Slippery Pencil

I was going to state that it is one of their vampire superpowers. However, a quick google search came up with this, http://hughevansinvestigates.blogspot.com/...kalot-said.html, which claims that it is a product of evolution and that while in bat form, the vampire bats groom each other.

Thanks.

How can I efile an Arizona extension? The instructions say to check the AZ website but not much info on the site. The program doesn't give me an option to select the 204 to when clicking on efile. Any help you can provide is greatly appreciated.

Not sure what you mean by box 7. If this is a joint return, just delete the 1116 since the tax is under $600. It should then flow from the 1099-DIV input straight to 1040 line 47.

The problem may be the category. Above the form is a drop down box to select the category. Select passive and see if that works. If not, curse ATX because their 1116 is a freakin mess. I've made suggestions every year but they don't improve it.

increase his fee this year by $50 for having the nerve to double check with HRB.

I hope you're not charging him just for getting a second opinion, but for getting that opinion from HRB, where there was a high probability he would talk to someone who was incompetent and would give him wrong advice.

Atticus,

I remember that happening and you complaining about it back then. The program didn't carry forward the passive losses at that time. It was after that time that they started carrying over the losses (possibly due to your complaining). I know the 2005, 6, & 7 program all carried forward the losses. As is way too typical for this company, they have once again removed functionality from the program while increasing the price. There is no excuse for the poor programming decisions this company makes.

Have you reported this to the programers by posting to the 'Suggestion Box'?

I posted my question to this board while on phone to tech support. I also posted to the suggestion box while on the phone. After checking with the programmers the technician informed me that they did change the program so as to not bring forward the carryover. Another great improvement by ATX. The ineptness of the programming amazes me.

Client has a K1 from a 1065. In 2007 there was a passive loss carryforward into 2008. The 2008 program is not picking up the loss carryforward. Prior years programs carried this forward. Why is it not being carried forward into 2008? Is this just another programming "improvement" as ATX calls them?

Attached is a spreadsheet I compiled comparing fees I found on the internet of 5 different tax prep firms. It's about five years old. I tend to drop the highest and lowest fee and if my fee is close to the average of the remaining three I'm pretty comfortable with it.

Fees_Comparison.xls

Client has two qualifying children but only paid child care for one. Form 2441 says you can claim up to $3000 for one qualifying child and $6000 for two. It doesn't say you have to pay for care for both. Am I allowed to claim $6000 since they have two kids?

Code sec 21:

( Definitions of qualifying individual and employment-related expenses

For purposes of this section -

(1) Qualifying individual

The term "qualifying individual" means -

(A) a dependent of the taxpayer who is under the age of 13 and with respect to whom the taxpayer is entitled to a deduction under section 151©,

( a dependent of the taxpayer who is physically or mentally incapable of caring for himself, or

© the spouse of the taxpayer, if he is physically or mentally incapable of caring for himself.

(2) Employment-related expenses

(A) In general

The term "employment-related expenses" means amounts paid for the following expenses, but only if such expenses are incurred to enable the taxpayer to be gainfully employed for any period for which there are 1 or more qualifying individuals with respect to the taxpayer:

(i) expenses for household services, and

(ii) expenses for the care of a qualifying individual. Such term shall not include any amount paid for services outside the taxpayer's household at a camp where the qualifying individual stays overnight.

( Exception

Employment-related expenses described in subparagraph (A) which are incurred for services outside the taxpayer's household shall be taken into account only if incurred for the care of -

(i) a qualifying individual described in paragraph (1)(A), or

(ii) a qualifying individual (not described in paragraph (1)(A)) who regularly spends at least 8 hours each day in the taxpayer's household.

© Dependent care centers

Employment-related expenses described in subparagraph (A) which are incurred for services provided outside the taxpayer's household by a dependent care center (as defined in subparagraph (D)) shall be taken into account only if -

(i) such center complies with all applicable laws and regulations of a State or unit of local government, and

(ii) the requirements of subparagraph ( are met.

(D) Dependent care center defined

For purposes of this paragraph, the term "dependent care center" means any facility which -

(i) provides care for more than six individuals (other than individuals who reside at the facility), and

(ii) receives a fee, payment, or grant for providing services for any of the individuals (regardless of whether such facility is operated for profit).

© Dollar limit on amount creditable

The amount of the employment-related expenses incurred during any taxable year which may be taken into account under subsection (a) shall not exceed -

(1) $3,000 if there is 1 qualifying individual with respect to the taxpayer for such taxable year, or

(2) $6,000 if there are 2 or more qualifying individuals with respect to the taxpayer for such taxable year. The amount determined under paragraph (1) or (2) (whichever is applicable) shall be reduced by the aggregate amount excludable from gross income under section 129 for the taxable year.

