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I just wanted to express my appreciation for ALL of you. Thanks for being there this season. I am better for the time that we have spent together. This has been a tough season for most of us - but it was made more tolerable by all of you! I am getting real close to kicking it in coast mode with 42 returns to complete by the end of the day Sunday! The confirmed extension pile has just gone over 100 - and they are still coming in. Woohoo!

You know how when you look in the stack and the one on deck is a favorite client, and you are so relieved because, finally, everything will be here? WELL, THAT HAS NOT HAPPENED IN THREE DAYS.

I recognize that there are seven days left in the filing season, but I have no reason to believe things are going to fall apart now. I just wanted to publicly acknowledge my appreciation for ATX and the team behind it. I do not think I could have been more satisfied this year with the software and service. Great job ATX!

Ditto and likewise!

The folks on here are a joy, especially this time of year.....Thanks to all.

One of my funniest was the client who said her son formed an LLC to save taxes. (He was operating as a SMLLC, disregarded entity). When I asked for a clarification, she said the LLC means his company's tax liability is limited.

Got a new preacher. Been doing his own returns on TT. Brought me three years in case I need help. Only reason he needs me is he's afraid of identity theft, something about TT, blah, blah, I wasn't really paying attention. Well, we're about to see how he deals with adversity. He has not figured SE tax on wages in Box 1. Has not filled out worksheets to determine excess Housing Allowance, and I'll betcha it's significant. I think a Come to Jesus Meeting is about to take place, y'all. Is IRS even trying???? I mean, HELLO, these are so obviously and horrifically incorrect.

He's about to viscerally learn the "render unto Caesar" line...

I can't say it any better. Thanks to all for being there.

I went in an hour late and came home 1 1/2 hours early and have been taking it easy - including spending some quality time with the facial steamer. About to get into a steamy shower but the horrible sinus headache I had all afternoon has backed off quite a bit. Thanks for all the good wishes!

Tax preparers share their clients' strangest misconceptions April 4, 2015 By Jeff Stimpson It's amazing what clients can walk in with: overflowing shoeboxes, demands for a refund in cash, insistence that you do their return before all others. Taxpayers try to deduct everything from unborn children and kids' weddings to speeding fines, groceries and massages. Many also walk around with some pretty wacky ideas about filing and taxpaying. "That they don't have to pay any income taxes," said Becky Neilson of Neilson Bookkeeping in Sheridan, Calif., "as the taxes are unconstitutional." Enrolled Agent Martha Nest of Westview Tax Services, Bardstown, Ky., also recalled: "If I get a refund, I didn't pay taxes!" "'Cash' is not income." "I don't have to pay taxes if I have an S-Corp," and, "Commuting is using my vehicle for business." Added San Antonio-based CPA Susana Lozano: Being a notary public is synonymous with being a tax professional; Having a CPA prepare your taxes ensures you a higher return; and, High-income individuals ($1 million of revenue or more) should not pay more than a 20% marginal tax rate. "That if you're older than 70, you don't have to pay taxes," added New York-based preparer Maurice Trauring, "and 90% of my clients want to deduct their dog or cat." Another misconception: That a preparer, if things go wrong with tax authorities, can't be the client's best friend. The favorite taxpayer statement of Donna Sue Henderson of Bristol Tax and Accounting, Bristol, Tenn.: "'I can't pay their taxes 'cause then the government will have all my money.'" "I find that funny," Henderson said, "because the alternative is to not pay and then have the IRS assess late-payment fees and penalties - and sometimes something worse." Her advice to clients creative and otherwise? "Just pay what you owe before it all snowballs out of control and the IRS starts levying." 'Won't come after them' Certain types of filing sometimes occasion wrong ideas. For example, Jeffrey Schneider, an EA at SFS Tax & Accounting Services in Port St. Lucie, Fla., finds the biggest misconceptions stem from a detail of business filing. "A client on the cash basis wants to write off a bad debt when a customer doesn't pay," he said. "It's foreign to them that since they didn't record into income, they cannot get the write-off. Another is a loan on a business asset: When I don't deduct principal, they have a hard time understanding cash expenditure and cash expense." "Clients with inventory ask, 'How do I show a profit when I do not have any cash?' After a 10-minute explanation, they get it. They don't like it," Schneider added, "but they get it." Government benefits are another patch of thick woods. Clients believe "that once you begin to draw Social Security, you no longer have to pay taxes or file a tax return," said Melissa Bowman, an EA with Bradford, Ohio-based Rainbow Accounting Services. "This is only the norm for those who have no other income besides the Social Security benefit. Another is that people tend to think that if they file an extension, they will be safe from an audit." Straightening them out Speaking of government, clients sometimes feel "that if they don't file their returns that the IRS will never catch up to them," said Kathleen Fitzpatrick, owner of Padgett Business Services, Princeton, N.J. "I have prospects who have gone five or more years without filing and who really think nothing of it or who feel that the government won't come after them because it's likely a small amount of money." "One of the funniest things new clients think is that if they didn't get a W-2 or 1099 by Jan. 31, they don't need to include the forms with their return," said Douglas Lindgren of Lindgren's Tax Service in Brooklyn Park, Minn. "We straighten them out accordingly."

