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They give you the old books for free to try to entice you to buy the current ones... and it's better than dumping them in the recycle bin. Jokes on them because I just use the old books when I can't find my answer on the google.

Pleas don't hit me in the head.....But this is my take.... Bulldog Tom is really really mad...... Illmas doesn't like books...???? Rita likes brand new words.... After reading the three posts .... the humor hit me sideways, Please don't be mad .... it is funny..

Bulldog looking for this years tax answers in his new books... Then he hired this, when he realized they were last years....

Stop it! Y'all are killing me. Killing. Me.

Got a reply from Will Van Kleef this morning. Totally pissed me off in the tone. Says I must have forgotten our conversation. Bullcrap. I hate when they talk down to me like that. But he probably did not forget that I told him in the conversation how much I don't trust CCH and how much I don't like them either. But it does say that the Master Tax Guide will be coming this year as soon as it comes out of print. Tom Modesto, CA

Or the you tubes.

If they want simplification, just put a cap on mortgage/HE interest expense of, say, 25k, and drop the acquisition debt BS. It's clear that simplification is not in their genes. They should get a bunch of us small preparers together to hash out real simplification.

I was told you get the real books later. Well, TheTaxBook, anyway. I don't care about the other one. Yes, I admit it. The arithmetic was totally incorrect on my invoice. Representative overrode numbers to make the bottom line jive. That did not impress me. I hope overrode is a word, but we're all friends here so you know... ILLMAS, I laughed out loud at your comment.

Details, girlfriend!

Tom had me rolling in the floor not gonna lie.

So why aren't you playing with your grandson now, rather than spending a total waste of time writing posts saying you aren't interested in wasting time? But at least you're making me smile and laugh.

I received a package about two weeks ago, I have not opened it yet because the package felt like books.

I ordered my software last week to get the 10% discount (which means I paid slightly more than last year). So today when I got home from work I had a package in the mail. I thought it was a little early for the Master Tax Guide to arrive. Surprise, I got last year's state tax guide and last years Tax Book. Once again, CCH has shown me why I don't like dealing with them. Will Van Kleef told me there was no changes to my package this year. He lied, I got shitty books from CCH instead of the Master Tax Guide. I bet some pencil neck geek in their accounting department thought it would be a good idea to ship out all the leftover books from last year to the returning customers. The lows to which CCH falls every year still surprises me, even though it should not. Tom Modesto, CA

The Master Tax Guide is a really good book. ATX/Kleinrock used to have something similar, but when CCH took over, they discontinued that book and replaced it with the Master Tax Guide. That made sense when they did that. The MTG (or the Kleinrock equivalent) has always been included in my software cost. I don't like CCH, but I am too lazy to learn a new software and go through the conversion process. Since I don't have to interact with ATX except at renewal and occasionally with their (non)support department if something goes wrong at the beginning of the year, I tolerate them. But 2012 is never far from my thoughts every time I deal with ATX. Rants are not supposed to be rational, they are always bizarre to the person who is not ranting. Tom Modesto, CA

Crime and government (politics) have the same mantra //// in confusion, there is profit ! If things were simplified, we would not need government to tell us 90% of what they do. NOT POLITICAL - just Fact!

Amen! I bet we could actually simplify the code to where no one needed a preparer to do their return, or a computer. But those who want their loopholes will never let THAT happen!

I still say the best way is eliminate the IRS and there goes 99% of the cheating - I can get by with bookkeeping or retire!! and play with my grandchildren...

well at least you got the old books!

I sure hope this doesn't become the case. I pulled out the trust and will last night and it is from 2004. All the monies are to go to the daughter with the disability as the other daughter is well off. The son in law has contacted an attorney in Boston, although house is in western part of the state. My guess is that "husband" will not want any trouble as he is probably on some kind of lifetime probation. How would it look for him going from preying on minors to senior citizens. Don't know how some people look themselves in the mirror.

I for one do miss the phone books, especially the blue pages, and to see if an ex is still alive, I mean in the area. And great when computer or phone is on another floor. Bulldog is right, we not dealing with the same ATX, although when I call I usually get good results, thankfully not often. With the Max package we would get the MTG and 1040 and Business Quick Answers. I used them all and they made good coasters. I do miss the old days. Oh, BTW, you guys are making me LMAO.

I am inclined to agree with Abby, although I have very little to base it on either. But I also agree with Roberts, that it " isn't difficult to go simple if you want to ." The problem is that every special interest group in the country has its own set of deductions, or credits, or other loopholes that they don't want to give up and convinces congress that they need to go along with them. Then congress drafts legislation including all these complications, and IRS has to write regulations to try to accomplish what congress was trying to do with the law and before long you have the mess that we have all come to know and love - the US Tax Code. As amended. And expanded. And simplified. *sigh*

If YOU make up a K-1, then it's fraud. His income you can accept from him - and if *he* nets out the "partnership" loss it's on him. But you should get that information from him in writing, not verbally. But other than his written statement, you have nothing to go on. I'd put it on Sch C (subject to SE tax) as a guaranteed-payment-equivalent, and put in a disclosure statement stating this is the best that can be done because the tax matters partner has disappeared - and give whatever names and EIN's exist. This is one of the tough ones; the client wantst to file, can't because of other people - what do *we* do? Sometimes the best you can do is the best you can do. But still cya, get all info from the client, and disclose the bejezus out of it all.

