Janitor Bob

but I think both are legal residents of Kansas....so this does not seem to apply. If it did, it sounds like it would help the spouse, but not the military guy who has had zero state tax withheld.

Catherine...that explanation was brilliant.

I don't buy this at all....According to what I read, his domicile/SLR is determined by various factors including where he and his home are physically located, where he is registered to vote, in what state his vehicle is registered, the state on his driver's license, etc....and all of these are KS. I'm thinking that NJ is on his W-2 because that is his "home of record"....which has no tax relevancy. I would LOVE for his domicile to be some state other than Kansas...because I do not want to tell this guy that he owes Kansas income tax....but I just don't see any way of not claiming Kansas as his domicile/SLR. opinions?

Me: "Ummm....In my professional opinion, it is because you are single with no dependents and, according to your W-2, you are claiming 12 exemptions....and thus, having almost zero Fed taxes withheld from your pay." Stinky Sam: "Oh yeah...I did do that...needed money to by me a home-brewing kit...last Spring...guess I forgot to change it back". "I guess now I gotta pipe the pooper." Me: "You mean pay the piper" Stinky Sam: "No....pipe the pooper....I gots a clog in my porcelain alter...time to get out my snake" "Later Bob!" Some days, I think I have it all figured out. Other days, I'm just glad my pooper is not clogged.

I would think that to the lender, the value of the repossesed rental has nothing to do with the FMV (they are not in the business of owning property)....the value to the lender lies in what they sell it for....which was probably less than FMV.....So the lender did lose something...they loaned $200k to the borrower and in return received a home that they probably could only sell for less than $200k. In the lender's eyes, they DID lose $200k.....because they do not know when (or even if) they can sell the house...or if they do, how much they will get. I'm not talking regs here...just thinking it through logically from the lender's POV.

Her W-2 says KS....his military W-2 says NJ...although he has never lived or been stationed in NJ ???

They sold their house in Ohio and purchased one in Kansas...lived in a rental in Kansas from 01/01/13 to 03/01/13, then moved into their new house in Kansas....So I guess that is considered changing their domicile?

Her move was January 1, 2013...so no partial year issues....FIRST TIME EVER FOR THIS CONVENIENCE! The couple lives in Wichita (Sedgwick County, I believe). She has W-2 income from her place of employment and he has W-2 from DFAS (Military). My point of concern is that he has NO state taxes held out of his Military W-2. This was not an issue when they lived in Ohio because Ohio does not tax military pay for a service-member who is stationed outside of Ohio...he was (and is) stationed in Kansas, so he owed no Ohio tax....but now...it looks like he is going to owe a bunch to Kansas because he lived and was stationed in Kansas for all of 2013....sound right?

Long-time client moved from Ohio to Kansas January 2013. I was pleasantly surprised when I received her tax stuff in the mail this week.....but I have ZERO experience with Kansas and will need to do some research....any advice or words of caution from Kansas members? I know in Ohio you can have up to 4 returns...Fed, OH, School, and Local...depending on where you live. Does Kansas hava a similar structure?

Just this week I received a check in the mail from a client whos taxes I did this time last year. She did not pay then and moved from Ohio to Florida...So I figured I'd seen the last of her and that I would never see that payment. Surprise! Check in the mail with an apology note. She also gets points for being smart enough to move from Ohio to Florida.

OK...This has now happened on three separate occasions on three different returns. I complete the return...and check it...everything looks fine and error check looks good...I close the return. Then I go back into the return to make a change and the taxpayer's first name is gone! The problem is, of course, easily fixed...but makes me wonder why the name disappeared in these three cases...things that Make you go "hmmmm"

well that's scary! Makes me wonder what ATX is doing to our e-files in transit and/or what IRS is doing at their end.

Identity theft? Possible that someone else already filed using her SSN? NO...on second thought....that would have generated a reject on the parent's return. I'm thinking more like David1980 suggested...maybe kid already filed, but did not claim himself

I have seen several of these adverstisements on client's W-2s this year....usually for one of the chain prep firms (Jackson-Hewitt, Liberty, etc), and its always on W-2s prepared by an outside payroll company. I'm guessing the employer has no part in it its just an agreement between big box prep firm and payroll providor....probably some fine print that employer signed that allowed it.

I'm pretty sure you can do it directly through the Texas DOR web site.

Client died in December 2012. I completed her 2012 return in March 2013 including her date of death. Her daughter (also a client) sends tax stuff for her and her deceased mom. In her stuff, are a few items of income in the name of her deceased mother. Client told me that the money came directly to her and she signed the checks as POA and deposited the funds into a joint account that had been set up in both mom's daughter's names.....Not talking a lot of money....$278.00 Royalty income and $360 retirement income. I am assuming this is income in respect of decedent and included on daughter's return...correct? But where to report....Other Income line 21?

7 years ago today, my high school sweetheart and wife of 17 years passed away. Some of you were with me in spirit then (on old ATX forum) and offered words of encouragement. Thank you. Life is a crazy-magical thing....the door closed on that part of my life....and another opened just a few months later....affording me the opportunity to spend the 2nd half of my life with a grade-school sweetheart. During this time of year that is so filled with tax returns and clients....a take a little time to remember and be thankful. The motto I've learned to live by: "Shit happens...get over it...live happy"

I hate monkies. They steal my frikkin' bananas also...squirrels can be assholes.

I seem to have a lot of young mother clients...usually daughters of single-mom clients (70% of my client base is female for some reason). I have a 22-year old daughter myself (off at college), so I tend to lean more toward the supportive fatherly type to these young moms.

What Jack & Coke?....all I have left now is Coke....time to hit the liquor store. Cost of doing business.

It caught me so off-guard, I did not even have time to think about saying no. Maybe I'm just getting old, but it seems that attitudes and ideas of what is appropriate public behavior have sure changed since I was 22. So this young lady is either socially immature or just very gutsy and self-confident...oh well...at least she said she would definately be back next year and would tell her friends about me. I'd better stock up on sandwich supplies.

Soooo...New client (young mom) stops in with kid in tow to finalize/sign/pay. Her kids starts crying and screaming "I wanna PBJ!"...louder and louder....a tantrum ensues on my floor. The mom/client apologizes and says "I'm sorry...he's just sooo hungry and he gets this way when he's hungry." "I hate to ask, but do you have any peanut butter and jelly? and bread?" Huh? "If I could just make hima quick sandwich", we could talk taxes in peace." uhhh sure...follow me. So mom proceeds to take kid into my kitchen...makes him a Peanut butter & jelly sandwich. It works...kids eats eagerly and quietly and client/mom and I finish up and they depart. WTF just happened....is this normal? Who goes into someone's home they have only met once and makes their kid a sandwich?

cat urine

$5,000? I'd be camped in his front yard

I told a client I needed his routing and account number for direct Deposit. He did not have checkbook on him, but he knew his numbers....so he pulled out a business card from his wallet and and wrote the numbers on the back. After he left, I looked at the fron of the card and could not help but laugh....It said: "Juicy G's House of Cards" Liquor in the front, Poker in the rear"