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I want to salvage a confessional from an old church.... and put it in the corner of my office. When the client says "Do I..." I would just say "Go over there and tell them your sins..." LOL

I think I am VERY tired tonight. I read the topic name, and my first thought was, "Why does the IRS have babysitter positions open? How young are they hiring new people?"

Start with 2014. The statute on refunds runs on that one April 17th. If they can get you all the info for that return, and there is a refund, you might be a hero. Then call the IRS and ask them what years they want. They may not have you file all the years, or they may want more years than the client is telling you about. Regardless, you won't know until you call. And if there is collection activity, you can probably get it put on hold while you start working on the other years. I have found the PPL is pretty good about working with you when you are trying to bring a long-time non-filer into compliance. I have done a couple of these. Tom Modesto, CA

Now I understand what’s behind the gold star

Honestly? I wish IRS would take a look at some tax returns that new people are bringing me and put their money where their Circular 230 is. All the yay hoo preparers are not dining room table pencil whippers. Or paid preparers abusing Turbo Tax. Yeah, get them, too. And every DIY return. OK, yeah, I am in @Catherine 's softly whimpering stage of tax season.

I crank up the volume and put the phone on speaker and... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcAl93uEYUA&feature=youtu.be&t=36s

Yep that's what I thought when I saw the heading. I am gonna apply. Now it takes both incomes to make ends meet. They never that coming.

well let's try this one - so boyfriend brings in girlfriend - who is mfs! yep - still married but has a child so I say how long have you been separated - you could be H/H - so she gets big $$$ back now. But on $5400 does not need child for dependent. So why not give to non-custodial parent? I mean he has visitation rights - albeit supervised.. Oh no boyfriend!! says!! No way! and now her family wants to know why child's name is not on her taxes as dependent! why are you showing them or even telling them?! stay out of this.. so I am getting nasty emails and I finally say - come in on Sat and I will talk with her. Well the boyfriend can Bring her in after work at 2 - we are open to 12 - fine. In the meantime, I can amend the last 2 years! as my dad has been doing them!! so I go to amend and she has dependent credit on $1,200 of income one year- how did that get thru!! I can't even override.. and H/H on both and gets $1200 on one year and $100 on other. But again no dependent credit - so let the non-custodial parent have... So they come in with this cute baby girl, 4 months old - did I mention she is still married and in the paperwork - is the boyfriends paternity - 99% his... hhmmm and they are going to court soon to get child support and they are engaged and getting married... - not divorced yet! So I suggested they let non-custodial parent have 8332 and get the $1,000 and it can go against child support and she will get some $$ from him - otherwise he is always paying in - (do not ask how I know that ) - good idea! I mail in the amends, ready to e-file - would have already but I needed to put in banking info and she emails today - mind you this was Sat and it is now Tues - STOP! add dependent ,. LAWYER says no, I get to claim child, bad idea to let him have a chance to get $$$ to pay off child support - WTH!! ok, done and the non-custodial dad will always owe in and be in arrears - who won here? And Sat as my hubby was listening as I was afraid of a hostile session - hubby had said no marriage counseling but they were going off on him - I had to say, remember you did like him at one time and he is the dad... makes me wonder who was the issue... I am getting too old for this! You have issues - go elsewhere

Just dropped in to lighten a moment of your stress....Good luck and happy return's to you all....

The actual cost to care for a child seems never to be part of such calculations. Foster care, adoption assistance, child support, etc.

When I was a single mom with a young son, I discovered that it was cheaper to take vacation time when my son had school breaks and take us both to DisneyWorld (airfare from CT/NY and onsite hotel and meals and...) than to pay all-day daycare. We did that about every other year (couldn't always get time off work) over his winter or spring break or long Thanksgiving weekend. Both of us had fun. And, it didn't cost me any more than if we were home and I was at work. Of course, it meant planning ahead to get the best deals, but it was worth it !!

Raise their price $40 and give them a $20 discount.

I never said how much time I spent on it. I said it was a PITA and I should clarify that this client's entire return is the PITA, not just this. The client's giant spreadsheet of donated goods still needed "intervention", and by the end of the season I may need an intervention.

Here is our weekly star !

Would you not have to file all years just to start (and eventually) end limitations? Agree do the 2014 so if refund you do not lose it.

I left a frownie face, but I do truly appreciate your response and advice. I won't spend any more time.

My brother married a Canadian and they ended up living in Ontario. My sister in law received monthly payments from the government to encourage her to stay home with their two children while they were growing up.

Hey I had a printer do the Jack thing. Thought the dang building was on fire. Its hard to believe how hot these things can sometimes get.

Thank you for the feedback! savor.. and had lamb chops for supper tonight - hubby cooked decadent!

can't use Sch A if over $500 - silly!

Clients put a $20 off H&R Block coupon in the packet they dropped off. Coupon code 69439 for anyone who wants to use it .

Have you gone in to the 'printing preferences' 'advanced' tab and made certain that 'mirror imaging' was off? It gets toggled on sometimes - not sure how.

Circular 230 and other oversight regulations from the IRS, with associated big penalties for us.

Our tax system was not designed or ever intended to be "fair." It is a progressive tax intended to tax the wealthy at higher rates (although with more loopholes) than the poor, and to accomplish certain social and economic goals that have nothing to do with taxation.

Judy, you are a super duper moderator EVERY week! You should have a permanent star!

