Catherine

I have one lady who over-withholds and uses the refund to fund her IRA contribution. It's the only way she is certain she can't use the money for other reasons during the year. I really dislike the tactic in general but for her it makes sense. She still gets her total tax line highlighted.

I will happily shoot at any piece of paper with concentric circles and a bulls-eye that is properly and safely back-stopped. When other conditions are also safe, and I have safe equipment.

My family will tell you that my temper is flash-in-the-pan. Something gets me royally ticked off, for ten seconds I yell at whatever thing has offended me (or some inanimate object for when the thing is a client or family member), it's done. Can't even remember it; don't hold grudges. I'm generally a happy person.

This link is to a Concord MA Wah Lum school double broadswords photo - from their online gallery; not my school. The photo in my office is the same pose but from the other side so you can also see the lower, horizontal sword. Also I am wearing all black instead of exhibition red. Concord broadswords

My clients get paper copies in a nice folder (the ones Tenenz sells), plus a CD (a nickel a pop) with all their original doc's and all their tax doc's as pdf's, all of those password protected (as MA requires). CD tucks in to the back of the folder. Original paper docs go there, too, IF they fit - else the client has usually brought them in in their own folder (or something) and they go back the same way. In theory, they can chuck the all the paper and just keep the CD. They all keep the paper, though. I do go through the return with every client who comes in. With those who get sent packages by mail, I usually send a review copy of the most-crucial forms by the file portal for questions first. (That - for the most part - takes care of the "what about all my donations to Goodwill" questions where my answer is "WHAT donations to Goodwill" and saves lots of paper. And aggravation.) Also in the paper returns we highlight neither the refund nor the tax due, but rather the "total tax" line (which I call "the amount they get to keep"), since that is what I want people to take note of. This - plus the comparison page - also helps when the inevitable "why did I get more back last year" questions crop up.

No NRA posters in my office but beside the door to the inner office (mine) is a photo of me with my Wah Lum Kung Fu double broadswords. Maybe on the other side of the door I should put up a picture of myself on the line at the spring rifle league matches. @Margaret CPA in OH you remember holding my pretty purple rifle don't you?

I should think that if the paperwork is dated 2015, then that is date of finalization. The date the papers show up has nothing to do with it. You may still want to wait for those papers, however, in case something gets munged up/changed somewhere.

File anyway. Starts the SOL and deals with an otherwise very weird year that might lead to letters a couple of years from now when everyone involved has forgotten all the details.

Not sure if I agree with Jack that there is no exception. This is one oddball case where filing MFS might help.

I don't use it; I have a file portal that comes with my web site (from CPA Site Solutions) that I have been using for years. However, I do have the Drake scheduler sync with my Google calendar, and it all syncs with my assistant's calendar. That works really well for us.

A few years ago -- but at least five years after the fact (which will become clear shortly) I was writing a check for groceries at the store. Without blinking, I put "1998" in section for the year. And had to void that check and start over.

However, I note the use of the conditional. Should. Yeah. "I want to live in theory - everything works in theory!" said the button for sale at the sci-fi convention.

He might not last until March, let alone December!

And you should definitely get 1099-R's for all the transactions. Report; easier than dealing with CP2000 letters.

Send out an SOS at the time and include your number. We'll all take turns calling.

Barnum was an optimist... so the answer to @Jack from Ohio's question is "not until the millenial kingdom at earliest."

I also appreciate the information and will upgrade to the 64-bit version today. In about three minutes, in fact.

While I agree with you, if I use that my state can come after me. They forbid the use of unencrypted email for "sensitive information" and not only may I not send it, but if I receive I am supposed to delete that email and inform the sender to do the same.

In general an inheritance is not income. Unless there is interest etc earned after a demise, in which case that portion may be income.

A number of years ago I grew a potato that looked just like the Yellow Submarine. We called it the Yellow SPUDmarine and I joked about selling it on ebay for thousands. But we ate it; it was yummy!

Sympathies on the problems with your mom, Judy.

I think Janitor Bob employs the right tactic here.

And yet, how much worse it is for them if we do not make that decision. They depend on us to know better and to act on that knowledge, no matter how much it hurts *us* at the time. Every one who has chosen to feel the pain and guilt, in order to relieve the pain of a pet, gets the reward of a special kind of strengthening in their character for so doing.

My sympathies to you as well, @JRS!!

Do you have any of the annual year-end Fidelity statements showing your contributions? Bank statements showing checks/auto-debits? If you can reasonably created that basis I would. Perhaps a Line 21 negative adjustment for "annuity basis adjustment" with a disclosure statement.