Lion EA

The birthdate will tell the story. IRS looks at only the first four letters of the last name. Doesn't like punctuation, though, so toss the comma. I'd put First Initial Last.

$1,000. Plus extra time explaining after paying -- add to next year's bill. I charge a fee to compare TT or anything else to the return I generate. Often the real liability is greater than with TT, because people put their mortgage on A and C or take 100% for meals or deduct political contributions as charity or deduct private grade school or SAT prep or vitamins as medical or depreciate their rental house over 15 years or....

I'm about like JM. I reside in CT and prepare a number of NY commuters, some with other states. I tell them another state adds about $100, even though I end up charging less for some easier states. A foreign country credit/FTCA maybe as much as $250 without the FBAR. I would be invoicing her with detail about the $700-1,000 and then if a continuing client including a line for Loyal Client Discount for whatever I felt fit her situation. My suggestion: invoice what it's really worth based on the forms, your time and effort and training and knowledge, etc., showing the detail. For instance, a lot for 1116 (is that the #) if required over just taking the foreign tax as a credit. Then add a discount, maybe 10%. Let her do her own research re what others charge. In NY, it's going to be a lot. She'll appreciate you more if she herself discovers what others would charge her.

Now add 4 more W-2s for for the spouse who's a nurse and at least two childcare arrangements where they forgot to get the tax IDs and 140 pages of stock trades with wash sales and the NY commuter with the days out of NY that he forgot to get from his calendar and the volunteer trip to Guatemala and the HSA and they forgot the 1098 from their home equity loan and they sold their VT ski lodge and two of the kids are in college so now you need their bursar's transcripts and he didn't call for the property tax amount on the leased cars and why can't they deduct their political contributions and the money they pay to their Polish parents (visitor visas with no tax ID #s) to watch the kids and did I tell you that wife started selling Mary Kay and I don't have to give you this form for interest that's tax exempt do I and you don't need this form where I took money out of my 401(k) since they withheld 20% for taxes and unemployment isn't taxable is it and.... I spend more than 45 minutes answering questions. Oh, yeah, and you can do my kids' returns right now too since they have only W-2s. Yeah a couple from summer jobs in CT where they live and a couple from MA jobs where they went to school and another from NY where they interned and the K-1s from the trusts grandma set up and...

If the corp sells something, then it will flow to you in the normal way on your K-1 and you'll report accordingly. Put the money in the corp bank account, If you sell your stock in your corp, Schedule D. Put in your personal bank account. Did you close a previous corp during 2013? Distribute all assets to the shareholders? Follow the money.

Yep, prepare lots of NY commuters and my kids' partnership (the bakery.Hancock NY) and reside in CT and own an IL farm and lived in CA for a decade. Guess I'll retire to Nebraska the way I've been picking them! My dad started his life in South Dakota, but then moved to IL. I guess it's his fault.

If you are the shareholders and are selling your stock, you're selling capital gain stock, long term or short term depending upon when you acquired the stock. Probably long term capital gain rates to you. If the S-corporation is selling its assets or a part of the business, then it might be selling business equipment on 4797 or a block of inventory or...and it might be ordinary income to the corporation. Follow the money.

I'm still calling CT daily to try to fix the mistake I made preparing a return while the client sat here, left off some CT W/H. I'd just amend, but want to reach a real person as CT often catches W/H errors and fixes them. The bigger problem is that now it goes from owing CT to getting a refund -- and we set her up for direct debit 11 April. I have to stop the debit !! I've spent more time on the telephone that I spent preparing her return. Did you notice Rita's "signature"? Felony, what felony?!

You were at my office in CT all day and could not have killed anyone in TN.

You can amend a return at any time. You have a time limit on filing for a refund.

Read carefully NY's definitions of resident and domicile and everything about PY residents.

It'll show on the 8949. I've had clients tell me they didn't get a 1099-S, but it was with dozens of pages of their closing papers. They saw too much at their closing to remember it, but it was sent to the IRS.

NY will not think he moved until he actually moves and sticks his landing. Staying with friends is not moving into FL. He won't be able to prove to NY that he moved out until he can prove to NY that he moved into another state.

I would not want my client's name on any CA form under those circumstances. I would not want CA going back in time to when he did have a CA customer. I would probably tell my client all the above comments from CA preparers and then suggest he tell his customer that he currently does not need a CA waiver and the next time he has a CA order he will fill out any appropriate forms at that time.

25 to 65 with NO children. No upper age WITH children. (Something like that, I have only two EIC returns, and they're young parents.)

Yeah, I love the "But, I PAID the taxes already" when they take out retirement funds.

Yes, it's 3:20 a.m. and I just packaged a return for mailing after uploading to FileShare on my web site to await their signatures for efiling. They're up with a newborn anyway, so I guess we could've all been here together -- but I would've had to put real clothes on! When I'm not expecting clients, I work in my flannel jammies and fuzzy slippers. That's a visual you don't need, either. Sorry.

With the number of hours my returns take, I'd have to feed my clients! In fact, I have one coming Tuesday who DOES want it done by the time she leaves, so she's bringing us lunch. A few years back when she had an HSA for the first time, I made an error on that form. Luckily, it did not change her tax, but it was embarrassing when she called me to say she found an error. It might not have happened if I could've slept on it and proofread the next day. But, she still wants it done while she waits. One of my last holdouts.

Good stick and carrot.

Oh, I spend 30-60 minutes with each client. Face-to-face with anyone that wants it and via telephone for those too busy or far away, lots of email too. I just don't spent five-six hours with them while preparing their returns if I can help it. I'm best late at night with some sleep and then proofreading next day. (Or those 3 a.m.emails like Joan says where I ask questions or report results.) Had a couple of cousins (of each other, not my cousins) here for six hours this afternoon while I prepared their returns, and I have such a headache. The returns are almost identical, so the second one goes really fast after completing the first. Still, it's an intense six hours. They live far away and don't want to let their materials out of their sight. I'd prefer to see them and chat after I'm done and not while I'm prepping. But, different strokes for different folks.

Follow the SSN.

I can get a lot more work done with no one else in my office. That includes my husband who I have not yet adequately trained, but we're getting there! My clients are continuing clients. I always need a thorough initial interview with new clients, but often that comes AFTER I've reviewed their prior year returns. I still have some that insist upon live prep. But, one earlier this week -- I missed some CT w/h even after we'd discussed how much she'd lowered it and I'd highlighted it in yellow on the 1099-R and... -- so I've been on the phone with CT to see if they caught it or I need to amend and when and she'd asked for direct debit for the first time, so can we stop that in April?, etc. I don't like not sleeping on it and proofreading the next day. I can proofread all I want, but I just see the same things that are already in my mind when doing it all at once.

Was it someone on this board that said, "If I'm going to work for free, I'll take the time off instead."?

I'm so sorry. That makes for a stressful tax season. I don't use ATX. But lots of people here are coming to your rescue. Do take Tom or someone up on an offer to help. I'm sure you'll be able to negotiate a price that makes it worth Tom's/Patty's or someone's time and worth it to you to preserve your clients while you deal with family and heal yourself. It'll be a worry off your shoulders. Take good care of yourself.

I have used Sara's method when I think a paper return might be needed/expect a possible efile reject. I am set to mail if needed. If efile accepted, I shred the extra signature page. (Did that for a few trusts the first year I efiled trusts and was concerned about the exact legal trust name matching for those returns that came to me from prior preparers with little in the way of trust documents and no former efiling.)