Margaret CPA in OH

So sorry to read this. There is never good timing for such events. It just seems this cutie had at least a couple of years of a loving family, more than too many get.

NECPA, please provide updates. Many of us have animal 'kids' and of course care about out human kids. I know our son and we have been through similar emergencies over the years, not always with the outcome desired. I hope Hobbes and you and your son overcome this and have a great New Year.

Some of us are still recovering from last night; some of us are actually taking a holiday before the fit hits the shan; one of us just finally finished all the engagement letters to mail out. Sorry I don't know any good jokes It was in single digits here so I didn't participate in the fun run today. It won't be fun tomorrow evening or Saturday morning either as marathon training began last Saturday. I really don't like this cold - brrrr!

Good question, Judy. I didn't open it earlier but have now. It is marked Draft. I would think it may be possible to begin preparation soon, however, but not print or efile since it is so early. I'm just happy to see 1041, even a draft, as the trust returns I do ( last year, hooray!) can be started as soon as the December statements are available. Then I just wait until the 1099's are online to double check allocations (until the corrected ones appear). It just feels good to begin something before the deluge arrives!

Hmm, ATX has 1040 as of Nov. 27, vs 180.

I went to the emoji thingy above, then Categories in the drop down box in the upper right then Default. I just knew that it was available somewhere having made many appearances in this forum! I suspect it will be heavily used in the next several months.

The NATP summary lists 'the most notable changes taking effect after December 31, 2017' so I interpret that as tax year 2018. " Pass-through Businesses Non-corporate taxpayers, including trusts or estate. who have domestic qualified business income (QBI) from a partnership, S corporation, or sole proprietorship are allowed to deduct 20% of business-related income, subject to certain wage limits and exceptions. The remaining income is subject to normal individual rates. The 20% deduction in not allowed in computing adjusted gross income (AGI), but rather is allowed as a deduction reducing taxable income. It does not reduce income subject to SE tax. The deduction is also not allowed for businesses offering certain personal services........" Does this answer your question?

I've tried twice to post to the official board but neither post appeared. Not sure why. I'm trying to add a couple of things to the Organizer questionnaire pertinent to my client base and I want to delete the line in the upper right for SSN_____. The letters come out in all caps so it looks weird as the rest is mixed case and the system will not allow deletion of that line. Suggestions? I've done this in the past so not sure what the issue is this time.

But, but, but pull to the right or to the left? Facing forward or towards the wall? Needs more deliberation, I think.

Hah! TODAY it works. That is exactly how I tried multiple times to access as I have done multiple times in the past. But when I needed it earlier this week, I got as far as clicking on the entity to use and got this message: This service will be unavailable due to system maintenance. We apologize for any inconvenience. If more information is available, you can find it by selecting the service from the Tools page. Return to IRS.gov home. At least agent 2 was able to assist me to prepare to mentally yell at this client for not letting me know about this earlier and that he actually paid IRS a balance due. IRA withdrawals - $18,600 but no 1099 R's for me. He isn't yet at RMD's and of course did not complete the questionnaire so how do I know? My Karnak turban hasn't been working well for some time.

I ended up calling the Practitioner hotline, twice, and faxed 2848, twice, to get the answers I needed. Only took about 90 minutes total... First agent stated that client had no CP2000 so no worries. Called state back, challenged how they could have received a CP2000. Was told they had to have some documentation. Soooo, back to hotline, again. Second agent went deeper and discovered CP2000 resolved while first agent simply did not see one 'active.' So I have dutifully chastised client by email for not having provided this information last June when he paid the additional tax to IRS. Grrrr, yes I am charging for this although I normally wouldn't. Second agent sent wage transcript as well as account transcript for which I would have asked first agent had she not insisted there was no outstanding issue currently. Technically correct but not the whole story.

I have tried repeatedly to access e-services the past few days without success. Is it just me? I have a client leaving for Germany for several months who has an issue to be resolved. I've faxed the 2848 but cannot access any way to see his 2015 transcript. Suggestions?

Well, I did renew before August so have to do some digging, I suppose. Hmph, I just looked at my invoice from May. There is no mention of Answer anything so guess I am sol. It kinda irks me to have to pay for 1040 Lite which I don't use and 2 additional user licenses when there is only one of me and old books which I don't want or need. Guess that's one way to clear out the old inventory.

