Catherine

Mostly same as Judy, here. I only use CWU for 940-series now - I even do W-2's and 1099's with an online service that includes the e-filing and mailing for one low fee. Here we use QB for any bookkeeping or accounting work for clients. Used to have some folks on Sage50 (formerly BusinessWorks or Peachtree or something), but not any more.

Except that there are also real estate trusts. And while there are "beneficiaries" they don't get profit, loss, or income passed through on K-1's.

Review (them or the attorney they hire; not you) the trust docs to make sure whatever is done is in accordance with the original agreement. After that, I freely admit I am clueless.

In case anyone wants to listen to my radio show interview yesterday (on the US Constitution, not taxes), drop me a PM and I'll send you the link. WLJA radio in Ohio had me as a guest.

Oh. I thought we were bashing the specialty niche of those who pay bills for elderly clients. Hugely helpful to their clients but the liability gives me the willies. For financial advisors - I know some really good ones. Completely outnumbered by the ones who need Rita's back yard post-hugging.

I cannot find ANY exclusion from income for student loan debt. However, any inclusion of income is dependent upon insolvency. So do that worksheet (balance sheet, really).

I would never bash those people - however, I also do NOT want to BE one of them. The bonding and insurance requirements are stringent, and the liability risk high. However, we cannot call them and give clients' names. We can only recommend to a client.

Unfortunately, without a Section 7216 disclosure, you cannot tell ANYONE (her kids, her lawyer, her minister) that she is even your client. The only thing I can think of is to ask her to have one of her kids drive her over for the next appointment "so that you have some help carrying those papers in" and the tacit approval of having brought her kid along might make it possible to talk to the kid. "Let's ask Mary's opinion since she's here" sort of thing. Nasty tightrope to walk.

I have had some small success in refusing to provide information to a *new* accountant until I have been paid. And one client contacted me after several years needing some crucial document and hoping I had a copy. I did - but would not look for it (anything that old was in deep storage) until she paid up. Paypal payment within the hour, and I found her stuff that evening. We were both thrilled.

Ain't THAT the truth! And the same ones who want to write off as charity deductions for their dogs, contributions to the local legis-vermin races, and some things you just shake your head at to think *anyone* could consider them deductions.

Side note - I said nothing bad about the client; these were all presented as techniques for successful handling. And not until after we'd had the discussion about his years of late filing penalties for 1099's and tax returns. And a chat about the tax lien on his house that was the final straw to get him to bring me the two years' worth of IRS letters - all for a matter that I could have fixed in an hour had he brought the first letter over on receipt.

Ever consider taking the huge piles to a laundromat and running them all in parallel rather than in series? Might be faster and cheaper in the long run if you really have a backlog!

I had just this situation; I fired an unresponsive client and got written authorization to give "any and all" information requested to the new firm. Told them basically that he needs to be handled with a stick, not a carrot. Work on retainer only, give him hard deadlines with heavy consequences for missing them, etc. Said my error with the guy was to be too nice; let deadlines slip and accommodate him - turned into chronically horrifically late (including late paying me by months and months). Said he'd be a good client IF they gave him the real hard-nosed, unyielding treatment up front, and applied penalties as needed. Plus lots of other useful tidbits I wished *I* had been warned about a decade ago. The accountant I spoke with (who was going to handle the client) was really grateful and thanked me repeatedly.

That sounds great except that I find stuff missing as I go. Like that dividend mentioned earlier. Everything else was set - but I had no dividend, and it had to be checked. In that case it turned out fine. But then there are the people who have stock trades and a quick check shows basis info - then looking in more detail later, either there are entire pages with no basis or they are noted as ESPP's or RSU's and then I need stock option details that the client did not give. Always something. I really do not understand how the big box stores do returns while-you-wait because of the missing items! Then again, I've seen some of their product (can't call them returns...) and maybe that explains it all.

Oooh, I *like* this idea! Of course, that would mean that just about ALL of my client returns go on extension... No matter how carefully (some of them) try to gather information, there seems always to be some tidbit or other missing (sometimes freight trucks full missing, too). One guy who is always very meticulous was complete except that there were no dividends listed for one company. So he had to go look that up - turns out no dividends were paid in 2016, but the research had to be done since there usually are dividends from them. That one got filed on time because he brought his stuff in early.

Yeah, I get to start the 990's and do major back-ups. Will set a task for tomorrow morning to get that first backup running. Unless I get inspired and get it going now.

Ah, yes - because with government, no matter how noble the intention (fraud prevention, here) ultimately whatever they do has the opposite affect. LOL.

Submitted my last two. Everyone else is on extension. Will now turn some attention to answering the "weird" questions and issues that pop up at this time. Such as, (1) "thanks for filing our extension. Once our taxes are complete, can we talk with you about helping to file our quarterly nanny taxes?" --Uh, WHAT nanny? Hired when? Using what to calculate pay amounts? or (2) "So why do I need to pay so much for my s-corporation? Why didn't it pay taxes itself?" From someone who decided to go to an SBIR "specialist" for his brand-new s-corporation, which bozos charged him almost $10K for annual "accounting" but never told him about the whole pass-through aspect, or told him that he was making gobs of money and might want to make estimated payments quarterly. That kind of fun stuff. Then print and mail out completed returns that were approved of by electronic copy of major forms, and faxed signatures. And include the bills for those returns! I did block out this entire week (after tomorrow) as NOT available for client appointments.

Well, there are always some die-hards poking around. And there are plenty of old posts to read to get a flavor of personalities. After a couple of weeks' recuperation, it starts getting more active again as people turn to their extension clients and post questions.

We love you, @Gail in Virginia.

We have a friend who wants a phone with Caller IQ - so he only has to bother answering if the caller is smart enough to bother with. Trouble is, I have lots of "smart" clients who think that a PhD in rocket science translates directly into tax expertise. Nope; sorry; utter lack of one-to-one correspondence. Go back to babysitting your radar dish, buddy.

"Better out than in, I always say" - Shrek.

We have a carrier!! Azone is a solvent absorbed through the skin, and will transport stuff with it. See http://www.bioline.org.br/pdf?pr09023 "Chemical Penetration Enhancers for Transdermal Drug Delivery Systems" by Pathan and Setty. Now all we need is the drug. Hmm.... I have a couple of clients who work for big pharma companies.

Toss 'em on extension and go to your dad, @Gail in Virginia. Heck - I'll be your volunteer temporary employee; send their stuff to me and I'll do the returns for you. Really.

My husband deserves a medal for putting up with me this past week. I have *never* had so many problems surrounding extensions. Ever. In twenty years. Nor have I ever spent a week ready to tear off *anyone's* head if they look at me wrong. I am past done, past fried, past zorched, and into the fully carbonized stage. All of you here - love you - we know what we're all going through. Thank you all for putting up with me. And if you want an address to send my husband's medal to, send me a PM...