Catherine

It's also true and complete so far as I know at the time. I figure it can't hurt, might help, why not? I did one extension for a client whose package of papers I got on the 14th. Haven't even opened them yet. Sometimes he owes, sometimes he doesn't; crystal ball doesn't say which this year. So I sent in an all-zeros extension. If it gets audited and rejected, at least I tried and maybe next year he'll send his papers earlier.

I got a whopping FOUR acks this morning -- all for extensions filed on Wednesday. Nothing for the earlier-than-Wednesday ones, nothing for yesterday's, nothing for the other Wednesday files. If there aren't more this afternoon, I'd best go to the EFC and see if they even GOT the others. Not what I had planned for today. Grump.

Just MARVELOUS!!! Thank you!

You'll make it through May 3rd!! One of my husband's best friends (since grade school) got HIS pilot's license on his 16th birthday. He's been a professional pilot all his life (in his late 50's now). The two of them used to fly from Los Alamos down to Santa Fe and Albuquerque just for the heck of it after school....

Yeah, I get extensions for all my MIA's. Most of 'em are folks who still haven't filed for 2008 - but I know eventually they'll show up, papers in hand and sheepish looks on face, with yet more tales of how life gets complicated. A couple may have been one-timers who don't come back, but it's not going to hurt them. Don't worry, Rita, they still love you. On the trivia side, I woke up later than usual - but it's raining here so it's darker than most mornings, plus Gwen & I didn't hurry back from the contra dance (which itself ran a little late); we spent some time chatting with folks. Finally hauled in well after 11 (by which time I've usually turned into a pumpkin and gone to sleep).

Hope your surgery goes extremely smoothly and that whatever it is meant to address is then fixed completely! Once you're feeling recovered, -please- let us know how you're doing.

I just connected, but no acks AND no "fatal error" message. Right now I want them to process what they've got in-house; I can wait for acks. BTW, Jack - I believe your sig quote is from PJ O'Rourke.

Booger, I hope you and the missus have a WONDERFUL time in your cabin, getting reacquainted. My husband and I each took some time off this morning to go off for rifle practice (league starts a week from Saturday, and the forecast for tomorrow and this weekend is for cold, windy rain - blech!). After dealing with a few accounting client queries this afternoon, I just e-filed my last 4 extensions. All folks from whom I was expecting 8879's, but they didn't come in today's mail and they're all folks who don't really have access to a fax machine. So I am DONE! Now I can turn my attention to prepping for my OIC meeting (still waiting to hear when, all I know for sure is that it will NOT be convenient), and a 90-day letter on an '07 return a new client just brought last night when she picked up her '09's. First I'd heard about an issue with 2007! Sigh. Came with a brand-new 4" high stack of paper records, too. I'm still taking my bike out of storage next week, AND planting my peas. Then I'll look at my extended folks in early May and see how many I can polish off. Catherine

Me either. Actually, not quite true. Not getting acks, but also not getting the "fatal error" message anymore. So I guess that's progress of a sort.

Still down and I'm getting a "fatal error prevents further communication with the servers at this time" message. Very comforting - NOT. However, they did take in one last extension this morning. I'm content with that (and it's why I try to have extensions filed by 4/10, but I didn't know these folks were coming back 'til last night). Every year, some company (or the IRS) has server problems on the 14th & 15th. And every year, the IRS gives special dispensation for returns and extensions that got caught in the mess. So I wouldn't sweat it too much. Catherine

I love you, Rita. (And you, too, Booger darling.)

I ran into it on a couple of old MA returns. Spent disgusting amounts of time on "ignore" finally to be told that Massachusetts DOES NOT KEEP old withholding info. So I extrapolated probable state w/h from what little info I did have and we filed. I'm sure they will magically find the info they claim not to keep and we'll get a letter -- but it's too soon to tell, yet. But you have my sympathies.

jainen, that's because there -isn't- much difference between taxable and non-taxable anymore. At least not on 4/14! A cold cloth on your head might feel good; you could try that.

