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I don't like texting with clients. Only a couple have my mobile number. My preference is email.

My first tax season was as an intern through college in 1979. We prepared them by hand in pencil, then used copy paper and ink after review. I was the grunt that filed all of the CCH pages in the tax library. In the early 80s, we had an ice storm and I crawled across the parking lot to get into my car. It slid down my parking lot's hill on the ice and I could not move it for anything. My boss said I had to come in and he would send somebody to get me. A client with a tow truck came and pulled my car up the hill and carried me across to their truck to take me to work! I guess I was essential.

Too much trouble. My business line is a land line. My cell phone is my only personal line. I use to check email and text some for business. I think the young people are savvy enough to use email. If that's a deal breaker, ok. I'm old too and not too long left in the game. I can easily save email or a thread into a client file. Copy or tracking a thread in text, I'm not sure how. I did it once by copying and emailing to myself. But as I recall, I had to copy and email each text in a thread to myself. Hopefully there's an easier way.

I hate texting. I can't write/edit/proofread on those tiny keys and tiny screen. I'd phased out my cell with clients (It was my only biz phone when I went out on my own, but quickly got a great rate for a second line in my home office) but, as you say, many younger clients want to text. Now I have my cell back on my biz cards, web site, email signature, etc. But, I'll often write them an email reply and then text them to check their email. And, the quality of the pictures of documents they send me is sometime unreadable. I even have a couple of clients who Private Message me on FaceBook. John: how do I save a text? I have an old iPhone 6+. I think I figured out a way when a client texted his signed 8879, but I don't try to save often and can't remember (another fun thing about aging).

I researched SE for a director on a board of directors of a bank who received Form 1099-MISC and found that his director's fees were SE income. (Later cases classify director's fees as employee income, but you're not arguing that.) It sounds a lot like your committee member of a union. A couple of things from my notes: On the self-employment tax issue, the IRS ruled in 1972, that director fees are self-employment income subject to self-employment tax. Rev. Rul. 72-86, 1972-1 CB 273. Richard E. Blodgett, Jr., and Ora L. Blodgett v. Commissioner. U.S. Tax Court, Dkt. No. 9449-11, TC Memo. 2012-298, October 24, 2012.

Did you "zoom" into the meeting since you could not attend in person?

My tax client landscaper finally showed up! Saturday.. So I am showing him around and trying to be nice but on his case but how I was to be first and he did a gorgeous job on the relatives rock wall on the corner and I understand they had to be first, but you know he promised me I would be first, blah, blah, nicely, and I do his taxes and we're neighbors and Ill pay him a $100 extra - I tell him people tell me that also.. And you know what he said?! Nothing! I guess I need to try that when clients are rattling my cage. Silence is golden.

If you have trouble texting, you can always set up an inexpensive bluetooth keyboard & connect to your phone to use when typing a lengthy text. But that's a little cumbersome when you're on the go. There are probably more exotic ways to print texts, but I just take a screen shot & email it to myself. Or just print the screenshot directly to a printer connected to the phone via wifi. I don't feel the need to keep a written record of every text. It all depends upon the seriousness of the conversation. Some of my texts lately looked a lot like like this: ->: "Do you know when my stimulus payment's going to be here?" A-> "I don't know. Here's the link to IRS ........"

If schoolhouse rock made a comeback, it could make "sense" a little less uncommon...

Meh, the two bills haven't been reconciled yet

Only available for 2019 tax year. Nice to see they are working on this. Hopefully it works well and they can expand it to all open years in the near future. Tom Modesto, CA

Since it was not addressed in original bill as passed will it take another act of congress to say give it back? I too am waiting on what to do.

You do not have to actually use a phone and a text messaging program to have SMS (text) communications. You can setup a google voice number to serve as your "text" number, and have those messages forwarded to your email. You can use your email to respond, including storing messages. The only "loss" with SMS is the inclusion of the thread of messages in each reply, which can require a bit more work on your part if you do not remember the conversation.

I once sent a prospective client to a large CPA firm because he was a shareholder in a corporation that was a holding company for other entities. He wouldn't provide organization documents and BSed like a salesman and told me how he wanted the return(s) to turn out. I didn't want him for a client and didn't have time to see if he could be trained.

I'm not sure how there is a corporation above a group of 1065s. Who was receiving the K-1s? I corporation can be a partner in the partnership. There isn't really a way for an unknown corporation to be above a partnership that I know of.

