GeneInAlabama

14 hours ago, jklcpa said:

How does someone forget about a baby?!

We can't be expected to remember ALL the minor details.

Language changes from generation to generation.  My daughter mentioned to me one time that her son went through a road block and got a ticket for not having insurance.  I said "what?  Didn't he have sense enough to stop for a road block?"  She said, "oh no, he stopped for the road block and then he got a ticket for not having insurance."  One word can change the meaning of a sentence.

When I was in the marines, the warrant officer I worked for would write a letter and ask me to read it.  He would then ask if I understood it, and if I said yes, he would say "good, then anyone will be able to understand it."

5 minutes ago, RitaB said:

That last one is one reason Catherine and I have Smith and Wesson.  Just kidding.

I hope!

On 4/9/2016 at 7:43 PM, Lion EA said:

Alabama Society of CPAs > State Issued Driver's License Required When Filing 2015 Income Tax Return

In an effort to provide a solution for the Alabama Department of Revenue Drivers' License requirement for all e-filed returns, specifically those individuals who do not have an Alabama Drivers' License or a state issued non-driver identification, the ASCPA State Taxation Committee has worked with the ADOR to offer guidance for immediate problem. The ADOR announcement below is effective immediately:
 

In a continual effort to fight stolen identity tax refund fraud the Alabama Department of Revenue is requiring taxpayers provide their state issued driver's license (or state issued non-drivers ID) when electronically filing their 2015 income tax return. 

Tax preparers should make a good faith effort to obtain the actual drivers' license or state issued non-drivers' id from their clients. In the event that your client is a child or elderly person without a driver's license or state issued non-drivers id you may enter the following information in order to electronically file the tax return for your client:
 

Driver's License #: 7777777
Driver's License State: AL
Issue Date: 11/1/11
Expiration date: 11/1/17

Children and the elderly are often the target of criminals, the Department will take additional steps to validate refund claims filed using the above information.

I had one client that was blind and didn't have a drivers license.  Her state ID did not have an expiration date so I had to paper file that return.

23 minutes ago, Lion EA said:

Isn't there a work-around with all 7s or something?  Don't have any AL clients and CT not demanding license info yet.

Haven't heard of one.

1 hour ago, RitaB said:

Can I just say, I almost cried last night when I thought I had this couple wrapped up?  I waited for THREE WEEKS for them to get me summary of expenses and payments for tuition and fees.  I look at his W-2s and there are three more states to do.  (And can we just line up people who use six point font and shoot them?)

My point about AL, and I do have one, is AL wants everything on that Drivers License to efile?  (Ok, not height and weight.) 

I considered calling the taxpayers for about three seconds, then I said, "To %#&& with that idea, paper file here we come."

I didn't even know about that until I filed my first return for this year.  I still keep forgetting to ask for that information when people bring their papers in.  It seems like at least one out of every ten people have just renewed their license and have temporary licenses.  I don't know if the state will accept the temporary expiration date so I just have them give me their new expiration date when they get it.  I have only had two clients this year that I prepared their return while they waited and their dates were OK.

2 hours ago, PapaJoe said:

Hey, Gene - remember we've had snow in April in ALABAMA.

I don't remember April but we had a blizzard in March of 1993 and I had a grandson born during that time.  My wife got trapped at the hospital where no one could get in or out.  The hospital staff that got trapped there really had it rough.  We Alabamians are not prepared for that kind of thing.  We were without electric power for 13 days.

5 minutes ago, Catherine said:

One guy has emailed to say he'll drop his documents through my mail slot on his way home from work.  

day 1:  oops, I forgot, sorry - tomorrow!

day 2:  I didn't know where to put them so I just left.  (hel-LO!  mail slot is the big brass flap door in the middle of the front door; good thing you're not a mailman)

day 3:  I tried but there was a towel blocking the mail slot and I didn't know what to do.

day 4:  tonight.  We'll see if he's smart enough to read/understand the email, sent TWICE, saying to ignore the towel as it's only a draft-blocker.  (It would no longer be there except it's been so COLD this past week - we went back to winter and have had snow three times this week but not enough to shovel thankfully.)

Hey!  This is APRIL!

Is your back yard full already?

I very seldom list a phone number.  Never had a problem.

8 minutes ago, Lion EA said:

I guess 7-Eleven doesn't like Alabama.

https://www.7-eleven.com/Home/Locator

(There are 7 within 30 miles of my tiny town in the forests of CT.)

According to their map, there are five stores within a thousand miles from me.  All five are in South Carolina.  Maybe I should visit one of them for old times sake.

