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And there's your box of rocks!

For years I've gotten a bag of Lindor truffles before the start of tax season. I know it's been a good year when there are some left after 4/15. Still a month to go and the bag is empty.

This morning, after two calls trying to find us, in walks an elderly man with a handful of papers. He wanted us to show him how to fill out his tax return on paper. He had just taken a buyout from a Federal job and is doing a personal return on paper. Not only does he have W2 income, but also a Schedule C and a Schedule SE for his wife who has a small business. (But, she never makes a profit) SE? My assistant made a vague attempt to help him out. He doesn't know how to use a computer so we are wondering where he is going to get the forms. My husband was timing how long he was here. I still can't believe that anyone would think they could walk into a tax office and expect to be shown how to prepare his return. Maybe he thought we were one of the tax offices that are closing.

I've never amended for one of these corrected 1099s and I've never gotten any notices. I'm not certain that the IRS ever posts these corrected 1099s, and even if they did, they don't send out notices for smaller amounts. I heard they run the matching software later in the year, then sort the notices by amounts from high to low, and only send out as many CP2000s as they know they can process, starting with the highest amounts. And with what is happening now, there will be even fewer CP2000s going out.

There's an apartment upstairs where I am. My mailbox out front is quite large and says "tax office" on it in bright white letters. And the one next to it is smaller and says "upstairs apt". Every year I will hear "I didn't know which box to leave it in."

I remember at an IRS forum back in the days of paper filing hearing an IRS agent say that he knew it wasn't the preparer's fault when they got returns in with no signature - they could see the highlights and the sticky notes saying sign here, but there was still no signature. I also put the drop off box in at our office because I had a customer that left his papers in the grill out back. Took a couple of years but I finally convinced him to use the box instead of the grill.

8879 signed with a highlighter. Is my instruction slip that confusing?

I had a client with a voided 1095-A (still showing payments) and, following IRS instructions, I omitted the form from their return. Filed electronically with no 8962. I think we did wait a few weeks for the system to 'digest' the voided 1095-A. There is an IRS fact sheet titled "Corrected, Incorrect or Voided Forms 1095-A"

We hit some nice chocolate shops in December and January for me to stockpile, including the Lindor outlet store, but hubby replenishes my chocolate supply almost every week since January at Trader Joe's.

We are not open to the public on weekends so we can get stuff done. Plus I can crank the music !!!! Nothing better than classic Sabbath, Aerosmith, Steely Dan and Zep !!!

RBC just sent out a corrected 1099-DIV, less than a week after I filed client. It's mostly lowering the amount of Qualified Dividends. It would be a whopping $6 additional tax owed. What would be the drawbacks of telling the clients to just let the IRS bill them? I really hate to charge them for an amended return over a piddly $6. RBC really pisses me off, not the first time I've seen them send out corrections this late.

Or the CP2000s will be going out later and later, which will be fun. That was kind of my take on it, that they likely wouldn't even bother. Other years when I've seen late corrections, it's never been anything that mattered to what folks owe. But they're still a pain to have to check every time, and they throw TPs into a panic at the thought that something's wrong.

Thanks for the replies. We will wait a few weeks since she only recently got the voided 1095-A and try to e-file.

I agree with BrewOne that the need for the 8962 should go away once the voided 1095-A is processed.

SSA recently announced recipients can no longer change bank account via phone. The stated that they can't verify identity of caller via questions. Changes need to be via myssa or going to an office. How long until IRS adopts policy that information via phone is no longer available?

Posts bordering on political leanings on both sides now hidden. Please try to limit the discussion to how it affects our work and our clients, otherwise will continue to hide, delete or lock the whole topic.

Did you ask him how he got his return done in the past?

Some preparers may want to offer their assistance for a fee of course.

I have real concerns about SS requiring so much to be done online or in person. Local office is in a heavy traffic part of town that many seniors don't like to drive in. Some parts of country the office may be 100+ miles away. Many don't have computers or are not computer savvy. I can see business advertising to help them, for a fee of course. And I think we know that there will be offers of "help" that will be scams.

It gets better. I told her on the phone that if she signed and brought back in person to put it in my box. Oh no, where did she leave it? It was under a rock on my office steps.

If you set your default ATX printer to PDF, you can save scanning it. As for why, ATX has always had weird printing issues.

I had one this year that was very similar, except the TP had a grand-daughter who was able to verify that the wife did not get an IP Pin for the year. My guess is that it depends on when during the year the H died. If it was early enough for IRS to get notified, they would not have issued the IP Pin. If it was very close to the time they issues those pins, there might be one out there.

News report this morning: IRS already in chaos and 20% of IRS personnel to be laid off by May. I know that some were to stay through the busiest time, but is that more layoffs than originally planned?

can barely talk to anyone now

Will try that.

3. If you paid full price and are sure you don't qualify for the premium tax credit You don’t have to fill out or include Form 8962, Premium Tax Credit, when you file your federal taxes. Keep your Form 1095-A with your other tax records. https://www.healthcare.gov/taxes/marketplace-plan-without-savings/#:~:text=If you paid full price and are sure you don,with your other tax records.

Maybe we're using different software. My understanding is that there was no APTC claimed, so no requirement to file an 8962/reconciliation. Sorry. According to Healthcare.gov: If you paid full price and are sure you don't qualify for the premium tax credit. You don't have to fill out or include Form 8962, Premium Tax Credit, when you file your federal taxes.

did you check the box that student is a candidate for a degree on the input screen? If not a candidate for degree, then scholarship is taxable

I not sure how that would work in combination with the standard deduction? I would like to see it be an adjustment to Income on Schedule 1

I've never had an experience this bad trying to resolve a simple issue. Couple had been filing jointly for many years. He passed in Jan 2024. MI 2023 had a small balance due of a little over $100. I set it up in software to come directly out of bank account, which it did. She said she received a notice of non-payment over the summer, called them, and mailed in the bank statement showing payment. Nothing more heard until today when she receives a demand notice of payment for 2023. I call MI to get simple issue resolved. Box was checked on MI return that state can discuss return with me. Agent says she can't see that part of return in system. So, I call widow on other line with both on speakerphone to give authorization. Wasn't enough to just give her information for identity, she also had to find his SSN. So, now she can talk w/ me about return. Puts me on hold for 10 minutes or so. Finally got it figured out that they put the payment to his SSN and with his passing widow is now primary on return and payment is floating around somewhere. It's now going to have to go through a review that can take 6 weeks. I ask her to put a hold on collections while it's being resolved. She says she can't do that. 2024 has been filed and refund is more than 2023 due. I' betting they will take 2023 balance plus penalties out of 2024 refund. Unbelievable ineptitude.

According to news articles I have read, 7,000 probationary employees have already been laid off. About 6,000 more have accepted the email buyout offer. Although it's not clear when they will leave. Tentatively at a minimum 7.000 more will be laid off after May 15th.