Abby Normal

Turn off your security software, all of it.

I'm glad someone smarter than me can read the new law. I read the meals part 3x and the only thing I got out of it was a headache!

Sounds like a valid business use to me. Are the lots used for anything else?

Ordered!

Because it makes you the Wizard of Oz in customer's minds. Great and powerful, able to provide excellent customer service!

I did my first 1040 today! My son just has one W2 and is always anxious to get his refund. Wasn't thrilled that efiling doesn't open for another 2+ weeks.

Q: Is the IRS working on a new Form W-4 to reflect the new tax law? A: Yes. The IRS continues to work on more detailed withholding information, which will be available soon in Publication 15 and related publications. In addition, the IRS is working on revising the Form W-4 to more fully reflect the new law and providing taxpayers information to determine whether they need to adjust their withholding. The IRS is also revising the withholding tax calculator on IRS.gov to help employees who wish to update their withholding in response to the new law or other changes in their personal circumstances in 2018. The IRS anticipates this calculator should be available by the end of February. https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-withholding-tables-frequently-asked-questions

Ouch! That could be a HUGE penalty.

No, I called them back in November or December because I knew come 1/1 they would be swamped. I had a wait but it wasn't horrible and I got a very helpful person. Turned out that I didn't need to call at all because I got a Get Transcript account earlier in the year.

The IRS sent a letter to my ex's employer instructing them to increase withholdings because she kept owing every year and had an ever increasing installment agreement. I LOL'd.

Call eServices help desk

Be warned, ATX doesn't update the 2848 in prior years software. It's nuts that they don't and I've suggested several times that they start updating at least the last 3 years. But I'd prefer they push the form out to the last 10 years for nonfilers.

I know my HOH friends were screaming bloody murder when dropping HOH status was proposed, but if they could pay less tax with a higher standard deduction and higher child tax credit, eliminating HOH would be a good simplification of the tax code.

You still have to navigate the W4... unless you claim 19 allowances to have zero tax withheld and then put down additional amount desired. Back in the day, the 0% bracket represented the standard deduction. Now, for a single, weekly employee, the 0% bracket is $71. Time 52 = 3,692. So if a person claims single 1, they exclude 3,692 + 4,150 for the allowance which totals 7,842, and not the 12,000 standard deduction they are entitled to. They would have to claim 2 to get to 11,992. I would rather my low income clients be over withheld than under, and logically, the IRS would rather issue refunds than chase balances due.

Here's the WaPo article: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2018/01/11/its-going-to-be-a-nightmare-some-bitcoin-investors-are-in-for-a-rocky-tax-season I can open on Android phone with Firefox Focus browser.

Sorry, I don't see that.

My understanding is that meal provided to employees for the benefit of the employer are 50% allowed (used to be 100%) but all other meals are not deductible at all.

A employee picking a flat rate is not necessarily higher than using the tables. A table calc could give you 10% average rate and the employee could decide they really only want 8% withheld.

I don't get it. They're pretending like we get a 4,150 personal exemption on our taxes, just as a way for people to have less withholding? Maybe I do get it, but it seems illogical. I'd be much happier if they just let us enter a flat % that we wanted withheld. When clients call up they ask what % their withholding should be and I tell them. Then they ask how they go about achieving that, and I ask if they have a friend in their payroll department. If not, I send them to paycheckcity.com.

Monies reinvested in the next project are not available for wages. Also, he had an initial capital investment and is due a return on that investment. I'd take some % of distributions as wages, but not all.

A guy from the Washington Post wanted to interview me about crypto-currencies (because I moderate reddit.com\r\tax) but I told him I didn't know enough about it. One of the other mods stepped up, thankfully. Wish I had know more. Would've been cool to be quoted in the Post!

Question 3 is a yes/no question. You don't enter the days anywhere.

It's on the new 2848 that ATX just released today.

Yep, and exclusion of cancellation of debt income for a principal mortgage.

This is why some people pay for 3rd party front ends for the eservices site. https://www.google.com/search?&q=irs+transcripts+-gov