BLACK BART

Hi John - well, I couldn't exactly claim to be well organized since lately I make a note to make a note. But naps are on automatic pilot - a couple of years ago my age (never mind what) made me start nodding off after lunch and drowsing fitfully 'til 2 or 3 -- but I can do it sitting up in the tall-back office chair (looks like I'm awake). The last fail-safe of my system is an EWCPA (Early Warning Client Proximity Alert) mechanism (bought a magnetic breaker system for the front door from a traveling salesman 20 years ago). It makes a clang a bit less than a Chinese emperor's gong when somebody pulls the doorknob. Then I can quickly grab a pencil, junior legal pad, and start scribbling. Regards, BB

The guys below have sure got their ACT together on practice management, but I cain't seem to get beyond the basics. My secretary (wife) will say "If you don't sort through that junk and come up with a tax return in three more days, Btfsplk's Garage is gonna kick your ACT!" So my program goes into action: 1. Scan the Post-It notes stuck around the rim of my computer monitor. 2. All notes are prioritized in order of importance (for example-first on the list might be "See Buffett" or "Call Gates"). 3. Begin top-left and go clockwise, look across to top-right, then down to screen bottom, back across to left, then up again to top-left checking for something actionable (McDonald's/Bacon-Egg Biscuit" gets a lot of attention). Some notes, the sticky part wears out and they fall off, but tech support advised Scotch tape and that fixed that. On a fair day two returns will get done and hopefully all by October 15th. It used to be simpler but the funeral home quit handing out their big block appointment calendars (unless you die). I've upgraded and got a wide-screen monitor (holds more Post-Its). If it gets too crowded, I'll buy a second (need one for Solitaire anyway; I hate for a client to catch me playin' that when I'm supposed to be on their case). ____________________________________ Simplify! Simplify! - THOREAU

Same here; going to work on payroll today; already double-checked extensions; somebody faxed in their 88's last night; last guy came in and picked up just now. Funny thing happened this week - 180 degree opposing perceptions I guess. Guy brought in his big case pile of junk, proudly says "Here is it!" I say "I'll have to get you an extension; this is Wednesday - the deadline's Monday." We both stare strangely at each other - he's thinking (I think) "Well, you've got at least FOUR DAYS to do it!" I'm thinking "I've only got FOUR DAYS to do all this crap." He accepts it grumpily and shuffles out; probably miffed at the lousy service. What a profession - if I had it to do over again I should have majored in psychology - got to be less stress.

Lady just called - said "We can't get this TurboTax thing to work right or something. Are you busy this weekend?"

I don't have to imagine - a few years ago the CEO of a local bank (people seek him out for financial advice) said to me: CEO: "Why am I paying so much tax (many K's +) this year when my associates tell me they pay practically nothing for the same?" BB: "Well, see; when you make the kind of money you're knocking down and you have those side businesses that are dragging in a ton, then you're gonna owe lots of tax. Too, everybody's different - I doubt your pals' earnings are the same as yours. More importantly though, last time you personally sent off all four estimates. This time you sent none. So, it's pretty simple arithmetic." That was a little too plainly spoken for the fiscal analyst. The meeting ended abruptly and I haven't seen him since.

I've told myself over and over (over the years) to NEVER believe that line "All I have is a W-2". Card 'em, scan 'em, wand 'em, strip search 'em - demand an old copy before quoting, whatever it takes. But for some reason I keep falling for it impulsively (must be something psycho/psychological there) and low-balling them. Typical one dashes in this week: April shopper, late-model car, well-dressed, acts reasonable, smells okay, nevertheless, it's all about "Are you cheap?" Client tried filing online but the stubborn thing just would NOT fork over $2K CTC for the 17-year old, so abandoned that (don't know how they beat the fee), tried J-H (price induced a near-coronary), and afterwards were scouring the earth for a cheap independent (me). After the poor-mouthin' start I spy a previous year in the junk and it's got 1040, A (fed/state), B, 2106, HSA, energy credit, but no EIC (how unjust) - too much income, of course. Told tax-world has changed, dumped most old baggage, and negotiated a new price (amid groans and gnashing of teeth-both parties). Next year, I swear; no April newbies get past the front desk without a lie-detector test!

Depends. Appearances on: Milian - produces smiles, other income, line 21. Judy - the judge should get a 1099 for your emotional distress. Springer - no 1099 should be issued since your physical injury is not taxable.

Me, too. No.

Yeah and thanx, but I've already tried that. About five years back (when IRS was still actually replying to letters) he asked about the SE health deduction, so I wrote them a detailed query about it and got a good agent who wrote back quoting and underlining relevant passages which I went over with the client to no avail. He was suspicious of IRS and wasn't interested in Section anything then or now, so I've decided to just forget the whole thing.

