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I almost hate to post. Easing my way further into semi retirement is going smoothly. I just finished my last tax return except for 3 extensions that I will prepare in May after we return from vacation. Now to finish all of the first quarter payroll reports and March Financial Statements.

I don't mind preparing a CA nonresident return for myself, but paying $800 to register my LLC for more than I earn doesn't make business sense. Sorry to say goodbye to a good client.

Not too bad here. I am vacillating between feeling like "I've got this under control" and "Oh dear Lord how am I even going to get extensions filed in time!" This is my crunch week to finish up. As of next Monday, I do nothing else until everyone outstanding is on extension. Then I get back to work with all the pressure off. I am finally learning, as I try to ease into retirement, that I cannot allow myself to care more about people's taxes than they care. I still do my best, but don't let myself get turned into a pretzel for people who can't be bothered. And I go see my granddaughter (and daughter and son in law) every week for a couple of hours.

Correct. Only distributions of taxable income. Trust takes income distribution deduction for same amount.

I get to play with my 3 year-old grandson this weekend, so that's fun!

NECPA, that's a very heavy load that you are carrying. When you can take deep breath, exhale slowly and give yourself a few minutes of piece and quiet.

When I have a surviving spouse return, I make the surviving spouse the primary taxpayer. I'm not sure if this would have prevented your problem.

Have a great time! That sounds so relaxing. Our son just upgraded to flying 757s and 767s last month, so he is trying to get a trip to Kauai soon after 4/18 so that we can fly with him while my husband still can. His doctors approved it, if I go. Mark has always wanted to see Hawaii so we will fly to their place in Denver and leave from there. He has a 27 hour layover, so it will be a very fast trip. I told him I don't do helicopters, so we can see it from the ground. I rarely sleep on planes, so it will take me awhile to recover. I would have preferred Europe, but getting Mark through customs with all of his drugs and medical equipment sounds like a pain. I am really looking forward to going back to their place this summer and reading a book in the backyard.

Having been raised in the hills of southwest Indiana and now living in rural Ohio, I had to look up pied-a-terre. I've always been impressed with Catherine's smarts...now even more so!

I had to call ATX and they gave me a file call "Large address aware" to put on the computer and they walk you through making sure it is working properly - haven't had an error since.

Leaving for Kauai on April 17th for 2 weeks

* by NOT talking to clients on the telephone. When they drop off, I talk to them as much as I need to. I have learned not to believe them when they say, "It's all there." I go thru the paperwork at drop off and that also saves time. For example, "I need the Bursar's statement, please."

Yes it can go as a PDF attachment. Please note that in my experience, the IRS "loses" Forms 1310 and 56 the first two or three or four times you file it - even when it's on the list of e-filed forms or attachments! To the point where I'm convinced the "you did not send" is a form letter generated to give them more time to deal while making you think you messed up.

I don't call IRS for clients. I have them call. The client can wait for hours on the phone instead of me.

I hate to post too, not bad things for me. But I've been doing a group hiking thing the past few years, one weekend a month. I started out skipping the first 3 months of the year. Their final group in April is usually after the tax due date. Then I started going for the January weekend, I was not too busy. Then added February. Then the past few years, going in March. It was tough to take a weekend off in March. This year they threw me a curve and no hikes after the tax due date but I went anyway in April, this past weekend April 1-2. I was working even longer the past few weeks to get ahead of the game. It felt refreshing to take the weekend off this late in the tax season. I've been trying to cut back the past few years but it seems I've been busier than normal. I have been cutting back the past few years after the due date. Fridays off, shorter hours the other four days.

A few extensions every day; a few new clients every day. we, too, are finding that we care less. We cannot let this business get the best of us. We will continue as we started; doing concise and thorough work. So many interruptions. Unexpected surgery for hubby; he is still on the recovery list though getting better every day. He makes our lunch. Too many people walking in without appointments. All that and we continue to smile and try not to rush anyone. Now ATX is pushing for early renewals and I am afraid to ask what the price will be this year. Good for you!

Get a google voice number and give that out as your cell. Then when you get a text, it's already on your computer and you can print the text to a PDF for your records. And set Google Voice to just take messages in case your clients ever call your "cell."