OK, here is my tax simplification code: Individuals: 17% Tax rate Flat. Std Deduction of 10K per person on the return. All persons must live in the home to be on the return (school exceptions). All persons on the return over 18 are jointly liable for the tax. No concept of marriage, just joint return filing (so I could file with my mom if I wanted to, or my brother, or my roommate, so long as we live in the same home, or we could file individually). No credits, no other deductions. No Cap Gains rates, just 17%. Corporations: 17% flat tax on Gross profit. 10K std deduction. No credits, no other deductions. Done. Tom Modesto, CA

We get free access to MTG online. Much better than searching through a book. I wish they'd stop sending the books, like they stopped sending phone books.

I will still wait for the pen signature on a tax bill, and the IRS announcing the changes before I do ANY contemplation of the results of any changes. To worry about this stuff before this happens is a total waste of time. I would rather play with my 3 1/2 year old grandson. At least I will get the pleasure of making him smile and laugh.

Yeah, I always keep the print off certificates also. I keep a running total on the outside of a file for easy review.

Yep. I don't think there is a blanket answer that is more right or more wrong so I prefer to fit it to the client's situation and make them happy. Max said it very clearly, there just isn't a one true answer that is unquestionably correct and all other figures are wrong.

I just realized this was probably the point you were making. Sorry. Daylight Wasting Time - 2. Rita - O

Respectfully, this seems as unreasonable to me as your assessor’s errors do to you. What the taxpayer wants to do and how long he’s going to own a property mean zero. I get what you’re saying, and IRS is oblivious, but ok I am shutting up now. Respectfully. Friends 4 Ever.

The stated points of tax reform were to (1) cut corporate tax rates (as if big corps pay anything now) and (2) to simplify the tax code. The latest proposal is anything but simplification. Up to $10k of property taxes will be allowed; interest on mortgages up to $500k, no second homes; child tax and adult dependent CREDITS instead of deductions from AGI. Instead of erasing 1000 pages of tax code they seem to have added 10,000. Elimination of the AMT is anything but. The original proposal seemed to eliminate the regular tax system and imposed AMT on everyone--no dependent exemptions, no state/local deduction, no misc itemized deductions, limited mortgage interest deduction. Face it, AMT is a much simpler tax system than what we have now (and for that matter, what is in the revised proposal). Typically those with really high AGI don't pay AMT because their regular tax rate is higher than 28%. Those with big real estate investments will get a break because they won't have the longer AMT depreciation periods. I don't see the student loan interest adjustment helping many people now, so have no opinion on its elimination. The adjustment starts to phase out at $65k single and $130k MFJ and is gone at $80k/$160k. These are the people who get loans! Lower AGI gets grants; higher can presumably afford to pay tuition. The one part of the proposal I am enthusiastic about is the elimination of HOH filing status. It's confusing and often misused.

In the past, tax "simplification" has been very good for business. We will see.

Goggledegook! I have been in this business for thirty plus years and not a year has gone by that I have not heard a cry to tax simplification. If the post card idea works for a bunch of folks - Great! But as long as there is taxation, there will be opportunity for you and me. And my firm belief is that there will always be taxation.

HOW ABOUT THIS.. THE 9/9/9 PLAN?

An update to a now continuing saga that has ended sadly. My client fell in her home and broke her hip. The "husband" who did not live there found her and called 911. She spent 2 weeks in hospital then was able to go home. I was in touch with her regularly until she left the hospital. I called yesterday and could not reach her so I called a daughter in SF and was told that she passed away a few days ago. She had fallen again, laid there for 24 hours and then passed away in the hospital due to pneumonia that daughter said she had beginnings of when she originally left the hospital. So now son in law calls me and he is my best friend. I gave him whatever information he needed as he will head east soon. Now here's the very sad part. Daughters were here when she died. They went to the house to retrieve personal belongings and now husband is living there and would not let them in. I decided to Google this guy's name to find out what he did to be incarcerated for 21 years. He is a sex offender and convicted of raping a minor in 1993. Also had other similar convictions. This will hit the papers if it gets ugly. I will be mostly out of this, let the attorney and authorities handle it. I will miss my client, she was a character and we always had a good comedic back and forth. This is what happens when a special client becomes a part of your life and dies, you feel the loss just like a family member. If only she told me of her plans to marry this guy I might have googled him then and relayed the info to her and hopefully change her mind. I'm sure many of you can relate to this. Take care of yourselves, and your clients (if they let you). Bill

Employee expenses not reimbursed by the employer and Home Equity Loan Interest will not be deductible. The bill uses the words "Original Acquisition Debt", which may mean that we will tracking the original declining principal thru Refis etc. Headache !

Every tax bill has winners and loser. Of course, everyone is talking about the taxpayers in high tax states like CA, NJ & NY. Some of the less obvious ones are: 1. Families with more than 3 children especially if they are older than 16 due to loss of personal exemptions. 2. Families with children in college due to loss of education credits and student loan interest deduction. 3. The absolute worst is the loss of the medical expense deduction: I have a 97 year old client with dementia who has been in a memory care facility for the last 3 and 1/2 years. She has income of about $40,000 per year. Her medical expenses are over $7,000 per month which are all deductible, which of course reduces her taxable income down to zero. Under this bill her medical deductions would be zero, which means that she would be paying taxes on all of her income above $12,000 since the net effect of the increased standard deduction minus the lost personal exemption is only $400. Also families with parents or children who have chronic medical conditions that require expensive drugs with be be really slammed.