Randall

14 hours ago, Corduroy Frog said:

Margaret, I remember meeting you at Rita's.  If you are 75, you are a very lovely 75.

I think Margaret is a runner if I recall from past posts.  And from Cincinnati.  I'm close in No. Ky.  And run too.  I'm only 72 though.

2 hours ago, Abby Normal said:

My 4868 form customizations make creating efile extensions a lot faster, but still, having to create one at a time is ludicrous.

I admit it's more time consuming but I do it anyway.  

I have several this year who missed the Oct 15 deadline.  I'll prepare and file their 2020 returns.  And a new client recently called, needs both 2019 and 2020, should be fairly simple.  But I don't like to go back any additional years.  

I haven't checked it lately.  But I don't do batch extensions.  I enter each one separately.

I won't send out a special letter.  The Eng Letter & Questionnaire is enough for me to start the year.  If ATX hasn't added some questions regarding the CTC & EIP, I'll try to add a few.  Then just do the best I can.  I did see on another forum, there was a formal request to IRS to have a tool available for practitioners, not just clients to set up an account with the IRS.  Hopefully, they will have the tool.  We'll see.

Like Sara, I had so many not completing the organizer that I only send to a few now.  I send the questionnaire and eng letter to all.  I had hoped ATX would have added some of these questions but I'll add some.

The question now is updates.  They passed the one legislation about infrastructure but they're still in progress on the other 'Build up'.  I hope they pass whatever in time for IRS and software companies to get ready

On 11/20/2021 at 9:27 PM, Sara EA said:

I have a client who ELECTRONICALLY paid $5k with his extension.  Turns out he had a huge refund, which came in $5k short.  IRS transcript shows the $5k received. This coupled with the other comments here suggests the IRS is now so dysfunctional they aren't even keeping track of the money.  Okay, so they can't answer phones or timely look at faxes or correspondence or do enough audits, but keeping tabs on the money?  Hey, they're part of the US Treasury, whose job is to account for the money.  We might need a new accounts receivable department.

This is scary and I think it's only going to get worse.

I renew early every year.

When is it usually back up again for 2020 returns?

1 hour ago, mcbreck said:

I just updated - no real problems. Internet Explorer is completely gone and replaced 100% with Edge. That seemed like a problem but you can use an IE Mode which met my requirements. I have several sites I visit that require IE and simply do not work with Edge but the mode designation for those sites works.

I think Edge came with Win10.  Did you update to Win11?  What about your tax software?  Not to mention other programs.

That's my understanding.  I won't update until ATX gives it the green light.  And even if they do for 2021, I doubt if I'll update that first year.

Sara EA, any references I can go to and look up more on this?

I'm just one person.  Getting older.  I have a few of these but don't want to take on new ones.  I've gone the way of extensions.  Unless the client is on top of things and gets the info to me early.  My clients also tend to be one or just 2-3 members.

13 hours ago, Sara EA said:

What kind of trust?  If revocable the house will be part of the estate and IRS will have claim to its piece.  Irrevocable, it depends.  Did the deceased have a retained life estate? Regardless of whether it was written or unwritten, if he lived in the house and paid the bills the house is part of the estate.  Did he put the house into trust after the IRS debt was noticed?  Did it go to the trust after death?  In either case the IRS may have claim on it. 

Interesting.  Thanks for the comments. 

Does the IRS have a look back period for assets put in a trust.  Similar to Medicaid.  Just curious.  Deceased person has back IRS taxes due.  Residence put in trust.  Sold by trustee, wants to distribute money to two beneficiaries, son and daughter.  Are these proceeds independent of the deceased person’s debt to IRS?

7 minutes ago, ILLMAS said:

Does is it at least have Windows 11?

ATX sent an email recently saying they are not ready for Windows 11 and recommend we do not update to 11 at this time.  My current computer is new in January.  It says my computer is ready for Windows 11 but I'm not going to update until ATX says it ok to do so.

I keep my client files in pdf format on a second hard drive and back up on a external hard drive.  So I can just copy them over myself to my second hard drive on my new computer.  As for my programs (ATX), I install them on my first hard drive (SSD), drive C.  I install the prior year ATX program to my new computer.  There is a way to transfer the data files.  I forgot but ATX support can walk you thru or they have it on their support articles.  I can then install the current year ATX and use the rollover feature from the previous year program.  I keep my old computer (which is only about 3 years old) for prior years ATX.  But then I don't take on new clients who are behind in tax returns so usually I don't have to worry about prior year returns.

I've only got one more that I will try to complete by the due date (if she gets back to me with answers to my questions).  Several others I've sent reminders from time to time.  But even if they call today, I'm not even going to try by Oct 15.

15 hours ago, FDNY said:

I have a client that calls all year but she always adds $100 to my invoice because she knows she can be a pest.

But this year or the last month is different, her college son has been day trading, big time and early on she has been telling me the kid is awesome, making tens of thousands of dollars.  First thing I told her was to remind him to watch his wash sales.  Didn’t listen and after 176M of sales and over 2M in wash sales he has 326K in gains.  But only 50K in the account.  She wants to strangle the kid and worst part she’s trying to hide it from the father.  Can’t wait to see how this turns out on 10/15.

These are always hilarious.

Don't you have to check on the left which returns you want to show, completed, incomplete, etc.

I think I had one.  Can't remember the details now.  But client got a bigger refund than  I calculated.  I was thinking like you about ATX but I'm not sure if ATX ever fixed it.

On 9/28/2021 at 12:27 PM, Abby Normal said:

I could see myself working in a cool coffee shop (no chains!) in later life. I wouldn't mind doing some roasting of the beans, too. Or maybe a brewery or distillery. Or an animal shelter. All things I have an affection for.

I could see myself as a regular customer at the cool coffee shop, just talking with anybody and everybody about whatever comes up.  But not working.  Ha.

11 minutes ago, Abby Normal said:

If you're using bitlocker, there's an option to auto-decrypt all drives when you enter the bitlocker password for the main drive. But it doesn't sound like your main drive is encrypted.

Yes, my main drive is encrypted.  I am using bitlocker.  It just seems like a quirky thing that only happens on some occasions.  New computer at the beginning of this year.  Never happened on previous computers.

I have 2 hard drives, C and D.  When I start my computer I enter the password.  Then when I want to access the D drive (encrypted), I have to enter another password.  In the file explorer, I just right click on the D drive and an option to 'Unlock Drive' is available.  Once in awhile, when I first start the computer and enter the password for the C drive, the D drive is already showing the left side arrow in file explorer.  If I click on it, the message says access denied.  But when I right click on it, the option to 'Unlock Drive' is not there.  So far, I simply restart the computer and everything is ok, the option to unlock the D drive is there.  Does anyone know what might be happening?   So far so good on restarting, but I'm wondering if something freaky is going on and some day, I won't be able to access my D drive.