Catherine

I put thru an extension a couple hours ago and got a state ack back just now.

You're welcome!! Hope you find it as much fun as I do! My daughter and I were in the background on an intro shot for NECN (New England Cable News) for about ten seconds. It was taken at the noontime Tea Party in Boston and shown around 4PM (she saw it, it was over by the time I got to the TV). My husband is at the afternoon Tea Party and they are tossing tea casks into the harbor. Thank you Upton Tea Importers for the casks! (Great tea company and fabulous prices, by the way -- I've gotten most all my tea from them for years.) Catherine

I had a guy email me this morning, referred by an existing client. Can I help him; he hasn't filed in five years. Sure I can help him -- but not today!!! And I have to do payroll reports for a client; next!

Thanks for posting; I started that a day or two ago but it never occurred to me to warn others!

I am reminded of the scene from "Mulan" where Mushu the little dragon bites one of the companions so Mulan can get out of the pond without them seeing she is female. He uses a toothbrush and an entire tube of toothpaste, exclaiming, "That was VILE, VILE, I tell you!" as only Eddie Murphy can do. :P

I always do our return FIRST every year -- I use it as a software test, and to get to know any new quirks for the year. I always find lots of "gotchas" in the Massachusetts flow-through-but-don't areas, and note to watch them in client returns. Sorry. Catherine

Many, many thanks to all my dear friends on this board. I could NOT run my one-person shop without you! The assistance, camaraderie, good (-and- bad) jokes, the occasional chance to help someone else, the understanding of what-why-when-where-how of the gripes -- it all means SO MUCH. I am so very grateful for you all. I'll be here even after tax season, as the extensions get plodded through, but I know that many of you will be back only next season. So, with all my best wishes for a GREAT rest of the year, I remain your friend, Catherine

Margaret -- AFTER 4/15, I would love to hear what ATX said about stuff not flowing to the Mass E3. I've never gotten _anything_ even vaguely useful or coherent on that type of issue.

Hang in there, JB!! And have a great trip.

ROTFLMAO in response to Margaret and Ray in Ohio!!! I don't think my husband would take too kindly to the "get a room" comment, however. I have been extremely amused by the protestations of love from Booger, but certainly don't take them as anything other than a continuing gag! Booger, I hope I haven't broken your heart..... Catherine

THAT's something I need to investigate ASAP. My Caller ID has been sporadic for this whole tax season. Sometimes it works just fine -- other times not at all. The times it doesn't work is of course the time someone calls and does NOT leave me a phone number, and then I have to dig it out of my files. Thanks for the reminder!

Another reason is if you want to do non-management-only financial statements or audits -- and EA can't do those but a CPA can. I know several people who have both designations, and they like it that way , for whatever reason. Some got the EA first, others the CPA first. So they must have specific reasons to want one or the other. Most of the CPA's I know think I was crazy to sit for the EA exam; they're scared of it! However, getting a CPA wasn't possible for me. My degree is Earth & Materials Sciences, not accounting, and I could no longer stand to work for a "regular" company long enough to meet the work requirements anyway. Catherine

Heard back from these folks -- a new twist! Her name was correct. But the ITIN I had was her _Canadian_ tax ID number! Now I have the US number, and the extension has been re-submitted. Interesting that last year's paper-filed return went through with that same Canadian number with no hitch. They also have a coupon to mail, so if this submission gets rejected there is a backup in place that just requires an email from me, saying "Mail it!" Thank you all for all your suggestions; they've gone on my "list of stuff to check for" for future errors. Catherine

Booger my darling, my love for you will also not diminish. I have some complicated returns on extension that may well require questions of the group (some possibly of the "sanity check" kind -- to which my daughter would say, "don't bother, Mom, we know about your sanity already"). Besides, this group is comprised of my friends and colleagues -- who else am I going to talk to during the workday? My computer? --Oh, wait; I do that already. See my daughter's potential comment, above. So, tired but still amorous Booger, be comforted. I will still be here electronically. As for this season, everyone left is on extension -- including the one partnership return that has been finished since 3/13 and waiting -- the guy will come pick it up around 9PM tonight (I didn't tell _him_ it was on extension! LOL). Time to take a small break and then come back and finish folks up! My accounting clients will be glad to see me back, too. (I hope!) Catherine

Thanks everyone from VMSUS for being available today!

After tax season, I work on extensions and get back to my understanding but sorely neglected accounting clients. And I work in my garden for a solid week (coinciding with my daughter's week off of school, 20-24 Apr this year). And I'll train for the bike trip in Idaho in July my sister-in-law sweet-talked me into taking with her. Then I'll call the electrician to fix some wiring that's been waiting for me to have time to deal, and get my new kitchen faucet installed, and get the house clean, and finish up my stone wall that didn't quite get finished last fall, and go rifle shooting with my husband, and send off my older daughter's college deposits (once she decides where to go!), and.... and..... and...... ack! too much already! :spaz:

I've got to get better at taking care of myself -- but it sounds like I have company in this! The Skittles in my desk drawer are NOT substitutes for real food. Or the Necco wafers, either. -C

Federal extension was rejected for "Spouse SSN and the Name Control for the tax document must match the corresponding data in the IRS Master File." Now what? I have triple and quadruple-checked the name/SSN I have with the prior-year return. Wife did NOT change her name when she married and she got her ITIN years ago when here as a grad student. (Foreign couple; he's here on a visa, she and the kids are here as dependents, came here ~Sept 07; paper filing was accepted last year with no trouble but prior preparer never applied for ITIN's for the kids which is why the extension request this year.) Admittedly, they're getting a refund, but is there something more I should so here? Thanks! Catherine

"Demo's" are frequently really personal use; she "bought" the stuff at cost if she uses it herself. "Quite a bit" as sales gifts -- how much? Sounds fishy -- get it clearly, in writing from her, so you don't get blamed for "mistakes" when they get the audit notice. And definitely don't file this one without getting paid first. Catherine

Fix rejects up until the 20th, I believe. I've only had two extensions reject (and both came back fast), for name/SSN mismatch. One was a woman who changed her name and didn't tell the SSA, the other was a kid filing first time. Catherine

You're welcome! I've been doing a lot of these the last couple of days.... ;)

Yes, but you will need the client's bank routing number and account number. On the extension, go to the "efile info" tab. Scroll down to the extension bank information section and fill out. Check the "direct debit" box in the extension payment options just above. Catherine

Durn tootin' get those priorities in line. Have a GREAT time with your daughter, and good luck to her in figuring out where she wants to go! Catherine

That early? If we start to include the effects of unfunded mandates, unfunded entitlements, and deficits, the annual tax freedom day will be sometime about thirty years hence.

Y'know, I don't really mind the same old procrastinators every year. I can depend on them being late, I know they'll extend, etc. And they know they procrastinate and don't try to blame me or pressure me for their lateness. Stretches out the season, and they're grateful that I don't fuss at them. The ones that drive me nuts and the ones that rush in just inside my "won't guarantee to finish if I don't have docs" deadline, then it turns out information is missing, and they stall on that while still pressuring me to finish. One lady called me on Easter Sunday (she was supposed to get the last docs to me by 4/2 drop-dead latest), and proceeded to harangue me for about a half hour over why she had to pay so much with an extension. Well, when your income just about doubles but you don't increase withholdings, surprise!! I was _very _ close to telling her to come get her stuff and get out of my way. She backed down about 20 seconds before the ultimatum.... she'll either be a really good client from now on, or the next time she fusses I fire her. Catherine