kcjenkins

While, based on what you told us, he can take the 'away from home' travel expenses this year, I think that YOU need to read Pub 463 yourself, before you talk to him. All the questions you asked in this post are covered there. I will just say 'NO" on the furniture, and leave it to you to read up on the other items. Like most tax questions, there are seldom any simple, yes or no answers, it's all a question of the actual details. Just remember, taxes are not 'fair' or 'unfair', the issue is 'legal' or 'not legal'. And the code is so complex that often three clients with BASICALLY the same situation end up with three different answers, if you give them each the right answer for THEIR situation. It's easy to say "that is not fair", but it is how it is. OUR JOB is to give each client the best advice we can, and IMHO to educate them enough that they at least understand that if they want Tax Break X they HAVE to follow the rules for Tax Break X COMPLETELY, and in the right order. I often use the example of a Home Run. Even if he hits it over the fence and out of the park, if he does not touch ALL the bases, in the right order, he does not score! Men especially seem to get that example better than any other one I've been able to come up with.

Amazing is right. I wonder how they had the time to plan and especially to practice that to the point they were ready to film it?

You were misinformed. I went from TTO down to MAX this year, and the DM is working just fine. I've only done three returns so far, but they are in there when I open the DM, and the scanned documents I saved are in there too, and opened up just fine. I did not have to do anything to add this year to the DM.

Pacun, I have to disagree with you on that, as long as his INTENT is for this to be a temporary job, while still looking for work at home. In that case, his 'tax home' is still the old home, unless he stays there over a year. The job does not have to be an 'assignment' from his old employer, to be a temporary job. Read the examples in Pub 463. If he took the job INTENDING to return to his normal tax home in less than a year, and his INTENSION is that he will not stay in the new location for a full year, then I would agree that he can take the 'away from home' expenses. Just make it very clear that this advice is based on his NOT staying on that job more than 364 days! And that it does NOT mean he can take them for the first 364 days, then keep on at the job and just stop taking them. He has to stop taking them AS OF THE DAY HE DECIDES TO STAY ON THE NEW JOB INDEFINITLY. GO OVER ALL THREE EXAMPLES WITH HIM, SO THAT HE IS CLEAR ON HOW HIS INTENT EFFECTS THE TAX OUTCOME.

Just imagine trying to do a return by hand today, given all the complexity they have added just because they know we are using computers!

Still here, just getting slower...... Thanks, Terry

And, of course, MAX includes both the CCH U.S. Master Tax Guide (Print and online) and CCH® 1040 Express Answers (Print and online). and, of course, don't forget the great free sources like http://www.taxalmanac.org/index.php/Main_Page

Is it possible that her Mom's name is BETTY SUE ???? :blush:

I tried to customize it, and it even appeared to work, but when I went back into a return, and deleted the old billing form, then added the new version, it was identical. Apparently they have decided, for reasons beyond my comprehension, that it should be locked to us. Not that I care about that, what I do not like is that the "Description" listing all forms in the return is now also 'locked' and can not be removed. I do not want it there, but so far I have not figured out how to remove it.

It's possible, but you do need to cover yourself by getting it writing from him. If he has unreported taxable income, that covers you, and if he has untaxed government benefits, gifts, etc, you are still covered. No need to assume the worst, tho, Uncle Sammy just loves to give EIC to this sort of situation.

The only way I know to make it fit on one page is by eliminating some of the columns by unchecking them at the top. I do not believe you can modify the basic form, but you can eliminate columns.

If you have enough use for this to be willing to buy software, TimeValue has the best I have ever seen. http://www.timevalue.com http://www.timevalue.com/products/taxinterest/overview.aspx This program does both federal and state, and is wonderful for the complex amendments, etc.

Now THAT, the IRS misunderstanding a question, is a VERY COMMON situation. Glad you got it figured out.

Thanks for the chuckle, Rita, and for pointing out that important detail to make it work.

I'm confused about your question. Yes, you can efile 1099s, you just need to create a separate client file for them. I suggest you read the KnowledgeBase doc on the subject, first, then if you still have questions, come back and ask with a bit more specific detail, what you need to know.

I don't think that sharing that info should make anyone have hurt feelings, I'm sorry if you felt hurt. I started out by mentioning that I was considering the $499 offer from TRW, but that if I could get the $799 offer that had been made to me back at the start, I would prefer to stay with ATX. She said she would try, and eventually she got it for me. Had I not read here earlier in the year that some had gotten that deal after the deadline passed, I might not have tried for it. That is why I decided to share the info, in case anyone else was still considering. I know there are members of our community who do not buy until Jan every year.

Just in case anyone else decided to wait to the last minute to make the decision on ATX, who went with TRW last yr, I want to share what I learned. I waited, debated, etc, and when I did decide to stick with ATX, I tried to call either Ken or Troy, as we had been advised to do. Ken is no longer with them, and Troy is now moved up out of sales into management [or maybe the other way round?] anyway, I got switched to a very nice person. Her info is: Justice Schenone 800-495-4626 x1216 [email protected] I asked for, and she got me, the $799 price on MAX, although she had to work it to get it for me. There is a $69 Processing fee, so the total price for MAX was $868.