Just terrific!!! And one more, told to me by a BMW owner: What's the difference between a BMW and a porcupine? With a porcupine, the pricks are on the outside.

Or point out even ONE of us who doesn't mind making a mistake here and there.

I've seen the longer version in the past; it is excellent. My grandparents and father came here (legally) from Italy. Two of my grandmother's four siblings died back in Italy while they were waiting for my great-grandfather to save up enough to send for them. I think immigrants are terrific. And that they should come here legally. And learn English. And either give this country fealty - or go home. Or get pitched out immediately once convicted of a serious crime. That said, it should also be much easier for good people to come here legally. My brother-in-law lived in South America for decades, and married a woman from Peru. They have three kids (US citizens at birth like dad but born in SA). When, after 20 years in various SA countries, with three pre-teens, they decided to come back to the states -- it took OVER A YEAR for my sister-in-law's visa to come through. At that, only after my brother-in-law's Senator got involved. Ridiculous!! They also did it fully legally and my sister-in-law hauled the kids off to live with her parents for a year while my brother-in-law was here fighting to bring his family home.

I must thank one of my older daughter's friends for passing these along to me.... I got a chuckle out of them and am glad y'all did, too. Time to herd up them tax form ponies and ride off into the sunset.

Just making a guess here -- can you report on an accrual basis and "accrue" or "encumber" the attorney etc. costs that actually get paid after the turn of the fiscal year?

"I reckon I'll have me a half-caf double latte with a twist. IN A DIRTY MUG!" "Gentlemen, rather than get caught up in mindless reaction, let's draw upon our feminine selves for a more intuitive solution." "Can we postpone this duel till 12:05? I gotta use the little boys room." "Let's see... hardtack and pemmican... that's three grams of fat, seven grams of protein, and two starches." "You 'n' Slim round up them strays, and I'll tell Cookie to get started on the gazpacho and the fondue." "That's him! That's the yella-bellied varmint who shot my therapist!" "He was a strong man, a good marshal, and I reckon he had a keen eye for interior decoration." "Hey, Buck, do these chaps make my butt look big?" "It's like I keep tellin' ya, Earl: men is from Tombstone, women is from Dodge."

That's a standard problem with Microsoft OS computers and lots of programs based heavily on Microsoft-type engines. The programs use resources, but do not "let go" of those resources fully when they're done with them. Eventually, the tags of little interconnected bits that weren't fully released make the whole thing grind to a crawl as the machine slowly drowns in its' own garbage. Rebooting the program at least and the computer too if just the program doesn't help (enough) will fix it. Catherine

I don't know about the NM extension, but I will say that the NM return has better and more reliable flow-throughs from the Federal. I always have a bunch of corrections and adjustments to do with MA (especially that &*$%# health care form - that one frequently needs over-rides), but NM meshes well and extracts most of what it needs seamlessly. Catherine

My cousin sent me this clip. It is astounding, but also reminds a bit of what our clients expect US to do each year.... It's in Chinese, but you don't need the words to follow magic. Magic

Dear Client (who never showed up last week as announced): First, I wish to thank you most sincerely for not showing up (without notice or warning) last week - after announcing the prior day that I should expect you (not asking, announcing). At this time of the tax season, ANY extra time to work on returns is truly appreciated. I noticed this morning that you sent me an email at 1AM informing me that you would be dropping off papers today at 3PM; would I be here? Well, the answer unfortunately is "no" (my daughter has an afternoon activity and I will be a taxi driver at that time), but you can surely put those documents through the mail slot, and they will be here, safe and secure, until I get back later on. I promise not to step all over them when I return. In answer to your question of will I be able to file your returns by 4/15, the answer again is "no". It's good that you noted that an extension was OK, as I filed one for you last week. And at the moment I do not recall why your tax preparation bill last year was $383, or if this year's bill will be about the same - but be certain that I will be looking into this issue as the most important one of my day.

I had a client who got a state refund for $1. He was very amused; said it was the most enjoyment he'd gotten out of a dollar in a long time.

Hope you have a VERY