I agree my needy clients pay more. They should. Last week I increased on invoice because a new client, who had told me he got text messaging, called me asking when they could come in and see what I had done with their [very special] tax return. I generally hate phone calls as they waste my time. I had texted him on March 16 that the return was ready, please come in at your convenience. He had made two trips to drop off, called before each one, my greeting plainly says come in at your convenience, and he likes to hear the sound of his own voice. At pick up, he lamented that according to my projection for next year, he not only does not need to make estimated tax payments, but he will get a $4,000 refund. "Oh, no, I really hate getting refunds." Me: "Well, that's on you, Chief, tell somebody to reduce withholding by $4,000." He kept talking. And talking. He now knows the tax brackets, has a copy of same, and that it is cutting your nose off to spite your face to pay 22% on a withdrawal you don't need because you don't like getting refunds. Notes in file in charge more next time. So anyway, Kathy, I'm probably at $285 federal, $50 state, provided the client didn't waste a lot of my time. We have a preparer here who plays that game with the invoice listing every form in the return, some not even in the return, with the big discount. I am getting several of her clients because she's making mistakes. The last one in here, the 2021 invoice was $325 marked down to $110. If the return was correct, $325 would have been fair. As it was, $110 was too much. Everything is relative; all returns, all clients, and all preparers are not created equal.

Won't find it here; I'll cut the client loose and have him find a CA practitioner. I'm trying to retire, after all.

I don't think so. As long as he is a resident of NYS and he files a CA NR return, the tax return product is delivered is his home state. At least that is how I read it now. CA could be lurking on this board trying to find new revenue sources. Tom Longview, TX

I am so sorry for your load.You are going through some very hard personal and work trials. I doubt that the client that wants you to pay P & I didn't tell the other CPA the entire truth. Please take care of yourself and your family. I totally understand not caring as much. After 44 years of making myself sick by not sleeping and working ridiculous hours, I had to slow down and just say "whatever". I'm telling everyone that next year is it and I've been lucky enough to have a few doozies help me out and leave early. Some of them said that I'm only 65 and should not leave yet but I just don't have it in me. I am praying that I can work part time outside of the house doing something else, but who knows if I will be able to leave the house without hiring a caregiver?

I am sorry for you. I am afraid that I will have to file more extensions than last year. My clients seem to have more tax strange issues than normal and are missing more information than normal. I'm not doing great. I have had two cousins die, 4 clients pass this year already, my husband is really failing physically and mentally. I know that I am depressed, but don't have time to deal with it. Thank God I'm retiring from this 12/31/24! I need to try to get caught around the house so that we can move in a couple of years

A superseded return can be filed anytime prior to the original due date. The big advantage of filing a superseded return is that it replaces the original efiled return, while an amended return is considered to be a correction which is processed manually which will take 5 or more months.

"Additionally, a new, electronic checkbox has been added for Forms 1040/1040-SR, 1040-NR and 1040-SS/1040-PR to indicate that a superseding return is being filed electronically. A superseded return is one that is filed after the originally filed return but submitted before the due date, including extension." Drake has a checkbox titled "Superseded Return" in their 1040X screen. My understanding is that you are not preparing an amended 1040 X. Drake gives you the option to print "SUPERSEDED TAX RETURN" at the top of the revised Form 1040.

This year I have forgotten to click the "donate" button so that the electricity/maintenance is paid for this site. Please don't make that same mistake and I will click it soon.

In my book, that still counts as super smart!

Thank you for your kind comments, but in this case it's simply a holdover from high school French class.

NY uses the Convenience of the Employer rule, so unless his NYC employer requires him to be in CA (schmoozing with clients, training, brick & mortar job site, etc.) NYS & NYC consider his wages to be NY-sourced. If your client's in CA because he wants to be in the CA sunshine or whatever personal reason, his wages are NY-sourced as far as NY is concerned. CA looks at his work location (and where you, Catherine, and I and others here, deliver our work product). CA and NY are two aggressive states to work in, and they don't play nice together!

I use my cell phone to text clients because it's convenient for ME. I also like getting answers in writing and send text messages to my email for documentation purposes. (No, most of my clients do not use email effectively.) I know to ignore all, and I do mean all, client calls to my cell phone, my greeting says hang up and call the office. I also know not to respond to text messages I get beyond office hours. I have saved many, many hours by NOT talking to clients. Thank you for the advice, but I can tell you, I do what works for ME.

I always file form 56 with the return, otherwise the signature may not be accepted.

"or as allowed by the governing instrument"

Will the trust make distributions to a public charity as instructed by the governing instrument? If so, the they might be able to take a Charitable deduction for funds permanently set aside. Possibly a Private Foundation?

I think (going through the same for a CA resident with a CO K-1) that the disaster extension covers the IRS and CA, and that you need to file a NJ extension. I think.

Looks like he relied on his software to link mom and son's returns for the 8615, but forgot to recalculate son's return after preparing mom's return. I agree with your analysis of the numbers on the prior year 8615.

The IRS won't disclose how many employees are still working remotely from home. Sounds like you found one of them.

You can delete the texts if they contain sensitive info. It's no less insecure than a text to your cellphone. And having a landline has nothing to do with it. It's just an alias for your cellphone, but you don't have to link the Voice number to your cellphone. One nice advantage is that everyone in the office has the same cell number and everyone can see all the texts and voice messages in one convenient place.

