Catherine

My girls came home from a trip to Alabama (a family reunion on their dad's side) and told me they saw a store advertising beer, guns, and bridal gowns and said it sounded like the perfect all-in-one wedding planning store (for that area).

I'd even say that the ammo is deductible (assuming he meets other tests) as that is an expendable (at least, what is actually *used*). Much like the clay pigeons at a skeet shoot, or the food at a Christmas party. And it's expensive!

People who call to leave messages on my *home* office machine at 8AM on *SUNDAY* get put on the bottom of NEXT week's stack. Cause I can...

Which I always rename to "Ask Catherine" (like Rita's "Ask Rita") -- and I clear that one up first. I do have an "other" income and "other" expense for little niggly one-time things that don't really have a good place to live I don't want to co-mingle with "real" information. For example, one of my clients rents space to "holistic practitioners" and once in a blue moon someone will write a check to the office rather than the practitioner. Of course, it's *always* their last check. So the office takes it and writes a check to the practitioner. That really has to go in an "other" account because it really belongs outside their regular accounts.

My extension date is later but not by much. Does anyone/everyone else have clients that RUSH to get info in by the date -- and have it be incomplete? Thinking that gets them finished for sure, when my letter clearly states ALL information received by March 15th (or whenever) or no guarantee. Just your W-2 and nothing else guarantees *nothing*.

If he takes clients and potential clients, or employees, to a full-service range (where they rent the equipment, give the safety lecture, sell the ammo, etc) for "team-building" exercises or to drum up business (like folks take potential clients to football games) then that cost is entertainment. His personal firearms, unless he uses them substantially for a business purpose, are not depreciable. Which question is actually stupid on the face of it, as good firearms tend NOT to decrease in value. My daughter competes with a pistol older than she is. (And kicks butt.) But if we went to sell it, we'd get what was originally paid for it.

Lion, my advice on this one is to listen to KC!! They come in together - or nothing. It sure does sound like he's trying to pull a fast one on her.

My husband says, "Once is happenstance, twice is coincidence, three times is enemy action."

One of my accounting clients has a cocker spaniel whose bark sounds for all the world like a chicken clucking. It is SO funny.

Turns out this guy is a prof in CA on *sabbatical* in MA and is only doing research. So Harvard (grrrr.....) gives him NO 1099, NO W-2, claims none of it is taxable. Withheld NO tax, fed or state.

I'm then surprised that there is no provision to trade tax returns every year. I have seen that provision more times than not.

I will ask (already sent out a query). Basically you both confirmed my original impression that the college's "word" on this is not worth spit; I need more details.

Huh? A college in Massachusetts is foreign source how? (Admittedly to me they sometimes seem like they are from somewhere near the orbit of Neptune...)

New clients; he has a fellowship from a local university. All they have is a pay stub, claiming the total is NOT taxable. He inquired about getting a W-2 or 1099 and was told they do not issue those forms for fellowships. I don't know if he does any teaching or research - or even if he is a degree candidate or doing a post-doc. What questions do I ask of this couple? How much can I rely on the word of this (world-renowned [in general but NOT in my book] ) institution? Thanks.

I think that before you can make that determination you need more information on the source of these losses. Even assuming the divorce decree says nothing (and be careful there; there might be wording somewhere about "assets purchased by mr X with non-joint funds will be retained by mr X" which could well affect this assumption) -- what if that loss was (at least in part) the $67K? Your client, mrs X, will be made whole, so she does NOT have a carry-forward loss in that case; only mr X does (but he doesn't get to double-dip and claim the repayment is an additional loss but that is not your concern). If the remaining 47K was all jointly purchased and held assets, then yes, half the carryforward loss is hers. This really should be covered in the divorce decree. That's what those horrific financial statements are supposed to be FOR; complete disclosure of all interests and facets, so things can be divided appropriately.

The other alternative is to purchase a new and fully registerable Adobe Acrobat that is a couple of revisions out of date, off of ebay. I've done that, too, and gotten completely functional software for less than 20% of original retail price. I do NOT care if the version is old, because I use only a small portion of the program as it is, and those bits don't change from version to version.

I haven't used the ATX payroll or accounting programs -- but have you taken a look at the Medlin programs? Their payroll system is slicker than slick and SO easy to use - and only $60/year. I have no reason to doubt similar for their (standalone AND work together) AP, AR, and GL accounting modules. What's more you can download versions to try and all you can't do (if memory serves) is print.

I found the ATX pdf printer to make relatively large files. I have used pdf995 with great success in the past (once installed, you choose it as the printer). Smaller files, other nice features too.

You can make a perfectly functional firearm, *today*, in the comfort of your own home, from plumbing parts available at your local hardware store. Any machinist can make specialty parts. One of the great advances in general manufacturing - swap-out pieces that fit any of the same model of item - is relatively recent. In the past, individual custom-made items were the rule, and owners of *any* machinery (whether firearm or seed drill) had to craft and fit their own repair parts. So this CNC machine fedex won't ship is basically no different than a machine that makes automotive parts, except for the open source software code.

If the cops took MY legally owned firearms and destroyed them, I'd look more than a little crazy too. Those are EXPENSIVE pieces of machinery, and to have them stolen and destroyed by the government (at gunpoint, by the way; the government does *everything* by gunpoint) would make me so furious you would *not* want to be around me.

Rita -- I am so glad that YOU are safe. And BTW -- the photo is beautiful. Scary to think of living with/through, but taken as art it's just wonderful. Once we get to May, you might think of having it printed and framed.

Lion, we all do the same thing. Hopefully with clients in rotation, rather than the same one year after year!

Yes, there can be timing issues with some types of options that lead to "phantom income" on the 6251 with a corresponding offset another year.

It's supposed to get to -10F here tonight - it's +6F now. Like a mild spring evening in Nunavut.... http://www.wunderground.com/weather-forecast/zmw:00000.1.71925

Banks can be stupid like that. We can't be bothered to do the paperwork, so we won't get our (depositors') money back.