Catherine

Yet, "silence gives assent" and I will not give assent. I thought there may well be something to "global warming" -- years ago, until I did my OWN investigation and concluded it was hokum for political purposes. There may also be those who read the emotion-laden and fact-poor tirades who will be swayed if there is no rebuttal. Or perhaps I just have a compulsion for tilting at windmills. On the bright side, the US Constitution study group I started four years ago has grown from 3 people per month (including me) to over three dozen (and not the same folks every month). So some windmill-tilting has an effect. Thanks, KC

It's a measure of how this season has affected me that I read the message thread title as "IRS Maintenance Outrage Notice" - doncha think?

Sat at my desk first thing yesterday morning to do "just one quick thing before I get dressed." Sure enough, a couple hours later I am still sitting there typing away in my pajamas. Ding-dong! Unexpected client shows up with signature forms. Oh, well. Couple years ago a client on extension came by unexpectedly with papers I had requested and found me digging in my garden, as full of dirt as any three-year-old.

Thanks for posting; I have been too busy to check the email address that CCH uses for these notices.

The hedgehog comment was where I lost it for about the 6th time!

This was my degree -- Earth Sciences. One of the first (and HARDEST) lessons for people to learn is that the entire length of human experience is the length of a gnat's life in the entirety of this history of this planet. At this latitude where I sit, right now, there was once a full MILE of ice thickness. Before that - tropical. Before that -- another mile of ice. Tropical. Ice. Temperate. Ice. Tropical. Ice. On and on and on the cycle goes for billions of years. Human recorded history barely goes back 6,000-ish. With _good_ records -- well, one could say maybe 150. However, there has been enough data falsification -- and enough just piss-poor data collection technique -- to make that suspect. One of the reasons I got into earth science was a book that came out in the 70's, by Carlo Ponti -- about "The Coming Ice Age" (out of print but still available in libraries -- I got it a few years ago and re-read it on purpose). If you read Ponti's book, you will see that he proposes many of the SAME solutions to the "ice age" danger as the global warming people do -- more and more government control - of population, of crop locations, of farming techniques, overall global governance (sometimes called "cooperation")... and this also shows why the main thrust of global warming frenzy has come from POLITICIANS and not scientists. "The science is settled!!" -- balderdash. Science is NEVER settled. Certainly not something with as many variables as climate. Anyone remember the articles about the "butterfly effect"? -- Go look 'em up; as THOSE are true. Tiny changes in starting conditions make HUGE changes in projections, even when the models are accurate. There are NO climate models accurate to the required level for the data they are using and the minutiae they are projecting. NONE. And I am a wee bit more able to assess those models than probably anyone else here on this forum. On top of all this, the data the warming folks are using has been FALSIFIED. There is a wonderful, roughly one hour long, presentation by Lord Monckton, (available on YouTube) showing just what has been done to the data. Go watch, and then draw your own conclusions. Also look into the history of the Chicago Climate Exchange -- see who were the early investors, see how many BILLIONS they stood to make trading carbon credits. Compare the list with those screaming loudest about global warming and the need to limit carbon emissions. (Hint: look for a former VP's name.) And for the CO2 being SO!!! high -- nope. It's been way higher, and not "just" in dinosaur days. Plus it is a TRAILING indicator, not a leading indicator.

Just fyi -- I signed up for Ruby Receptionists this year, to have a live person answer the phones without it being me. They have been a Godsend, and my clients have commented on "how nice she is" answering the phones. They also have confidential voice mail for those leaving sensitive information. If anyone here is interested, they can investigate at https://pearl.callruby.com/Referred.aspx?r=4M43QV NOT shilling for them -- but especially with all the ATX problems this year I would have been even more overwhelmed without Ruby to answer my phones. Catherine

This is yet another example of why I try to have all my extensions filed by 4/10. The LAST thing I want to be doing on 4/16 and 4/17 is re-submitting extensions that bounced, hiccuped, got eaten by the IRS servers, never went through because the servers were down... I'll chase all that before the 15th. Not after!

Dilbert; with a tip of the hat to one of my tax clients, who sent it to me today. http://www.dilbert.com/dyn/str_strip/000000000/00000000/0000000/100000/80000/0000/900/180959/180959.strip.gif

I would LOVE to stay with ATX next year. I am very used to the program, and the workflow operates the same way I worked back when I still did returns on paper. It's a great match for me. That said, I will NOT renew early. Saving a paltry $100 - $150 and letting them hold my money for a year was barely worth it at all. After this year's debacle, I do not put it past CCH to take my money, NOT provide ATX next year, and use the fact that they have my money to try to push me into TaxWise or something else next year. Instead, I am going to take some time this summer and re-do all my returns in Drake (and re-do the ones I've done in Drake for reason A, B, C, X, Y, Z... in ATX). That way I will be prepared to hit the ground running next season no matter what happens with the software.