Yes to all!

Bahahahaha! Yes, and I'm so glad he was referred by another pastor who understands it all very well. And I'm also glad he tithes, so he knows this is true: Malachi 3:10-11 “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts.”

Word.

WHAT YOU CAN DO is to use the override option to type into the sig line [use all caps] EFILED, DO NOT MAIL That is simple to do, costs nothing but a few seconds.

I can attest to this being absolute truth from 20+ years of personal experience. Unfortunately, clergy tend to be the ones more willing to bend and/or ignore Caesar's laws than the average taxpayer.

My wackiest is still the guy that wanted to call the money he spent for food for his fathers funeral money spent for a "Company Picnic" And no taxpayer seems to understand why they cannot deduct principal but only interest, and the principal of the asset they purchased is being depreciated

Going home now; thanks for all the good wishes and advice. We have a facial steamer that I bought years and years ago when my girls were little and tended to get croup. IT works *great* for colds and sinus infections. And Judy; most of my clients DO have a flagged field just for that reason; I don't know why these folks didn't. *Everything* about them is contrary and backwards - including this glitch. Sigh.

I say starting at $500, partly to get rid of the whining price shoppers and partly 'cause this is pricey Fairfield County and partly 'cause I'd like to stop taking new clients. I have lots and lots and lots below that price, but they've been with me a long time. Oh, and I almost always put new clients on extension so I have time to review their prior returns, ask them lots of questions, answer their questions, etc. Abuse right from the beginning.

Something about "fifty shades there..." I start at $200 and go from there. My SS and Capital Loss C/Forward is the only reason to file guy showed up. Yep, that is all. Except for the fact that he lived in Mexico the last three years and all his money is stuffed away in peso's in a the National Bank De Mexicala.... Can you say: "FinCen Reporting" Yes, I know you could. Rich

Greatest thing I ever heard. Not even kidding. Lordy, I am taking a class from you in August. Not July, cause you're obligated to that referral who left there going, "I did this to myself. I must have secretly wanted it. I mean, just look how I'm dressed..."

Yes, I think it actually happens more often than not. OK, maybe I'm exaggerating. No. No, I'm not.

And what's wrong with a little challenge about now? Doesn't this stuff just keep us on our toes - and out of our minds!!! Far less troubling, but nonetheless irritating - second year client sent me W-2 10 days ago before vacation. Yesterday sent 5 separate emails each with screen shots of power bills, mortgage statements, cell phone bills, county real estate page. I'm supposed to add up this stuff. When I reminded her that I bill by the hour she responded that she would try to get an H&R appointment. Geez, does she think they will be happy to look at screen shots of bills for data entry? She sent added figures this morning. I'm grouchier than I have ever been and I honestly don't think it's all me. Well, maybe....

I have elderly clients coming in later today who are upset that they owe 50K on 1.1 million sale of principal residence they bought in 1992. I'm going to tell them to be glad the laws benefit them because if they didn't they would 400K. And to be glad they made so damn much money!

I have been looking for the form that my client needs to sign in order to efile their taxes with WI. I checked everywhere in ATX and added and removed forms to no avail. Out of 40+ states, it had to be Wisconsin. I am glad I found this info on line before going bananas. Which states still require a signature form besides the Federal Form 8879 when efiling an Individual Tax Return?The following states require a separate signature form for electronically filing an Individual Tax return: States Signature forms AL Alabama AL Form 8453 AZ Arizona AZ Form 8879 AR Arkansas AR Form 8453 CA California CA Form 8453 CA Form 8879 CO Colorado CO Form DR 8453 CO Form DR 1778 - eFiler Attachment DE Delaware DE Form 8453 GA Georgia GA Form 8453 HI Hawaii HI Form EF AUTH - HI eFile authorization form IL Illinois IL Form 8453 IN Indiana IN Form IT-8879 IA Iowa IA Form 8453 KY Kentucky KY Form 8879-K LA Louisiana LA Form 8453 MD Maryland MD Form EL101 MA Massachusetts MA Form M-8453 MI Michigan MI Form 8453 - Used if state-only submission MS Mississippi MS Form 8453 MO Missouri MO Form 8453 - Required only if PIN method is not used NJ New Jersey NJ Form 8879 - Not required, prints if requested NM New Mexico NM Form PIT 8453 NY New York NY Form TR-579-IT (Return) NY Form TR-579.1 (Extension) NY Form TR-579-PT (204-LL) OK Oklahoma OK Form 511EF OR Oregon OR Form OR-EF - If not using PINs, State-Only PA Pennsylvania PA Form 8453 PA Form 8879 SC South Carolina SC Form 8453 VT Vermont VT Form 8879 VA Virginia VA Form 8453 - If not using PINs VA Form 8879 - If using PINs WV West Virginia WV Form 8453 - If State-Only submission WI Wisconsin No signature form, WI Form WRA for mail in attachments NYC New York City UBT NYC Form 579 (Return) NYC Form 579 EXT (Extension) Which states/cities do not require their own signature form when efiling an Individual Tax Return?The following states/cities have automatic acceptance into state program if accepted by the IRS and do not require a separate signature form: State Code State CT Connecticut FL Florida KS Kansas ME Maine MN Minnesota MT Montana NH New Hampshire NC North Carolina OH Ohio TN Tennessee TX Texas KC Kansas City KYC Kentucky Cities MIC Michigan Cities MBT Michigan Business Tax Mul/Trimet (OR) Multnomah/Portland, Tri-County, Lane Transit District OHC Ohio Cities PAC Pennsylvania Cities PHI Philadelphia PGH Pittsburgh STL (MO) St. Louis