Client: Do I have to report that? Me: Yes. Have you ever noticed, the answer is always yes? Please stop telling me about income and then asking me if you have to report it.

I finished one this evening that was very similar to this. Nine trips, all to Goodwill, and I broke down by groups of similar items. The client is very organized and had it all summarized and broken down by types of items and by date, and it was still a PITA.

How do I get everyone to like this so jklcpa wins

This gal does list, so lots of different things were donated, furniture, clothing, sports equipment, books, etc., and using the Goodwill calculator, the whole mess was just under $2,000. So, no risk of a group of similar items being over $5,000. Had a guy donate his record collection to a symphony in his home state. They paid for the appraisal and sent him the paperwork which we efiled as a .pdf with his return. $15,000 or so!

Yes, I went back to the 2016 return, checked off the complete disposition and there is no limitation, 100% of the loss is following to the 1040, so amending the 2016 should be sufficient? Thanks MAS

Our area had primary elections yesterday and for the past weeks I've receiving robocalls to vote for %@#!! glad it's over, but to of the the right of the Alice Cooper video I seen the Stones 2120 South Michigan Avenue, this song was recorded a block away from my office.

Yes, it becomes active on disposition. Was it carried over as an NOL?

This was a political decision back then. The credit was based on $2400 until around 2003, when it was raised to $3000--neither of which came close to covering the cost at the respective times. The conservative politicians did not include an inflation adjustment because it was felt that moms should stay home with their kids, and they didn't want to give them too much of a tax break so they would want to go to work instead. What I don't get is how so many parents pay enormous sums for child care, yet child care workers and home care providers get paid poverty level wages. Where the heck is all that money going?

I agree.

I don' know about your county, but my county assessor would have a readily available record of the purchase, even 25 years ago.

So what's the problem? My grandmother used to say, "It's a poor scorekeeper who can't win." She was talking about bridge, but still.

Not even Dorothy and Toto? You have too much of a heart to say no. And what about the brains and courage that all tax preparers hope for at times, surely you would continue to help us out.

Many 1099's that I've done show $0 cost basis on their non-reported sales but then disclose the cost basis that is in their records on other pages. For example I brought in a bunch of securities for a client and provided a cost basis. Those ended up as E's on their 1099 with the cost basis noted. I've notice the last few years it is VERY rare that someone doesn't have something for a cost basis on the 1099.

Have any of you been exposed to Deltek Vision? I think Deltek is most known for its Government Contracting Accounting product, Crosspoint, but they also have Vision, which is supposed to be tailored to Engineers and Architects. I have been approached by an Engineering firm to look at possible replacement software and I ran across Deltek Vision doing google searches. If any of you have any input on that product, I would be appreciative. I am not having any luck finding out how much it costs, so that would be a very good thing to know as well. Maybe @Edsel would find it interesting as well. Not sure what industry his client is in, but Vision is supposed to be a robust job costing platform. Thanks Tom Modesto, CA

good answer Gail!!

I so agree. I have couples paying over 14,000 for daycare for two kids and only get 6, 000. Needs to be updated.

Revocable trusts while the person is still alive can use their SSN.

What happened to the concept of preparing taxes based on documents presented by the taxpayer. How do we justify creating deductions by the paid preparer? If preparers can create a $10 deduction can they create a $10,000 deductions even though the taxpayer says so? Where do you draw the line? Is it the preparer's or taxpayer's return?

It would be helpful to know the times of the year when the TP lived in CA and when he lived in other states. Your OP makes it seem like he was a resident of NV to start the year, but it does not say that explicitly. I am going to assume he was domiciled in NV at the beginning of the year for some part, earned income in NV for that period of time, and then lived in NV but worked in CA for some period of time, and then moved his domicile to CA and finished the year there? Is that correct? Based on the above assumptions, he would file as a PY resident in CA and claim all the income he earned in CA for this year. The NV income earned while domiciled in NV would not be taxable to CA. FYI, CA taxes the worldwide income of all domiciled residents, and gives credit for taxes paid to other states. If there is no tax paid to the other state (like in NV), there is no credit. That is why documenting the period of time that he was not a domiciled resident in CA is so important. If the TP was never domiciled in CA, but earned income in the state, he would file a NR and pay income tax on the CA source income. Domicile is key for you to figure out what needs to be filed and what is taxable in CA. Tom Modesto, CA

Lion, if people give "similar" items to charity and the total FMV is over $5k, they have to have an appraisal, just like if they gave one item worth that much. So if all those receipts contain "clothing, household, misc," that's "similar" and should have been appraised (yea, right). I only allow maybe 15% of cost, maybe 20% if most of the stuff was new. It boggles my mind that the IRS is so picky about having a receipt for every single cash donation but these noncash ones get a free ride. On the other hand, I will not push clients for bank interest under $10 (I do pick it up if it's on the mortgage escrow statement). It will hardly ever make a difference, and I waste enough time getting big numbers out of them like college financial transcripts and out of state property taxes.

Judy, I don't know if this will qualify or not. But.... one of my more brilliant business clients (Sch C) had in their expenses for 2017 $300.00 deposit to open a new checking account. I mean really, you just can't make this stuff up.

I tell them the standard donation amount is zero, or in TN southern talk Zee Row.

The cheese arrived today; I tried the Ewemazing today. It is FABULOUS! My daughter described the flavor as a mix of Romano and Gruyere. I'll report on the Lacey Lamb after I try that one.