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Yes, but when we mail them we get them ready before Christmas. Take the pile to the post office on Jan 2nd and we're done with 'em before people start fussing about their payroll w-2s.

Next week I'll buy a mailing list and I'll print off every label I'll need. First week of December I'll work two evenings and get all my mailings together and ready to mail. I'll have 4 boxes labeled with a date to mail each set. First batch goes out Dec 31st since I'm here all day anyway! the week between Xmas and New Years I clean the office from top to bottom and get all my labels and supplies ready for tax season. Estimated tax payment labels and so forth are all ready to go when clients need them. That week I also buy all my supplies (paper and envelopes) for tax season.

Hmmm. wouldn't this have originally been a de facto partnership? If it was a business 'deal' and 'they' were going to flip a house, why would it be only your client's Sch. C? I agree it doesn't seem appropriate for A as it was a business - sort of. I'm guessing getting the SSN of the scoundrel is not going to be easy, though.

Also If I remember right it is also the last time you can efile 2015 returns.

Thanks for the reminder, still have some late ones to take care of.

I always highly customize the questions and get rid of the ones that are way too obscure. Always tweaking my wording when I see too many clients misinterpreting the question. I don't like to send them until after the new year. I like to let people enjoy their holidays without having to think about taxes.

The e-file shutdown will begin on 11/17 to allow for annual maintenance and reprogramming for the upcoming 2019 season.

My first reaction is Sch D capital loss on the loan. I'm guessing the loan was not secured by the property.

Did the documents and agreements include the business setup and agreement to share in profits, losses, and expenses, or was the documentation you refer to the loan agreement only. I'm trying to determine if it really was a de facto partnership or a joint venture, either of those requiring a return for the business.

My largest client has about 70 employees and does not offer health insurance. They received a proposed penalty for 2015 in June 2018 which was triggered by an employee going to and receiving a PTC from the marketplace. Fortunately they only received the credit for 5 months. The IRS proposed penalty was way bigger than it should have been I recalculated the penalty supported by the 1095s, which I had filed, which was about 70 % lower than the proposed penalty. They accepted the penalty that I calculated. They have yet to receive any letters etc for 2016.

I upgraded to Windows 8 in December 2012 and it's been a very positive experience. Like you, I'm not touching 10 until I'm absolutely forced to. Not a week goes by that I don't see an article or two reporting on windows 10 troubles. And Windows 8 will get you more used to a Windows 10 like interface. Do you know which generation processor you have? Newer processors won't allow you to update either 8 or 7. I just had to replace a motherboard and had to make sure we got an older processor, and that limited our motherboard choices.

Without any numbers its like shooting.shooting in the dark. The problem is with companies like these, the profit/cash flow stream along with any intangibles are usually the most valuable assets. Therefore an appraisal becomes almost mandatory. In my state of Oregon like Minnesota, the Estate Tax kicks in when a valuation exceeds $ 1,000,000 so it's a whole different ball game.

That is to say his attorney should raise this point. In view of the fact he was clueless about the change in the law leaves room for being pessimistic. I sent his attorney an email discussing the new law including the paragraph from Divorce Magazine and suggested he have further discussions with the firm's CPA. I wish them luck since it apparently has been a contentious divorce.

This, plus cbslee and Jack's experiences pretty well match mine except that a few years ago I had a good thing going straightening out state stuff (always had better luck with AR than feds). Had a great state's Taxpayer Advocate (first-name basis) & she had some of that scarce "compassion"-a T/P's wife was going off the rails mentally & she offered to slash his old $11K & change bill to $8K flat if we mailed cashier's check and dr. bills within four days-we did and she did. Some interest deleted (never been able to get IRS to do that). She's now retired and replaced by some nitwit (government service-the last refuge of the incompetent) whose mantra is "They need to pay their taxes!" Well, hell; I know that. But, as Jack said, "you can't fix stupid." Last case I had with my "good Advocate" the T/P (in exotic animal biz-sold 2-3 mass loads per week at $3k per-can't figure WHAT he did with all the dough) called and said he owed AR about $2,500 (had stacks of letters) and did I think maybe they'd go away if he did nothing. Told him it was possible but not likely (states are generally hungry). Six months later he calls and says deputy sheriff is loading his truck on a flatbed-what to do? Called my rescuer and she said "Okay, tell him if he will go to the Swampbog county seat right now, pay the sheriff $235 collection and deputy fee, then I will call and stop the collection. Then, if he brings you a $500 cashier's check tomorrow; call me saying you have it in hand and are mailing it, and I will set him up on a payment plan." Next day I called him - relative said they hauled off his truck. I haven't seen or heard from him since. No money on that one either, so I swore off. Post-mortem on first T/P-he should have stuck with derailed wife-while nuts, she could figure payroll; divorced her and last year wife #2 paid $1,000 for some guy to drive 50 miles, put up their Xmas lights, come back, take down, and store 'em for her 'til next year & another $1.000.

It's only for new or modified divorce agreements after 12/31/18 and the fact the recipient is getting it tax free should be factored into the payment amount.

Not sure about customized questions, but I usually send them out by the first week or 10 days of January.

There is still time for your client to approach the lawyer and say if the agreement is not signed in time, alimony will be reduced by whatever tax bracket applies because it will not longer be deductible. Spouse may even come out ahead if her bracket would have been higher if the alimony was declared as income so she gets to keep more of the reduced amount. Win-win?

I agree on the attorney being out foxed here. I believe the opposing party attorney knows the new rules and signing after 12/31 means the opposing spouse or payee does not have to include the amounts as taxable income either.

"TCJA changes alimony tax treatment only for alimony orders pursuant to an instrument of divorce entered after December 31, 2018. Couples planning to divorce may want to hasten their proceedings — or at least their drafting and signing of divorce instruments to take advantage of pre-TCJA alimony tax treatment. An instrument of divorce must specify periodic payments and the parties must reside in separate households. Experts believe an instrument signed before December 31, 2018, will qualify for pre-TCJA tax treatment, even if the divorce is not yet final. If the parties sign their divorce instrument before the end of this year, they can also agree to pre-TCJA tax treatment for any subsequent modification of their alimony arrangement. In that way, couples who sign an alimony instrument of divorce before December 31, 2018, can preserve the deductibility of alimony far into the future."