Margaret CPA in OH

I've been bugged about this situation for a while but just lurked deferring to smarter folks than me. In some cases, a multi-family property could be split for depreciation purposes (one apartment placed in service before others; two side by side units treated separately - I had a client that live in one side for a while then moved and rented out that side, too) so, if one part had a disposition, I would think it would be handled as a usual sale. In this case, if/when the renovations were done to make a single family dwelling, those costs would be added to the 'new' basis with appropriate lives. It could be tricky but I think manageable. Or not.

Wow, I never thought about so many issues! I'm glad I don't have to much deal with these things. Hurts my head to think of all these things.

I find Verifyle pretty easy to use especially now that there can more easily be two signatures as on a joint return. It took a while for me to get the Workspace feature with threads, say for each year, and inviting contacts to that Workspace and thread. Fortunately the support (no calls, just email) is excellent and very willing to explain things more than once and in more than one way and maybe even give a call (ask me how I know!) if truly needed.

When you prepare the document for the client to sign, you highlight the signature line and highlight the date line and can even choose the date format. It is automatic if you highlight that field.

My guess is that there was nothing done within the prior 2 years, at least, due to the declining health of this person. I'm just not sure who could file the postcard or who can dissolve the corporations as there are no living people associated with either. I suppose it is possible to just let them 'die' at the state level when the charters are not renewed. I can imagine that this is not terribly uncommon. Of course the bank account and any other assets (no idea yet if any exist) have to go to another nonprofit. I'm hoping for answers Friday! And maybe Practitioner's hotline at some point.

I will get more information (I hope!) next week from the niece of a decedent (DOD 3.23.21) who left very few records. Apparently he was the incorporator of 2 nonprofits and IRS is asking for 2020 990 for one of them. State records show 3 names on one of them but all are now deceased and niece can find no records for either entity - at least not yet. She did find out that there exists a bank account for one of them but cannot access it. Oh, he likely had not filed personal income tax returns for a couple of years due to severe health issues but he may also have not been required to file. Don't yet know. So 8821 and 56 for personal transcripts but what to do about the entities? There are no live responsible parties for either and no officers or shareholders or, well, anyone. I'm at a loss but want to be prepared to ask appropriate questions of the niece. She is pretty lost but wants to do the right thing. It may be a challenge to even get any outstanding tax returns filed. So far as I know now, he was intestate but had a house which family is in the process of preparing for sale. They have paid the current real estate tax due. Any help, suggestions appreciated. I think an attorney will be in the mix at some point, one of my questions, for sure.

Yes, very easy. Open 2020 ATX of course, mark all returns that you want to have the organizer, click on Returns/Organizers/Create Organizer for Marked Returns. They magically appear when you open the returns.

Oh, I needed that! Thanks, Judy! Not sure how the newbies would like that roar every time, but it does make my eyes a little misty.

Well, since my office is my front room and has been for about 25 years, I feel as if I've never left either!

Hey, Marilyn. I, too, began with Saber in 1998! Miss that Maine crowd for sure. "Those were the days.." of great customer service. Remember the big lunch many of us sent to that great crew?

Based on recommendations last year about Verifyle, I began using it. I pay $9 monthly for Pro. It is pretty user friendly and this year even more so as now joint return signers can sign one document rather than 2 separate forms. Seems to work for me and my clients.

I haven't had one in a while but I think you can go to W-2 Detail Schedule and Add Record. Input all the same information as the original but add only the third state wages. I have a rollover client that still has a third that rolls over but hasn't had data for some time. The third row is blank but still keeps showing up. Have you tried the KB?

Thanks, Catherine, for sharing this! I do use the questionnaire in ATX (all three pages) but in my cover letter indicate that it is at least as much to remind folks of the documents needed. And the Y N checkboxes are pretty quick to fill out. Many actually have only to draw a line straight down but that works for me. I do get all the original documents or pdf's in Verifyle. I almost never simply use client figures. For the few that have small Sch. C's or a rental, I do take their figures as I don't audit their bank accounts or CC's. Well, for one client I do at her request. And for those, I include the few pages which show the numbers for the prior year. I use those to compile from original documents ( and emails, etc.) totals to enter into the software. As I insist on a signed engagement letter sent out on my stationary, these other pages are not much to add. My Aussie clients do e-sign and some sign and upload. But I think it would take more time for me to upload to each Verifyle account than to mail out. I so like your checklist format and, if still unretired next year, may try it out. So, if willing, please do forward in Word. I'm sure there is a way to edit in Adobe, but my skill set is limited! Thanks again and Happy New Year!

Thanks for that memory, Judy! I inherited my mother's cookie thingy but haven't use it in years. I remember so well the different shapes we had and, of course, the yummy cookies. Okay, I have to go find it now and bake! Special Merry Christmas to you as you have just made mine special.

Randall, good for you for braving the T-Day race! As I recall it wasn't the nicest weather. I ran it for many years until my group, Queen City Running, began recreating the original one-way route from KY. I didn't do it this year due to a stress fracture in my ankle incurred one week after the Queen Bee Half. Side plank with stacked feet, if you know what that it. Won't do that any longer! Walking is my mode now with a knee replacement probably in 2023 but I so miss running. I have resumed lots of swimming since the gym reopened so, as we age, we do what we can (or break bones trying ).

