Gail in Virginia

I use ProSeries, and if my computer is idle, I have to re-sign in. And I have to change my password every 90 days (or something close to that, I don't really track it.) It is a nuisance and I don't think that it makes everything that much more secure but I try not to get upset over things that I cannot change.

I have never had this situation and I did no research, so don't take this as a definitive answer. The money received was income in the year of reimbursement and at that time the TP was a VA resident so VA could claim it as taxable income since they begin with federal AGI. If TP paid MD tax on this same income, they would be allowed the credit for taxes paid to another state on the VA return. I can also argue for the way the return was done and taking it as an adjustment. Or even that since VA and MD have reciprocal status, all of the income should have been reported on the Virginia return since that is now the state of residence even though it was taxable due to a deducted taken in MD. These kind of things are what make tax interesting. Is VA contesting the adjustment? If you take off the adjustment and put on the credit for tax paid to other state, how much tax difference does it make? In other words, is this a fight worth fighting with VA?

Merry Christmas! This community is such a gift - thank you all!

I have sent them in a #10 envelope for several years with no known issues.

Actually, I had difficulty with most of the information they requested and wound up having to get the activation code mailed to me by snail mail. The first credit card I tried to use was in just my name, but in fairness had only been open since August. The one in my husband's name as primary, with me as a user worked fine. Then when I got to the cell phone, which is with Verizon, and has been in my name since 199?, that didn't work at all. Not sure what the problem was but I am patiently waiting for the code in the mail.

Yeah, I find it difficult enough to do tax planning with the information my clients give me even when we have an appointment to go over their information and there is no major pending legislation. I am sure as heck not going to start giving planning advice on FaceBook. And especially not in anticipation of legislation that has not been signed into law. My crystal ball and tarot cards and psychic abilities combined are not that good. Maybe if I had rune stones too......

Maybe if you send them a message through Twitter.....

Also, after holding for three hours the average person is not going to be in a good mood when they talk to the representative that they finally have on the line. So as a courtesy to the representative, they don't put those people through.

If I am keeping the books using QuickBooks, I use that for the W2s. I like the way ATX works for W2s and 1099s if I just do them at the end of the year and don't already have the information on QuickBooks. I have used CFS in the past, and it is adequate as well. I may check out efilemyforms based on Catherine's comments.

Thanks to all of you, and especially Eric and the Mods! I really appreciate this board every day!

I always wonder about the teenagers that I see working for Papa John's or Domino's - have they (or their parents) told the insurance company they are driving around with a lighted sign on their car delivering pizza?

I am inclined to agree with Abby, although I have very little to base it on either. But I also agree with Roberts, that it " isn't difficult to go simple if you want to ." The problem is that every special interest group in the country has its own set of deductions, or credits, or other loopholes that they don't want to give up and convinces congress that they need to go along with them. Then congress drafts legislation including all these complications, and IRS has to write regulations to try to accomplish what congress was trying to do with the law and before long you have the mess that we have all come to know and love - the US Tax Code. As amended. And expanded. And simplified. *sigh*

Amen! I bet we could actually simplify the code to where no one needed a preparer to do their return, or a computer. But those who want their loopholes will never let THAT happen!

In the past, tax "simplification" has been very good for business. We will see.

My husband was a firefighter at one time also, and he gave me a good talking to shortly after we were marred about the importance of leaving at once when a fire alarm sounds. I used to work for a largish bank, and often when the fire alarm would go off in our builing people would continue to work right through until the fire department arrived. The only time I remained after he scolded me was when I was headed out the door and saw the fire in a trash can, so I stayed to put out the fire.

I did not know that growing grass was legal in Tennessee, lol.

From a federal standpoint that seems correct - the AZ LLC is disregarded to the Delaware LLC which is disregarded to the Delaware Corp. which must file an 1120. I know Delaware is considered a tax haven for corporations, but I assume some kind of Delaware and Arizona return would need to be filed.

I think it is ridiculous that when you purchase software and it doesn't work you then have to pay someone to "fix" it. If I bought an appliance and it didn't work I would expect it to be fixed or replaced, but that isn't the way it works with software. I understand that sometimes the problem is with my setup and not their product, but I still find it incredibly frustrating.

The internet can be a dark and scary place....

I don't know. I have had clients file as single for years, and then when they pass away I find out they have a spouse I never knew about. And at no time does the IRS catch this. I assume that unless the return is audited, and maybe not even then, the only way this is caught is if one of the taxpayers actually files MFS and puts the other taxpayer's social security number in the correct place.

Edsel, if you look at page 15 of the New Jersey 1040 instructions, the third column, fourth paragraph, has the quote that I used in my answer to say that they could file separately on the New Jersey return even though they filed a joint federal return. This does assume that neither of them changes residence to the other's state within the year.

Christian, since only one of them (your client) is a Virginia resident, the Virginia instructions state " If you and your spouse filed a joint federal return, but only one of you is a Virginia resident, the resident must use Filing Status 3." Filing status 3, is of course, married filing separate. The New Jersey instructions state "If during the entire tax year one spouse was a resident and the other a nonresident, the resident may file a separate New Jersey return." So they can file jointly on the federal and yet separately on the states. Calculations of income and deductions might become a bit hairy (think higher fees!) but should not be so very complicated.

I don't have a birthday in Autumn, but I still love the cool nights, crisp breezes and beautiful colors of fall.

But the sock full of nickels can get them ready for the Rita hug, if used correctly!

and AMEN!