody else. I would not comment one way or the other about 2013 refund being gone. I will add that I had the pleasure of telling a person who comes here from another country, makes more than I make, kids on state health coverage, whining about taxes: I bet you like roads, schools, health care, stamps, and bombs. This is the greatest country in the world. You need to help me pay for that stuff. Pay your taxes. I believe I was doing God's work there.

I agree with rfassett. He provided you with information and you spent time reviewing that information for each year from 2013 through 2016. Based on that review, you believe 2014 will have a large balance due. Personally, I would not agree to prepare only the returns that result in a refund. Since I'm aware of the entire situation, I would agree to prepare all the returns or none of the returns. May not be a good business decision, but I agree with rfassett, and would send them on their way.

It is too late to get a refund from 2013. I agree with rfassett.

Don't know about the ethics, but if he wants to be my client, he comes clean all the way or goes somewhere else. Well not being a collection arm for the IRS, I do believe that everyone should pay their responsible fair share. If he doesn't, someone else has to pick up the bill. That is just my naive way of thinking.

We love you, @Gail in Virginia.

Actually, working helps. I can't go see him all the time - he needs to rest and that is hard enough to do in the hospital. But the hospital is close enough that I can duck out a couple of times a day and check in with him. But thanks for all the good wishes - and Catherine, I can't tell you how much your offer means to me! I love this group of people. Now I might just have to go and have a good cry before I go back to work.

Told ya.

She is our fearless Queen as she already has us organized with sharp pointy pencils to arrive at Leavenworth in T account formation. We're not worried.

I am not on the hook for anything. My clients have the "right to remain silent" in regards to discloser of health coverage. Furthermore, the IRS will "ACCEPT" the return as being compete as a result of the executive order. Then, after accepting the return with out requiring the taxpayer to make a disclosure in regards to health care coverage, the IRS can certainly make a written inquiry but they cannot access any penalties for failure to check a box the taxpayer wasn't required to check. Also, under Code Sec. 5000A(g)(2) and Reg. § 1.5000A-5(b), a taxpayer is not subject to any criminal prosecution or penalty for failure to timely pay the individual mandate penalty, and IRS can’t file a notice of lien with respect to any property of a taxpayer because of his failure to pay the individual mandate penalty or levy on any property of a taxpayer with respect to that failure. But IRS may offset any liability for the shared responsibility payment against any overpayment due the taxpayer, in accordance with Code Sec. 6402(a) and its regs. And even if they do throw me in the slammer, I am not the least bit concerned since I made a pact with Rita and she will bust me out.