Abby Normal

We usually hold broker statement clients to about now, but this guy was in FL and just got back to a stack of mail. But he's one of my longest, best clients and he absolutely loves me... and his wife just died.... so I didn't bill him for a redo.

Maybe the 1041 won't allow 2% deductions next year, and my plan will fall to pieces. CPE gonna be intrestin' this summer!

I enter them on the 1099DIV and ATX puts them on the 2% line... where they belong.

I like trusts anyway because you're getting all the deductions into AGI. Put the house in the trust and deduct the real estate taxes too.

My invoices just have one line '20xx federal and state tax returns' but my job sheet has a line for assembly and efiling and clerical, etc. The amount for each of those varies by the client.

Nope. 4/16 at 6pm and it's a half hour away from my office. Plan to eat some snack type food as dinner while driving down to count as my dinner break. Still, that's at least one return that won't get done unless I can rally and work an hour later than normal that night.

Sometimes the programmers try to do too much for us, and we'd be better off if they didn't.

So I agreed to be on my friend's liquor license (in exchange for booze) for a few months so they didn't have to close their doors. Guess when the meeting is with the liquor board. Go on. I'll wait.

I was with a client and had left my phone in the mode where it reads incoming texts. A friend replied to text and dropped the F bomb. I thought it was hilarious. The client didn't react so I just let it be. But you know how half the time you can't understand the voice, well, they say the F word really clearly, believe me.

Pretty sure I've read similar stories from other users, but I just felt like venting/sharing. Had a car added in 16 with bonus and MACRS. In 17 the Auto/Listed tab was showing the correct depreciation, but Depreciation tab had some weird number that was not mileage depreciation or anything else I could think of. On Sch C the total actual expenses from the Auto/Listed tab was showing on line 9 car expenses. Depreciation line was blank (car is only asset with depreciation). I called my 'concierge support' and it sounded like I was being transferred but got cut off instead. So, being the independent type, I decided to delete the offending asset and re-add it. While I was re-entering the asset, the deleted asset reappeared like a zombie, so I deleted it again. Also, the new asset defaulted to SL FM depreciation instead of MACRS. I overrode it to 200DB HY. Later I was able to restore the method and convention and they stayed 200DB HY. So, onward and upward, but I lost half an hour over this.

Everyone came in early this year. Will make for a more relaxing summer!

the NOL form has what you want.

I slip the easy ones in whenever I have half an hour until going home or lunch, etc.

Those aren't garbage cans. They're file storage!

Whoa! When did they add that?! Does it ever work?

You mean the NOL form or the NOL election? And are we talking 1040, 1120S,...?

I'm definitely setting a record for number of returns done by 4/17 this year! I'm close to the record now. All have been entered by my staff but some are missing documents and no way we're bugging them. Ball's in their court.

My Tax Season Written by Willie Maykitt Illustrations by Betty Doant

If they don't do the math, we usually skip those, under the premise that our fees would exceed any tax benefit. Exception is when the dividends are 10,000 or more, or the % are high. Then I tell them to complain to their broker or find one who does do the math, like Edward Jones or Baird. I have business at hand for both.

I'll save you the journey. I've worked with people like this!

Firefox has a setting to clear the cache when you close it. Chrome buries it in advanced settings an you have to manually clear browsing data. I run CCleaner to clear all system temp and cache files, and unwanted cookies. You do want to keep a lot of cookies for sites you frequent. If you install CCleaner go to Options, Advanced and uncheck 'Only delete file in Windows Temp folder older than 24 hours'. Then set it run when you start your computer.

Yeah, I did one this morning where the fed tax was 350 less but the state tax was 650 more. This mostly happens when they switch from itemizing to standard, because the state standard deduction is low. MD raised it a little bit, but decided to keep about 2/3 of the windfall the new tax law was creating.

The fun corner of my desk.

"passed away". Good one! I'm gonna use that. I have a jar on my desk labeled "Ashes of Problem Clients".