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I usually use the 1095, not sure what I'll use if that goes away in 2019. Like others have said, I've watched half these kids grow up over the years, it's ridiculous. But I try to make a joke of it and just tell them I'm putting on my IRS Police hat to ask them these questions. The one I really hate is asking if their college kids have a drug felony. Even the best client can get offended by that, it's horrible that we have to ask. G-d help me when someone has to answer yes.

I wouldn't do anything because the IRS is pretty good of keeping track of what a taxpayer paid in. On my own return I have forgotten to enter an estimate or extension payment, and within a month or so after filing I have gotten a check in the mail. Same with clients who didn't remember if they paid their estimates. The check will come well before the X is processed (12-16 weeks in recent years!). If you must amend, don't do so until the original is processed as Terry suggested. The missed withholding amount likely won't come with the original refund but will soon be issued in a separate check.

I would prepare the amended return now. If you want to tell them to wait until they get the first refund to mail it, that might be smart, or sound smart. The client expects you to make it right. I would not give them the idea that everything will be ok if I do nothing. I wouldn't trust that opinion if I were the client. Also, they are going to tell everyone in their life if they don't like how you handle this. They will tell no one if they like how you handle it, but you don't need negative advertising. And we've all been there, you're doing great.

The owner &/or his employees, agents, etc., together can add up to 250 hours for the safe harbor. Or, the rental must rise to the level of a trade or business...

When the TCJA was first drafted, the idea was to do away with most deductions and decrease the tax rates for everyone. This is what was done in the last major revision of the tax code in the 1980s. (Some folks still think they can deduct interest on credit cards.) In 2017, however, there was haste to get the thing done before the holidays to give the taxpayers "a great big Christmas present." The lobbyists came out in force and demanded that their particular favorite deduction be restored. Policymakers just put most deductions back in without going through the usual process of having each item analyzed for cost. Hence tax rates went down for many and the national deficit is skyrocketing. We all know the 2% misc category was rife with abuse (work clothing that is street wear, cell phones that are personal, gym memberships, you know them all). Yet there are some taxpayers who had legit expenses and got a big benefit--sales people whose employers give them 15 cents a mile, truckers, people with large financial advisor fees, etc. These groups did not have the highly paid lobbyists so they lost. If their prized deductions get restored, tax rates will have to go back up or the deficit will explode. I have advised my clients who do sales to implore their employers for raises. The employers likely got big tax breaks so might as well share them. What started out as a way to simplify the tax code has turned into a code so complex even we pros can't get our heads around it.

They could as well send correct amount of refund due to taxpayer

One little old lady client sent me 25 huge jpegs of her documents, one document per scan of course. It was so big (30MB) she had to send in two separate emails. Fortunately, I have PDF software that quickly combined it all into one PDF, that I then optimized down to 2 MB. YOU CAN CHANGE THE DEFAULT SETTINGS ON YOUR SCANNER! But I guess I should be glad she knows how to scan at all!

No. My clients use to bury me about 22 February every year. This year, it was 12 February! I'm so backlogged.

PS FileShare is included with CCH's SiteBuilder website. CCH offers a more robust portal at extra cost, but FileShare has been simple for my clients to use. This year, FileShare added a new layer with a code needed to log in (just like my banks). Yeah, love those phone pics and emails and links to Google Drive/Dropbox/etc. and that one client who hangs her sack of stuff on my mailbox -- which is out on the street 100 yards away from my house! My low-tech solution is a large mail slot in my front door of my locked house.

I had a client who got that $0 bill every month or so, so she DID send them a $0 check. The bills stopped.

Since basically all like kind in the equipment/machine world have been eliminated so here is my question. If farmer trades his tractor in for a newer one and the dealer allows on trade $xx, would it be a safe assumption that I use this as a sale price # for the 4797? and then basis for new tractor becomes original cost of tractor before trade comes into play? Your thoughts.

I don't know but I'll bet there are difference in opinions here. Personally, I would wait until the client has their refund and then file the amended return. If by chance the two returns happen to get processed it very well may screw things up. To me, this is the same thing as putting two tax returns in one envelope. That will definitely sink the ship.

That is what I have been doing... D

Regular clients seem to be coming in much more slowly this season. Are any of you experiencing this ? Maybe it's all that freeeeeeeeeeeeee tax help out there.

