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Nah, my one complainer guy's broker fees were only $9,057. He doesn't like my (finally up to) $350 fee. He's been struggling with my enormous fee for ten years now but manages to drop in five times a year to get advice. I have decided he will get the opportunity to find a better, less expensive alternative than me next year. That's right, I'm letting him live to regret trying that haggling ship on me. We don't do that here. If I think I'm paying too much, I smile politely, thank you, pay your fee, and don't come back nine more times. My #1 rule is everybody in this office is happy. My #2 rule is if everybody can't be happy, Rita will be happy.

As our very own @RitaB would say: "It's OK to kill those clients." Yes, I have seen them. My desire is to dope-slap them. Instead I hike their fee every year until they go away. And snicker to think what their opinion of the next guy's fee will be.

Not looking to jinx ATX, it's been working flawlessly this year. Nice to have a program that you're used to and functions well. With that said, I've noted that it's taking me longer to complete a return this year. I'm sorting through more information, have more missing documents and more questions from clients. Maybe it's related to all the news about the new tax law or maybe it's just because. Whatever the reason, I have noted a time increase. For those clients I deal with in person, I have told them personally. For those who receive my invoice as part of their packet of information, I will include a letter. I plan on raising my fees for 2018 25% to 50% across the board. I'm providing notice to my clients so there are no surprises. There are many reasons for my decisions, with that said, I have several new clients this year who have brought me their previous returns. They easily paid two to three times more than what I would have charged. I always knew I was on the low side, I never thought it was that significant. Shame on me, I guess.

Does anyone else have clients who complain about your measly fee (That should be higher) and you look at their investment paperwork and they have paid $51,000 to their investment company just this year!?

....Very..Very..Safe......

I must say that my "one pass" rule is working well again this year. On virtually everything I'm doing, I make one pass entering the data. If there's something missing or I need to ask for more info, I just prepare an extension. (There are a few common-sense exceptions of course, but that's the basic process) Been doing that since the first of February. And of course everything coming in during the past few weeks automatically gets an extension. I'll get back to many of them, and that's fine. But if not, don't bother me - they will hear from me sometime after the 17th (or maybe after the 30th, depending upon how quickly I get the payroll reports out).

The other thing that works before you get the standing desk is two or ten files in each chair. Hey, whatever it takes. There are advantages to being a paper freak, don't let the youngsters mislead you.

If they don't sit down maybe they will leave sooner. We may be on to something. But I must say, this desk is working out really well, I actually look forward to it each day, I feel like I'm on stage with no audience. My stage fright went away.

I agree with you on the standing desk. It's nice when clients drop by as well - doesn't happen much with me, which makes it even more of an inconvenience when someone does. If I remain standing, they don't sit down. So the conversation is usually shorter unless I have some reason to spend time with them and offer them a seat.

When did you sneak in and video me?

My guy that came in yelling "Land Shark" paid his planners $28,000 last year. He would never whine about my fee. The first year he came here, he told me he worked on it himself for four days before he threw in the towel.

Imagine using a drone to deliver your clients copy of their income tax return. I just thought that was a funny idea.... Or...You could use this, although.. it's analog....

Yes, had one recently with fees over 23K and fees of 2K for municipal bond work. With over a million $ in trades, and double that in account value, at end of the year it was up less than the fees. Some bad trades I suspect, in an up market something is not right.

Maybe James Earl Jones backed up by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir?

You're better off without that one for sure. Now that they heard someone will do it cheaper, they would probably pester you about it going forward if they stuck with you. May as well use that free time to replace them with a profitable client.

haha, you know I have that broom that I fly on magic wand and fairy dust. Oh yeah, I can't forget to mention the crystal ball that we all have.

Image counts. Brokers represent big money, and have office appearances to prove it. He works in a state-of-the-art building in an exclusive part of town, and people somehow think they are entitled to fees that they can hide on the back page of the statement. Lawyers same image. But US? They come to a modest office with papers stacked everywhere and talk to someone with none of the aforementioned image. Some of my customers come to my house. We're proud of it, but certainly not the Waldorf-Astoria. I'm convinced by the fees that I see (customers never bother to look), that some of the brokerage houses are making more money than the investor. p.s. in case any of you care, Rita has a very nice office.

yes I have noticed all ! of the above Except for the $75 client who left me for a lower price???? Really...

What I just typed in there would earn me another bad mark on this forum. This will come in handy!

You can always use a voice generator: http://onlinetonegenerator.com/voice-generator.html

My grandfather was born on December 31st, and for him it meant he had to go fight in WW1 a year early; they called up the young men born in his year in Italy. For warm winter socks, they were given double-pointed knitting needles and wool yarn.

I always thought it was because his parents lost out on the personal exemption by a few hours in the beginning so they gave it back to him at the end.

Don't do this Bill.....You could scare the..?..out of a client....... ...............................