15 hours ago, Terry D said:

I couldn't have said this any better. I for one am changing software programs this year. I know the Drake price but not the ATX price. What about the price to get me back to ATX? Wonder if there is any specials there? I used ATX when it was Saber Pro and NTS was the transmitter up until the CCH buy out and the old board snafu. There are better ways to get out business. Providing good support is just one. Hiding the price always tells me they don't want you to know the price for fear it would chase you away. So, they have a better chance of winning your business if they can at least get you on the phone and then the car buying starts.

I have always heard that for some things, if you have to ask the price, you can't afford it.

I didn't even know that 7-Eleven was still in business.  I haven't seen one in years.  I guess Alabama is not one of the states they still do business in.  Open 24 hours?  They use to be open from, well. . . seven to eleven.  As far as I know, they were the first to be open that late at night.

On 4/2/2016 at 0:10 PM, BulldogTom said:

I was looking at a job board yesterday, and a job in Cleveland TN popped up.  How far is that from you and what is that area like?

Tom
Newark, CA

Betty Sue and Jerome were from Tennessee and they were real nice people.  Betty Sue would help you with any income tax problems you have if you move to Tennessee.

1 hour ago, cbslee said:

The thing that I have noticed this year is that when I click my mouse to check a box, that the box sometimes won't stay

checked, so that I end up having to click again and wait to see if the box stays checked. I haven't taken the time

to keep track of which boxes. Since that is the only problem I have had this year, it's a minor annoyance compared

to 2012 thru 2014

I use Drake but I have noticed that since I upgraded? to windows 10 sometimes boxes don't stay checked.

I upgraded back in December and regretted it ever sense.  To be fair though, my problems might be caused by my internet hiccupping during the download.

On 3/26/2016 at 9:32 AM, RitaB said:

Well, the commercials and lack of IRS audits mean everybody with a computer is a tax professional.  Shoot, your guy here is a professional with just a pencil.  This is killing us.  Other professionals can charge what they want because people can't do their own lawyering or doctoring or tooth pulling or insert your own example here.  You can charge based on the problem you solve.  If there's no problem with preparing an incorrect tax return, they don't need us.

Rita, I sure am glad you added that comma.

1 hour ago, JohnH said:

It's also OK to file it separately if the error is discovered after the return is filed. RMD's on inherited Roth IRA's are a little outside the norm, so it would easily be possible to justify the separate filing.  Also, when you write the letter, you'd want to know if the Roth IRA was moved to another trustee, and what information the old or new trustee gave to the client regarding the necessity of RMD's in this situation.

 Having done nothing during the entire 5-year period might actually work to the client's advantage.  Mainly you want the letter to be so pitiful it will make them cry.

IRS?  Cry?  !!!

I don't mind preparing a return after October 15th.  The client is the one that pays the penalty.

Rita, is your real name Alice?  And do you know someone named Dilbert?

17 hours ago, Margaret CPA in OH said:

I just turned 70 Sunday and, frankly, prefer to be considered a woman.  Kind of a respect thing to me...

Meanwhile, good for you for continuing to practice your profession.  That is inspiration.  I am training for a marathon now, ran 18 miles last Saturday with 20 this coming Saturday.  I do hope to inspire women and girls alike.

I didn't mean to offend in any way.  I sincerely meant it as a compliment.

18 miles?  Wow!  I have never been able to run any distance at all.  Even when I was in the marines, I was not able to run.  I never fell out on a hike but when the command was given to "double time", I would gradually fall back toward the end, but when they resumed the regular pace, I would catch up.

9 minutes ago, Margaret CPA in OH said:

Hmmm, maybe had you hired a woman, things just might maybe have been different.  The girl was surely aiming to please.

Any female younger than me is a girl.  I'll be 80 next month.

Years ago, I hired a girl to work in my office and had to be out of town for a couple of days.  When I got back to my office, my desk was neat as a pin and the girl was sitting at her desk with a big smile on her face.  I almost had a heart attack.

On 3/21/2016 at 9:13 AM, Roberts said:

From my experience, if the names are similar and you write "For Deposit Only" on the back, the bank will never notice. Had a client who went to the bank teller to ask how to cash it - the bank came up with 2 pages of instructions that would have cost in legal fees more then the amount of the check. I told them to write the For Deposit Only and go through the drive-through or ATM and do NOT try and cash it directly. Zero problems.

On three different occasions I have received checks that were not signed and I went ahead and deposited them anyway and they went through.  Never heard a thing from them.

My daughter wrote a check one time and signed her first name as "Gina" instead of "Regina" as shown on her account and the check was sent back.

Depends. . .