I miss being able to add numbers in a field. Remember that? =34+56+32+123 You know, cause clients put all these freakin donation slips in here... C'mon, you can't even itemize. Stop it!

Well said! I agree completely. I very much appreciate all of you and extend my sincere thanks for all of your support!

Ditto.

Shout Out!

Boy I need to change my structure immediately so I can limit my liability too.

You could print your own custom labels using Excel and a set of blanks form Office Depot/Staples, etc. That way you could make it more personal, such as: "This Return has been E-Flung: Don't even THINK about signing this form or mailing it in !" (Or something along those lines)

I like KC's idea if you do want to override the field. If you are at 100% e-file, you could always change the master form to include that, if ATX allows modification of that field. The software I use prints the 5-digit pin in the signature space of the client's copy, but that would require more effort to coordinate that.

But, but "...the program is working as designed." That's true, right? It just has a design flaw. /s

Well, the slight cold I was fighting my way through has decided to play hardball. Fever all night, not much better today despite having taken motrin at 8AM. Cancelled my accounting client (standard Tuesday), told my husband I will *not* be going to the pistol match tonight, and managed to get here to my office. There is a real downside to having my office outside the house! My lovely napping sofa is now an entire mile away..... Then, just to make things even *more* special, yesterday I had an e-file gliltch and sent in a return that was not quite ready! Was reaching for my mouse to de-select that client, jarred the mouse against my tea cup just enough to make it click - argh!!! --off it went, irretrievable. Perhaps a blessing in disguise; I have been wondering how to fire those clients. The last changes needed (besides waiting for e-file _authorization_ such a pesky detail) were so piddling that the change in tax might be as much as $10 - so not worth amending. But boy did that take the wind out of my sails yesterday afternoon. I think some echinacea tea with honey is next on the list.

This client has a Sch C and an E. What I had been trying to do was put both into C, until I noticed that there is a worksheet tab for C, E and F. So, putting the right amount into each tab worked out fine - problem solved.

Today, with multiple monitors that process is easier, but still, like you, I like ATX better.

If it wasn't so close to 4-15th, this may be amusing. ATX's Response after my email above: Good Afternoon, The amounts in columns A and B need to be removed just leave column F. The taxpayer has to paid back the advanced credit received because of negative income. I understand you check the box on line 6 that they qualify for the credit but they don't because there is no calculation made on lines 8a and 8b. The program is working as designed, once you removed the amounts on column A and B of form 8962 the error will dissapear. If you need further assistance, please feel free to contact our Customer Service Dept at 800-638-8291 or email [email protected] My Response to the above response: Have any of you read the instructions? Evidently not. I have throughly read the instructions to Form 8962 and Federal Register Vol. 77., No 100 which are the Final regulations from IRS dealing with the Health Insurance Premium Tax Credit. Once again, I encourage you to read the instructions for each line of Form 8962, paying special attention to Line 3, Line 6 which refers you to the exception when your income isn't at least 100% of the Poverty Level. If you check yes on Line 6, you are told to continue to Line 7. Line 7 gives you the applicable percentage from the tables in the instructions for income for income below the poverty level which is .0200. Lines 8a is -0- as per the instructions, Line 3 which is -0- multiplied by Line .0200 = 0. That means the client's annual contribution rate is -0-, and furthermore calculates to -0- then for his monthly contribution. There are clients who receive their health insurance free of charge from Healthcare.gov. Does the form say "Stop here, you cannot take the credit....you must pay back every penney you paid in? Of course not, as the most my client would have to pay back is $600 if he did not follow the instructions. Part 2, My client checks No, then instructions tells him to continue to Line 10. Line 10, my client checks No because he didn't have coverage for the entire year. The instructions then tells my client to Continue to lines 12-23. Compute your monthly PTC and Continue to Line 24. He then completes Lines 25 and 26 (The program completes 24, 25 and 26). Can ATX contact your contact with IRS to verify your and my position? I have had many, many other tax professionals whom agree with me and I would hate to see ATX be responsible for disallowing the PTC for my or many more other taxpayers who are in the same situation. I will override your form if necessary, I just think it would be a shame for other taxpayers not to be able to take the credit because of ATX. Please tell me in the instructions where it says my client is not eligible for a PTC. I know this is all new and has almost driven people over the edge, so I don't fault ATX for the program glitch. I just sincerely wish I could receive a response from ATX that could be backed up with 8962 instructions as I have done in trying to prove my point. Thanks! Cathy Dauthier