TP walked into my office reeking of booze, I smelled it as soon as I opened the door

My bad: I indeed did get "Notifications" but had not arranged to have those emailed to me. Eric's creation still is perfect.

You're right, Rita & Yardley -- and THANKS. It's in the name of "customer service" that I've been wondering how to mitigate these taxpayers' sudden whim; but ultimately I'd rather have them know me for my technical skill than cuddlesomeness. P.S. Apology for this late response: I don't seem to have received any Notifications when my post was commented upon, only dropped in today with a different question!

Interesting, and thanks! That kind of makes sense since he was born on a holiday, so they gave him the day earlier to make sure he wasn't harmed by the system making an erroneous calculation. Maybe that is what Rich remember too.

My fathers date of birth was January 1st. Only thing I know about that was he was considered to have turned sixty five on December 31 of the previous year instead of the January 1 he really turned.

Yes, if one of the parties in the couple dies during the year, no matter if it was on 1/1 or 12/31, that person was alive during that tax year and died during that tax year, so a joint return is correct as long as the survivor does not remarry. I've never heard of the rule Rich mentioned about social security using 12/31 for someone dying on 1/1, and I don't have time to search through the maze of rules on SSA's site right now. If anyone knows, please chime in. We all know that benefits paid in a month are really for the previous month, provided that the person lived every day of that preceding month. So if someone dies on 1/20, the person is not eligible for the benefits that *might* be paid in Feb. If that payment is received, it must be paid back. Sometimes SSA doesn't get the payment shut off in time, especially if someone dies late in a month. But I don't think this is what Rich was referring to.

So if taxpayer dies on 01/01/2018 can a joint return be filed for 2018 assuming wife does NOT remarry? or is that just for Social Security.

Let bygones Pee bygones

It's not funny.... but why am I laughing? OMG.. STOP IT.

At this point in the season, yes.

Ugh! Not sure how I would handle that. Then again, I actually know all of my clients and most of them from church. When they drink, I likely would be with them! But not in my home office - save the occasional red wine with my neighbor/former employee/friend/client.

Were you jealous? I would have been... Just sayin'.

You're all going to hate me for this, but since I started using a standup desk this season I never feel tired.....unless I'm asleep standing up like a horse, but how would I know?

You'll have to attach the POA to an 8453 and mail that in. You should keep these additional points in mind in deciding whether her signature is acceptable or not: Does the father's situation meet one of those listed in treas reg sec 1.6012-1(a)(5)? That criteria is listed in pub 947 and the instructions to the 2848. If this is a durable POA, does it specifically grant her the function of signing tax returns on his behalf? Of if a 2848 is on file granting powers to 2017, in line 5a for other acts authorized, is the box checked for "sign a return"?

I should make this my auto-reply to all those email requests. Now, if someone (not my voice) would record the same with appropriate background music for my voice mail...

It finally occurred to me that she can sign for him and therefore would not need the 1310. I like to cover all the bases and this occurred to me at 6:00 AM this morning.

I sent it off today. Thanks for your input.

Definitely file a paper extension. It costs you and the client nothing, but could save you both potential aggravation (and money) in the future.

If daughter has only a standard financial POA then daughter hasn't ever been given authority to represent either of them in any tax matters or to sign any returns UNLESS that general POA has the wording that is contained in the IRS' tax POAs. IF daughter has a tax POA to handle Dad's tax matters for the 2017 tax year, then daughter can sign for him, and jasdlm is correct that the Dad's signature is all that is needed on the return as surviving spouse unless they would be filing MFS for 2017, then daughter would sign deceased mom's return as executrix and need the form 1310. Tax POAs can be granted for future years, and if I recall correctly, it can only extend out three future tax years.

I don't think you need a 1310 when there is a surviving spouse. Can Father sign, or are you saying daughter is signing for father? In any case, I don't think you need a 1310.

Yes - Great Story Rich! Wild life is very interesting to watch. As to see the reflection of the deer's eyes in your headlights? On my journey home last evening, five deer, in single file format with a second or two between them, jumped off the right hand bank onto the roadway and continued their journey across the road right to left and off into the woods on the left. Not one of those deer looked at me and if I would have been driving in the dark and looking for the reflection of their eyes, this story could have a very different ending. The evening before last, on our trip home, we observed a herd of 16 deer grazing in a field and they were not twenty yards from the road. I love living in rural America!

I can go upstairs and into an apartment if I want to ... If I really need to sleep. 20 minutes for me is refreshing enough for me to go another 4-5 hours.

I have two couches! I need choices in my limited world.

I don't think you have any responsibility at all to the son at this point. With the exception of possibly reminding him that he was taken as a dependent on his parents return. He can then take responsibility to find out what that means. Hand back the son's information and then allow him to take care of his own return filing.

i don't get it?

Now I am pissed off, I let the TP use the bathroom and he pissed all over the toilet seat, I was just informed