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I use Thunderbird and I have 572 filters, mostly for clients, to get mail into hundreds of separate folders. I hate when clients use new email addresses.

Great explanations Eric. In other words, when Oprah endorses Weight Watchers or Michael Jordan trots out a new line of Nikes, they are being paid because they are Oprah and Jordan and thus are a specified service business. No one is going to pay you or me to do endorsements because we're not famous enough (although by the end of this tax season we may be infamous to our clients).

Christian, mark the 1041 both first and final return. If an estate has been open for more than two years, you have to attach an explanation. Here's your chance to explain why no prior returns were filed (below filing requirement and real estate took time to sell). What confuses me is that the estate sold the home but it was transferred to the sons? They should have sold it, but all the IRS knows is that the estate EIN has income so a 1041 is expected. It makes no difference since inherited basis is the same for sons and estate. If repairs/improvements were made, the costs add to the basis of whomever paid them. cbslee, an estate never gets a Sect 121 exclusion since an estate could not have lived in the house. Even the sons can't get it if they lived there because they didn't own it for 2 of the last 5 years. Or did they?

If you're under the taxable income thresholds and have a business that has regular and continuous activity, you have a qualified business and can take the 20% deduction. The exclusion for specified businesses is the same under those thresholds, but for specified businesses the 20% deduction can phase completely out above those thresholds. Thankfully, IRS in the regulations interpret the restriction for where the principal asset is the reputation or skill of one or more owners or employees was limited to businesses that receive fees, compensation, or other income for endorsing products or services, or businesses in which a person licenses or receives fees, compensation, or other income for the use of an individual's image, likeness, name, signature, voice, trademark, or any other symbols associated with the individual's identity, or businesses receiving fees, compensation, or other income for appearing at an event or on radio, television, or another media format.

I need the damn planner

It depends on your credentials, who you work for, how many returns you prepare, etc.: https://portal.ct.gov/DRS/TSC/Paid-Preparers/Preparers https://portal.ct.gov/DRS/Fraud/Tax-Preparers/Hiring-a-Preparer https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/DRS/Publications/pubssn/2018/SN-2018(8).pdf?la=en

Dammit! Not having MFS/MFJ Comparison and OH RITA-37 is really making my life more difficult right now. I would like somebody to fix the situation. I'm paying $1,800 for software so I can manually check MFS vs MFJ the "old" way (by duplicating the joint and modifying it into two MFS returns) and filling out RITA-37 returns via the RITA web site. It really grinds my gears. Rant Over

Well, dang! I shall ignore instructions and go for this now. It will make my life easier, for sure. Guess I wasn't bold enough once Silverton did this: Questions regarding the new tax code should be directed to the Regional Income Tax Agency (RITA). and this: EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2008 THE VILLAGE OF SILVERTON EARNINGS TAX IS ADMINISTERED BY THE REGIONAL INCOME TAX AGENCY (RITA). I did just reread the tax code effective January 1, 2016, and it does, indeed, state a generic return will be accepted. Many thanks, Jack! I hate the RITA return, did I say that already?

If it involves taxes, and the attorney is not a tax attorney (specialist), it's almost a certainty that they WILL mess it up. And never admit it.

