Catherine

Thank you, everyone!!

I have wires everywhere, too. Wireless is all well and good and much of my hardware is wireless-capable -- but I _know_ that wires won't get interrupted when Verizon is out working on the lines outside, or when a truck goes by, or when my wireless router just decides for ten minutes or so that's it's not going to play with any devices (as my husband and daughter have all found interfere with the wireless here). I have all _kinds_ of excitement in my life, and chasing down wireless faults is _not_ something I need to add spice to my dull and boring life. :spaz:

Have a client who wants an installment agreement to pay their (much higher than expected) 2010 taxes. 1. Can we do this WITH an e-filed return? 2. Does the return instead need to be paper-filed? 3. Do we submit a 9465, a 433-D, or both? Or neither? Am I _so_ tired tonight I would cry but I don't have the energy. So I'm printing completed returns instead. But this client called after I left a message this afternoon. TIA, Catherine

It works with two monitors! (I have two.) My keyboard is crapping out, too -- the "m" key is intermittent, as is the shift key, and some others. A client loaned me a (used) keyboard but I've been too flat-out to install it! Ack!!

I learn SO much here -- thank you all! And good luck to you, Margaret. And to your client -- who knows; perhaps he was a good roofer who had one job go bad. After all, haven't we all here, tax pro's all, had a return go bad for bizarre and unforeseen reasons? I had one a couple years ago where SO many things went wrong it was not funny. It was 95% the client's fault (the last 5% being mine for not pushing harder after instance #1), answering clearly-stated questions in ways that were flat-out incorrect or deceptive -- but they were convinced that I was a charlatan.

I've had a number of clients with MFJ Federal/home state and MFS in other states (where allowed). I've always duplicated the return - sometimes twice - and put the spouse in question as taxpayer #1 and done the states from that point. Make sure you have the correct wages etc! Only place where I don't like this solution is the summary page, where I end up using white-out and hand-writing in the MFS state info. Catherine

There is a Freeware program called "WinSplit Revolution" that will automatically (but only when you ask) re-size windows to fit side-by-side on your monitor. Top & bottom, side-by-side, or four corners. I've found it _very_ useful. http://winsplit-revolution.com is the site.

Yay!! --Here's hoping it gets _signed_.

Everything was titled in a revocable trust that became irrevocable on the death of the grantor. Everything that (by the terms of the trust) was supposed to pass to the heirs, except the real property, has been transferred. Will look into the 8855 - thanks!

NECPA -- my sympathies on the trouble your husband (and family) is having. I hope you find a way through that works really well for all of you, and very soon. As for me, my "vacation" will be spending a few days in my garden getting in the early peas and clearing up the broken branches on the shrubs from this winter's heavy snows. Maybe get my bike out of storage, too -- I never did get around, last fall, to getting some spare tubes and a couple other things. I could ride down to the bike shop, get that stuff, and then pant my way back! We will got to Stowe, VT, for a week this summer. Probably the last summer with a kid in tow, as Gwen goes off to college this fall and may well be working in the summer from here on out. Catherine

I like the "can just anyone buy these" test. If you can get them off the rack at Sears (or Target or Macy's or Cabela's), then they are "normal" clothes and don't qualify. If you get them at Cabela's or Lands' End through their custom department, embroidered in a specific style and color with logos or names (employee or company), then it's a uniform. Not just restaurant workers -- I go through this _every_ year with a client who works at a hair salon that requires black slacks and black top. "But I'd _never_ wear this!" she whines. "It doesn't matter that they are not to your taste or style. You bought them off the rack at Kohl's; they do NOT count," is my reply.

"Not suitable for street wear" is NOT the same thing as "cannot be worn in the street". Hospital scrubs can be worn outside of hospitals/medical offices (frequently by people on their way to/from work) -- but no one mistakes them for "normal" clothing. A shirt with the "SUBWAY" logo emblazoned on it is 1) obviously a uniform and 2) free advertising for the chain. The situation would be different if it were, say, just polo shirts in red (or blue, or green) with no logo.

