BLACK BART

Slow start here.

There's a possibility that might happen, but if you're waiting for the following to occur on a large scale, don't hold your breath. P.S. Lost my first employee trucker today. Learning road expense was gone (was told last year, but claimed it's news to him), he threw a fit, picked up his papers and left.

Aw John, you're just a cynic. I've written my Congressman Conscience-Stricken several times over the years and, without fail, received a reply stating "Thank you for your timely views on subject so-and-so. Please know that Congressman C-S will give serious consideration to your suggestions and act accordingly." Why, he sounded sincere right down to the machine-written signature. On the other hand, I must disagree with our Oregonian comrade's view on the relationship of money and politics. Long ago, employed by a fanatical supporter of you-know-who; it was strongly suggested that all office employees "donate" $25 (no small sum to us at the time) to his candidate's campaign. We reluctantly complied, but after the election I was very surprised to receive a personal invitation to the president's Inaugural Ball in Washington.

Well, we're getting a little close to politics since you're from where you are and I'm from where I am, but I'll just say that since I'm not a truck driver, but do run a small business (been complaining for years about nothing being done for us), I like the 20% cut if they ever get it straightened out.

Probably true, but since he's a self-employed tax preparer (I assume), he could still get the mileage off. And, I've heard that Oregon's a scenic tour.

Agree. The abolishment of 2106 for schedule A kills off their big refunds for meals, motels, supplies by claiming almost all year on the road, Previously, many furnished required logs but some small truckers just guesstimated beaucoup days out. Only upside now is taxes were withheld so they won't be absolutely killed by loss of the deductions, although reduced withholdings will likely result in much smaller refunds or maybe even (heaven forbid) owe. Either way it goes, you're going to have unhappy campers - glad I've only got a few. Re: accountable plans - big companies will probably do that, but I don't think small ones will go to the trouble.

Me too; only thing, I'm still hackin', longly (is that a word?) and unhealthily, at this muck and they're going to outlive me.

I don't have a list - I'm using Possi's method (below) I'm even getting envelopes with the kid's name and parents' address if possible, but all that crap they want - "Did you ask...blah, blah, blah, and did you document his/her response..."; hell, no, I'm not recording or transcribing some jerk's "yes; no; maybe" - it's just impossible. Like you said, I get something, anything, some piece of paper, but's it's all just such a mess; tedious for us, & annoying to clients who ask me why I want evidence - many say that others (big-box franchises) don't ask for anything except name, relation, DOB, SSN. I wonder; does TurboTax make them answer anything? Are we (independents) the only ones that risk serious fines? Ain't it the truth? I lost one over ten.

Girl, you're causin' all kinds of tax trouble with the folks in Ohio. You're supposed to be in your office fixin' taxes, not up North collectin'' taxes! See Janitor Bob's post below.

For dependency purposes: are social security benefits for a child (sent in care of John Doe for Child Doe) considered as support (toward the 1/2) furnished by the dependent for himself/herself (although, of course, the child doesn't get the money and parent uses it to run the household)?

Okay. Judy, I guess you can kill that blog post if you want to (unless Yardley objects) since the above (Sara's) effectively renders it null and void. Besides, I just noticed the date on it was August of last year.

Is this what you were referring to with pages - YES (thought I read 9 pages somewhere; guess not.) is there some other document too? NO Thanx.

Yeah, I read the section and am leaning in your direction too. I've also been thinking that since SSTB status is such an iffy area and millions of these returns will be questionable; and given that these returns are not being processed by mental giants, almost anything not blatantly wrong will be accepted and never heard from again.

https://www.johnrdundon.com/what-is-a-specified-service-trade-or-business-sstb/ Sorry, I forgot to post the link.

I don't know, but found this very detailed (too much so; it's nine pages) analysis of SSTBs from an NAEA writer which addresses consulting (see page four). Wish we had as good a lobby as those businesses specifically excluded (page one). Wonder what virtue and value to the country the favored few (estate brokers, property managers, architects, engineers, and bankers) contribute that is worth so much more than others (although I have an idea what the bankers are contributing).

