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Our house has a big ole pear tree planted when the house was built (as was common back then - neighborhood is peppered with pear, apple, and peach trees in back yards). I have since planted two dwarf apple trees and a second dwarf pear tree (big tree is definitely showing its age and won't last forever - 70 years is a long time for a fruit tree). Also had a peach but the rabbits girdled it one winter (they got through my not-sturdy-enough fencing) and it died. Keep meaning to replace it, the question is where to put it 'cuz the original tree's spot isn't as good due to some changes a neighbor made. We get about 300# of pears from the one big tree and give them away by the bushel in September. We can only eat, and I can only can, so many, after which it's give away or throw away. The dwarf apple trees keep us in fresh, cooking, and sauce apples until....... about now. I have just enough left from last fall to make one more cake, and then there won't be more until September/October. The dwarf pear is a relatively new tree, and this is the first year we have pears on it. Need to thin them out, so it won't over-tax a growing plant. Another advantage of the dwarf trees is that they only get to about 8' tall. Yes, you can prune standard trees to that height, but you need to be a lot more aggressive and on top of them, and prime pruning season is late Feb/early Mar and for some unknown reason that time frame tends to be a tad bit busy around here!

Just looked it up. 3 years, 3 months and 15 days from the end of the calendar year (April 15th of the fourth year). After that it is lost. In your client's case, only 2019 and later will be added to their SS record. I learned something new today, I assumed you would get that credit as long as you filed the returns before you filed for SS benefits. Thanks for the post. Tom Longview, TX

So she can reach the fruit on the bottom branches..... Tom Longview, TX

We put in a succulent garden with various sedum, daisies, yarrow and Beekeeper Caryopteris along the driveway, and it's doing very well.

Catherine having dwarf trees makes me snicker.

Now here's something you don't read about every day! "Agents from the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation division raided the Houston headquarters of tax consulting firm AlliantGroup, seizing computer servers Friday, May 20, and prompting the firm to give employees the day off Monday until they were able to return Tuesday morning. The nature of the investigation is unknown, but is thought to be related to the firm’s work in securing tax credits and other incentives for clients, some of which have been challenged by the IRS, leading to lawsuits after the IRS denied the claims and clients refused to pay the firm, according to the Going Concern blog. Even though employees were allowed to return on Tuesday, IRS agents returned to the Galleria building where the firm is based and continued to search other floors Tuesday"

Thank you all so much!

Thanks for looking that up. (I'm in the midst of an S-corporation dealing with a SEP.)

I agree...some early pensions did have after tax contributions, and I have several clients with this exact type of pension. In the OP, it sounds like that was not the case...with the taxpayer having no recollection of ever contributing. But maybe the prior preparer has some info, who knows.

I think this is a legal question first, then the tax answers follows.

WOW, really? No one can teach you a little bit, Iphone is very convenient. It is a little everything: GPS, Banking, Shopping, order food, Contact books, email, Password Books.........

That little tree looks cute in day light though. Anyone grow real fruit trees?

Check this out to see if it helps https://www.berkshireelderlaw.com/life-estate-ownership

If this is. Lifetime estate, the heirs get a stepped up basis after the lifetime tenet passes away. A lot depends on how this was written up. Ask to see the documents. You state the language says the property transfers when it is no longer used. Need to research this further

Some pensions are tax free if part of the contributions were made with after tax income. Back in the 70's, that wasn't all that uncommon for employees to contribute after tax money and the corporation to contribute before tax money. That generates a portion being tax free. That's what happened with my client and their pension which was rolled into other pension plans via a merger. The only way to figure it out is for the plan to tell you via their actuaries.

"IR-2022-109, May 25, 2022 WASHINGTON – The Internal Revenue Service made an important enhancement to the “Where’s My Refund?” online tool this week, introducing a new feature that allows taxpayers to check the status of their current tax year and two previous years’ refunds. Taxpayers can select any of the three most recent tax years to check their refund status. They’ll need their Social Security number or ITIN, filing status and expected refund amount from the original filed tax return for the tax year they’re checking. Previously, “Where’s My Refund?” only displayed the status of the most recently filed tax return within the past two tax years. Information available to those calling the refund hotline will be limited to the 2021 tax return." Something actually useful.

You can also get a transcript mailed via the IRS automated phone system.

Another useful thing: A taxpayer can go to irs.gov and request a transcript be mailed to him. Very easy process, and I don't mind doing it for them while they read and approve entries, because let's be honest, they have trouble with everything, or we wouldn't need a transcript, and I need the correct document and year(s). They get the transcript by USPS in a few days. This is a good solution for me. Won't work well if they've moved, as one of the entries is mailing address on last filed return. irs.gov Get Your Tax Record Alternative to Requesting a Transcript Online

you got better results than I did....I suck at searching online. Tom Longview, TX

Have you looked on eBay? I put in android phone and sorted from lowest price, and got some that were a couple bucks for the phone and ten dollars for shipping. You might find something that will work for you from there.

I think you need to contact the plan administrator. My understanding is it is different for every person. Good luck. I have a friend / client who worked at Ozark Air - was purchased by TWA. Then TWA's pension was raided by Carl Icahn, went bankrupt and were bought by American. He gets about 1/3rd of the pension he should receive. Part of his Ozark Air pension is non-taxable but it was rolled into TWA and then American so it was complicated.

I was deposed by IRS investigators in a criminal case. The investigators found a copy of my software on a seized computer and asked what my relationship was with the (now in the care of the government via incarceration). Once I explained the connection, I was thanked and left alone. The person was convicted of fraudulent return as they were filing for their clients (recent immigrants) and capturing their refunds, which has been improperly inflated via EITC. The convicted sent me threatening messages, even though I had no information for or against their case, but which the prosecutor likely found "helpful". The OP is a good reminder to research electronic record keeping regulations, and to try to ensure your actions do not give blanket search and seizure rights to the IRS. Not only for your client's protection, but simply to protect your ability to do daily business. As I have likely posted many times, not being able to provide PRINTED records, or simply acting in a way to show your record keeping is electronic, may (definitely in the past, and possibly with current regs unless they have been revised) give the tax agencies any time warrant-less search rights, and requires proactive notification to the IRS if there is any chance required data is unavailable.

Must be a fun work environment for the employees. I assume the firm will be holding some team building exercises, potentially behind bars.

HAHA - I almost didn't click on this cuz I was not in the mood for mushy hug stuff today. Now I understand hugging.

Yeah, 2018 has to be mailed.