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Showing content with the highest reputation on 04/05/2023 in all areas
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link: https://thebusyseason.com/blog/5-beers-that-should-exist-for-accountants For those who won't click, here are the names, without the other cute label notes: Last-Minute Lager Easy Returns Ale Screams of Perdition Porter Pointless Explanation Pilsner Stout Refusal The descriptions are very funny, as are the "on-label" comments.7 points
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IIRC, within three days of receipt of the 8879. I do a go bit of "returns by mail" and clients that pick up, sign and return 8879 a week (or month) later. I note the received date on the 8879, or tape the envelope to the back.6 points
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Have one before or after your corresponding customers!4 points
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You don't file his Costa Rica taxes unless you know CR tax law. He's on his own, or he can find someone down there. Note that many other countries are not on a calendar-year tax filing year. You may need to put him on extension in order to get final CDR tax numbers from him. Sch E rental reported here should indeed be simple if prior information given is correct. Use Form 1116 to take credit for tax paid to CR. Make sure to adjust for calendar vs fiscal year mismatches. Of course he can bring his earnings into the US legally - best not to try cash, though, but deposit any cash to a CR bank. Then transfer to a US bank, and that US bank will report any transactions over $10,000, but that's just reporting. Wire transfers are the usual method.3 points
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That's the better way IF there were estimated tax payments made - because those will be attributed to the primary taxpayer's account from the prior year. I changed them around once for an elderly lady who lost her husband and doggone near lost *her* when she got an IRS nastygram demanding $16,000 in tax, because the computers never think to check the other taxpayer for ES payments. Frankly, I considered that letter as elder abuse and (politely) reamed the agent a new one when I called them about it. Back when they still answered their phones.3 points
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That's what I do. I've gotten clients who either mail the form back, or drop it off in person, weeks after signing it. I put "Rec'd mm-dd-yy" on the top, sign it myself with that date, and then e-file usually the same day or certainly within the three days of receipt.3 points
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Another option might be with a financial advisor. I've had a couple over the years offer me office space.3 points
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I have not, but in my office in the next town, we "rent" a corner of the outer office to a CPA who generally works from home. Perhaps a CPA office in your town might be another option? I'd be concerned in a Regus-style shared office about the higher level of privacy/security that tax pros need, and if they are really up to covering that. Or maybe they are, since their business model depends on reliability in several areas. Just, don't limit your options to one kind of shared space.3 points
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2 points
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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.2 points
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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.2 points
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I don't call IRS for clients. I have them call. The client can wait for hours on the phone instead of me.2 points
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1 point
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Your tax software support folks might be of more help in this one. Some software might support debits on amended returns, others might not.1 point
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I should think that having a slew of receipts of around $80, plus statements showing others, is reasonable (I know, reasonable and IRS don't match far too often). But in addition to receipts being lost, the $%^& pumps don't *give* receipts (out of paper, broken, etc) more and more often these days, and sometimes they can't give you a receipt inside, either, because the employees don't know how to do that. If you can show a clear pattern and back it up with a preponderance of receipts, and the auditor won't budge, go up the food chain to the supervisor.1 point
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man - How do you get them to do that - I had someone in here for over 2 hours - mostly on hold - wait 5-7 minutes, etc to ID verify 2022 and them checked on his 2021 and after they told me it was coming - he had verified in here 2 x!! already =- he had to do it again as there was no record!! Big party if it ever comes.. D1 point
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Are you an attorney? What does the US part consist of? If you're only handling the US part, what does it matter to you if there are foreign taxes? Take the foreign tax credit if applicable. How would a WI LLC limit his CR liability? If you're not an attorney don't advise him on this. FinCen 114 will be applicable if he has a CR bank account w/ more than $10k and possibly 8938 if it exceeds $50k. 3520 may come into play, but not if he buys it in his own name. Same with 5471. Depreciate over 30 years instead of 27.5. Unless you're leaving out a bunch of info, this sounds simple.1 point
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1 point
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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.1 point
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1 point
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Payments of nondeductible expenses are considered distributions to the beneficiary, but need not be from income. Could be from corpus; depends on trust document. IIRC, distributions of corpus don't get listed on a K-1. Please correct me if my memory is faulty!1 point
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* 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."1 point
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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.1 point
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We have a landline with the same number since 1980, while a Google number seems like a viable option for offices with no landline, I do not relish the idea of Google storing client texts and such. 15 more days people !!!!! Who am I kidding, damn extensions !!!1 point
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1 point
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It sounds like they are qualified non personal use vehicles. Any vehicle that is “not likely to use more than a de minimus amount for personal purposes.” Because of its design. They are exempt from substantiation requirements but can only use actual expenses for a deduction.1 point
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Some years ago at a CPE Class, I was talking to another EA who had a good sized construction client with a number of vehicles. His client ended up in a very nasty audit where his client made no attempt to keep any mileage records and decided not to make any attempt at reconstruction. The auditor denied all vehicle related deductions and made it stick. It cost his client in the high 5 digits in additional taxes.1 point
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I tell my clients to take pictures of everything they have that we put on the tax return. When they buy it, when they have major overhaul. And with vehicles a picture of the odometer at year end. Or if its a pick-up truck, and has to haul trailers, take a picture when the trailer is on and loaded. We had a logging company that had an Oscar Saw mill. Any quick google search shows you it's a piece of equipment, but our IRS auditor who lives in NYC thought it was a building and wanted to depreciate over 39 years. We sent a picture. "Down by the old, not the new, but the old mill stream..." Nope. If she keeps giving you a run around ask to bump up to the manager.1 point