Aha! I just have Max. Intelliconnect used to be included with Max so that's probably why my username and password still work. I just don't have access. At nearly 72 and seriously looking at retirement, I won't be spending more on tax software, won't be growing my business and can certainly find ways to access needed information, including this fabulous board. Thanks for helping to solve this problem. I was wondering if it was related to bad breath or something else on my part

I was also redirected there but still get the expired page notice. I'll try another day.

Hmm, I keep getting the message that the page has expired and is no longer available. What am I missing?

This is one reason I keep the most recently replaced computer still active and available. What I am now wondering is what happens with the changing password needed to login in now. Will it still be required to change with the same frequency? My less than secure method of remembering the current password is to change the name on the desktop icon to the current password. How the H**L else am I to remember it? I do have a password on my computer. Things like this are pushing me ever closer to retirement. I work now to pay for my scuba diving trips but am questioning the cost to my sanity.

Thanks for this information and reminder to us all. Every part of the country has the possibility of some disaster, natural or human induced. We here are all grateful for your safety and wish you well in the difficult return to 'normalcy.'

SaraEA, for a moment there I had a glimmer of hope. I have a landline! Alas, NoMoRobo doesn't work on the traditional copper wire lines like mine, only on VoIP, it seems. I deliberately kept my traditional landline despite being inundated by Cincinnati Bell to convert to Fioptics because no power means no phone. So long as I have my business, I keep the landline. I switched briefly a few years ago keeping my fax line as land and the power promptly went out. I switched back. So 833.217.3824 keep on coming. I am well over 30 now with 6 in one day recently. I've taken to occasionally answering then promptly hanging up just to avoid the message left on voice mail. It is really tiring, annoying and all those curse words you can imagine. Do you suppose if I do call back that number they will leave me alone? HAH!

Yes, I have fired clients, well, only two, who were like this. As you noted, it isn't worth it to you or me to care more about their returns than they do. Recently I have been going on dive trips in the fall so have a much earlier deadline which has been honored. And I build in plenty of time for me to complete the work. About a month out I remind those stragglers that I will be out of the country so they should start looking around for someone else. This year, no stragglers! Well, there are the new clients, one now in Berlin never having filed but we are almost caught up from 2011 and another new one who has to wait until Oct. 6 to meet the physical presence test. But her returns are actually finished. Cranky is okay!

Oh, these cell phone calls with my area code and first 3 digits are driving me nuts along with the never ending robot voice and at least 30 calls now on my landline phone - leaving voicemail messages! - from 833.217.3824. I no longer answer my phone at all unless I know who is calling. But with this last one leaving voice mail messages, I can't even escape that now. Arrrgggghhhhh!!!!!

Excellent question! I just watched a pretty good CPA Academy webinar today on US Expat Taxation and realized that self employment was not covered. Have you scoured Pub. 519? It would be tricky with a non tax treaty country, I would think. Let us know; I'll keep poking around, too, as I seem to be getting more and more clients with international issues.

Thanks, B. Jani, for this caution. There are multiple issues, however, with your solutions. The foreign address is not in Ohio so some concern about continued official residency in the state and being a resident alien for several years. She has only a temporary absence akin to a sabbatical for research but her tax home is still in Ohio. How can she have a PO Box now? She is in Berlin. Who would pay for it and who would monitor? We are using direct deposit in every case as she is due only refunds for every year, federal and state. She is concerned about any correspondence from IRS not mailed checks. As I wrote earlier, originally she was reluctant to use direct deposit but is now all for it.

I did try for 2010 documents but e-services has nothing at all reported. I suspect she erred in remembering the first year here as 2010.All of her W-2's and IRS documents on e-services begin in 2011, the same year she bought her house. I misunderstood how she received her mailed refunds from 2013. The property manager forwarded them to Berlin but she is afraid of missing other mail. She was reluctant to have direct deposit for 2013 but now is eager as the time factor is so significant. Now if she would only respond to my emails! Oh, for these refunds a daytime phone number is required. Her number in Berlin won't work so I plan to put in mine. Problematic?