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Herein lies the problem with most "just little" jobs whether it be a tax return or a home improvement job. Today, after last week I wired up an under the cabinet over the kitchen sink LED light, should last my lifetime. But the wire connecter that goes behind the fixture will not fit into the wall due to a 2x4 in the way. Tried Home Depot and Ace to get a smaller one, no luck. so I fabricated one out of two, hack sawing and filing to make it work. Wonderful, then the last step trying to screw it under the cabinet was impossible as the little screws are recessed and also impossible to set the screwdriver in the recessed hole. Two hours later after a lot of cursing (which I never do) I went to the nuclear option and drove two big screws into the fixture and under the cabinet. Didn't care that they popped a little bit of shelf in the back of the cabinet. I felt satisfaction. So the moral of this story is there is no such thing as a little job, it's always the last screw or nut that is impossible, or the tax return with that last piece of info that is so elusive, or the loan analysis I am currently working on for a client that was from her mother and is needed now for the estate with all the siblings calling me. Varying interest rates, payoffs, and dates all over the place. Yes, there is no easy job. Funny, I actually feel better now. This place is like therapy.

Thanks, Debbie! And congrats! I loved what someone said on the FaceBook study group: "This is not something that will be given to you or fall in your lap. If you don't respect the tests and put the time in you WILL fail..." OTOH, it's doable. Everybody be encouraged!

For anyone waiting to find out if they passed their SEE 1/2/3, Prometrics has updated their website and we can now find out. No need to wait for the mailman! Just log in and click on test history. The results are there. I'm happy to report that I passed SEE2. I'm so glad I put in those 7 weeks to study for it. I'm hoping to pass SEE1 in August and SEE3 in September and be an EA by filing season.

Well I for one couldn't understand why the PTIN number that I have had since forever, FREE became an item I have had to pay for, well I guess, since 2010. It would be nice to see a refund of those fees. On another note, I think the IRS should develop some type of plan that is "legal" to critique tax preparers. The general public who pursue the use and advise of a tax preparer has the right to know the individual is competent. This should apply to ALL and not automatically eliminate the CPA's and Attorney's. They too should show competence and do make as many, if not more, mistakes than others. JMHO

My husband calls these "just" jobs. "I'll just swap this light fixture," or "I'll just replace this faucet washer," et cetera. Three weeks, several hundred more dollars, and lots of essential service interruptions later, it's finally done.

Don't feel bad FNDY.....When it comes to electrical work.... this is what I end up looking like.... On the other hand.... look how wonderful it can be done when a wall or cabinet isn't involved....

Sign me up. Tom Newark, CA

There were/are other suits. I hope we win one of these.

Don't let your spouse watch those home improvement programs, you'll be sorry.

Two CPAs have filed suit against the Internal Revenue Service claiming its collection of annual fees for Preparer Tax Identification Numbers is not legal. Minnesota CPA Adam Steele and Georgia CPA Brittany Montrois seek to have their litigation certified as a class action suit. The plaintiffs are seeking to have the fees halted and receive refunds on those paid since they were implemented in 2010. The IRS plan to require tax preparers be regulated was thrown out by a federal court early in 2013 and an appeal court agreed later the agency lacked the authority to enforce such regulations. CPAs, Enrolled Agents and tax attorneys were exempt from proposed requirements for competency testing and mandate education courses. However, the court rulings let the PTIN requirements stand, following the litigation brought by another group of preparers. This year, the IRS began rolling out a voluntary plan for education and registration. That is being contested in court by the American Institute of CPAs, which says the IRS also lacks the authority to implement those procedures. In the latest case, the plaintiffs are arguing that only a small portion of the PTIN fees are being used for that process and that the remainder are going to other IRS activities and therefore represent an illegal tax. http://www.theprogressiveaccountant.com/Tax/suit-challenges-irs-right-to-collect-ptin-fees#comments

There is one exception - if one of the spouses died after the return was filed. §1.6013-4. For any taxable year with respect to which a joint return has been filed, separate returns shall not be made by the spouses after the time for filing the return of either has expired. See, however, paragraph (d)(5) of this section for the right of an executor to file a late separate return for a deceased spouse and thereby disaffirm a timely joint return made by the surviving spouse. BTW, if any return is changed prior to the filing deadline, it is a Corrected return (Write "CORRECTED" across the top). You do not use 1040X.

