kcjenkins

Thanks for understanding. I value my role as Moderator here, and never want to abuse the power that goes with it. Mostly I just use it to correct typos!

You would get that immediately.

I agree with you Tom.. I know that there are bad preparers out there that need to be controlled but this is exactly what I expected would be the result of giving the IRS total control over who can prepare returns. It would have made so much more sense for them to just crack down on the bad actors, but they could not resist an excuse to take control of ALL preparers. Then, because that is a huge number of people, they use automated systems to administer the rules. So you get stupid situations such as yours, where the 'automated' system is mis-programmed, but there is no recourse except to live with it.

Sorry, Mas, I removed it. Maybe I was in a bad move yesterday, but it seemed a bit over the line to me. I should have just hidden it and contacted you about it, and I apologize for not doing that. But having just gone through a lot lately with the help of a couple of wonderful and compassionate doctors, it hit me on a raw spot.

David, just go ahead and print the state return, and place it in a file folder on your desk. Then try the efile when the client comes in If it goes, you never mention that folder, [You can shred it after he leaves ] if it is rejected, you simply pick up the folder, pull out the return, and look really professional and prepared.

How Old is Grandma? One evening a grandson was talking to his grandmother about current events. He asked what she thought about the shootings at schools, the computer age, and just things in general. The grandma replied, & I quote; Well, let me think a minute . I was born before television, penicillin, polio shots, frozen foods, Xerox, contact lenses, Frisbees and the pill. There was no radar, credit cards, laser beams or ball-point pens. Man had not invented pantyhose, air conditioners, dishwashers, clothes dryers, well the clothes were hung out to dry in the fresh air and man hadn't yet walked on the moon. Your granddad and I got married first, and then lived together. Every family had a father and a mother, and every boy over 14 had a rifle that his dad taught him how to use and respect. And they went hunting and fishing together. Until I was 25, I called every man older than I, 'Sir'-and after I turned 25, I still called policemen and every man with a title, 'Sir.' Sundays were set aside for going to church as a family, helping those in need, and visiting with family or neighbors. We were before gay rights, computer dating, dual careers, daycare centers, and group therapy. Our lives were governed by the Ten Commandments, good judgment, and common sense. We were taught to know the difference between right and wrong and to stand up and take responsibility for our actions. Serving your country was a privilege; living here was a bigger privilege. We thought fast food was what people ate during Lent. Having a meaningful relationship meant getting along with your cousins. Draft dodgers were people who closed their front doors when the evening breeze started. Time-sharing meant time the family spent together in the evenings and weekends not purchasing condominiums. We never heard of FM radios, tape decks, CDs, electric typewriters, yogurt, or guys wearing earrings. We listened to the Big Bands, Jack Benny, and the President's speeches on our radios. And I don't ever remember any kid blowing his brains out listening to Tommy Dorsey. If you saw anything with 'Made in Japan ' on it, it was junk. The term 'making out' referred to how you did on your school exam. Pizza Hut, McDonald's , and instant coffee were unheard of. We had 5 & 10 cent stores where you could actually buy things for 5 and 10 cents. Ice cream cones, phone calls, rides on a streetcar, and a Pepsi were all a nickel. And if you didn't want to splurge, you could spend your nickel on enough stamps to mail 1 letter and 2 postcards. You could buy a new Chevy Coupe for $600, but who could afford one? Too bad, because gas was 11 cents a gallon. In my day, 'grass' was mowed, 'coke' was a cold drink, 'pot' was something your mother cooked in, and 'rock music' was your grandmother's lullaby. 'Aids' were helpers in the Principal's office, 'chip' meant a piece of wood, 'hardware' was found in a hardware store, and 'software' wasn't even a word. And we were the last generation to actually believe that a lady needed a husband to have a baby. No wonder people call us "old and confused" and say there is a generation gap; How old do YOU think I am - ???? Grandma would be only 70 years old in 2012

A police car pulls up in front of grandma Bessie's house, and grandpa Morris gets out. The polite policeman explained that this elderly gentleman said that he was lost in the park and couldn't find his way home. "Oh Morris", said grandma, "You've been going to that park for over 30 years! How could you get lost?" Leaning close to grandma, so that the policeman couldn't hear, Morris whispered, "I wasn't lost. I was just too tired to walk home."

If you ate pasta and antipasta, would you still be hungry?

And do not forget that you should charge EXTRA whenever you are clearing up a problem the client created for himself. I call it the "TurboTax surcharge".

