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And she already paid you to open the envelopes and unfold the records. I love my far away clients who download most of the records as PDFs and scan the ones they receive in paper form, and just upload them to our portal. We don't have to store their records and we don't have to send anything back to them.

I had clients who melted down one time because I threw away all of the envelopes (from the unopened pile of mail they brought me) and she needed them for her 'filing system'. I still recycle envelopes. Don't bring me that junk. If they are precious to you, keep them at home!

I am highly entertained by people who label things for me. One client actual prints out a full sheet of paper "Husband's W-2"; new sheet of paper "Wife's W-2". Thank goodness; I might not know what these were, otherwise. It entertains me when they drop documents off in this fashion, but if they set a meeting and take 30 minutes of my time just to tell me 'this is my 'W-2', they move to the front of the line for a good ole fashion 'Rita Hug'. I did have one client who had a big orange smear across her 1099-ssa. She drew an arrow to a conversation bubble and wrote 'This is Squash'. That's one of my favorite all-time labels, and I was awfully glad to have it identified.

And did they want you to put all the staples back that you had to remove in order to run the pages through the scanner! I have one that has no less than 4 staples per doc where she attaches a computer printed label for each doc. Just to be sure that i will be able to know which is the mortgage interest and which is the pension income!

That's not a 'filing system,' that's a 'piling system.'

I cured one of that complaint after I stated my top hourly rate and told her that's what she'd pay if I had to restuff them.

I think, in the defense of these folks, that this process somehow helps them feel organized and have a sense of control. Memories fade and gathering these documents once a year can be a scary thing for people who are number and tax phobic and worried about missing something and getting a nasty gram from IRS. Like jasdim, though, the hands on identifiers make me a bit, um, anxious except that "I'm billing time."

They are the type that would expect you to restuff each envelope for them.

Can I please amend more returns this year. Please. This is so fun. Does any single member of the idiot congress passing this crap think for one minute that maybe we are too late to make changes and let's hold that thought for next year?!

They have NO idea how lucky they were not to become YOUR casualty.

Peggy's client might've gotten a debit card -- and maybe tossed it. They'll say we did something wrong when their refund is held up or when it's smaller than they expected or they receive a bill for balance due.

You may have to just snail mail the extensions for these.

How are other tax preparers handling taxpayers who state they did not receive their economic impact payments in 2020 and early part of 2021? Are you inputting zero economic impact payments received; therefore creating a credit on tax return? Or are you asking taxpayers to set up account with IRS to confirm they did not receive their payments before inputting info on tax return? I have a client that adamantly states he did not receive the first stimulus payment, but received the second stimulus payment in full. Payments would have not been directly deposited because taxpayer has never provided banking info to taxing agencies. I would think that if taxpayer received second payment in full, he would have also received first payment, but he is telling us that he did not receive. He also is not too big on using computers so he does not want to set up an account. Just checking to see how others are handling. It amazes me how many people don’t remember receiving or how much they received……that means their economic situation was not dire…..when you are in a situation where every penny counts; you know how many pennies you received! Peggy Sioux

Bizarre! Worst case, put both premiums under the t/p's business, it doesn't really matter.

I'm following Abby's method. Some that were in the phaseout range called during 2020 when they received the reduced payment, so that information was saved in their file at that time.

Margaret, You should go buy a lottery ticket

We have people who take pictures with their phone cameras. Usually badly lit, creased, and out of focus. However, I've taken to recommending apps like "CamScanner" that takes that camera and makes it into a scanner. Mine gives a good, clear, IN FOCUS pdf (I tried, on purpose, to see how well it did). The folks who use that - well, we still get individual files of multi-page docs (most don't bother learning how to do a multipage pdf) but at least we can read them!

The IRS will check and adjust Recovery Rebate, so I'm not spending any time chasing the amounts down from clients. If they're in the phaseout range, I'll call them, but if they're below or above the phaseout range, I make entries accordingly.

I've been amazed also at the people who can't remember. But I nag them a few times to check their bank records, and if they still maintain they didn't get it, or didn't get the max, I put it on the return that way and just warn them that if they're wrong, it will hold up their refund while the IRS gets the correct amount. Now I see the IRS is planning to send out letters, so cue a wave of calls.....

I've had it happen only a few times. In past years, it happened when I had big print jobs. Much less this year. But I've always closed the program when I was going to be away from it for a while, like checking news.

At the risk of jinxing myself, I have to say that, again this year, I have experienced none of the problems described by users here. I didn't in 2012, either. Guess I had best care for my lucky stars even while I do feel for folks with problems. Maybe my computer setup? The guy who builds them? My sweet nature and good looks? Dunno but I am really glad as I have enough issues with 'special' clients.

Holy Cow, I'm up for adoption! I only do one every couple of years, so I have to re-learn it every time.

YOU Put down what the client tells you and you document where it came from.

The program is so unstable this year. I save the return after every few items entered for fear of losing the return. Reminds me of 2012 all over again.

I'm in the same boat - but mine's from February.

There are a LOT of big businesses out there that I would have thought insufficient in interest to sustain a small club!

Judy - I think we all wish your husband the best. There's not one person on here that won't tell you family first. And at this point of tax season, we all wish we could get rid of some of those nasty clients! I'm behind farther than ever at this point of early April. I've had clients calling that have been spoiled in the past with relatively quick turn around. Between paperwork coming late, PPP loans demanding attention, unemployment turnaround, quarantined employees, and a daughter sick with Covid, I've about had it. But I will leave early today and enjoy Easter with my family and trust that it will all get done one way or another. So Judy, and everyone else here - let's hang in there. And remember No Work November will be here soon enough. Happy Easter!

Good way to describe it! I'm going to borrow that, Abby.

Yeah those things can explode in your face. I had one high roller with a bunch she finally sold. She had large cap loss carryovers and sold most of these at a loss, BUT the ordinary income portion that goes on 4797 was about 40k, so she had to pay tax on that. It was partly offset by deducting the suspended PTP losses on E2, but she still paid tax on the sales. I had one of these once and it seemed like they were sending me my principal back since the K1's kept showing losses. Never again. I tell my clients that the reason they're being invited into the partnership is because the business is so risky the banks won't lend them the money.