Keeping you in my prayers, Cat. Hope you are better real soon, but if you need to take some time off, you do it. Don't let any client make you feel bad for being human. And anyone you are still working on was slow getting their stuff to you anyway.

Are you talking about the hard copy of the client returns that you send them? If so, you can use the watermark feature on the client copy. I have "Client Copy" on my watermark but you could use "E-Filed" if you wanted to. It won't go on the signature line, but it takes up a big part of the page. Tom Newark, CA

Catherine I hope you get feeling better soon. This stuff is going around here in NC as well. My wife has been really sick the last two days and spent all day today in bed. Bad sinus infection too. We take the better or worse part of our wedding vows and appropriately apply them cause it is better to sleep in separate rooms so we both don't get worse.

Some pearls seem to be missing...?..

My husband and I, both self-employed, participate in Good Samaritan health care sharing ministry. It is my understanding that the monthly share amounts paid are not deductible anywhere - not on Schedule A or as self-employed health insurance. If your client makes donations directly to Good Samaritan for sharing unmet or unpublishable needs then those amounts would be deductible as contributions on Schedule A. Participation does however qualify the taxpayer for an exemption from the health insurance coverage requirement. If anyone knows or finds anything different I would sure love to know about it.

Nope - hasn't happened to me for a very long time. We do not quote prices on the phone anymore other than, "our minimum fee for the most basic simplest of tax returns is $200. It goes up from there based on a number of things like complexity and how many papers we have to look at. We will be happy to quote you a more firm price for our services after we have seen your information. Please drop it off at your convenience and we will call you with a price before we begin work." I can do that because I am no longer actively looking for work. I have enough to keep me busy for some time to come. Most new work we get now comes from referral and those folks never ask about price because the referring person has already told them about our fees. Had a referral walk in yesterday. It seems his previous preparer has retired. His comment when he dropped off his stuff was, "she (the previous accountant) used to spread all of my stuff out on the table and she would do the return while I waited." Sorry - that is not how we fly. Leave your stuff and we will do your return when we get to it. Oh, and by the way, your return will be extended. Oh, and by the way, don't expect to hear from us before July. I think it is always a good idea to abuse the client right from the get go, He left his stuff. We will see him again in July.

People like to use the term "basic"...It's not very involved, it's basic. Why did you charge me what you charged me for a "basic" return?

Another thing I find: When people emphasize "simple"...they are complex When people tell you how crazy and complex their situation is...it may mean they had a stock sale.

Yes...I know the feeling. When I quote a price....I add..."This is based on no surprises."

He sounds like the guy I'm meeting with tomorrow, although mine does know that when he sells something big he will pay in something like an estimate. He uses the estimate vouchers like deposit slips and pays them at odd dates or adds several together. Last year I gave him the extension for his federal return with explicit instructions, and he sent that in on May 8th because he didn't have the funds on 4/15. Then he tried to say I didn't tell him. I'm supposed to meet with him tomorrow to deliver his personal returns and returns for 2 LLCs, and the adult son's returns too. I received an email this morning from their attorney's assistant that the 2 of them decided to gift the dad's ownership in a third LLC that dad and son own together over entirely to the son. Gifts dtd 12/31 splitting part of dad's ownership to the mom and then further breaking the gift down to be on 12/31 and 1/1/15. They just decided this 2 weeks ago and no one ever mentioned this.

I think I misread the HSA information from the TP's W-2. The deductions from his gross to taxable wages includes $6,350 Cafeteria 125 HSA. The box 12 code W amount is $7,550. I'm now thinking that the code W includes both the employee's $6,350 contributions and the employer's $1,200 contribution which total $7,550. Am I clear on this now? Or is my brain getting tired? :-)

I have them bring me something: school records, daycare records, doctor bill and I keep a copy for my records.