Update to prior phone call. He never came back to the phone in 15 minutes. He apparently laid it down and left. I called again and it was answered by a very nice rep who transferred me to balance due for my clients, wait time expected 35-50 minutes. That's OK, went about my work. Phone was picked up and immediately disconnected. I'm sorry, this is just frustrating.

Please feel free to interpret this however you want: https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-taxpayers-now-have-more-options-to-correct-amend-returns-electronically

I just did a quick search on Google. A Chat person (or bot) gave me: Here's a number you can call anytime Monday–Friday 8AM–8PM ET: +1-855-720-6978. Love the idea. I may set that up after the next tax deadline. But, I just had new biz cards printed !!

RitaB !!! Dont give clients your cell number !!! We have clients always asking for our cell numbers. But lordy, if we did we would get bombarded with texts and calls. Especially the pain in the arse ones. We just kindly tell them, "sorry our cell numbers are for friends and family only", please use the office phone or email any questions.

Interesting thread; at the other board where I participate, there would have been immediate warnings to not discuss pricing. That being said, there have been some great comments. I left Block "Premium" (now "Advisors") because I got tired of constant complaints from my clients about the pricing. I hated not doing a return the way I wanted because of how the client would be charged (for example $25 for a student loan entry that saved them $10). When I went out on my own, I was greatly influenced by that experience and wanted to offer my services at a fair price. It's meant that I have all the work I want and I can be very picky on whose return I do.

I think technically if you amend a return before the due date, it is considered a superseded return rather than amended. Practically, you don't need to wait and it would look the same, from what I understand.

I didn't! (ATX)

I didn't! (Drake)

I think CA is the most complicated. I was taken aback to realize they still allow misc 2% deductions that are long gone from the federal so you don't think to enter them. With MA you have to be careful that state AGI is correct. In UltraTax, it populates from Box 1, but that's not the number MA uses.

Thanks go to Don de Drain a guest blogger on the Procedurally Taxing website: "FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: 1) Q: Who came up with the idea of issuing Frequently Asked Questions? A. On advice of counsel, the person who came up with the idea of issuing Frequently Asked Questions is refusing to answer this question on the grounds that it may violate their 5th Amendment right against self-incrimination. 2) Q: Has the issuance of Frequently Asked Questions actually proven to be helpful? A: The issuance of Frequently Asked Questions has proven to be very helpful to attorneys who like to challenge in court the validity of IRS rules that have not been published in the Federal Register under the Administrative Procedure Act. 3) Q: How often are Frequently Asked Questions actually asked? A: Frequently. 4) Q: Seriously, how often is “Frequently?” A: Once. After the question is asked here, no one else ever asks the question again. 5) Q: Who are the people who actually decide which Frequently Asked Questions to include on the IRS’s website? A: See the answer to Question #1. 6) Q: Why does the IRS issue guidance like this in the form of questions? A: Why not? 7) Q: Can we rely on the answers to Frequently Asked Questions? A: Yes, except that you cannot rely on the answer to this question. Q: Will I be penalized if I take a position on my tax return that is contrary to the answer to a Frequently Asked Question? A: Only if the answer to the Frequently Asked Question is unintelligible. 9) Q: Are these Frequently Asked Questions binding on the IRS in Court? A: Only if the Questions have been written by someone living in Thailand. 10) Q: Why is that? A: Because it’s the Thai that binds. 11) Q: What do we do when there are conflicting answers provided by two different Frequently Asked Questions? A: You pick the answer you want to pick. Then the IRS will pick the other answer if your tax return is audited, and the Tax Court will decide which answer it likes better. 12) Q: What is the actual location of the United States Tax Court? A: We are not sure. We looked in the pocket of IRS Chief Counsel and did not find the Court there. We also looked in the pockets of some random taxpayers and did not the Court there. The Tax Court appears to be an independent body located somewhere in the penumbras between Article I and Article III of the U.S. Constitution. As a result, the Tax Court is considering renaming itself the United States Tax Court of Quantum Physics."

As Sheldon would say, "It's funny, because it's true!"

Check the Ca 540 NR instructions for "Do I Have to File". It could be that your CA source income is below the threshold for filing. Ca source income would be income only from your Ca residents. https://www.ftb.ca.gov/forms/2021/2021-540nr-booklet.html

I, too, charge extra for 8867 but include it under any tax credit for $25 each. I think that just got increased for next year!

I'd charge about $225.. I have gone up 20% this year if same amount of work.. and no one has squawked except the bar owner who I had to do all ther bookkeeping - $880 - taxes and $700 books - They went and bought a $1500 scanner and laptop and think that will fix it! Best, Darlene - i like the one about all new clients!! $325 I am charging $50 more for PIRA's and harassing - where are my taxes.. this year