What I have told clients who cannot pay now but who will be able to in short order (1-3 months) is to send int eh e-file with the "paper check by mail" payment checked, and send in the coupon along with whatever they _can_ pay - even if it's just $50. They'll get back a letter saying you still owe $XXX plus $X interest. If they can pay off in a couple of those iterations, go for it. I have never had a client report problems with this method. Anything longer than about 3 months and I recommend an installment agreement.

Think I'm stuck with AGI. Seems more than slightly unfair, to base tax due NOT on taxable income but rather AGI. Of course, no one (in their right mind) ever accused the IRS or tax law of being fair. Thanks. Repeal the 16th!!

Don't forget, Margaret, that I am also telling MYSELF to do this. It is SO easy to push ourselves too hard because we want to help people!! But I need to be better at limits and one thing I do is put everyone on extension after 4/8 -- that way whoever is done, no pressure to get filed; whoever is not done, no pressure to get filed. Tomorrow afternoon I contact the stragglers and TELL them they're going on extension; please give me payment info.

bump -- still need help please!

Lion -- wants them before the 15th, NOT "needs" them. File an extension and deal with it in May! If he really "needs" them before the 15th, tell him to postpone his vacation. That'll show you where his true priorities lie. Right about now I get pretty darned cranky with all the folks who have owed me info for weeks and weeks suddenly showing up with it and wanting to know "how long until?" NO. I refuse to make a total wreck of myself simply because a month ago YOU decided that sleeping late, going to the movies, or going away for the weekend was more important than pulling together the expense information on your stupid (insert whatever I was waiting for info on - rental condo, refi paperwork, stock basis...).

We had Wisconsin Gruyere on rosemary crackers with red grapes as a snack today. Heaven! My favorite cheese depends on the season, my mood, and what else is around. Sharp cheddar - yum. Muenster fried between two pieces of hand-made pasta dough rolled thin (Italian "grilled" cheese sandwich) -- incredible (and a boatload of work). Gruyere on crackers or melted -- like in fondue; ah! Parmesan and/or Romano on fresh pasta; who needs sauce? You expect me to DECIDE?!?!

Report total as on 1099-MISC, back it off on "other expenses" area, and attach a disclosure statement explaining what you did and why.

When I bought a new file cabinet for my office, I did NOT apportion it. Flooring for that one space -- I would call it 100% business.

Hi Kerry -- Great to hear from you -- congratulations on the TWO little girls. They grow up SO fast so enjoy! My toddler will be 23 in June and my newborn just turned 20 last month. I still half-expect to hugs at the kneecap level; instead they're both taller than I am. Those who know me in person know that's not so much... but still!

Error M.0074: illegal freeberbag in rozerbock.

Client has one of these with an accepted OIC. There is a Form 3439 (from 1991!!) that is required to be sent in annually. I need some advice in figuring out how to fill out a couple of the lines on the form The form itself asks for "Total income (adjusted gross income)" which itself includes adjustments, but the letter instructions talk about taxable income. Well, those are two different numbers -- one is before deductions and exemptions, the other is after. I talked to the IRS twice yesterday about this. First time I got a very nice man who must be quota hire for the developmentally disabled -- he tried real hard but could not complete a coherent sentence. Second lady did not understand what I was asking so after several attempts I thanked her and hung up. Yes I called the number on the letter -- that was one. Practitioner Priority Service was the other attempt. Has anyone here done one of these and can help me figure which income figure (AGI or taxable) I am supposed to use? Difference to the client is substantial and of course if he over-pays the IRS will take the $$ and run. TIA, Catherine

And send in the change of address form (8822?) asap so if/when the check comes back they know where to re-send it.

Yes, I let some clients do that as well. Every year there are one or two people who keep forgetting but eventually do send a check - usually with profuse apologies! And there are some whom I can be sure will forget their checkbooks; those checks usually arrive within a day or two. I have PayPal on my web site for those who wish to use a credit card; same set-percentage fee deal and the client does not have to have their own PayPal account and I never see their credit card info.

I also like the data import -- they have added the F/S/J, transaction type, and 8949 codes that we used to have to enter one-by-one from drop -down menus even after importing the rest of the data (that was _such_ a pain). Now we have to work on brokerage house export files. I had one with 135 transactions, Quick double-check before import and I found two errors. And hour and a half later of carefully cross-checking EVERY field in the bleeping thing I found four more errors. All were material - name, date, or basis mis-matches on a half dozen transactions, any of which would have resulted in a letter. Have to charge the client for the time (they're going to be thrilled - not) but we know it's right, now.

Just beware with Square! I've heard some horror stories of money getting held up for months at a time -- and they have NO customer service phone number.