Maybe your experience is different than mine, but I know for a fact I would lose some clients if I didn't text with them. Since I'm more or less on a retirement glide path, that isn't terribly important to me, but if I had 10-20 years ahead of me before retirement that would be a concern for me. Those millennials will eventually go somewhere else if you can't/won't communicate with them in the way they're accustomed. As it is, I'd probably get rid of certain of my clients if they didn't text (or at least email). So in my case there's a bit of a reversal of priorities on this issue.

Yesterday WK sent a second email stating the first was an error and to ignore it. I had already gone into my ATX account and paid the &5 due for a prior year return efiled recently.

Why not get them to provide you with the legal documents of how these business are structured, how they compliment each other etc.... Get a “Help me, help you” attitude or send them backing with all their confusion.

I have a client who received $2400 right after spouse died (April 20). I told her to hang onto check or deposit it and wait. The IRS Q&As say send a personal check for $1200 but I've heard other things that she may be eligible for the whole $2400. I'm waiting for clarification on the eligibility determination date.

I agree completely with the strategy in your final paragraph. Once your clients know your voice mail response is slowest while email and text response is fastest, most will quickly shift to email and/or text. I always tell them I generally respond to email & text rapidly, but phone messages sometimes take a day or two. (Often the initial response is "I've seen your message and I'll get back to you ASAP", but that seems to satisfy them as they have the comfort of knowing I'm thinking about their question. And if their question truly is time-sensitive, I can get to it appropriately) With a couple of exceptions, even my oldest clients have become habitual email/text communicators. Many of my older clients have developed hearing problems (as I have), so I believe this is one reason they've jumped on the email/text bandwagon. More and more of these seniors tend to text, and these days you almost can't communicate with anyone under 45 unless you text. Since texting is fairly easy to preserve, I'm just as fine with it as I am with email. In any event, email/text questions tend to be more focused since they must spend a little time thinking about they're typing. (Same goes for my reply). Voice conversations frequently tend to be mind-dumps, useless background, or a rehash of what their brother-in-law told them about tax law. And when the email/text we don't waste a lot of time talking about the weather, COVID, riots, grandkids, our latest doctor visit, and all the other interesting diversions we're all subject to be drawn into. If anything, written communications can sometimes be too sparse, but that's pretty easy to rectify with a well-crafted response.

I have been listening to an IRS webinar and done some additional reading. The simple reality it's basically a judgement call. There are not a few variables that can effect it as well and frankly it will take up far too much of my time to examine them to produce the correct QBI. The fact that these guys would seemingly qualify under Sec.162 doesn't entirely cut it and on and on. What would at first appear pretty simple falls into a quagmire of sorts. Needless to say I simply don't have the time do fool with it.

That is a good point. One of the factors in rr 72-86 is that the director expects compensation for his work. I would also lean towards SE tax based on the information provided but would have a few more questions to ask.

This is great news. It is a long time coming. Hopefully clients will refunds with the same speed as with the 1040, rather than waiting 4 months.

Margaret, I will pay the $5; just was venting my frustration that they waited 2-1/2 years to bring it to my attention. Credit charge failures occur for me at least once a year (if not more often) due to generally an annual problem with someone trying to hack my credit card account. It is a chore to change the automatic debit arrangements when that happens. Thanks for your reply.

Based on your post, I would, yes. I tend to go with "work" being subject to self-employment tax, even if it's a one-time event. I believe "other income" is, well, income from something other than work, like a prize or debt cancellation. Lots of tax pros better than me would never subject income to SE tax for a one-time activity, like that week of hanging vinyl siding for the general contractor, but this is not that. Shoot, the real experts think practically nothing is subject to SE tax, Schedule SE should be seen less frequently than a Unicom, and I should just hang it up. I would of course ask him to provide legitimate expenses. I assume he has some if he's not looking to make a profit. Or do you mean he would do this work even if not compensated? I guess my answer is the same, either way.

My family used to make the rounds of all the relatives in winter/spring. Saturday with X, Sunday with Y, kids would play, moms would yak - and my dad and the other dad would get the taxes done. Dad would bring along the 30-pound solid iron adding machine - probably a Burroughs Portable, with the side-handle. I remember the adding machines where multiplication was sequential adding, and having to keep careful count! Also remember doing returns by hand when I first started out. I have always taught assistants on paper; as far as I'm concerned, they are not qualified to touch the software until they understand how the information flows from schedule to form.

I have a 1942 federal form, filled in - with Liberty Bond receipts attached! It was in my mother in law's files; my husband saved it for me. Gotta have it framed.