Nor do mine regarding income, but I wonder about 1099 guys who work construction jobs and some really are employees but the general contractor gives everybody a 1099 and rarely do you see a W-2. If a guy's a bricklayer I assume he'd be okay as a businessman, but if it's just a general gofer/picker-up of waste materials, then wouldn't he really be an employee? Probably won't make any difference since the 1099's almost universal in the trades -- the new law won't change that. I'll probably just deem him a business of some sort, but wonder what IRS take on it would be? Also wonder about IRS's rule excluding "those involving the performance of services in law, accounting, financial services...or where the business's principal asset is the reputation or skill of one or more owners or employees." Could this exclude, say, specialized goods or a skill where the owner is one hell of a cake baker or may be known as the best hunting guide since Daniel Boone? Or is that a bridge too far and I'm worrying about nothing?

For many years I sincerely hated the 1040. Now, I belatedly realize that while it loved me; I, ungratefully and ignorantly, did not properly and deservedly love it back. Once I could scan all with a brief glance at pages one and two. Now, half my waking thoughts begin with "Where is..." or "Where does...." _________________________________________ Hain't we got all the fools in town on our side? And ain't that a big enough majority in any town? ----- MARK TWAIN: "HUCKLEBERRY FINN."

Well, you certainly deserve an answer, but the only thing I know about gas & oil is it's cheapest at the Shell station here. For your purposes, and this is gonna sound kind of corny, but some of the most clearly and plainly stated answers to your kind of questions are posted on TurboTax (they aren't hiring EAs and CPAs for nothing). I just typed this into Bing and Google ("TurboTax - How do you report the sale of mineral rights on your income tax?") and they say it's section 1231 capital gains property plus various other tidbits about valuation. Granted, these are not IRC case cites, but sometimes they can put you on the right path (I tried the U.S. Master Tax Guide that ATX sent me and couldn't find a thing). Good luck.

She's already back - I've got the papers and will prepare as usual. Visiting relative from large metro area was "advising" her, but has departed and all is well.

Lady came by today; package in hand; we've been doing it for years (has retirement benefits, savings interest, farm rental, taxable social security, needs 1099). Says she's decided to do it herself (been looking around online I suspect), but she's going to let us e-file it for her (gosh; thanks a bunch). She did mention that she "might need a little advice" because "the forms don't seem to look like last year's." She was crushed when I said "We don't do that." Going to be crushed even further when I tell her the fee (up $50) isn't like last year's either.

Thanks. I herewith award you this accolade: https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.1005.html

I sent in two in the last hour and they have both been accepted. Checked both Main Info boxes ("Yes" and "If yes"), so I guess ATX has fixed the glitch. Drat; now I'll never know if my elaborate theory of what was originally wrong was right.

I have a couple ready to go, but I'm like Tom - waiting to see if ATX will put something out on it because I don't want to take a chance on getting anything balled up with ATX/IRS in this hectic year. Surely lots of people across the country have sent in theirs and ATX is working on it. I think maybe it's a design flaw in the ATX "Main Info" schedule in that checking the "Yes" box means do you want for someone other than the paid preparer to be a third party designee. If you check only the "If yes..." box then your paid preparer info disappears from the line below, but when you go to page one of the 1040 both boxes (self-employed and 3rd party) will be correctly checked. So I think the "Yes" answer on the Main Info schedule is for people other than the preparer to type in their info on the line below. If that's the case, then the setup of the question on the Main Info sheet is very misleading (I'm not sure how it should be stated). In any case, since I'm in no particular hurry on my cases, I think I'll wait and see what, if anything, ATX does.

They certainly are. A few years ago the proprietor of Elmo's Alternators brought me his usual cardboard box full of gas tickets, bank statements, deposit slips, Burger King receipts, invoices, a half-eaten sandwich, and beaucoup wadded-up Walmart tickets (normal fee's $225, but $500 for him since I have to pay a girl to unroll and iron the Walmart tickets flat enough to add up). Noting the new name (Elmo's Alternators, LLC) on an invoice, I said "El; this might complicate things; did you take on a partner or do anything new?" "Not a thing," he replied, "but everybody's doin' it. It sounds better!"

Thanx schirall (feel free - no royalties due on any hogwash I come up with) and thanks to NEC & Marg for the replies (I have looked it up and you are correct; it's not available yet). It just sunk in to me though that I was misunderstanding the whole purpose of the form. First, I was looking for a form number, so didn't think to look alphabetically under the words following the IRS form numbers in the "Add Forms" list. Secondly, I though it was a 2018 only double-check to see if anything was overlooked this year. Then I realized that it's only a comparison of year to year income tax results. Fortunately though, after playing around with my first tax return I realized that most of what income items were on page one of the old 1040 are now on page two of this year's return, so we won't have to range far and wide to gather all the most common stuff. Much obliged, folks.