Catherine

Got that, it's getting it to the form that's giving me trouble. I've done these plenty before, but never with sale of a business asset. And it sure seems like they've made some big input changes since last year. Catherine

I have a client who sold a rental property in Canada. He paid a number of thousands of dollars to Canada on the gain. I have the gain itself on Form 4797, but have not been able to get the taxes paid to come up on Form 1116. I've tried a slew of different ways, and I can't the the info from the input and detail pages onto the form itself without over-riding everything in sight. This guy does not itemize here. Any help appreciated. Catherine

A friend has ADD (so do her kids and her husband; it's quite a madhouse -- in the nicest way). In her kitchen, there's a sign: "They say I have ADD, but they just don't understand -- oh, look, a chicken!" We're _all_ there right about now! :lol:

Ooh -- I tried it left hand/left foot after your note and I could do it without reversing!! And when I concentrated REAL hard, I did it right side as well -- but only once out of a half-dozen or more tries. And I mean _concentrate_ -- eyes crossed and like my life depended on it. It's so much less difficult on the non-dominant side; wonder what the neurological connections/reasons are? Catherine

It's still snowing lightly here. We had 15" and spent a couple hours shoveling out. My daughter had the day off school and my husband took off a half-day so he could help with the snow removal. This spring, I'm pulling out a big round yew that is horribly in the way of where we really _need_ to be able to pile snow from the driveway. It's not a particularly nice shrub, and it sure is in the wrong place. Catherine

Even if it turns out to make sense, it will have to be done in two steps. Either convert where it is to a Roth and then rollover, or rollover and then convert. But you can't take a traditional IRA and, IN THE ROLLOVER process, convert it to a Roth IRA. BTW, the income limits on conversions go away next year (for one year). I know a couple of folks who've been waiting for years now to convert some tiny little account with a couple hundred dollars in it... Catherine

Massachusetts' governor, too!! The ninny is trying to get NH stores to turn over sales records of any MA buyers, so he can dun them for use tax. Not only does he have NO jurisdiction or legal standing, but he is forgetting four key items -- we have borders with four other states, all with use tax laws, and higher sales tax rates than we have! And they'll turn around and demand our records. If his nefarious scheme succeeds, it will send MORE money out of the state than it brings in! _Fabulous_ strategic planning, ain't it?

Drive carefully! And make a snow angel when you get home.

The only things I'll add are that, over the years, the ONLY people who have cheated me by not paying -- have been the ones with the sob story to whom I gave a price break. And some of them had been long-time clients (note use of the past tense). These days, I tell folks that my fees are negotiable -- but only UPwards. And that, when there are tons of line items (W-2's, stock sales) over what you would "normally" expect, I charge $1 per additional item. That would add $10 (roughly) for the extra W-2's. But three additional _states_?!?! That's some money to make it worth while. Not totalling expenses? Hourly, and estimate generously. That way if it comes in $20 less than the estimate provided, they've gotten a bargain. But $20 more invokes other emotions. Catherine

In general, pain that can be relieved by movement or change in position is _not_ the heart. But please be careful; my dad eventually died of complications from a heart attack that was much more severe in consequences than it might have been -- he thought it was indigestion and so did not go to the ER for over 6 hours. Catherine

Perhaps because if you don't understand the abbreviation, you don't have enough experience with the subject to express an opinion? I certainly didn't know what CRP payments were. But here in eastern Massachusetts the few farms that exist are far between, and not my bailiwick. I have never seen a farm return in "real life"; just some examples when I was studying for my EA lo these many years ago. I remember being startled (not surprised; on consideration it made perfect sense) by the disparate treatment of beef and dairy cows. I still use that as an example for people to distinguish between expense and depreciable asset. They all get it; it always makes them chuckle, too. Although I've never tried that example with a vegan; I suspect their reactions may be a bit different... Catherine

Still better than the folks who forget to tell you about marriages, divorces, and new babies. Plus -- perhaps there is excess social security withholding, so there really was a point to it. a Teeny-tiny need-a-magnifying-glass-to-see-it point -- but a point. Catherine

Ah, yes, telling us it's not too late to renew. And what galaxy was _that_ little tidbit thought up in?? "Earth to marketing, come in please!" (Nope, no answer; they're out of range.)

And if she's big enough to get a refund, you probably can't spank her, either. I guess having to wait for that refund to get bounced and a check sent will have to be consequences enough.

I have a couple of these folks, too. You either love them and get a chuckle out of them -- or you want to scream. No middle ground. (And sometimes it depends on the day they call/come in, too.) Catherine

Robin Williams referred to that, on stage, as the "Manson-Nixon" line. Ouch! :o

Very cute; thanks for sharing!

An NOL refresher sounds like a good idea. However, by the time any of us get any free time for one, we'll have become experts through our latest real-time course at Hard Knock University!

Wrong on both counts -- I've had one new homebuyer, and several people with capital gains. Small gains -- but gains nevertheless. They are out there. But there sure aren't very _many_ of them. Catherine

Thank you, taxxcpa. I fail to understand how a mere statement of fact can possibly be either "inappropriate" or "offensive" to anyone. There is a world of difference between calling someone a supposedly offensive name (like "guinea" or "wop", applied chronically to me in childhood), and calling me "Italian" (my ethnic background). "Political correctness" taken to such an extreme is well along the slippery step _past_ control of expression (First Amendment, anyone?) heading towards control of _thought_. And THAT I find terrifying. Catherine

Well, you _did_. You believed the chart. Silly Janitor Bob! No biscuit! You could tell folks "it could come no earlier than" with those dates. Then they'd think you did something _wonderful_ to get the earliest date! Silly tricks we have to play to keep from getting blamed for stuff outside our control.... Catherine

I had thought I was done with a NOL (and I also go back and re-check calculations against the prior-year software results), but now with the new law I guess I have to wait, too, and see if an earlier year helps these folks more. Sigh. Catherine

Gee, I thought it was standard practice with ATX. Every form you might ever need -- eventually. But don't hold your breath. Catherine

In addition to what version of form, make sure that your client keep copies of everything sent. And don't expect fast responses. I ran into a situation a couple of years ago where the W-7 processing munged up and/or lost W-7's for several clients. One set we had to send THREE times and the last time went straight to the taxpayer advocate I was working with after rounds 1 & 2, and he hand-carried the lot to the W-7 processors. THAT set finally went through. Catherine

I call my former-H&RB folks my "refugees". Catherine