Wow, what wonderful, thoughtful responses you all have provided! There is much to think about certainly but the IRS change of address doesn't seem to be as big an issue as I thought it would be (for efiling purposes). For moving, we will be a position to move before selling the existing house, thankfully (husband's retirement kicks in fully in 2022). Friends of our chose their new home, moved in over several weeks carefully deciding what to keep and where, then did the big clean up for sale. I thought that was a great idea but didn't think we could do that; now we can. Regarding phones, around here one cannot get a true land line any longer - it has to be on the fiber optic network. I tried that several years ago in January and 2 weeks later the power went out for several days. We were saved only because I had kept my fax land line. With much begging and pleading and a few tears, the phone folks let me go back. I vowed never to have that again until retirement. I don't know about Google Voice numbers, will have to research that. Currently I have only about 50 clients, all tax, and my 'work' is pretty much January-April and obviously not full time. I take CPE online year round to keep up. And I haven't missed, until COVID, any of my fun things - family reunions and major dive trips to far flung parts of the world. I work to dive, you know! I no longer run; 10th and last marathon was 2018 but do half marathons, walking. The most recent was Oct. 30. So thanks again for so much valuable input. I think the retirement decision should maybe come first as it would impact the housing arrangement. I've had a home office for 25+ years; not sure I could go back to work for someone else. I'm not even sure I would be comfortable working for VITA. Once you've been your own boss.... I'll chat with family over the holidays. I guess I don't really need to alert clients until after tax season if retiring. And as 95%+ of my business is online, the location is not too critical. Maybe this discussion will provide food for thought to others, too. Meanwhile, I do wish each of you the very best of any and all holidays you celebrate. I'm so looking forward to in person candle light service Friday night after our Zoom family holiday greeting in the afternoon. We expect rain here but may your days be Merry and Bright!

I really want to move to a single level house in 2022 and downsize. I also probably want to keep my practice a couple of years longer but am seriously contemplating retirement. How hard is it to change all those things with IRS - address, phone, PTIN, gosh knows what else? I'm also not keen on paying for more stationary but would have to do so, I think. And I was going to give up my land lines when we move but am not excited about client calls (along with all the spam calls) on a cell. I would also have do something about getting a new fax line as I currently have a second land line dedicated to that (which I list when I don't want to list my regular number - good for screening spam calls, I think). How have any of you dealt with this or should I just, at 75, call it? My license expires Dec. 2022. Any and all advice welcome! And if I should retire, how and when is it best to let clients know? My practice is too small to sell and, of course, no one else will treat them as kindly as I have .

I do use Duck Duck Go. It just seems that FF has fewer issues than the more widely used browsers. I'm good with the less popular things in my life - they tend to draw less attention. I will take a look at Brave, though. Just never heard of it before.

I did have to use Chrome once to access E-services when IE no longer was accepted. But I forgot last week and used FF. It worked perfectly! I haven't had to use EFTPS for some time, thankfully. All this stuff is such a pain. Every time something like this comes up, I inch ever closer to Buh Bye. License expires end of 2022, two clients have bid adieu (although I had 6 new ones for 2021!), so all is tempting. I have said for some time that I work to go on exotic dive trips - HAH! Not a good excuse these days.

I'm just glad that I don't use Chrome. I've been using Firefox for years and am pretty comfortable with it. There are occasional updates but nothing like I've seen with Chrome as reported by cbslee.

I have Adobe Pro 2017 but don't think it can make a Word or pdf document fillable. At least I cannot figure out how to do that. I use the ATX questionnaire, somewhat customized, and mail it out. I don't always get it back, though. If I could put into Verifyle also, I think there would be much better compliance. Clients have done very well with uploading documents and signing the 8879. If you know how to make an existing pdf fillable in Adobe, please feel free to educate me. It seems beyond my skill set and I cannot find out how in the help menu.

Abby, I just looked at this online. Do you use Standard? I would like to use the ATX questionnaire to which I've added a couple of questions and make it possible for clients to check the boxes and add notes. The description seems to indicate that it will do what I want. When it isn't accurate, is it editable? Did you order directly from Kofax? Software CW has it for $30 less. Thanks for the suggestion!

This seems like a good plan but how will you implement? Require clients to obtain their own IRS account or give you POA or 4506 or something else? If you have to be involved, will that be a separate charge or rolled into your prep fee? Do you think you will lose clients? If so, probably not sorry, right? Sometimes getting all the data can be just so draining!

I knew I was not worthy...

I always have signed engagement letters - every year, every client. And my questions are on the questionnaire, not the organizer as full blown. Similar to Sara, I send select organizer parts to those who are self-employed or have rental property so they can see the prior year categories and amounts. While those pages are seldom completed, they serve as reminders. Often I use them to fill in the totals from original documents provided and, of course, the multiple emails with answers that have to be consolidated in one line. I think I am the only preparer that has clients like that, right? /s