The IRS does audit these 529 withdrawals--even said it was a "priority" item. As I recall, the pubs say don't report anything if used for education, but the IRS doesn't read its own pubs I guess. Last summer we must have had five of these audits. I recommend don't report anything (like the pubs say), but tell your client to pull the college payment transcripts now. They will be needed when the letter arrives.... And don't get too complacent that all is okay because the funds were used for school. Dates matter. If the withdrawal was made in December but spring tuition wasn't paid until January (or vice versa), you have a problem. I had this happen with one client who also made too much to claim any education benefits. He ended up scrambling to find receipts for books, computer, etc. Our joy that the IRS is finally requiring schools to report "amount paid" instead of "amount billed" on the T was short-lived. Schools pleaded that they need more time to adjust their computer systems so were granted a pass until 2017. When the T first came out (in 1997), they were granted time to adjust their computers. How long does it take? Do those 20-year old computers still exist?

There are online options, such as People's United Bank's Encore Online. Does their bookkeeping software have a payroll module, such as QuickBooks? The large providers have small-company specialists: Paychex, ADP, etc., where they can go online or telephone to submit payroll. Their bank may have a connection with a payroll company.

And regardless of how she ultimately is able to file her income tax return, she may still need to file the FBAR.

I knew I could depend on everyone's support. This job started as a strip the wallpaper and paint, she said it would only take 2 days like they said on the show. Not my bathroom...so I come to find that the walk in shower water control was loose. Needed to open a wall to get in there and brace everything. Then she thought an efficient water flow toilet would be nice. That medicine chest you see should be recessed, I'll be fixing that. New fixtures on the vanity may as well be done as my new knee pads are getting broken in. It's like a new client who says, I don't have much, won't take long at all, not long at all. It'll be a week for this one, but at least I could say, she's appreciative, and that's a lot more than you get from many clients. Thank you all, you made me smile, makes me forget the back pain.

Assuming that the non-resident spouse is not a US citizen, she can file as MFS or HoH, depending on whether she provides a household for a dependent she can claim on her taxes, and only report her income. She can elect to file MFJ and report their worldwide income. But if her husband has no nexus with the US causing him to file a return, it is up to them whether to file together and include his income or file separately and only report her income in the US. At least that is my understanding of the election to file jointly and report world-wide income.

I just happened to think. An out house with a picture window might be a novel idea.

Yes, sometimes, nearly always, leave such things to professionals. Uh, Gene, you did mean ouR house, not ouT house, right? Or not

It works on W10 also. I just tried it and it works. Thanks for the info.

Looks like I'm going to be replacing windows in out house. I ordered one to see if I can do it and if it goes well, I'll do the rest. I have never replaced a window before. Google sure does make it look easy.

You missed a spot...

FDNY....Where is Norm, Tommy, or Richard.. When you need them..?,,,,Oh!...and Roger....

If you want a notice, ignore the 1099-Q. id enter it on line 21 and back it out with a notation, funds used for education expenses Dependent X. ive been saying this since 529 plans came out, but there's a reason for the checkbox and that the plan has a beneficiary. But no one ever ever takes out the funds in the beneficiaries name. Ever.

I want to join the 21st century and be like the cool kids, so I aim to just get used to the new look and functions. I found "sticky notes" and loving those. They don't cheerfully flutter when the back door opens, but one can't have everything.

If it's finding things - Classic Shell is a free program that will make win10 look and feel like older versions of Windows. Puts the Start button on your screen! If I recall, Windows now comes with something to makes Classic Shell not required but I'm not 100% sure of that.

I bought a new computer with Win 10, and it's a pretty steep learning curve for me. I have used Cox for my email address and Windows Mail forever. Had to buy MS Office Home and Business with Outlook to get that to work. Had to enter my contacts in one at a time. Couldn't transfer my emails over to the new computer. Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you like the play?