Catherine

I am amazed you managed to leave them untouched long enough to photograph them!

Like Judy, once I have good numbers I put info directly into Drake by hand. I don't trust imports and frankly have NO clients who do their own books whose QB files I trust: I see how many items I have to fix to get decent statements that reflect accounting reality rather than the "bookkeeper's" fantasy of how things work. When I do the books, it's all so clear and streamlined that direct input takes me very little time. Leaving me more time to argue with balance sheet items which I always find aggravating. I tried once, years ago, to import one QB file into ATX, to see how it went. Just *finding* all the errors took me about twice as much time as direct entry would have so I abandoned that idea permanently. I have found Drake to be very *open* to programming suggestions but not necessarily *responsive* to me directly. I sent in a couple of suggestions last year and got nothing but the auto-response (and never even got that from CCH). Then found some of those suggestions incorporated into this year's version. The K-1 import in Drake, from S-corp and partnership returns, is flawless and fast. I like that. The trades import from Gruntworx (or any excel file, I guess) is also very good but I try to make sure I make any changes needed (T, S, J coding, adding the state, for two examples) in Excel first because I can auto-fill there but not on the 8949 entry grid.

I am also very happy for you. Welcome to the club!

Thank you!

Kids live at home (local schools). Mom took out funds for two kids and paid for both -- but dad claims one and she claims the other. What a mess.

This on youtube looks like SO much fun -- and so pretty, too! Easter Eggs - super pretty

If someone is absolutely determined to file by 4/15 and I have to bump them out of the regular queue, I charge a "rush" fee (or something similarly named) and tell them specifically it is because other people must wait so that I can complete their return. Hopefully teaches them something plus reimburses me slightly if there are folks I then have to contact who expected to be finished. But normally - nope. I *love* extensions as I cannot see the point in killing myself to finish a return by a deadline when the client got me papers late.

That part I *do* have.

I send clients the link to the "where's My Refund" from MY web site - hoping they look there first, next time. A vain hope, I know.

Well it gets worse. There *is* no total. Instead it shows all distributions ever made from the umbrella account - for all three kids in the family. But if looked at by date (again, no total) it adds to $18K but the 1098-T shows $9K paid.

I *think* you have her sign, e-file as usual, and put a copy of her POA with the 8879 in your files in case there is a question.

Client took money out of 529 plan in summer for fall tuition, then again in December but paid spring tuition in January. So 1099-Q shows $18,000 but 1098-T shows $9,000. How do I present this so the additional $9K does *not* show up as a taxable distribution?

IRS Dragon small business card dragon (mine has blue crystal eyes)

OK; that is insufficient. You should not be losing ANY money on keeping this service going for us. I will be donating more, once I get my main computer going again (yes, my main computer seized up today, I think it knew I was thinking of retiring it after the end of April and it decided to throw a fit; I have gotten ZERO tax work done today and don't know if I'll get any done tomorrow either).

The desk at my home office looks like one of those post-tornado pictures from the midwest. AT the office, though, I have my dragons, my tax interview sheet folders, a pen, and a penknife that needs to be cleaned after using it yesterday to slice cheese for a snack. All the mess is in the drawers, since MA made it illegal to leave *anything* out at *any* time unless it is actively being worked on. But the drawers have cross-leaved stacks and I have to be very careful closing one of them since it's all up so high....

Here you go.

Will keep that in mind although I usually manage to bludgeon my way through them eventually.

Trust has LOTS of income - but none is distributed to the beneficiary. Trust files federal and state of MA returns and pays taxes to both. So - no issue when the beneficiary also lived in MA. However, she moved to NC and NC taxes trusts when there is a beneficiary in NC. I'm thinking I do need the NC return, but was hoping to get confirmation one way or 'tother. Heaven knows the NC tax dept. was clueless.

Balance sheets and Sch M-1 adj's are the bane of my existence for every client who does their own books (if I keep the books, no problem). I salute you!

Me, too.

The whole basis issue is more complicated than "the donee never rented it." IF the donee got the gift before the donor died, then donee's basis is donor's basis plus money donee put in to property. Donor's basis is adjusted by accumulated depreciation over the years of rental. If donee got the property upon donor's death, then donee gets basis step-up as of DOD FMV, plus money put in to property. I can't answer any of those issues for you as the devil is in the details and you have more of those than I do. All I wanted to confirm was how to get rid of the property on the depreciation schedule, in Drake, while not making a further muck of things.

Client is beneficiary of a Massachusetts trust. Moved (retired) to NC. NC requires tax return for NC beneficiary of a trust BUT -- what if the beneficiary gets ZERO income from the trust? What then? Tried calling NC Tax Dept. Trust section sent me to individual section sent me back to trust section where I got sick of waiting on hold (plus expecting drop-off client to show up). So I never got an answer from them. Anyone here know?

That is exactly how to handle this in Drake. Had a similar situation last year. No loss, no gain, for the 4797. Handle depreciation recapture for rental on sale of home screen.

as it were...

I have the MacNelly 1976 tax form cartoon up in my office. Everyone who bothers to look at it gets a real kick out of it.