Hi folks -- have a situation that has me flummoxed. Client got a K-1 from an estate -- only items are final year deductions (Lines 11 A, B, and C -- final year excess deductions for Schedule A, short-term capital loss on Sch D line 5, and long-term capitol loss on Sch D Line 12). OK; no big deal, got it. There are NO other entries on the Federal K-1. Then we get to the NY K-1. Starts with a paragraph stating, "As a beneficiary of a NY Estate, you may be subject to state tax on your NY source income. See K-1 for NY. Information provided to assist in preparation of MA tax return." Then below, it shows: 5.3% Income Dividends $14 Other non-Massachusetts interest $1,203 After that, there is the actual NY K-1 showing short-term capital loss of $5 and long-term capital loss of $13K in the NY non-resident beneficiary information section. Now this looks, at first glance, like there is reportable interest and dividends in MA -- until you get to the K-1 itself, which shows nothing of the sort. Does anyone here have a clue as to why the NY K-1 instruction LETTER shows income where the actual NY K-1 shows nothing but capital losses? TIA, Catherine

Is student in first four years of college and not still in high school? Is student in degree-awarding program? Is student at least half-time? Were amounts paid for 2010 or first three months of 2011? If yes to all of the above and the student does NOT have a felony drug conviction, then AOC should be fine. And just FYI -- many 1098-T's are full of nonsense and bogus information anyway. When in doubt, get exact figures from parents and student (check copies, credit card statements) and a statement of account from the school bursar's office. Catherirne

That's pretty much what I figured, but wanted a confirmation. That's not going to happen for complicated family reasons that I don't understand very well. But I will suggest it to the client (again). Thanks, Catherine

1098-T's frequently nothing but garbage info -- they miss payments made, they "net" amounts out instead of reporting in full (but only inconsistently), they mis-apply which year (school year versus calendar year), and then they can get just plain weird from there. Get from the client a list of what they paid and any letters about scholarships - sometimes the bursar's office can give a statement of account that is close to reality (but won't include books). Add 'em up yourself. Chances are good that your client paid at least the amount shown out-of-pocket, and that the scholarship/grant amount was applied outside what your clients paid. Catherine

When the phone rings: Answer saying, "What's a number between one and ten?" Whatever answer they give, say, "Sorry, wrong number" and hang up. Answer saying, "Hi, is John there?" When they say "no", tell them "Sorry; must have mis-dialed. Bye!"

Have a decedent's estate on a 1041(everything was in a revocable trust that became irrevocable as of DOD). All cash/securities assets passed to heirs by terms of trust. What's left is a rented out house and some pasture land out west. Problem is, it's an area where property is just not selling. Trustee has renters for the farmland and the house and since they couldn't sell quickly (had it listed and there was not even one nibble), they're now hoping to keep renting and hold on until such time as it will sell for enough money to pay the realtor's fee and the lawyers for the paperwork. So is this still a decedent's estate? Has it morphed into a complex trust (not paying out rental income for complicated family reasons - and I've seen the trust doc's; payout is _not_ required)? Are we going to start getting letters asking why this estate hasn't been closed out? (This is only the 2nd year; DOD was 10/09.) TIA, Catherine

LOL!!

SO glad you found a work-around. Figure out the details a couple weeks from now. Phew!

Passing along random stuff I've stumbled across is _nothing_ compared to the help I've received here!

Restore point restores settings and removes program updates but doesn't touch data. If you're paranoid (and on March 31st, that is an extremely reasonable thing to be), do a data backup first. But restore points have saved my bacon a couple of times. Catherine

Use your system restore to go back to where the ATX software was working (two days ago?). And then leave the extra monitor to deal with after 4/18. Good luck!

There is a web site called gethuman.com (someone referred to it above, but as an app) where you get the magic numbers to get through to a human. It is not instantaneous, but it's pretty darned quick and doesn't require an iPhone. Catherine

Thank you, KC -- this may come in _very_ handy for a number of us one of these days!