Catherine

Hang in there; we all do it. Couple of years ago clients moved and told me the town. Left out the "north" in the town name -- at least, it wasn't in my notes -- but it was on one or two of the tax docs (most still had the old address). No one noticed until after the return had been filed -- and the refund check was sent to a non-existent street one town over. Took a while to get it right but eventually it all got sorted out. (Fortunately, it was a refund for less than $50 so it wasn't like the mortgage depended on it!) Now we laugh about it but boy did I feel like an incompetent fool at the time.

I played hooky last night and went to a contra dance. Feel SO much better today!

Piffle. Missed that part. I believe you can ask for a reconsideration. Don't quote me on that.

Appeals is next. A colleague here who specializes says she always puts in a real lowball OIC first round to get it rejected quickly and go straight to Appeals. She says that is the level where the people working have authority to decide anything besides "no" -- so why bother with the lower level? She has a point -- and an incredible track record of approved offers.

One of my friends (in NH) has a daily picture on facebook of the snow between him and his grill, out on the porch. When the snow pile is gone, it will officially be spring, he says. This morning it was about the size of a loaf of bread.

Have done that in the past, as well. Usually works! That guy actually found his info. Newest nonsense is a "nervous Nellie" who knows bupkus about taxes and plays stupid until she gets her electronic review copy (lives in another state... another story) when all of a sudden she wants details about nothings - while still demonstrating her ignorance and lack of perception. Latest: she thinks I made an error leaving the total tax due from an "earlier version" because it is not equal to tax minus withholdings -- completely missing/ignoring the PENALTY amount just left of the total due and which is the difference between the subtracted amount and the actual amount. Just bumped her bill $50 for that email.

And I've got a bunch of folks who want to file by 4/15 (don't want extensions) who are NOT giving me the last bits I need. I'm ready to dope-slap the lot of them and WILL hike their bills. Sending me the exact same consolidated 1099 that I already have will NOT supply me with the missing basis information on those two stock sales. Sending me the same information on summer care for the kid who's too old will NOT supply me with the missing info on the younger one -- I understand calling the wrong name when someone has left a mess in the living room, but when you are asked for info on Ron and give me a duplicate of the info on Hermione you're not paying attention. Or you've watched Harry Potter too many times. Et cetera ad nauseam. Argh!!

"Bazzinga" my... foot. We are not hypocritical because WE didn't start out whining that your post shouldn't be here because it gets in our way. Nor are we infringing on ANYONE's free speech or ability to not click on the thread. I see threads all the time (this forum, and several others) I don't bother to click on -- forms I don't need, states I have no knowledge of, whatever. I don't go barging in to those threads and complain that they should be posting in the e-filing forum or the states forum or the other software forum. And if I click on a topic that doesn't end up interesting me, I just leave. NT is the universal advance warning for "NOT tax." Learn it. Plenty of NT topics here: laugh of the day, KC's adorable pet videos, weeds, flowers, and spring allergies -- I don't see comments in any of those threads from you about how they don't belong. So when you make accusations of "inconsistent, hypocritical, simple minded political posturing" you need to be looking in the mirror at the time.

Shhh!!!!! Margaret's client does NOT need to know this!!

My crocuses are buried under ice that avalanched (as snow) from my solar panels. The last of the un-melted ice.... my poor shrubs got SO hammered. Next year I'll have to build those A-frames over them. My daylilies are starting to sprout, though!

I don't see why you cannot -- it says "lifetime" for a reason. Plus since not half-time not eligible for AO anyhow.

Also look for required state opt-out forms. Some get sent in with return, some stay in your files for 3 years. I try to keep copies for my records even of the ones that get mailed in (stamped "COPY").

You mean your real name ISN'T "Lion"?!?!?!? OK; now I have to go lie down with a cool cloth on my head. Such a blow to my world view! Seriously -- that's really wonderful work you do.

Many times, telling the recipients that their 1099-MISC *will* be filed, with their SSN area marked "Refused" and that means they WILL get a letter from the IRS -- is enough to get the # out of them. They are trying to stay OUT of the IRS's notice, not get a big red flag pointing to them. Also tell your client they should start mandatory 28% backup withholding on these folks IMMEDIATELY -- with the next check owed. What the vendor sees is missing money. What your client can rest in is that the backup withholding form (I forget the number) is an annual form -- most likely the recalcitrant ones will cough up the # before end of year and they can settle up internally.

More than 25% have missing SSN's: e-filing not allowed. Those missing SSN's *will* generate a nastygram to your client from the IRS -- warn him. And get those W-9's!

The day will come, yes -- and on that day, the first thing the client will claim is that you never told/warned him and so YOU should be paying the penalty. The higher the penalty imposed (and it can be $250 per recipient, to start), the louder they will scream. Which will be the time to bring out the signed paper...

While in theory they require the red forms, I sent them in on paper for years just in black. If you have a color laser printer, that might do it for you. If you get desperate, I can try printing blank Form A's in red laser-printer color for you.

New ones are easiest: submit a new file with ONLY those two. Correction: only the corrected 1099 should be sent. There is actually no 1096 that goes with the e-file; that's for client copies (or the rare paper-filers) at this point.

He just cut his basis way down, so far as I can see. Nothing reportable now.

I have a client -- another contractor, like yours -- who finally got me info for the 2012 1099's last November. I sent 'em out and e-filed them and charged him TRIPLE the usual price. None of that happened until I had sent him numerous letters warning him about penalties for non-filing and late filing. I think this year I will have him SIGN one of those to keep in my files. So do the 1099s and charge him double -- and tell him that next year you'll charge him triple -- and have him sign a letter that you write saying there may be penalties imposed that are not pretty and those are his responsibility. You can give him a copy for his records (not that he'll ever find it).

I have not seen this one before -- but then, even as a sole prop with no employees, I have had an EIN for years. Sorry! If your client does have to mail in, make sure you check the little box on Page 1 to paper file; it changes the bar coding (to I have no idea what, but the MassDOR computers read those bar codes, not the forms). And have your client sign -- and you keep -- the EFO (efile opt-out for MA).

Pre-MOST-tax. The tax portion of my business was still very small back then. I was still mainly doing small business bookkeeping. We had tea and the scones I made yesterday and once I'm done with the one more thing I need to do we'll have dinner then head to the match.

I guess the real answer to the thread topic, "Do you procrastinate on difficult or long returns" is being thoroughly answered by this topic being "HOT" for several days! I am SO glad I'm not the only one.... OK, back to those nasty returns. Blech. Today's news and excitement is that a client dropping off e-file forms this morning (yesterday pickup, wife at work at the time; he's 2nd shift) found a dead-and-torn-up critter on the front step. He thinks rabbit but from the size of what's left plus color of the fur I think chipmunk. Coyote would have eaten the whole thing; cat wouldn't have torn up so much -- hawk, maybe? It is also our anniversary, and the last pistol match of the season. And it's sunny!!

Also watch the other linked video on LFTR's. It's excellent. We don't even need mines for the stuff -- one of the most easily accessible sources of thorium is coal mine talings and coal ash from coal-fired plants. Turn waste into new fuel -- at _much_ higher energy densities than the original!!

http://xkcd.com/1349/ title: "It shouldn't be hard" and while we're dealing with changing all our IRS passwords, too... http://xkcd.com/936/ title: "Password Strength"