Yes

We already have something from them, and it is good news on this issue, IMHO. http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-wd/0524001.pdf Based on this, I DO take the Part B premium on them, if it applies. I know we can not 'cite' it, but that does not mean we can not consider it.

Well, I can 'hear' in my mind's ear Pooh saying it too, but sure thought that Eeyore said it also. Oh well, we get old and forgetful, I guess. Feeling old today.

Wasn't it Eeyore that said that?

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Treasury-launches-debit-card-apf-3319072713.html?x=0 Treasury launches debit card pilot for tax refunds Treasury launches pilot using prepaid cards for tax refunds; less expensive than refund loans Eileen Aj Connelly, AP Personal Finance Writer, On Thursday January 13, 2011, 5:04 pm EST NEW YORK (AP) -- Low-income taxpayers who don't have bank accounts will be able to get their tax refunds this year on prepaid debit cards supplied by the government, the Treasury Department said Thursday. The department plans to send letters to 600,000 households next week, asking them to take part in a pilot program to put their tax refunds on the debit cards, which can be used to get money from ATM machines, pay bills or to buy goods and services from retailers. The Internal Revenue Service is aiming to reduce the amount of paper it handles. To encourage taxpayers to file their returns electronically, for instance, the IRS is not mailing paper forms to taxpayers this year.

After I retired, my wife insisted that I accompany her on her trips to Target. Unfortunately, like most men, I found shopping boring and preferred to get in and get out. Equally unfortunate, my wife is like most women - she loves to browse. Yesterday my dear wife received the following letter from the local Target. Dear Mrs. Samuel, Over the past six months, your husband has caused quite a commotion in our store. We cannot tolerate this behavior and have been forced to ban both of you from the store. Our complaints against your husband, Mr. Samuel, are listed below and are documented by our video surveillance cameras. 1. June 15: Took 24 boxes of condoms and randomly put them in other people's carts when they weren't looking. 2. July 2: Set all the alarm clocks in Housewares to go off at 5-minute intervals. 3. July 7: He made a trail of tomato juice on the floor leading to the women's restroom. 4. July 19: Walked up to an employee and told her in an official voice, 'Code 3 in Housewares. Get on it right away'. This caused the employee to leave her assigned station and receive a reprimand from her Supervisor that in turn resulted with a union grievance, causing management to lose time and costing the company money. 5. August 4: Went to the Service Desk and tried to put a bag of M&Ms on layaway. 6. August 14: Moved a 'CAUTION - WET FLOOR' sign to a carpeted area. 7. August 15: Set up a tent in the camping department and told the children shoppers he'd invite them in if they would bring pillows and blankets from the bedding department to which twenty children obliged. 8. August 23: When a clerk asked if they could help him he began crying and screamed, 'Why can't you people just leave me alone?' EMTs were called. 9. September 4: Looked right into the security camera and used it as a mirror while he picked his nose.. 10. September 10: While handling guns in the hunting department, he asked the clerk where the antidepressants were. 11. October 3: Darted around the store suspiciously while loudly humming the 'Mission Impossible' theme. 12. October 6: In the auto department, he practiced his 'Madonna look' by using different sizes of funnels. 13. October 18: Hid in a clothing rack and when people browsed through, yelled 'PICK ME! PICK ME!' 14. October 21: When an announcement came over the loud speaker, he assumed a fetal position and screamed "OH NO! IT'S THOSE VOICES AGAIN!" And last, but not least: 15. October 23: Went into a fitting room, shut the door, waited awhile, then yelled very loudly, 'Hey! There's no toilet paper in here.' One of the clerks passed out. If you don't send this to 12 of your dearest friends, your property taxes will go up, your stocks will go down, and your middle will spread. (How's that for a curse?!?) What? It's already come true? Then send it anyway--you've got nothin' to lose!

I don't know about your state's laws dealing with employee protections, but I know in my state, the employer may NOT withhold money currently owed to 'offset' much of ANYTHING, certainly not 'advances', 'loans', or errors made in prior years. So I'd suggest a call to the Wage and Hours division for your state, to find out what the state says the employer can and can not do, before you advise anything else. My guess is that the employer will have to live with his mistake, not take it out of the employee's current wages. After all, the employer was the one who controlled how much the worker was paid, and absent an agreement from the worker to "repay" underwithheld amounts, those W-2s would in most states be treated by the courts as valid TO THE WORKER, even if the IRS said that more tax was owed. Certainly, the worker did not agree to it being a "loan or advance" to be repaid. The boss can not unilaterally and retroactively create such an obligation.

The main thing to take into account is that the 25% withholding is intended to cover the fact that a large yr-end bonus can throw off the withholding totals significantly. So if the bonus is significantly large compared to the normal paycheck, it should be used. If the bonus, however, is just the equivalent of one extra check, or even less, as is often the case, then treating it as just another paycheck should not be a problem. Even if you 'teach' the client the right way to treat a bonus, be sure that you also PRAISE him for processing it through the payroll procedure, rather than just cutting a "Christmas Gift" check, as so many do!!!!