For business use (or for any email account you want to be sure to receive messages), you should probably turn off all auto filters, then setup manual filters for messages you are certain you do not want to see. Yes, this seems backwards, but it is the only way to be sure not to miss anything you wanted to see. There are other tricks of the trade, such as using special email addresses for things like mailing lists or online shopping (some mail services allow you to "add" things before the @ sign, without having to create specific addresses, which can then easily be filtered/tracked). Or for mail you are having trouble getting seen, send using the same provider, if you can (gmail to gmail for example). And be careful with the account you use for important sending, as it could get lumped as spam via the various auto filters. I just recently got completely fed up with complaints of messages not being received. Of course, I have NO control over receipt.viewing, only sending. So I have changed to a paid mail sending service which provides actual delivery confirmation (not viewed, as that is not reliable since it requires html messages, and a hidden image, which can be disabled by the reader). Just today, someone is telling me we never sent their receipt. We have sent it several times, and have confirmation it was received by their email provider. Unfortunately, they gave us no phone number, and a bad fax number, so we have to rely on USPS to deliver the printed copy of the message and receipt - since the likely problem is the receipt/receipts was/were sent to their spam folder. --- Speaking of USPS, my nearly 30 year old CBU (cluster box) was broken into. (Likely first of the month meth heads looking to sell a sack of stolen mail for a few bucks, my cameras do not cover the CBU, but a neighbor's does...) Only lost one item I have to replace. Of course, most of the neighbors have no idea it is up to us to pay the 1500+ for a modern CBU (no HOA) and most think USPS will fix it. Most of my mail does go to a POB, but for now, USPS is not enabling forwarding the rest, because of the damaged CBU, and is making me go across town to the main PO. I have to go to the PO unit where my box is to see if they can force the forward through. I did discover something I missed, that my POB allows me to enable a "street" address for my POB, meaning I can have all mail and packages shipped to the "street" address, as long as it is "USPS mail" worthy (under 70 lbs, not alcohol, etc.).

This has been the case, since municipalities started collecting tax. I put the name of the appropriate city on the return, and then send it to RITA. It works for me.

Thanks Abby, it worked for me also.

Yes, it worked for me. It was a pain to re-enter the data I had already entered but less painful than re-entering all the assets.

If no assets rolled over, you have to delete the return.

I removed the override on the return where it was computing a franchise tax of greater than $200, and it's now computing $200 correctly. For kicks, I put in $1,000,000 value and still get $200. At $1,100,000, it's $350, which is also right. I think they have fixed it.

If you choose ADS (Alternative Depreciation System) under Sec. 168(g), farm property can be depreciated straight line over 10 years.

This is the first time I hear you need a license to fix computers. In any event, I just wanted to know what simultaneously meant in this context. Insurance??? Let's say I am a dish washer living under a bridge, do you think I need to get insurance in case they sue me and and they come after my bridge? My employer only controls my time when I am a dishwasher and he didn't trained me to fix computers. Those two alone are big enough to prove I am not an employee when I wear different hats. How about if besides being a dish washer and fixing their computers, I have a PTIN (that's all) and I am preparing the taxes for the business. Will preparing taxes be part of my dish washer duties and therefore I am an employee?

I stopped doing checks many years ago, but I think you need to refresh your software with the bank to make it recognize the check. I forget what the routine is called, but I think you need to sync your software with the bank after you print checks. Or, I could just be full of it since it has been so long. Tom Modesto, CA

I tried that today. I am waiting to see if it works. Thanks Catherine. Tom Modesto, CA

Do you all know when VA will get their efile for partnerships approved. I have several very simple that I would like to get rid of. Last word I saw was Va is still out on the standard vs schedule A.

The state is accepting them. Since they are not going to process them until the issue is addressed it should be up to them to make changes in a taxpayer's return if they increase the standard deduction. I have submitted no returns which itemize. If it requires I amend a few , oh well, as I do advise folks the state is holding things up and a change may be necessary. Oh,Possi who in this world has a breakout of nerves in the tax season ?

I called again today. We are still holding. I sent an email to a very popular local newscaster. I hope something breaks loose soon. Here's one thing; I did a return today and her itemized deductions are only $600 away from her HOH standard. I could choose to itemize and let it fly. It would save her almost $500 in taxes, net. I wonder how many federal returns I have filed and should have done this. I hope not many. This really un-nerves me. I need to calm down, I know. But I've sent federals and will need new sigs for all these states, even if there is no change because of the dates. Sure as I let them fly as is, the standard will change or they will allow the A whether or not it was used on the federal. Ok, rant over. I feel better.

I am the red-headed step child using TaxWise, but I will look into this. Thanks!

