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Two tax breaks I wish had been extended are the charitable contribution deduction for nonitemizers and the increase in expenses eligible for the child care credit. I did not find abuse of the deduction for charities and was in fact surprised that so many clients said they gave zero. The maximum expenses allowed to calculate the child care credit started at $2k back in 1976 (and that didn't cover the cost of care back then) and increased to only $3k along the way.

There are of things which will be reduced as the pandemic related expenditures expire, Medicaid, WIC, SNAP and the Child Tax Credit. In addition none of the usual year end extenders were passed.

That's not true... unless when you purchased your old computer 4 years ago, you asked the technician to buy a 3 year old computer because you were afraid of windows 10 at the time.

The increased Child Care Credit and the over 65 EIC were two of the favorites that gave back a little bit to those who are working to make ends meet. I would have hoped they could have found something more beneficial to the wealthy to chip away at.

My first ever accounting related job was updating the pages as corrections came in. My dad would bring those binders home from work (a few at a time) with the new pages, and I'd swap them out. For a pittance, but it was my pittance!

The Earned Income Credit for older single workers available for 2021 returns did turn out to be a one trip pony. So now older workers who likely could use the extra help will be assigned back to the scrap heap.

There are some cities on the West Coast where the cost of child care is over $2,000 per month if you can even find an opening.

Thank you all for your responses. The company in question is a client of a contact of mine. I have no idea what the plan docs say but they seem to. I'll underscore they should investigate the plan docs first.

I tell clients, "I'm not a lawyer, and I don't even play one on television," and follow that with "and it's illegal for me to give you legal advice - you need an attorney." With advice not to stop asking questions until they understand what they are being told.

My first ever accounting related job was hand addressing envelopes to the Commissioner of Revenue for Franklin County VA. When I graduated to putting the corrections in the CCH books, it was a relief!

The recipe on this page (scroll down a ways) would make a cake big enough for ALL of us to have a couple of pieces! https://randombitsoffascination.com/2023/01/06/closing-out-the-holidays-with-twelfth-night/ For those who don't click links (emphasis added): Take four pounds of flour dried and sifted, seven pounds of currants washed and rubbed, six pounds of the best fresh butter, two pounds of Jordan almonds blanched, and beaten with orange flower water and sack till fine; then take four pounds of eggs, put half the whites away, three pounds of double-refined sugar beaten and sifted, a quarter of an ounce of mace, the same of cloves and cinnamon, three large nutmegs, all beaten fine, a little ginger, half a pint of sack, half a pint of right French brandy, sweet-meats to your liking, they must be orange, lemon, and citron; work your butter to a cream with your hands before any of your ingredients are in; then put in your sugar, and mix all well together; let your eggs be well beat and strained through a sieve, work in your almonds first, then put in your eggs, beat them together till they look white and thick; then put in your sack, brandy and spices, shake your flour in be degrees, and when your oven is ready, put in your currants and sweet-meats as you put it in your hoop: it will take four hours baking in a quick oven: you must keep it beating with your hand all the while you are mixing of it, and when your currants are well washed and cleaned, let them be kept before the fire, so that they may go warm into your cake. This quantity will bake best in two hoops. (whatever those are!) ~Hannah Glasse (1784)

Or might get melty and yukky when baked! Good move.

I cheated! I made 'King' Cake today, but I made chocolate (my crew isn't in to the pecan/raisin swirl thing). I did make it round, but I put Baby Jesus in the center hole rather than baking him into the cake ... I know he's Holy, but I still think his plastic version could be carcinogenic ;).

Hopefully this will free up some employees to work on the 8 Million Tax Returns currently in suspense waiting for a live body to work on them.

Wow, four hours to bake! The baker would need some of those calories back after all that prep and mixing.

Please don't downgrade your computer just because... As soon as Windows 11 came on board, I upgraded and I have never had any issues. In your case, I would install ATX 2021 with its data on the new computer and then install ATX 2022. I always keep my old computer handy the next tax season. After the next tax season, I disconnect it from the LAN and turn it on when needed. I keep it for another year or two and then there is no need to go back to it.

I would create my own letter or at the very least have the client sign and date your file copies.

Merry Christmas!