That's a brilliant idea. But...there's a setback. Discussing it with my client, I realized that I had misunderstood him. He was not interested in paying social security -- instead, he simply wanted to get the deduction for self-employed health insurance only. I had previously advised he couldn't get it. But, his friendly neighborhood insurance agent (substituting for the infamous "barber") told him he could get it because he routinely sold policies to many other landlords who (unlike him) had no connection to their operations other that collecting the rent, yet they were all happily deducting it with no complaints at all from IRS. I believe that because probably nobody's minding the store at IRS and although I can argue the agent's got a policy sale axe to grind, I can't argue that the other landlords who say yea are lying because they're probably not. What a dilemma! The dopey insurance agent probably thinks he's right, the other landlords are clueless, my client's gullible, and I'm barring the door with ethics (likely known as "that tax guy who doesn't know what you can write off").

I'm the same way - didn't mean it like it sounded. Some days I'm shell-shocked by five (closing time) after dealing with clients all day, but am a night person and can recoup after supper and two hours rest. I don't take any clients after five but can get a lot of work done between seven and midnight (or later) with nobody to interrupt. By late clients I meant I'm still getting some heavy-duty cases to work. The quick-refund-big-box franchise down the street now has an empty parking lot and is looking out the door hungrily 'cause their clientele has already come and gone.

What would I do without them?

Me too.

I clicked it and nothing happened. Guess Joan's right.

My guy has a dozen rent houses. I think he probably does have 250 hours of qualifying labor for the 199 (there's no log-could get one next time); but he asks about the real estate pro status because he wants to start paying in SE sometime (plus getting the SE health deduction). I'm not so sure about that one because he's got a repairman on the payroll although he himself is constantly tending to the tenants. But, in case he wants to go for that next year and comes up with a 750 hour log, I've never done that before. (1) Does the rent get moved to a schedule C (don't see how all that E info would fit)? (2) Would you simply add an SE form for the social security? (3) Enter earning where on SE? Only fit I see is on page two, section B, part one, line two, code A (other than farming). (4) Can this be done or is it crazy (you needn't reply if the answer's yes)?

I've got a couple of those; from whom the wafting essence makes my eyes smart. They have apparently adopted the philosophy made famous by Dolly Parton (in another field, of course); to wit: MORE IS MORE!

I'm with you, John (in favor or a strict expulsion policy). Whether I do 'em or not before 4-15 depends on just how bad they stink up the office. Last guy I ejected (with a firm "SORRY, BUT YOU'LL HAVE TO LEAVE!" ) required half a can of Lysol spray, a full 30 minute running of the ceiling fan, full-blasting A/C, plus some desperate arm-waving of an open newspaper to extinguish and disperse the last air-hanging whiff. __________________________________________ There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. ______ Matthew, VIII. 12

Think I've got that guy now - he poured his box of expenses on top of the desk. I said "Great. Where's the income?" The astonished reply: "You want that too?"

You're a hard man, Captain Bligh.

Okay, you derailers; if you don't want to discuss my wardrobe, I'll go with you. My cutoff date is April 15th. All documents must be in house by no later than 5 P.M. that afternoon (not that I'm desperate for trade or anything).

March 1st. Time to check the closet and extract my collection of spiffy, if somewhat threadbare, ties. The heavy-duty, industrial-strength cases that start drifting in 'bout now expect a little klass for their kale. So, I am in compliance with professional social norms (I've really got to get these dang things dry-cleaned someday - several years of gravy-stain show through here and there). I've been doin' this so long that most clients have stopped asking "Is there a funeral today?" Casual, but with shoes (my usual dress code), is fine too, but this is the one time of year I feel legitimately entitled to pomp it up a bit. Cheers. _____________________________________________________________ To make a fine gentleman, several trades are required, but chiefly a barber. ---- Goldsmith

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onWf4_yl-pY They say always go with your first instinct.

Yeah, I know the IRA/401/etc. is controversial, but your reply answers my question. Thanks again. P.S. I have a large-scale rentals client who may help solve the three-page debate raging below. He's so tight that if it costs him more than twenty bucks, he'll take it to the Supreme Court.

Thanks. Do you know if also the IRA deduction applies to the low-income group?

Simple question. Does the low-income ceiling (under $157K single/$315K MFJ) exempt those filers from deducting the (1) 1/2 SE deduction and (2) Self-Employed Health Insurance from QBI? One source said the wages/depreciation cuts did not apply to them, but didn't mention these two things.