Thanks again for the reply. It's very insignificant. The prior OT is $8 & $33 compared to $48 & $360 for Own Tax. The $41 total makes a $12 difference on the return. I'm going to take it based on my assumption that O.T. stands for Owners Tax and it has something to do with moving into CO in 2007 but not registering the cars until 2008. Thanks for the help.

grace & peace,

dave

There's an option for "Other Country". I believe that efiles ok. They did away w/ "various" a year or two ago.

Thanks Julie,

There are four dollar amounts on the registrtion. They moved to CO in 07, so 08 is the first year they're paying the CO Own Tax. The four amounts are "Prior O.T.", "Own Tax", "Lic. Fee", & "Title Fee". I know the title & license fee aren't deductible, but didn't know what "Prior O.T." was. The only thing I can guess is the O.T. stands for Owner Tax and since they moved in 07 the prior is for the part of the year they lived in CO.

What is the "Prior O.T." on the Colorado Registration/Ownership Tax? Is it based on the value of the vehicle or something else? Thanks.

After John's reply I have to break out this old story.

This story may or may not be true from experiences I may or may not have had with the IRS if I ever did even work for them.

During my short employment tour with the IRS in the mail room, i've found several harmless ways to mess with them and receive no recourse.

Always put staples in the right hand corner. Go ahead and put a row down the whole right side. The extractors who remove the mail from the envelopes have to take out any staples in the right side.

Never arrange paperwork in the right order, or even facing the right way. Put a few upside down and backwards. That way they have to remove all your staples rearrange your paperwork and re-staple it (on the left side).

Line the bottom of your envelope with elmer's glue and let it dry before you put in you forms, so that the automated opener doesn't open it and the extractor has to open it by hand.

If you’re very unfortunate and have to pay taxes use a two or three party check.

On top of paying with a three party check pay one of the dollars you owe in cash. When an extractor receives cash, no matter how small an amount, he has to take it to a special desk and fill out of few nasty forms.

Write a little letter of appreciation. Any letter received has to read and stamped regardless of what it is or what its on.

Write your letter on something misshapen and unconventional. Like on the back of a Kroger sack.

When you mail it, mail it in a big envelope (even if its just a single EZ form). Big envelopes have to be torn and sorted differently than regular business size ones. An added bonus to the big envelope is that they take priority over other mail, so the workers can hurry up and deal with your mess =)

If you send 2 checks they'll have to staple your unsightly envelope to your half destroyed form.

Always put extra paper clips on your forms. Any foreign fasteners or the like have to be removed and put away.

Sign your name in ink on every page. Any signature has to verified and then date stamped.

These are just a few of the fun and exciting things you can do with the man. These methods are only recommended when you owe money.

In spite of Wisconsin's "DO NOT STAPLE" on the first page of the individual tax return, for the handful of Wisconsin clients I have, I assembly the forms in order and staple them. My question is, where should I staple the W-2s? Should I put them behind the W1 ahead of the 1040 as the assembling instructions say, or since they don't want them stapled, should I put the W2s on top of the W1 so the can easily detach them and proceed to lose them or do whatever they desire with the detached forms?

You have to register to efile business returns to 1040s. Check the reject code. If it says something like you're not authrized to e-file business returns, you need to register. You can do so online http://www.irs.gov/taxpros/providers/artic...d=97657,00.html

http://www.irs.gov/efile/article/0,,id=98246,00.html

This guy lived on Monkey Chow for a week. Quite hilarious.

http://www.angryman.ca/blog/2006_06_01_archive.html

http://www.angryman.ca/monkey.html

From the email I received today, printed below, it looks like they are going to change it and even improve it over last year.

Regarding the pdf print box, I've called and complained every year on that. There is no option to remove the box. I've also submitted it through the suggestion box every year. I called again this year about a month ago. I was yelling and screaming by the end of the call. She said I would get an email about it and that she was very interested in why the box couldn't be removed and was going to put in a suggestion herself so she could get feedback on it. A month later I still haven't heard back. I imagine if enough people yelled & screamed they might put a check box in the alert to not show it again.

From: [email protected]

Dave,

We are working on allowing an override on line 21. We also will bring to line 21 the description from the line 21 worksheet if only one entry is made.

This release will be out in a few days.

Thanks for taking the time to send us your suggestion.

Karen Hall

ATX Tax Manager

Why won't the program allow me to put a description in Line 21 for other income? ATX said their users requested that this field be made so it couldn't be overridden. What type of idiot preparer would want us not to be able to override fields?

How do we see the picture?

On the 1099-INT input form.

Technically they are late and she could get hit with a penalty, but I've never seen it happen. I've mailed them a couple days late before and never had an issue. I even mailed my 1040V and payment a week late last year and never heard from them. Tell her to drop them in the mail and never worry about it.

Just got off the phone with ATX. Everyone's user name is ADMIN. So if you're using the same user name you've used in the past, it won't work.