This is my first year using the CCH iPortal. What a great tool and so far my clients seem to be transitioning to it without much difficulty. Instead of receiving emails full of scanned documents, they upload everything to the portal. Based on the information I've read, it's a secure option and is working well for me. After I complete a return, I create a folder "2018 Tax Returns" and upload a copy of the return and instruction sheet to the folder. Once the folder is populated, the iPortal automatically sends an email to notification to the client, informing them there is a new entry for them in the portal. I can see when they open the any documents within the portal. They can then sign the signature forms and upload them. Allows me to efile after that takes place. I'm also going to upload my invoice. This saves me some time in not having to prepare their packet right away and allows me to concentrate on preparing returns versus mailing returns. I assume a pdf version of the return can take the place of a paper copy...we're not required to provide a paper copy, right?

I am ahead of last year. I thought I would have a slow start because of the 1 week delay in the IRS opening up efile this year, but it has actually been busier. Tom Modesto, CA

Here in NOLA tax season (at least at my office) always has a slow start. My barometer is Mardi Gras - most folks start getting their stuff together after that. Most of my clientele, though, have more complicated tax matters so tend to wait 'til all of their docs are 'final'.

We use the bank-level security client file portal that comes with our web site. The vendor is CPA Site Solutions. We also have folks who send us password protected zip files (sometimes sending those through the portal), and of course those who take pix with their cameras and email or text those, with no thought to blanking out ssn's. We tell those clients to delete the attachment (after we've saved it on our drives! - that are encrypted, btw).

I use CCH's FileShare to upload and download.

It becomes a laughable matter when you see the contents of the letter but most people panic when they see an envelope from the IRS.

Anyone notice how the lines on the schedules correspond to the ole 1040? Like Lines 1-9 "reserved" and line 10 on Sch 1 is the same as the previous 1040. It makes me think the IRS doesn't believe the new rendition will last either, so they kept the former line numbers so they don't have to rewrite all the instructions when it reverts back.

OMG that's the saddest thing I've heard all day.....

I didn't follow the script, but did do a 199A supporting worksheet in my own tax return - it works perfectly.

I guess Abby they figure dead men tell no tales. Now we know where they recoup those mileage depreciation losses.

No wonder you looked familiar to me, I sort of recognized you from your picture.

The IRS is very good at catching missed estimated payments because those are already posted to your account. Withholding, however, has to wait for all of your records to be posted to your account, and if matching notices are any indication, the earliest they seem to get around to them is November every year and even as late as the following year.

If I got a bill for $-0- I might be tempted to send them a check for $-0- just to see what happened. Or if the ill is for $1, I'd send them a $1 check AND a dollar bill with a note saying if they want to keep the dollar bill, please send the check back to me. But I wouldn't advise a client to do that...

I have a similar situation, an LLC, two members, holding land. We never filed a 1065 for several years, then Ky contacted them. Since they were an LLC, Ky wanted that $175 fee every year. So I prepare the 1065 which flows to Ky 765. I told them to pay the property tax themselves so not to flow thru 1065. Land, no depreciation, no loss, no change in basis (at least inside basis).

I agree with gfizer. Just file the amended. At least you caught it and can rectify relatively quickly.

Does anyone already have and be willing to share a prepared list of questions to ask and document answers (Form 8867 Part 1 #3 Interview the taxpayer, ask questions and document the taxpayer's responses...) for 8867? The clients that I have with children have been known to me since before children were born and I feel weird asking whether the kids live with them, for example. Maybe if I had a standard page of questions it wouldn't be so awkward. I really hate this part...

How did someone say....this is an awesome redesign? Let's go with it!

At the risk of stoking the political fires, let me just say that congresscritters in my neck of the woods must be quite different animals than in other places. I mean, they DO hold public forums, and they DO listen to what their constituents say, and they DO profess compassion for the issues raised. They act the right way, and they say the right things, but when they get back to the seat of power their actions are motivated by a whole different set of priorities... Or, as someone so eloquently said one time: "We invited a politician to our home for dinner. The louder he proclaimed his honesty, the more diligently we counted our silverware."

They won't catch it before the refund is processed. It's best to go ahead and file the amended return. Don't beat yourself up. We are only human, after all. Own up to the oversight, apologize and move on.

I had a client call me about receiving an IRS letter for $0 owed. He was my first this year. But, not my first ever! He's a banker and figured out that it must have to do with rounding or such.

Well, we're getting a little close to politics since you're from where you are and I'm from where I am, but I'll just say that since I'm not a truck driver, but do run a small business (been complaining for years about nothing being done for us), I like the 20% cut if they ever get it straightened out.

We try to get the 1095C from the client. It kills two birds with one stone. It shows the Health Insurance requirement was met, and it shows the dependent name, last 4 of the social, and the address of the taxpayer is on it as well. Not perfect, but I now can answer truthfully that I have seen a document that I relied on to prepare the 8867. Tom Modesto, CA

When a dependentless couple comes in my office I want to throw a five minute party. True story, although I made up a word there.