Gail in Virginia

I hope you are right about the testing for RTRP. But if it is several years before they get the program running, and they don't track CPE in the meantime, they very well might decide that the test has to be re-taken. I have not taken that test since I was already an EA, but I have several friends that took it, and at least one of them will probably get completely out of the business if they have to do it again. Not because she is incompetent or can't pass the test, but because she gets very anxious about tests and has reached an age and status in life where she does not have to put up with this.

I personally hope that my parents spend their estate doing what they want to do and having a good time before they are unable to do that. I owe them, not the other way around. And as far as I know, my brother and sister feel the same way. But my husband's grandmother lived with us for about 4 years before she passed away, and she did pay us "room and board." But she set the rate, not me, it was not excessive, and was not a condition for her living with us. I think it helped her to feel a little more independent. She had previously lived with her daughter (my husband's aunt) and paid her the same thing plus helped to pay for any repairs around the house or appliances that need to be purchased. Every family works these things out in their own way, but it does bother me when they seem to see the money as the important part of the equation.

My husband and I have date night on Fridays every week. We go bowling in a league, eat out (usually just a hamburger, but neither of us has to do dishes!), and go home and watch a little TV together or shoot a game of pool. NO TAX TALK, no worrying about problem clients, just time together doing something we both enjoy. My favorite day of the week!

And I thought that I was having a bad day. Prayers, for your wife, the surgeons, and you.

I knew most of the stuff about Columbus, having read Lies My Teacher Told Me, but I found the part about Bartolome de las Casas interesting. Hooray for Bartolome Day!

Those were the days on SNL.

I logged in to the system before I posted just to see that transcript delivery was still on the option menu, but I did not try to do anything.

Does anyone know if forms ordered online are being shipped during the shut-down?

I actually like those customers. It might be a little bit of a PITA to answer their questions, but they have to sign the return too and I think it is a good thing that they actually are reviewing it.

Actually, the only thing gone from e-services is the ability to enter the power of attorney electronically. If you have a power of attorney on file, you can get transcripts using e-services I believe,

I enjoy the political forum most of the time, but I hope it is possible to disagree with someone without attacking them personally. No matter how misguided I think your opinions may be sometimes, it doesn't follow that I dislike you personally. When personal attacks are included as part of the opinion, I don't really "hear" the reasons behind the opinion because I tune out the entire post. But when the posts actually contain facts or well stated opinions, I can try to learn something from them and may even (hard as it is to believe!) change my mind about an issue. And I like that you get more than one chance when you are warned before you are shut out of the forum - hopefully when you are warned, there is some way to respond PRIVATELY and ask for clarification of why if it is not readily apparent to you. This does make more work for the moderators, so thank you in advance for being willing to take this on!

If they are paying an individual, and the amount exceeds $600 they have to issue a 1099MISC but they do not have to for a corporation. Also, it is probably easier to claim that an independent contractor is truly independent if they have gone to the trouble of incorporating their business. I can't remember offhand if corporations have to be reported as independent contractors when they don't have workers compensation insurance. Those are all the reasons I can think of.

Congratulations! And not until tax season is over so you should have time to enjoy!

I cannot recall, but I can pray nevertheless.

If you want common sense and logic, you are in the wrong business. Tax law has never in my memory been based on common sense and logic.

Happy Birthday! I have missed you, and hope you will reconsider returning to us.

I agree. It will inconvenience some honest people, but thieves will still be thieves.

In Virginia if you sell more than 600 pounds, or make 24 trips to a scrap dealer in a year, you have to have a permit starting July 1 of this past year.

I think that I am probably just not thinking clearly, but I am filing a tax return for a widow for whom this is the first year filing as single since her husband died. There was an NOL on last year's joint return, related to the sole proprietorship that the husband used to have. Does she get to continue taking this NOL until it is used up (if it ever is)? And what about the cancellation of debt income in his name - does she report that? I feel like she should, since she probably benefited from the original debt but what is correct? Sometimes it doesn't pay to work by Friday.............

I am glad it wasn't more serious, and that you weren't carrying the baby! I guess you granddaughter is the only one doing that so far. Take care!

If we as preparers don't value our own work enough to charge a sufficient fee our clients won't value it either. I have never wanted to be the cheapest - I want to be the best.

I thought the two comments at the end of the article were interesting; apparently the only people commenting so far are ATX users. I do wish him well, though; if he doesn't do well, an entirely new group of people may be paying the price.

That was great, KC! Thanks for sharing.

It is my understanding that Virginia is not recognizing same sex marriages no matter where they occur. I am sure that will be challenged in court in the near future, if it is not already on the docket.

Quite often in a divorce situation what is good for one client is not good for the other. For example, if they separated more than six months prior to the end of the year and have a child, it might benefit the spouse who can to file as HoH, but leave the other spouse filing MFS which is usually not to his/her benefit. Even if they both file MFS, if one can itemize and the other cannot, then one benefits at the expense of the other. Even on a joint return, it might be that one spouse would be better off filing HoH (if eligible) and getting EITC, even though together they are better off MFJ. And these are just obvious conflicts of interest in the advice that you give - potentially there are lots more ways that one spouse benefits at the expense of the other. How do you determine which spouse to benefit if you are representing both? I suspect that is why the CPA preferred to refer one party to another preparer to avoid even the appearance of a conflict.