Catherine

I have an ancient Kodak i1120 that I loved so much I bought a second on ebay. Twain compliant, very vertical paper path so almost no jamming, simplex or duplex scanning... the one downside is that the software is so old it's crotchety - but it works perfectly with Adobe Acrobat and Nuance too. FYI (and fyi for anyone else, too). If your scanner decides to write a novel, please let us know! Or maybe this one will last until the next appearance of Haley's Comet.

Thanks, all. My assistant is out next week (pre-arranged long ago) so we are concentrating on finishing up (and him printing!) all the big gnarly returns by end of day Friday. This one, if the client decides to act, can wait until after 10/15 at least. (Hey, by then my assistant will be back and *he* can do the printing!).

Most of the POS kiosks I've seen in restaurants look and feel like they NEVER get washed when the table does. Greasy fingerprints and ketchup smears. Blech!

I thought the "magic number" was $50. I will ponder a bit longer. There's another week if we decide to try to file a "new original" return.

Filed a return last week. Today we get an updated (note: *not* "corrected") 1041 from a trust. All numbers are the same except for a new entry on Line 5. I checked; it makes a $91 difference in federal tax (did not check the state return yet). Can we still file a new "original" return (which would have to be on paper, I should think), or should we wait six weeks and amend? I have known for a long time that these particular trustees were incompetent bozos; looks like they picked a matching accountant. Sheesh.

Both! Depending on which one is being looked at (fed or state). Which makes it way more confusing especially on a quick read while we're all trying to finish of the last stragglers.

Re-read the second sentence. Past tense "was" and it was excluded from federal tax when earned like 401k contributions. But taxed as income in Mass in the year earned. If they stayed in Mass, there would be no state tax on that pension but there would be federal. Since she moved to NC, she gets to pay federal tax *and* state tax to NC. Ah, well. With the lower cost of living, she's still better off down there.

I found it. NC Bailey Decision info

When it was earned it was funds excluded from federal taxation - just like a 401k contribution. But at that same time, upon earning, it WAS taxed in Massachusetts. So when it is received after retirement, it is taxable for the feds but NOT taxable by Massachusetts. Except now she lives in NC. Which seemingly has the same deal for in-state pensions, but I can find no information on the treatment of pensions from OTHER states.

I have a client who retired to North Carolina. She just started taking her Massachusetts Teacher's Retirement pension - and I can't find if this is taxable in NC or not. It was income excluded from federal taxation but *included* for MA taxation when earned and is therefore tax-exempt in Massachusetts when paid out. There's a bunch of NC info on the "Bailey settlement" that seems to be the same but only refers specifically to NC-earned pensions. I can't find any provision for reciprocity (which only means I can't find it - because neither can I find anything stating yes, this IS subject to tax in NC). Can anyone point to where I can look this up? Or does anyone know off the top of their head? Thanks!

I have gotten account transcripts online since I froze my credit. Perhaps one cannot set up a new account with e-services?

@Randall - you can try; it's not like an attempt is going to hurt. Blame the taxpayer for sending in paperwork without understanding what he was doing. I'm sure they've seen a ton of idiotic filings from taxpayers who were clueless and acted on their lack of knowledge. If they say no, you are no worse off than before.

Thanks for the reminder! Mine are all filed - but frankly, I had forgotten and got the few remainders all done by 9/15.

She'll let you live - THIS time. But if @RitaB offers you a hug, watch out!

The trick (which I struggle with myself) is *not* to think of these poor deluded people as "problem clients" but rather as "walking annuities" because of the repeat business!

Husband and wife for a rental property - sounds like a 1065 to me. Side-steps the whole "compensation" issue of an S-corp, too.

Whatever you think you should charge, add a 30% fudge factor to the estimate. Almost no one is upset at paying less.

Credit cards are another good way to deal with auto-charges. Although you then have a zillion logins or phone calls to make when your number gets stolen and you need to change it. Or even just card expiration date comes along and it's time to put in the new information.

Just FYI - Massachusetts imposes a $100 fee/penalty/whatever on certain entities (corporations, mostly but not exclusively) who try to pay their taxes by check. Interestingly enough, the secretary of state still charges a "convenience fee" on their online filing - but the charges for paying by check are higher still. Why they don't just say "the fee is $X onine and $Y by check) I dunno. It would probably make too much sense!

I attempt never to post online anything I do not want the world to see.

If one works with a small credit union or small local bank, the chances are *much* better that they will help. I strongly refer all my clients to small banks and credit unions.

For myself, I do not allow ANY vendor access to my accounts. I do have some items on auto-pay - each and every one of them payments that only I control, that I schedule, that I send out, directly from my bank. I recommend to all clients to do the same. If you read the fine print on those "sign up for direct payment!" agreements, yes indeed they say somewhere in the 2-point font size print something on the order of "if we think you owe it we'll go get it and if you don't like it tough noogies - plus we will fine YOU with bounced payment penalties if we take too much." No. Not now, not ever. I'll go back to taking cash (legal tender for ALL debts, public or private) to a local payment center before I let anyone have free access to my money.;

One of my clients *always* builds his own systems, and my husband used to, as well. Maybe it's time I learned! You can also pick the highest-reliability components that was instead of getting whatever was cheapest for the manufacturer. My Dell and HP machines have all had multiple optical drive failures - until I bought my own *good* replacements, that then work without a hiccup.

I was promised a call-back "within 48 hours" during the big 2012 season debacle, some time in early February 2013. I'm still waiting.... switched to Drake mid-season and only regret not having done so earlier. That said, I did love ATX when it was still ATX and based in Maine.

Don't let her fool you! Our Judy is *amazing* and her knowledge is extensive.