FDNY

Oh, that was yesterday? I was in the dark. I may as well have been, didn't notice anything. I have memories of '79, but remember the one in the 60s when our neighbor Mr Corso made all the kids cardboard cutout devices for viewing. I still had my "13 Ghosts" 3D glasses but was told they were useless for viewing.

I checked out the stock's performance, it's an ADR that is up 33% since last November. The dividend yield is 0.54% based on a price of $43. It's PE is 20.7, so it looks like the shareholders were rewarded with a nice price increase, not a generous dividend. Too pricey for me, but I would be a buyer at half the price (I have strict requirements). Something happened the 3rd week of January where volume increased wildly, really wildly and price fluctuated up and down by about 2%. Probably when people were relieved and partying like it was 2016, not 2012.

Without a doubt! If friends could be real family we would have something really special.....and I would look forward to Thanksgiving and no crazy Uncle Bobby.

A father puts his young daughter to bed every night and loves listening to her say her prayers. One night she says "God bless Mommy, Daddy, Grandma, and goodbye grandpa." The next day grandpa dies. Father thinks, that's weird. The next night the little girl says "God bless Mommy, Daddy, and goodbye Grandma." Next day grandma dies. Father is shocked and thinks he has a psychic daughter. The third night she says "God bless Mommy and goodbye Daddy." Holy Cow! he thinks. The next day he is careful driving to work and stays in his office watching the clock until it hits midnight, he made it through the day. So he goes home and tells his wife he had a rough day trying to stay alive, she says, "you think you had a bad day, my tennis pro died today!"

Now that's the most real TV wrestling I've ever seen. Bruno, Andre the Giant, and The Kangaroos would be proud!

I'm here, nowhere else to go, had some oral surgery this morning, 5 stitches. I was a little tense so I told the doc and nurse a joke to ease my apprehension. CIA director was looking for a new assassin, so he puts an ad in the paper asking that candidates bring their spouses. 2 men and a woman show up with spouses. Director puts each spouse in a separate room. He gives a gun to first man and tells him to go in and kill his wife. He goes in and comes right out, "can't do it, I love my wife." Director gives gun to 2nd guy with same instructions. He too comes right out with same explanation. Director gives the gun to the woman and she goes into room and he hears bang bang bang bang bang....then silence, then thrashing and screaming noises. Woman comes out and Director says "What happened in there?" The woman replies, "well, the gun had blanks so I had to kill him with the chair!"

This is totally discombobulated. Taxpayer is not on title so this should be easily (sorry, maybe not so easily, I forgot who we are dealing with) corrected. No one is attaching your house, once the facts are out, but this is their first attempt at getting their 60K.

Whew!

A little French never hurt anyone!

While these clients are not very good, or not very bad, with some good qualities and some bad, I would have to say a so-so increase would be appropriate.

So if he had an office building and used it for 35% business you would depreciate that portion less the appropriate land value. So would you depreciate 35% of the boat less a salvage amount?

I see what you mean. This may be considered a second home and it would be OK to claim a home office deduction if he meets the criteria. You say exclusively as an office, what is his occupation? Boat seller? Lobbyist? Drug dealer? Caviar tastings and transporter? So many questions.

No comment other than I like the way you think and I hope you get to spend all day on the boat working on his return with an umbrella in your drink.

The cowardly bad guys.

I assume you are joking, although your math is correct proving the most basic of economic laws. But our clients are people that we know to be good, bad, and ugly so a blanket across the board large increase would not be appropriate in our business. I do small increases for the good, more for the bad , and large increases for the ugly, hoping they will leave.

A friend of mine works for Nuance. They were all sent home this morning due to a cyber attack. This is getting really serious, it's war whether we want to believe it so or not.

This has always been one of my pet peeves. Year after year I get estimates (like 12,000 miles) that I usually need to adjust and reduce greatly after I document a conversation and email statement from client describing their job and travel particulars. I will only take a deduction if they could not do their job without travel. I've always explained the requirements and have told them to pick up a $6 mileage log booklet from Staples and keep it in the glove compartment. I've even bought a few for some clients but it is never filled out. I drive 7 miles round trip to the post office 260 days a year and write it in each day, takes 10 seconds, so I tell them, get disciplined, it's money.

In the last few days I rec'd 2 emails, one from a Lee Perry titled Registered Auditor skills requested and one from Mark Barley, LLC titled CPA Services Requested. At least they give me easy clues to hit delete. As for the original post I think it would be a rare event for anyone in this business to give out that kind of info unless they have been living on a desert island the last few years with no way to charge their smart phone.

This may require a call to ATX, the efile rep (press2) helped me today (1st time I called this year), no wait these days.

Just like the self proclaimed ministers and clergy back in the 80s and 90s....eventually the IRS caught up with them and they all had to pay it back. Many firemen and cops did it back then, holding services in their living room for their kids. I went on one audit (return not prepared by me) and the auditor just shook his head and said, "I wish you never fell for this." My work was done at that point.

I like the last three responses as they are an argument and my thought about not retiring. I too enjoy what I do, look forward to the start of tax season, finishing CEs before the start, and catching up with old friends/clients. I've said to myself, be careful what you wish for in retirement, with so much leisure time, would I really make good use of it? Crossword puzzles are not my thing and as much as I love TV I run out of stuff to watch now. When I travel I can't wait to get home and my 4 car garage is meticulously organized, could eat off the epoxied floor. There is nothing left for me to fix other than changing watch batteries and if I work out anymore I will burn out my Fitbit. So staying in the business may be a good fit for good health and mental fitness for me. Really makes you think....65, 70, 75 years of age is not old at all, as long as you think young, keep moving and enjoy work and life. Who has it better than us?

This is something that has been on my mind as well. Just received my Medicare card (saves me $9,600/yr or about 48 tax returns) so I decided to make a decision when I'm 66 about how to retire. If I do what Possi's CFP says to do and keep 20 clients, that's an option, just need to be sure I have something to do with myself after the second day of tax season. But my big issue is the selling or not selling but transfer of clients. All my business is mail in but my clients are not faceless. I know them all very well as we have crossed paths in life and many clients are now their kids, or other family members or friends, some I have not met but I do bring it to a personal level. This may have been a bad idea.. I keep a running file on their life issues and a calendar if they have an event coming up so I can call, especially if it is a medical procedure. These people are important to me, so how can I sell and have them go to some clown, or a Lady Liberty impersonator. What if they are unhappy? Who do you think they will call? So, my plan is to put in my letter next year that I am thinking of retiring soon and they should think about who will be their new preparer or they can ask me for a referral. I have a good sense of how everyone here is dedicated so I would feel comfortable recommending you for my out of state clients, so many have retired to warmer climes. If I refer the bulk of my NY or MA clients to someone I would expect some kind of arrangement to cover the transfer costs, but I could not sell these clients willy nilly to the highest bidder. I'm fortunate enough not to need the money, and will feel peace of mid that everyone will be taken care of with someone I feel is competent and a good fit for them. I know many of you feel the same. When everyone gets settled in, I'll change my phone number. Or maybe, I just may be writing this when I'm 70, I sure hope not, because then it will be even harder to do.

I always knew you were a smart one. Congratulations and good luck.

He is one of the best. I will use some of his ideas, just look at the smiles on those clients.

What a great accomplishment, congratulations! You must be very smart.