Catherine

Should be uninstalled. Security vulnerabilities that will NOT be fixed. Info here: Quicktime on Windows and article linked from this one (all safe).

Such tiny boys; I bet you can still fit all three on your lap at once!

Crap; KNEW I was forgetting something - thanks for the reminder, @joanmcq! Except this year will be very different (full-year retired husband) and I have to calculate it. I think that first quarterly is just going to be a few days late.

I can assure you they already have.

Well, there's your excuse. The wrong glasses!

Uninstall. That's what I did. I needed it for one support session; installed it just prior, uninstalled it right after.

When I really need to get stuff *done* without interruption, I turn the phone ringer off and close my email program. Sometimes all I need is a half-hour to concentrate on something gnarly, then I can reply to whomever. And I really like they "you're now at the bottom of the pile" tactic and will ponder using it.

If that's the case, just pretend she's a doctor! Seriously, I have several clients whose "signatures" are so bad you might think they were done by a two-year old scribbling. The key point is competence.

Yes; knowing when to stop, whether for the day or the season, is very important. With our computer issues this year, I decided to put in all extensions the first week of April. I'm still working, still finishing returns -- but knowing that all those clients are already on extension. So I am taking my time and working carefully. ALL my stress this year was March 22 - 30 with the computer problems.

That's good advice. I see all manner of weird entries in Box 14. It gets used for state-specific items, for employer-paid items, informational tidbits, and more.

Thanks, Judy. Issue for me was the wording in the IRS pubs that talked about an AGI-based "taxable compensation" limitation that said nothing about earned income/wages in their definition of compensation. I finally found code section 219(f) and sure enough you have it spot-on. And I was not crazy. At least, not because of this.

One or two more returns to file (just waiting for 8879's to come in). Double-checked all extensions yesterday and had them all but one or two which are now filed. A couple of emails to return, then I turn my attention to quarterly payroll issues. Oh, and getting my own QB re-installed on this machine. Possibly seeing if the boat anchor machine can be revived. Sigh.

Laundry to fully cleanse his shirts. Sunscreen since he's standing outside. Hand sanitizer between clients.

I have a similar case; clients had coverage, state dropped the ball. Kept asking for proof of income and proof of residence which were supplied multiple times. They are getting a penalty that they should NOT have to pay as they had been working to resolve the issue for months before coverage was dropped. State paperwork even states THEY were at fault, not clients! So what *is* the solution here: mark them as having coverage, and use the state letter as proof it was NOT their fault?

Bump. Anyone else have comments for me?

MA has gotten very fussy with no-payment extensions and back-invalidates them and charges late payment and no-extension penalties. They WILL cave on that if you push but for the most part it's not worth the time/effort to a client to pay me $100 to fight a $20 penalty. I think it's just the state's way of extorting more $$ out of people.

Older couple, retired. She put $6,500 into a Roth IRA for 2015. He earned $4K, roughly, before retiring. Taxable *income* is $84K-ish (IRA distributions) but earned income is his $4K. She has to take $2,500 out of that Roth IRA pronto, yes? Reading the pubs they talk about taxable compensation, earnings, blah blah but somewhere in F5329 instructions it says " Taxable compensation is your compensation that is included in gross income reduced by any deductions on Form 1040 or Form 1040NR, lines 27 and 28, but not by any loss from self-employment. " and that is WAY different from earned income. So when did this change from earned income to taxable compensation -- or did it?

They are getting a bit testier about back-denying extensions for those who owe substantial amounts. However, I stand by my earlier comments that if I have ZERO information, a zero-dollar extension is what I send in.

And last year's withholdings? I'd rather send in $0, as I have NO idea if clients changed withheld tax or even have the same job. Seems to me if I have NO information, anything I put down is wrong.

And then what do you do about a client who has given you NO paperwork by 4/15?

I do this, as well - in case the client never sends the payment.

They are different types of taxable income in MA> Carryover losses from prior years' rental will show up on Line 23 of MA Sch E-1, then carry to Line 21 of MA Sch E. Offset is to 5.15% tax income on Form 1 NOT to capital gain income. Gain on sale of property shows up on MA Sch D and is long term gain so 12% tax. Two classes of income; tax calculated separately.

I have a couple of these, too. have been training but one is super-stubborn. So this year I asked him about something unrelated and when he turned to look for whatever it was I asked about, I grabbed the whole stack away from him. It felt like victory. Went through one-by-one in record time; "Your w-2, the retirement statement, interest, dividends, your usual charities, re tax, excise -- yup; got it all. Great." He didn't know what to do. Hoorah!

Had one this year that contained a check for the 2013 tax year refund....

No, it means it's too scary to dare open!