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What did we learn? Very little. As expected, we learned that we have to unlearn all the new things that were incorporated into tax returns in the past two years. Of course, that totally depends on whether or not extenders are extended at the last minute. Or, after filing season begins. We learned that there will be little or no help for us; as per usual. We learned that many preparers are moving on to either retirement or other things. We learned to be thankful for this Community and others like us so that we can depend on someone for answers, or just have a place to vent. We feel rejuvenated, refreshed and ready to start over even though the IRS is still processing 2000 and 2001 Income Tax Returns. Let the cards fall where they may. We learned that MANY totally rediculous letters were sent out and received by our clients. Of course, we already knew that. Let's try to make this the best and most successful tax year ever and be thankful that we have each other to lean on.

I still have a ton of classes left for the year. I will be way over my needed hours, but I find that it takes multiple times to beat things into my head now that I turned 65. My body and apparently my brain immediately aged. I need cataract surgery before tax season.

"Similar to the 2022 instructions for partnerships, the IRS has expanded relief and clarity by adding a new "domestic filing exception" for S corporations' draft instructions for the 2022 tax year schedules K-2 and K-3. The domestic filing exception for S corporations is very similar to the one for partnerships. However, unlike the four criteria partnerships must meet, S corporations are required to meet three tests. The one requirement omitted relates to U.S. citizens and resident alien individuals, domestic trusts and estates; S corporations aren't permitted to have the latter entities as shareholders." https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-dft/i1065s23--dft.pdf

My understanding is the "changes" were meant to be temporary. I suppose there is a small chance that some are extended in lame duck session, but after we have divided gov't with the new Congress in January I highly doubt they will be extended.

I just ran across something stating the PTB want to revise the W2 process to have B,C,2 on one page, but they are delaying because of complaints the new design will not fit in the window envelopes folks already have in stock (or maybe that form suppliers need time to figure how to avoid lost $ from less pages to sell?). The PTB realize few are using carbon paper and impact printing, and do not need all copies to have the same print locations. The PTB may not realize many have been using 4 up copies for decades. The PTB may not realize the employee copies are getting to be moot (other than one) with efile, and the ability for people to access a copy machine (or create their own) if multiples are needed. On the other hand, I would so much be happier if the PTB would get things to a better place, so I do not get blamed for "my software" causing deposit mismatch, incorrect deposit, and other issues "my software" is not causing. Even when I can show the paychecks were entered correctly by the customer, and the software gives correct totals (it does math just fine) based on the customer entered data, the customer still believes it is my fault when they get a nastygram from the IRS. I make and handle enough mistakes my human self, I have some mental space to handle the mistakes of others, but some days... I work harder to find someone to replace me.

"The Internal Revenue Service's Criminal Investigation unit opened more than 2,550 criminal investigations, identified over $31 billion from tax and financial crimes, and saw a 90.6% conviction rate on cases accepted for prosecution during fiscal year 2022, even as its agents came under political attack, according to a report released Thursday." "The conviction rate in fiscal 2022 was similar to other fiscal years. Of the over 2,500 criminal cases initiated, 71.7% of investigations were tax or tax-related crimes. The remaining crimes included financial crimes tied to narcotics, human smuggling, child pornography, bank secrecy and money laundering. Lee noted that in April, IRS-CI led the takedown of Hydra, one of the largest darknet marketplaces of narcotics and other illicit goods in the history of the U.S. government, and in February it seized $3.6 billion in cryptocurrency from the Bitfinex hack of 2016. "That was the largest single financial seizure in the history of government," said Lee." "IRS-CI also handled 840 cases of COVID fraud in recent years and is just shy of 400 indictments, part of a 98.9% conviction rate in that area, with an average sentence of three years for the 180 cases sentenced to date."

Follow up to my earlier post. When I spoke with a Drake tech support old-timer she recommended that if I call in to press 2 on the phone tree. It says it's for business support but it's really just a more experienced support person. If you press 1, you're more likely to get a newbie. I've done that a couple times and had much better success getting the help I needed.

I used ATX for 15 years or so and then bounced to Drake after the 2012 ATX debacle. I reluctantly made the decision a couple weeks ago to leave Drake. Since the buy out, the software has been buggy and they implemented numerous changes without telling anyone (you have to pay to get attend a new features webinar). I've had numerous instances of check boxes being mysteriously checked, often on forms that I never even opened--and those cause issues that make the return un-e-filable. Perhaps worst of all, their formerly world class tech support has been horrible. I had to call in more this year than the previous 7 combined. At least half the time the tech person didn't have a clue and had to go find and answer and call me back. I even had one, after admitting she couldn't figure out a solution, suggest I file the incorrect return and then call the IRS to ask them to fix it on their end! I could not believe it! I mentioned that to another support person who has been there for a long time. I could hear the eye roll in her voice. She said she wasn't surprised, that nothing is the same as before and lots of long timers were gone or leaving. She said the commitment to support isn't the same as before. When I told her I was in process of transitioning to another platform she said she's hearing that from dozens of preparers. Sad. I really REALLY liked Drake...right up until I didn't/couldn't anymore.

I just took my annual ethics CPE today. I now know what the answer is! You do too, even if CPAs only have to take four hours of ethics every three years. We EAs, being the most ethical of the professions, have to take two hours every single year. (Or do we have to take more because we're the least ethical?) Gets old fast.