kcjenkins

Of course, the BIG change is in the software. Early "tax programs" were much like spreadsheets, they calculated, but you had to know 'what goes where, and why' and what forms to use, etc.

Paul, I'm not familiar with MD so can't help with #1, but for #2, I'd use the LLC EIN for the Personal Property Return form, and any other form related to the LLC.

Time really does change our perceptions, doesn't it. Remember the first time you used a computer to prepare a ta return instead of ink on a preprinted form? Remember "overlays"? Or did you hold out long enough to skip the overlays?

Yes, I had a lot of truckers, and you have to know the lingo, for sure.

Got mine today too.

THIS IS FUNNY

Good point, Eric.

And when you use a Password Manager, you only have to remember the password to THAT,, and can, if you choose, let it generate the passwords for you. To remember that 'master' password, you can use a phrase you know you will remember, then get creative. For example, say you use the phrase "I hate changing passwords". That can become "iH8cHgiNPa$Ws" you will remember it, but it's going to be hard to guess unless you know the phrase.

And in case you don't know, a 'lumper fee' is the amount paid for the labor to unload a container. The people that do this work are called lumpers. And a reefer is a refrigerated truck, not something you smoke. and a "reefer mile" (which refers to the period of time that the engine for the refrigerator unit kicks in in order to keep the temperature at 41 degrees) is a separate charge you may come across.

I'm right-handed, but love both crossword and jigsaw puzzles, and puns and any other word play.

LOVE IT !

That's hilarious. Thanks for sharing it.

Marco, you do not use mileage on a heavy truck, you must use actual expenses. And you want to, anyway, as standard is based on auto averages. Trucks operating expenses are much higher. Elrod gave you some good links. After you read those, if you want, come back with any questions.

Well, that's a start, but only a tiny step. The whole department is clearly got a lot of rotten employees, based on the number of lost kids, etc, and it is really difficult to fire government employees, even totally incompetent ones. But hopefully, a new head of the department will want to get the spotlight of Justina's case turned off. We need to keep the spotlight bright.

Right, you get paid for much more than what you do, you get paid for what you KNOW. It's the knowing what to do, knowing how to do it, and knowing whether to do it, that is the value you are providing.

A tax preparer in Queens, N.Y., has been sentenced to eight and a half years in prison for stealing children’s identities and claiming them as dependents on nearly 1,000 false tax returns. Mahamadou Daffe was sentenced Thursday in Manhattan federal court for his participation in a conspiracy to steal government funds, theft of government funds, conspiracy to file false claims, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection with the preparation and filing of nearly 1,000 false income tax returns that he submitted online using stolen identities. Daffe, 31, was also sentenced for participating in a conspiracy to steal government funds, theft of government funds, and conspiracy to file false claims in connection with his use of stolen children’s identities to claim false dependents on his clients’ income tax returns. He was found guilty in January after a one-week trial before U.S. District Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald. “Tax preparer Mahamadou Daffe orchestrated schemes to file false returns on behalf of his clients and used stolen identities to deceive the IRS, all for his own unjust enrichment,” Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said in a statement. “His unscrupulous practices and flagrant violation of the law have now been justly punished.” According to prosecutors, from 2008 through January 2013, Daffe engaged in two separate schemes to defraud the IRS. In one scheme, he filed false tax returns for his clients, in which they claimed as dependents children who were in fact total strangers to them, and whose identities Daffe stole. In exchange, Daffe collected $1,000 per return. In another scheme, during the same time frame, Daffe used stolen identities to file hundreds of false tax returns, supported by bogus Forms W-2, through an online tax preparation service intended for use by individual taxpayers. He then funneled the resulting refunds into numerous bank accounts he controlled—accounts in his own name, the names of co-conspirators, and the names of aliases that Daffe and his co-conspirators used. Daffe’s crimes resulted in an estimated loss to the IRS of more than $1.5 million, during which he attempted to steal more than $4.5 million from the government. In addition to the prison term Daffe was also sentenced to three years of supervised release.

Are you talking about the two I posted in the thread "If I could change one thing about ATX" ? Post 6 and 7?

This is SO RIGHT. It can be a 'New client' discount, a 'Hard Knocks' discount, a 'Thanks for your service' discount [i gave that all the time at 100%], a 'Police' discount, etc, but do bill the return at full price, so that they know the full normal price. It's only fair, since they may refer friends to you, and those will be expecting the same deal.

It's always embarrassing to have to admit a mistake, even one made by an employee, but I tend to agree with JohnH and Michael, just face it but don't let it eat you up. We are human, and unless it was a new client, odds are good you will be forgiven, altho it might take a little time.

This one shows some real creative thinking. He helped two client businesses reduce their taxes by making up bogus 1099s, which is not that unusual. What was 'creative' was that he then used those bogus 1099s to create bogus returns for other clients to get them bogus EITC. This went on for 5 years. I'm really curious how he got caught. Columbus, Ohio: Preparer Fatma Ali, 39, has been charged with two counts of conspiracy to defraud the IRS and 48 counts of willfully aiding and assisting in the preparation and filing of false federal income tax returns, and was among five individuals indicted in a conspiracy to defraud the IRS with false returns. According to the indictment, Ali, a preparer for Speedia Tax Services, joined another of the indicted individuals in allegedly helping to prevent the IRS from computing and collecting income taxes from the local company Health Empowerment Partners LLC, between January 2011 and March 2012, and joined with two other indicted individuals in a similar scam involving taxes of the local company Better Home Care Services Inc., between January 2008 and October 2011. Ali allegedly created false 1099s in the names of “other” taxpayers that claimed a portion of the income actually earned by the individuals from BHCS and HEP, helping under-report AGIs. Also, amounts claimed on the false 1099s were reported as deductible business expenses. Although the “other” taxpayers did not actually receive the income shown on the false 1099s, Ali allegedly prepared returns for them that claimed this income as their own, enabling unwarranted tax credits. Between April 2008 and April 2012, Ali allegedly prepared false 1099s reflecting income received and expenses claimed by employees of BHCS and HEP that were included with the returns for persons not employed by those companies. Conspiracy to defraud the IRS carries a maximum of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Willfully aiding and assisting in the preparation and filing of false federal income tax returns with the IRS carries a maximum of three years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

Keep in mind that when it comes to mortgage interest, it is seldom a problem because the sellers already KNOW the buyer will be deducting the mortgage interest.

‘Swimmingly’ Imaginative 5th Grade Talent Show Skit Has the Audience in Tears of Laughter