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Once the work goes back to a lighter load, each year I go through an adjustment to my new schedule. I don't have any current personal works in progress, so I'll have to get something going soon so that I don't end up wandering aimlessly around the house or yard. My husband just watches and smiles knowing it's going to happen.

My wife "suggested" I get a hobby to get out of the house so I decided to take up golf again. I played almost every day 40 years ago, before getting married and the kids came along. First lesson is next week so I can correct my bad habits before I start up again. I agree with FDNY. I can't remember a tax season as bad as what we just went through.

New grandbaby, due ANY DAY NOW!!!!! should keep me busy. I avae never had so many PITA clients as this year. Even generally good clients turned into client-zillas on occasion, and every referral client from existing good clients was someone - well, let's just say it's a good thing I live so far from RitaB, or her daisies would be super-fertilized this year!

More leisure activities are on my calendar. This tax season has been too long, too hectic, too stressful, and felt like two seasons in one. I'm looking to go to a better place before too long. I hope all of you do too.

Yes it is possible. They can be used to make a "back door" Roth contribution when income is a limiting Roth factor.

Agree, wife filled up honey do jar. Yard looks like a jungle. I just do not know where to start. Maybe extra hour of sleep?

Jigsaw puzzles, watching the (hopefully) baby bunnies from our backward residents, lots of time at the pool. And starting to catch up on everything I let slide around the house in 2020.

Last year, this year, and probably next year as well, this is very, very good general advice.

You should google "next winning lottery numbers" with the luck you have. It amazes me every time how good you are. Tom Modesto, CA

I've been around for a few years but I'm Irish and stubborn so have rarely asked for help. I'm also a one woman band here so rarely chime in because (I apologize in advance) I read daily to learn yet have little time to help. Unfair to all of you that I take yet I don't give. I learn something new every day from each and every one of you. I've done taxes since 1987. I remember peeling the label off and sticking it to the blue form at the kitchen table. I went computerized with a software called Pencil Pushers and I loved it but it went away. Then I turned to Lacerte. Too expensive so I switched to ATX which led me here. The debacle of 2011 sent me back to Lacerte but I'm grateful my short time using ATX introduced me to this incredible group of people. I lost my partner in 2018. Not my business partner but the man I simply adored so 2019 season was a shit show. Sorry if I'm not supposed to say shit. I work from home. Every single day people came in and asked "where's Eric?" I had to say "dead." 2020 was business as usual until it wasn't. 2021 has been the worst I've seen in 33 years. No one in my office. Meeting in the driveway. I won't even list the insanity of the government because I've been here daily. I know you know. I guess this post is to simply say thank you for getting me through another year. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. Your struggles. Most of the time you were helping others but you were also making me feel less alone. Going forward? I'm probably downsizing because I'm old and I'm tired and I'm furious to have done such hard work for so many years only to have them make my life and my job harder. I wish all of you a week on the beach with your family. Or the mountains. Or wherever. Most of all - I thank you. From an old woman in upstate NY who's been doing taxes way too long and still trying to do her best. My sincerest thanks

Yep, $150,000 cliff for every return. So, if one or both spouses can get below $150,000 by filing MFS, then one or both spouses can exclude up to $10,200. Of course, then they pay you for two sets of returns and pay the higher MFS tax rates and could lose a tax credit or two, so you have to run the numbers (and charge them for your research!) to see what gives them the best overall family outcome. This is one of the many reasons that it's taking me more time to prepare EVERY return this year!

I've had at least 2 - 3 emails. My rep is Torez Brown - [email protected]

I can decide between Cancun or Puerto Vallarta in July.

1041 returns and extensions were due 15 April. Only the 1040-series was postponed to 17 May. If it's a first-time estate (not trust) will choosing a fiscal year help in any way? Maybe first short year had no income/expense and no filing requirement...

For the first time in quite awhile I screwed up on a client return. I apologized and advised I would return their fee. They were gracious and refused only to find I had later saved them a bunch on an item they had overlooked. This has surely been the most screwed up tax season I personally have experienced in almost forty years of being a taxguy. Now the Congress is going to rehash preparer oversight. The last time around I drove in excess of 150 miles to take a test which embodied very little of what I see each tax season. The test center was located in a non-descript tiny strip mall buried in a large metro area which took ages to locate. I passed but to this day I am unsure how I did. At last I can now address the plant world overwhelming the yard.

I started working on my van yesterday. It's been sitting for two years, since it came back from Burning Man in 2019. We are wondering if it still runs (1989 Ram 300). If there wasn't such a shortage of used vehicles, I'd look for a trailer & a pickup truck to pull it. Ah well, if it doesn't run, I'll figure something out.

I don't think you can choose to not deduct a traditional IRA, nor do I think that would ever make any sense. Just do a Roth if you don't want a deduction.

hanks for the suggestion, but I can't justify the membership expense of NAEA and the California CSEA as well. The total of the two runs to $520/yr plus the local membership fee. As I said in the previous post, I use Encyro which has not only a secure upload link not requiring a password, but also provides for KBA esignatures for $120/yr. Once the client finishes signing and dating the form, Encyro automatically sends me an email advising me that the documents have been signed along with a link to access it.

The asset sales aren't included. Here is what I found for the SSA's Code of Federal Regulations to determine what is earned income. Also, keep in mind that in the year of retirement, I believe that only the earned income through the end of the month preceding retirement is counted. Here's that first link: https://www.ssa.gov/OP_Home/cfr20/416/416-1110.htm And here is the link to that same Code of Fed Regs for 404.1080 that is referenced in the first page: https://www.ssa.gov/OP_Home/cfr20/404/404-1080.htm