You have a real talent for embellishing your story

Do you have a business license for your computer repair service, insurance, signs on your van, employees of your own, other required permits and licenses, other clients, can you send someone else in your place, control when you do the work, etc.? Do you get a separate check, not written from payroll software, with no payroll type check stub (even if the stub is blank)? For the non-employee: Do you have business insurance to take care of your final expenses and your family in the future - since you could get electrocuted? Your non-employer has none for you, so if you failed to act like a business, and your estate is wise enough to go after your non-employer, those you left behind have to hope your non-employer has deep pockets and/or good umbrella insurance. For the non-employer: Defending their position as a non-employer will be more costly, even assuming a victory, than managing your services as an employer employee relationship. And the odds are the court/jury will not favor you. "Course of employment" is not something to take lightly. While this old time issue (employee/contractor) is well known (and often ignored), the "new" issue is home based / remote employees and the employer's liability for the actions of the remote employee during CoE. The most recent case I was perusing was an employee's child hurt in the home office space, and the employer had no workplace policy (such as no kids) in place...

I fixed it for you because you wouldn't be able to.

What is simultaneously? Let's say I am a dishwasher and I left my shift at 3PM and at 7PM computers go down and I go back to fix them? Will I get my $5K that I will charge on my W-2? I spent 5 hours fixing the computers. When dish washing the restaurant pays me $15 per hour. So how many hours will the employer pay to get to $5K? Will that be bonus on my W-2? How about if during my day off, they don't want to call computergeeks and they call me and again I spent 5 hours and charge them 5K? How about if I am on a month vacation and I am call back on day 15th to fix my employer's computers? What if I am laid off for 5 months (March 1st, to August 1st) while the restaurant is being remodeled and in month 3, they call me to fix their computers? How about if I quit on March 15th and they call me back to fix their computers two days later? While fixing their computers the employer convince me to get back to my previous position and I agree to return to work as a dishwasher and I restart my employment the following day? How about if I finish my dishwasher shift at 3PM but at two 2PM my employer asks me to punch out and to fix their computers? I go to my van and pick up my tools and start fixing their computer. Keep in mind that everyday after my dishwasher shift ends at 3PM, I start my van and go to fix computers as Pacunlovescomputers sole proprietorship.

Tell your junkmail, that the e-mail address from the fax company, is approved.

Qualified property comes into play when the taxpayer's taxable income is over the threshold of $315k on a joint return or $157.5k on a separate return, and the deduction becomes limited to a percentage of W-2 wages or a percentage of qualified property plus a percentage of W-2 wages. Qualified property is the unadjusted basis (before any depreciation or Sec. 179 deduction) of depreciable property in use at the end of the taxable year. Fixed assets used in the computation are those whose depreciable life is still in effect. For this purpose, an asset 10 years old or less is considered to still be in its depreciable life. There are special rules for assets that came into the business through a 1031 exchange or where there is a Section 743 basis stepup in a partnership. Most taxpayers don't have to worry about the special rules.

Thanks Eric. I rolled over this return about a week ago before the form and worksheet was updated and I e filed it Sunday. But it was odd that the form didn't update itself when I checked on the rejection, I had to manually replace it. I always think it is something I did wrong anyway and always try to figure it out. I hardly ever call ATX, I'd rather come here or the official board. The parade was today for the other Patriots, the ones with the big paychecks. This city is electric today, and the only people working are me and Catherine.

Hah! In today's mail a corrected 1099-MISC! No rents, just royalties. So waiting for the other shoe/form to drop with the sale. At least this makes more sense for now.

Glad you found a way to fix it. I have had to do the same thing with EF Info forms that ATX sometimes thinks is 2019 rather than 2018. The parade, by the way, is likely the Patriots Day parade held in Boston on Monday, April 15. With Massachusetts and Maine observing that day, and DC observing Emancipation Day on Tuesday the 16th, MA and ME get an April 17 deadline.