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Thanks Eric, you're the best!!

Putting it on Schedule C may not work since the business doesn't exist any more. More likely it qualifies as Investment Interest, which may or may not be useful given the increased standard deduction. The only other possibility is a capital loss deduction.

If it was an unknown strain, which was undetectable, how would they even know whether any data was lost ? It's not like someone stole the crown jewels. The data doesn't disappear, the hacker just leaves with a copy of the data.

An article in the Progressive Accountant states that the malware which attacked WK was a new unknown strain undetectable by existing security software. Apparently to date they have found no data lost. I was unable to pull up a link but feel sure it can be accessed from the PA website.

What, I have to check the dates on these articles, that's too much work

Remember when ATX was just a little company in Maine, with great communications? The good old days.

HSS payments are earned income for Earned Income Tax Credit May 16, 2019 The Tax Court has ruled that income that a taxpayer excluded from gross income pursuant to IRS Notice 2014-7, which treats qualified Medicaid waiver payments as excludable as foster care payments, is earned income for the purposes of calculating eligibility under the Earned Income Credit and Additional Child Tax Credit. (Feigh v. Comm. (2019) 152 TC 15) File amended federal returns for clients who qualify. Although California follows Notice 2014-7, it is unclear if the Tax Court’s decision will impact the California Earned Income Tax Credit because California also requires that the earned income be subject to state withholding. (R&TC §17052(c)(3)(A))

If the DHHS in your State issues a W-2 there is a Medicaid waiver option in Box 14 of the W-2. Once that is selected those wages will appear on Line 7 Earned Income on the EIC schedule of the 1040.

@Ringers forgot to add...some of the escrow companies will provide the withholding certificate with the closing documents rather than mailing out at the end of the year. Have your client look for the 592 or 593 in their documents. You will need it for their return next year. CA will not refund the money without the information on that document. Tom Modesto, CA

You can use the smaller number provided you fill out the form correctly. The good news is that you work with the escrow agent on the withholding. You don't do it through the state. So long as you provide the completed form to the escrow agent, they should withhold the smaller amount. You can call the escrow agent and talk it over with them if there is any confusion. Tom Modesto, CA

http://www.theprogressiveaccountant.com/index.php/news/item/5386-wk-malware-was-new-strain

Ain't he just?!?!

Don't know if it's temporary or permanent, but you can't download forms for 2014 & prior. About a year ago, I saw someone complaining about not being able to download forms after leaving ATX, so I decided to download all forms for federal and all states. It really doesn't take up that much disk space, and it's one of the first settings I change when installing ATX. The other related setting that seems to cause problems is updating forms or program on start. I would never have that turned on.

Except for the old link posted by Abby and Rita's memos that's about all the info there has been to see since WK has been mostly -- what's that term? -- incommunicado.

Windows 8 & 10 are safe. https://www.theverge.com/2019/5/14/18623565/microsoft-windows-xp-remote-desktop-services-worm-security-patches

The linked blog page is from 2 years ago.

Not so fast, according to this technet post from Microsoft, they have released patches for both Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/msrc/2017/05/12/customer-guidance-for-wannacrypt-attacks/?utm_source=t.co&utm_medium=referral

Remember how much they were appreciated? So much that we funded a barbeque to send them and they sent a photo back of them enjoying it. The good old days, indeed!

Not only with their customers but also internally ! Before I left ATX, I had the same sales rep for about 6 years. The last time I talked to him, I had a very frank discussion about the reasons I was leaving. He was pretty upfront about what was going on within the ATX organization and he was pretty frustrated about the unresponsiveness of upper management !