Catherine

@TAXMAN welcome back! Hope you are doing much better now, whatever was wrong (and that is none of our business, but I'm sure we *all* wish you well).

I used to do this, too, back when I worked for other people instead of myself. Not to steal paper! Rather, because it was a *long* drive home, and even longer if there were traffic snafus. No sense in getting halfway home to realize you should have stopped before heading out, and being miserable the rest of the drive!

The original patent filing shows it going over the top. Just sayin'...

@JohnH - got it in one.

Good advice at ANY time!

Ah, yes, you also need to split out between basis and growth. No, it's not simple - and be sure to charge for your analysis time. However, if you can get the client $2,500 in tax credits that lowers his overall tax hit by (guess the amount; I've seen $300 extra income tax to get that $2,500 credit, plus a couple hundred extra for your time) - tell the client he spent $500 to get $2,500; $2,000 more IN his pocket. They like that.

If you want to take the credit, you will *have* to claim some of that 529 distribution as taxable income. But you'll have to try it both ways; frequently taking taxable income plus a credit works better for the client than using non-taxable money and not taking the credit. There are already plenty of good guidelines in this thread for you to use, so I won't duplicate them. See SaraEA's posts.

The big problem here is that there is absolutely NO way to opt OUT of having your information sold. Grrr.

Unfortunately, they get away with it time and again *because* the outrage fades.

Also how many "we paid the tuition" payments were actually made by Grampy and/or Grammy. Those don't count for education credits. But Grampy and Grammy sure deserved thank-you notes and *really* nice Christmas presents!

Translated: we got caught covering our own hindquarters and are back-pedaling as fast as we can! Just don't take away our insider trading dumped stock gains - those are for campaign contributions (to *all* the legis-vermin)!

If anyone wants to read a real screed on this topic, I recommend Karl Denninger's article from today. "Where are the damned handcuffs?"

Depends on how good the "freeze" is. Several years ago, my husband and I both had freezes on our accounts (prior data breach). We forgot, and refinanced our house. No trouble. Four or five months AFTER the refi closed, one and *only* one of us got a notice that new credit had been applied for in our names. I set my calendar to check one of the credit companies every four months. They each give you one free report a year; this gives me a 3 times a year check. @Abby Normal you may not be a litigious person - neither am I. However, it is a step one should KNOW that one is waiving. And the notice is buried in disclaimers and fine print.

But we love him anyway, because he's Jack. And he knows jack...

You don't need nickels to Rita-hug them, though!

Sometimes it's nice to be reminded of features that are embedded.

WARNING for anyone who is thinking of signing up for the Equifax "TrustedID Premier" service. If you agree to it, you are WAIVING your right ever to sue Equifax.

Another option is to refuse to respond at all. I fired a chronically late problem client *after* sending him a "drop-dead date" by which I needed to have ALL materials from him. I gave him several weeks' advance notice, and waited a week *after* the date to hear from him. Then I sent the "you're fired" letter and *instantly* got a scathing, nasty, "how can you leave me in the lurch like this" response. I did want to respond - with a Rita-hug. After conferring with my assistant, I decided to wait a week and see if I still wanted to respond. Within that week, I got a call from another accounting firm, wanting to transfer records. I made *them* get the Section 7216 disclosure. Then I sent everything they requested, with an admonition to them to get paid first and to be stone-cold bastards about deadlines with this guy. My mistake from the get-go was to be lenient. But then, he was a hand-me-down client from a retiring colleague who had told me he was always a little late but always came through. The client took that leniency and over more than a decade turned into a real problem. The new folks were very grateful for the advice.

Prayers for you all! May evacuations go safely and swiftly, and may you return to find your homes and belongings intact.

So I just *think* about doing all that, instead. It's most of the fun, less time, and no down-side.

I have sometimes thought that if I could be sure to get through to an actual person, I would at some point like to do that. And then just breathe and moan into the phone, like an old geezer having a spasm or something. Except I can't be sure to get a sleazebucket; I could get some poor schmuck taking a distasteful temporary job to keep from losing their house.

These days, either one will get you pulled over. I think the dummy parts would get you more than just a stern warning, though.

We're waiting for a K-1 from my mother-in-law's estate - were supposed to have it weeks ago. Then I can finish our returns. Ugh. It has been an absolute albatross this year.

Or at least, never accept a thumb drive from him.

I have fired clients. Generally NOT for chronic lateness. For those, I simply tell them that they WILL NOT have their returns ready by the deadline and will have to pay penalties for late filing. Then I do them as I can. And if the holiday season gets busy and I don't actually get to the return until the first weeks of January, that's fine by me. However, I *do* charge a late filing fee which is hefty. Had one guy (whom I fired for other reasons) who never got me 1099-MISC information on time. Ever. Eventually I was charging him $20 per form (my standard) and $60 per form late fee: $80 each. He just paid my bill... don't even know if he ever saw the separate line item late charge. As Margaret noted, and as I have to re-learn every couple of years myself, we simply can not allow ourselves to care more than the clients care. That way lies madness. (And anger; a different kind of mad-ness.)