First year doing taxes, 1979 tax season for 1978 tax year. Firm was top 10, just outside big 8. We used the IRS provided paper forms that were so flimsy, you ended up erasing holes in the paper, and had to use white tape to fill the holes. Reviewers used blue lead for tick marks because blue doesn't show on a photocopy. And, because I was the new guy, I got the 20 lbs adding machine. Smoking was common in the office. There was a blizzard that tax year. I lived 35 miles west of the office, and when I woke up, my tires were already buried, so I called and said I would not be in. It was a Monday and they always had a one hour staff meeting to start the week... in a windowless conference room. It was only flurries when the meeting started but when the meeting ended, there was so much snow, some people got stuck going home.

Interesting this looks to have been expanded since the last time I checked which was a long time ago. It's a seldom used benefit as not many of my folks post a profit .

I started with pencil also. I sure don't miss that huge nub/dent I got on my pressure finger from drawing numbers all day long. Or that darn clicking sound of my abacus. I was surprised when I went through my blank forms today. I found this....

Health Insurance, Dental Insurance, Long Term care Insurance & all Medicare premiums. (Pub 535 )

I should have stated Medicare insurance which as you know is shown on the annual Social Security SSA-1099. I deduct this every year myself. This client has multiple other health related policies. Drug, dental, vision and a policy through another carrier. My reading of the law indicates only primary health insurance is deductible but I have known other tax folks who disagree and deduct them in toto on line 16.

Issue Number: IR-2020-107 Inside This Issue IRS announces Form 1040-X electronic filing options coming this summer; major milestone reached for electronic returns WASHINGTON- The Internal Revenue Service announced today that later this summer taxpayers will for the first time be able to file their Form 1040-X, Amended U.S Individual Income Tax Return, electronically using available tax software products. Making the 1040-X an electronically filed form has been a goal of the IRS for a number of years. It’s also been an ongoing request from the nation’s tax professional community and has been a continuing recommendation from the Internal Revenue Service Advisory Council (IRSAC) and Electronic Tax Administration Advisory Committee (ETAAC). Currently, taxpayers must mail a completed Form 1040-X to the IRS for processing. The new electronic option allows the IRS to receive amended returns faster while minimizing errors normally associated with manually completing the form. “This new process is a major milestone for the IRS, and it follows hard work by people across the agency,” said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. “E-filing has been one of the great success stories of the IRS, and more than 90 percent of taxpayers use it routinely. But the big hurdle that’s been remaining for years is to convert amended returns into this electronic process. Our teams have worked diligently to overcome the unique challenges related to the 1040-X, and we look forward to offering this new service this summer.” About 3 million Forms 1040-X are filed by taxpayers each year. The new electronic filing option will provide the IRS with more complete and accurate data in an easily readable format to enable customer service representatives to answer taxpayers’ questions. Taxpayers can still use the "Where's My Amended Return?" online tool to check the status of their electronically-filed 1040-X. When the electronic filing option becomes available, only tax year 2019 Forms 1040 and 1040-SR returns can be amended electronically. In general, taxpayers will still have the option to submit a paper version of the Form 1040-X and should follow the instructions for preparing and submitting the paper form. Additional enhancements are planned for the future. “Adding amended returns to the electronic family also complements our partnership with the tax software industry, which continues to work with us to provide better ways to help taxpayers,” said Ken Corbin, Commissioner of the IRS Wage and Investment division. If you know someone who might want to subscribe to this mailing list, please forward this message to them so they can subscribe. This message was distributed automatically from the mailing list IRS Newswire. Please Do Not Reply To This Message. Update your subscriptions, modify your password or email address, or stop subscriptions at any time on your Subscriber Preferences Page. You will need to use your email address to log in. If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please contact subscriberhelp.govdelivery.com. This service is provided to you at no charge by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Was that his only income with no other employer offering insurance through employment? If so, then yes. He is self employed and gets the deduction.

Could you translate this down to 1996 techie knowledge? Tom Modesto, CA

Thank you for making realize how fortunate I am that my practice is primarily small business write up, payroll and business entity tax preparation.. I just counted and I only have 6 non business 1040s that I do and 3 of those used to be business returns. Truly, I have not had a single one of these calls. Now I feel like I am sitting underneath a Double Rainbow !

Or, the nonclient (friend, church acquaintance, relative of client, etc.) who wants your opinion because they think their tax professional gypped them out of deductions by failing to file Schedule A -- when the standard deduction was much higher than their itemized deductions or the SALT limit lowered their deductions or... My daughter's teenage friends each received $1,200 so now my daughter's mad at me for claiming her. Please amend my return. When will I get my stimulus check? What will be my capital gain rate for 2020? I often let my phone go to voice mail, because I encourage email so I have a savable trail. That meant I'd answer emails fast. Now, I'm letting many wait until I'm done for the night or until the next business morning (even if I'm sitting here on non-business days).