Catherine

i also want them to show up when they say. Delaying lunch because wife calls to say, "He's on the way and will be there in 10 minutes" and he shows 50 minutes later is NOT acceptable. Then the lady who promised to call before she came did not and I heard the car door as I was finishing my last bite of my much-delayed lunch. then they guy who unexpectedly arrived with 8879's when I was in the bathroom trying to fish an eyelash out of my eye - durned near stabbed myself with my own finger when the bell rang. Argh!!

Some of these "beware of your tax preparer" scare-monger articles also mark as "errors" using a 1040 instead of a 1040-A or 1040-EZ. Well, I don't like those short forms and don't bother with them. Far as I'm concerned, it's not an error; it's a choice. An error would be using a 1040-EZ for a non-eligible return. Garbage.

If there is ever a query, send the IRS the decedent's cemetery's address. Include the plot number...

I copied what I posted directly from a continuing ed class I took about a year ago, specifically on the tax treatment of ESPPs, ISOs, and RSUs, presented by a specialist in those areas. I have referred to that book and its worksheets dozens of times. No AMT income until the year the stock is sold. For ISOs only. ESPPs and RSUs get different treatment. Half the battle, sometimes, is figuring out *which* of these you have from the paperwork presented. Got some this year with the option grant and exercise dates complete gibberish -- and I mean gibberish; one date was given as 8./00/3772. With the period after the 8.

ISOs are odd beasts. NO income included when option is granted; when option is exercised; and no payroll taxes are assessed. ISOs get reported on Form 3921 (lucky you, it seems your client gave that to you). When the stock is eventually sold, the difference between amount paid and sale price is capital gain or loss. Nothing earth-shattering so far. When an ISO is exercised and sold within the same tax year, there is NO AMT preference. When an ISO is exercised and held to a future year, any excess of the sock's FMV over the option price must be added to the AMT taxable income for that year. There is an AMT basis adjustment that piggybacks on this. But if your client did not SELL that stock the same year (ad it sounds like he did not), then you have no AMT taxable income until the year of sale. Warning him about this future concern may help him decide how much to sell and when. Good luck!

You're welcome, Rita, for the expression used. It really does fit, doesn't it? I have one client -- intelligent woman, otherwise -- who plays STUPID every year about every aspect of her taxes - until she gets her review copy, at which point she has (WRONG!!) suggestions for a dozen or three items. So then she needs placating and explanations. Then she goes back to bone-stupid with signature pages. Instructions from me clearly state SIGN AND DATE the signature forms and return them to me for e-filing. So this year she does that, PLUS sends back the signature pages of her federal and 2 state returns, signed, "in case I need those too" along with some other garbage that was completely unnecessary. What did she NOT send -- payment. (That came separately, a day or two later, WITH of course a copy of my bill as if I don't know what the bleeping money is for or what I charged her!) whimper whimper whimper Whimper

Beautiful!

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.