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$95 processing fee for a download always ruffles my feathers.

I would decline to prepare if the client is unwilling to cooperate by providing the information needed for a complete and accurate return.

Bingo! This will be the issue. How many people are just going to treat this like the "free" money they got last year? Assume a client gets enhanced UI for 6 months, advanced CTC and works for 6 months. What are they going to say when you tell them they have no refund coming cause they got it during the year? This is going to be a bloody year for the chains (Block, Liberty, JH). They live off the quick turnaround, big refund checks and advancing loans off of the refunds. But then again, the President and Congress could decide that this is still unprecedented times and forgive the payback on the tax credits and allow UI to go untaxed for another year. We saw it before and we may see it again. Tom Modesto, CA

I could be wrong, but I seem to remember from an update course that unlike the stimulus payments, the advance child tax credit will have to be paid back if 2021 income is not what the IRS calculated the credit on. This year I had a few clients who could not come up with how much stimulus they got, but when I looked at their 2020 income and realized they were not going to get any more anyway, I just plugged in the standard amounts or entered zeros. (Say they really got $1k instead of $1200, but their 2020 income was too high to get anything, it made no difference what I put in there because they were definitely not going to get a recovery credit.) We won't be able to do that with the advance child tax credit in 2021 and will have many clients moaning when we present their tax bill. Right now we don't know enough about it to warn them. The IRS may do that, but how many people won't read it because they are thrilled by the thought of getting extra income?

If your client is reporting less income than the total of all his Forms 1099-NEC, he will get a letter. Enter his total income.

Hopefully, they'll be sending 1099-Gs at the end of the year. Clients aren't going to remember any of this at the end of they year.

Not Richmond. That's exactly where I said to avoid. More west like Sara is mentioning. Blacksburg is beautiful. I'd consider it if not tied to this area. My sister lives in WV, also some very nice areas to consider.

Texas is in the center of the country, so we could travel to a lot of Square Dances, and our kids could fly in to see us from where ever they are living. We have a few relatives there. Nevada, Reno specifically, because my son lives there and it is 45 minutes from his house to the lift chair at Mt. Rose. I would definitely get a season pass. Also, the Washoe Valley has some spectacular scenery looking at the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada mountains. Idaho - well because half the state is now from California, and it is a very beautiful state. I have been to Boise several times and always loved it. Not too far from Yellowstone, the second greatest National park behind Yosemite. We also have some relatives in ID. I have been to Virginia, but only Richmond and south of DC, so that is what I think of when I think of VA. Probably unfair to judge the whole state by what I have seen. I would kill or die for a home like Rita has, it is one of the most memorable homes and properties I have ever visited. While we were there, I just drove around the country and every place I looked felt like I could make it my home. Been to Nashville a couple of times and loved it. Been to Memphis, it was so-so. But everywhere in the country that I went was green and beautiful. One advantage of the pandemic is we moved 75-80% of our clients to virtual. I expected to lose about 20% of my clients, but so far we have about 95% retention for the year, which is very close to our historical average. So I could move anywhere, and do my CPE in Reno and Southern CA every year (and sneak in a visit to my kids when I do) and keep a majority of my clients. Just need to make sure I have killer internet speeds where ever we move. Tom Modesto, CA

https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-treasury-announce-families-of-88-percent-of-children-in-the-us-to-automatically-receive-monthly-payment-of-refundable-child-tax-credit

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

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think the EIN from the 1099-NEC is actually sent as part of the e-file. The IRS just compares the total amount reported on Schedule C to the total on the Forms 1099-NEC the IRS knows about.

Are you in Verdi? If so I drive past you every time I go to see my son. Which is quite a bit. That area out there was nothing a decade ago, now everyone wants to live there. The view of the Sierras as you go past Boomtown is spectacular. Tom Modesto, CA

The view of the Sierra from Verdi is what made me want to move! Having fast internet was my only restriction on where I could live. I ended up losing about half my clients & picked up a few more, but since I no longer have a mortgage it doesn't matter. I'm a desert rat so the wide open, bleak landscapes just make my heart sing. A pox on all you that prefer green humidity to the desert!!

Actually several years ago I declined to take on young lady, a daughter of some long time clients, who was sharing custody with her ex spouse. I just don't have the necessary experience and expertise to deal with these issues. It's consumes way more time than I can bill. In recent years as a one person office, I have decided to stay within my limitations. In addition I don't do Estate and Trust Returns or any nonprofit work.

