Christian

That was my thought as well Abby. Perhaps the form will still fit the 81/2 x 11 page even though it has fewer lines. I can only imagine the effect that a page with a huge white gap followed by another with a big gap would have on clients.

As the proposed new 1040 is reportedly smaller than the usual photocopy sheet I am wondering if it will not look a bit odd to our clients. Any thoughts on this?

I have reviewed the material and find it answers my concerns. Many thanks to Judy for her kind assistance to an aged taxman.

A client informed me that some of her stocks had been claimed by the State of Virginia due to a foul up on her part in the securities registration. I told her to immediately contact the relevant state agency and have it resolved asap. It never occurred to me she and her daughter would dilly dally over something like this. Two months ago I was told the matter was resolved after the mother was able to demonstrate ownership of the stocks. Unfortunately so much time had elapsed Virginia had sold the stock and instead of returning the stock sent the mother a check in the amount of $115,000 ! This is something I have never encountered. I am just wondering what kind of reporting form Virginia will send them. My suggestion to them was to ask for the brokerage statement from the state in order to determine capital gain just as if the mother had sold the stock herself. On the other hand Virginia may just send them a Form 1099-Misc which is not a great outcome. The daughter opined that since Virginia had sold the stock no tax was due. I have a sinking feeling that ain't going to cut it. Any comment will be appreciated. Since they received the funds this year this will be reported on their 2018 return.

I thank all of you who responded. I determined not to deduct the $15,000 agreeing with most of what was said. I am certain he is not reporting it and of course no 1099-Misc will ever see the light of day. As it turned out the parent's huge deductible medical expenses eliminated any tax due and they are being refunded all taxes withheld.

He basically pays all bills and oversees his parent's properties as well as having the power to sell assets. I doubt he is reporting any of it as he is unemployed. It could be looked on as a parental gift and like Roberts I see it as nondeductible legal fees.

A son who is serving as his parents power of attorney has taken $15,000 as a fee for his services in 2017. In having his parent's return prepared he advised he would like to know if he can deduct this expense on his parents' return. My opinion is he cannot , however, as a caution I am submitting this forum entry as I cannot find anything which would allow it but someone here possibly can justify his request.

What a pathetic farce. My expectation for 2019 season was a gradual decrease in my workload. Good luck on that .

ILLmas I laughed so hard I started worrying about male incontinence !

I am an aging "dotard" . Does the IMPROVED 1040 look like an increase in forms rather than the reverse or is there something I have missed?

I simply could not help adding to everyone's amazement. A married couple for whom I have worked some 35 years or so received a letter from the Service informing them that their return would be delayed due to some problem or other with the dependent listed on their return. They are both in their eighties and living in an assisted living home ! In the years I have filed for them they have NEVER had a dependent. Another couple for whom I work came in after a little filing hiatus of some FIVE years even though both are and were gainfully employed the entire time. They simply began filing again the year they came in and has never heard a peep from the IRS !!

I just looked at the proposed new 1040 as well. I shutter to think of the confusion in 2019 with this. I am easing out the door so I have not to many years to wrestle with all these good things .

I am preparing the final return Form 1040 and a fiduciary return Form 1041 for a deceased client. I've got to indicate on Schedule B Form 1040 a division of dividends received prior to and those received after death. It's been ages since I have prepared one of these but if memory serves me I can indicate the payer and then in parenthesis indicate the total reported dividends subtracting out those reported on the Form 1041 indicating the estate EIN as the recipient of post death dividends. All dividends are reported under the client's social for 2017. I would assume this will work ok. Your input is appreciated. Also, dividends received on the date of death I am reporting as received after death. I hope I am not assuming too much.

Thanks for the input. I prepare a very few of these and had forgot you count the month of death in the fiscal year. Thanks.

I will be preparing a 1041 next week with the the estate year ending May 31st this year the decedent having died in May of last year. The available K-1 forms are only for 2017 and the income distribution to the heirs has only just been made. What can be done other than running a line through 2017 and inserting 2018 and will this work ?

That's my take on it as well Catherine. A number of my older clients use mail filing and will likely want to continue filing that way. I don't see a scenario where Congress would deny a client that option although most of mine have changed to efile .

I read that Congress is going to lower the efile mandate to 10 returns filed. I am wondering if the client will still be able to choose mail filing just as now. Anyone have a clue?

I thought I was unique having this problem. A lady came to me this year because in 2016 the Service notified her she was deceased ! Her husband died in 2015 and on filing in 2016 as single someone made a typo or something and showed her as deceased. She had to go to the local SSA office to prove she was yet alive and it took months to straighten it all out. The Service must have belatedly notified Virginia of her deceased condition so now she is having trouble getting her state refund for this year !

I have for years purchased my ATX software in May. I usually pay no more attention to the matter until I noticed that Walter Kluwers seemed to be offering the same discount terms in December. I am wondering if I read the notice correctly or if this is what they usually do.

It finally occurred to me that she can sign for him and therefore would not need the 1310. I like to cover all the bases and this occurred to me at 6:00 AM this morning.

I sent it off today. Thanks for your input.

A daughter has been handling her parents affairs for many years and has a power of attorney for both of them. Her mother died in February of this year dying intestate. Since the daughter has a power of attorney for her father can she sign as surviving spouse for the couple's refund or will I need to attach a 1310 showing her as the administrator of her mother's estate ?

A client of mine passed on last year. His son is his executor and called requesting me to file an extension for his father as he lacked some needed documents. I efiled it and with some surprise received a rejection the Service advising that his Social Security number is blocked his account indicating he is deceased. Having never filed an extension for a deceased individual I guess this is all I can do. The estate will receive a refund so I doubt it will matter.

As it happens the mother bought the property some 25 years ago and only the Lord knows what she paid as she is now deceased. So I will need to come up with some reasonable valuation and that will be the daughter's basis. There was no gift tax done. Folks in this neck of the woods do this all the time and when property is sold they have no clue what it was worth. I have not done one of these in a long time and ,of cuss, I have INADVERTENTLY misplaced my notes from the last time around. The $33,600 value was the county value for property tax in 2012 and not a professional appraisal as I was led to believe. So I will go with the value I can establish her mother paid for the land 25 years back. What do y'all think?

A daughter was given a lot which had an appraised value of $33,600 in 2012 by her mother who had inherited it from her husband some years before. She sold the lot for $16,000 in 2017. I am thinking the daughter has no basis (her basis is zero) in the lot and she owes capital gains tax on the sale. However, she may be able to claim the lot's value when inherited by her mother and that is my question. Any input will be appreciated.