For those of you who watch what you eat, here's the final word on nutrition and health. It's a relief to know the truth after all those conflicting nutritional studies. 1. The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans. 2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans. 3. The Chinese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans. 4. The Italians drink a lot of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans. 5. The Germans drink a lot of beers and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans. CONCLUSION Eat and drink what you like. Speaking English is apparently what kills you.

that is still alive, amazing as that seems to me

Ah, yes, I actually still had half a box of that paper when we shut down the office last year. Gave it to a local church who used it for their Mom's Day Out childcare program. The kids used the back of te paper for their art work.

Way to go, John.

Hey, I understand. Remember, I resisted switching from the DOS version of my tax software until they actually stopped offering it! And it is logical that unless the purchased program was better in some significant ways, they could not sell it. My guess is that Open Office is adequate for people who just want a program to write letters and receipts on, basically. Just as a Netbook may be fine if all you use it for is email, but it does not have the power or the capacity to handle real work that needs computational power or a lot of storage. Lots of people who own Office never even open the Excel portion, but those of us who need that capability do not want to give up any of the functionality of Excel, once we learned to use it. I used Lotus 123 for a long time, it was a good tool, but Excel is a better one. And when you are using any tool professionally, using the best you can afford will always pay off in the long run. Time, after all, is the asset in shortest supply during tax season, and good tools save you time.

http://www.techsoup....re/page4765.cfm According to this comparison, you can do with Calc the same things you do with Excel?

From Kim Commando Here are three subject lines of convincing scam emails that are going around right now. If you see these in your inbox, delete them immediately. "YouTube Service has sent you a message: Your video on the TOP of YouTube" "Google Support has sent you a message: You are on the Top" "You have 4 pending messages on LinkedIn" If that's not bad enough, there is also a scam email claiming to be from Amazon that is starting to make the rounds. So watch out for that as well. If you receive an email from any of these companies, don't click on any links or open any attachments! Instead, open your browser and visit the company's site manually. If you really want to play it safe, call the company's customer service. Be sure you get the number from the company's site, not the email! Scammers love putting fake customer service numbers in scam emails and then tricking you when you call. Go to Kim's site for more saftey tips: http://www.komando.com/tips/index.aspx?id=13484

http://www.accountingtoday.com/news/Report-Problems-Accuracy-IRS-Audits-64362-1.html?ET=webcpa:e6211:61496a:&st=email

Chuck Rettig’s firm has posted an article on ID theft on their website. Here is what he says about the article. Here is a link to a recent article re "Identity theft as used to commit tax fraud, the actions taken by the IRS to combat this fraud and steps that individuals and practitioners may take to keep at-risk information private." http://www.taxlitigator.com/main/images/stories/Identity_Theft.pdf I have not yet read the article but the prior ones I have read are top notch.

Assume it's a mistake and ignore it, given that the amount is so small, would be my advice. I'm guessing it is a depreciation difference, but really, how much difference could it ever make on a future return?

Lots of CPAs don't do anything except accounting and/or auditing and don't want to take on the responsibility of staying up to date in tax law just to do an occasional return. Also, those 20% of EAs are probably retired, or about to retire.

One of the issues in ID Theft is people filing tax returns using someone else's SSN. The IRS has stated that taxpayers have the right to obtain all tax returns filed using their own SSN. Thus that fraudulent return filed using your SSN you have the right to obtain. To obtain a copy of any fraudulent return(s) filed under your SSN submit a Form 4506 to the IRS and ask for all returns filed under your SSN. Right to obtain copy of ID Theft returns is per IRS memo dated Jan 12 2012 by Chief of CI at http://www.irs.gov/pub/lanoa/pmta_2012-05.pdf

Ah yes, chocolate can always speak, in fact, in my house it usually shouts! And I appreciate that, it helps me find where I left it!

Who said there is nothing new under the sun? CHECK OUT THIS TOASTER! It toasts the days weather forcast onto the toast! http://legrandours.com/3924/647021/gallery/jamy-smart-toaster

We've discussed this here numerous times, so when I saw this article I felt it would be a valuable one to share, as it is very readable and makes some great points. http://www.forbes.com/sites/peterjreilly/2012/09/26/state-residence-for-income-tax-pay-attention-to-the-basics/

this seems appropriate to all you hard working tax folks...... TOP Song in England It's happening here as well and NOW Coming soon to a country near you!!! ( Bet Parliament loves this one!! ) http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=wq_lhlIn1e0