I really see this being a nightmare for divorced parents who take turns claiming the dependent. And for the tax preparers who need to know how much they got during the year.

General Announcement: If you have kids, I ain't doing your return anymore. It's bad enough to have to do the 8867 for every return with a kid and a child tax credit or a education credit. A bigger pain when EIC triggers. But this is really going to be a nightmare!

I really haven't paid much attention to this issue since I have very few clients with young children. I assume there will be some impact on 2021 tax returns. If I receive any questions about it in the next several months, I will be very tempted to just say, "I don't know."

The IRS deserves some kind of award for what they've done this past year and what they're still doing.

Just what the IRS needs, more stuff to do without the resources to do it!

Get ready for the phone calls!

We have been in VA about a year a half and love it. The people are genuinely kind, real southern hospitality, and it is beautiful here in the Shenandoah Valley. Real estate taxes are less than a quarter of what we paid in CT, gas is cheaper, utilities and insurance are less, roads are in great condition, state budget is healthy. Housing is expensive though, and we aren't in the beltway. Our son lives 40 miles away in WV. It too is a beautiful state with low housing and property tax costs. You can get any environment you want there--mountains, plains, rivers and lakes. I don't know why it hasn't been discovered by the masses yet. What is neat about both states is they have history everywhere--castles, plantations, revolutionary and civil war battlefields, underground railroad sites, canals that existed before the rails dominated. Take some vacations this year to explore potential new home sites. Looking at the zillions of returns we have on extension, and all those state returns that will have to be amended after the late federal changes, it looks to me like another tax season that will never end. This one will hurt more because last year we couldn't go anywhere even if we had time; this year we sort of can....

My vote would be for Virginia. Tom, you and wife should tour the state. It is beautiful and has something for everyone with its diverse georgraphy, climate, low cost of living in some of the areas, and very friendly people once away from the I-95 corridor. It is more blue-leaning than most of the others you've listed, but again, that is mostly in the metro area, and I don't think you'd be unhappy a little further west of that.

If you like TN, you might like the area of Virginia I live in. This is a beautiful state to live in, and I especially like the views of the mountains that we have, plus I am close to Smith Mountain Lake. And after this past tax season, I will make you a good deal on my tax business.

For a plain donut, or even lemon-filled, I prefer Krispy Kreme. But Dunkin has the best cake donuts and reading Catherine's list I am really glad that i am a 45 minute drive from either.

Dunkie's!!! Their donuts are terrific. I'll treat myself maybe once a year to a real one. Boston Cream. Or chocolate filled. Or honey glazed. Or - well, maybe I'll just stop right now. I do get boxes of Dunkin' Munchkins as our post-pistol-match treats - they split up among all the participants better than full size donuts. 'Course that's hasn't been an issue running postal matches, so my waist is safe at least until fall.

I should try that because I never win anything!

Catherine, When I used to visit my family in Stoughton, the Dunkin Doughnut ruled. They are better than Krispy Kreme. Now, here in the South, Krispy Kreme is king. But like you, I'll pass as well and they are less than 30 minutes away from me. Artery plugging death wad.

Yes have to agree after 44 years. Special thank you to Eric to keep this board open and running and Judy for watching our tone. Yeah we made it but at what cost. Everybody take a break. Extensions will keep most of busy when we don't wanna be. Me for one.

I came here to post a "WE MADE IT - THANK YOU ALL" note and there's nothing more to add. You may not post often, @Patti in Upstate NY, but when you do, it's spectacular. Thanks for being a lurker/rare-poster here. As for the rest of you - I cannot begin to say how grateful I am for each and every one of you. And - WE MADE IT!!! By the skin of our teeth, but we made it. Praise God. By this time next year, there will be a little more room - from settling, of course - in RitaB's back 40, too, so we can do it all again. Taking a few days to recover and we will y'all here for extension season. And, of course, to report on the new grandbaby once s/he deigns to appear. My poor daughter is SO ready.

Ach die Irisch. I had thought to post just such a thank you note but this lady has done it for me.

Wow... NICE post. I am glad this season is over for me. I also want so say thank those who post questions and thank those who take time to answer our questions.

That pretty much sums it up for me, too! Stay well.

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 never use the NEC or MISC input forms unless there's tax withholdings. I override sales on Sch C and rents on Sch E, all the time. I sometimes use the Sales tab on Sch C to list multiple 1099s if it would make the organizer more useful next year.