Lion EA

As you guessed, your EA number is separate from your PTIN. When you sign your name to tax returns, you will add "EA" as in John Doe, EA I don't use ATX, so someone will jump in with where to enter your EA number in the software. It really doesn't enter into play in a return, but will when using e-Services, for instance.

You'll be great, Lucho! But because you asked, I'll wish you good luck.

And, there's a separate address for returns with W-7s that I don't know since I haven't handled one for a long time.

My Dell was brand new and under warranty, but they wouldn't replace the fan for a month even though I had paid for next-day/on-site service. They kept telling me it was a software problem. Ultimately they had to replace two fans, the power supply, and motherboard. Seeing it laid out across my floor like a operating room, I was very glad I was not the surgeon. And mine was a huge desktop with lots of room to work in. Hope my laptop fan lasts longer! Loved the video and sent it to my twenty-something kids who love their laptops because they're small.

Also, contact your E&O insurance provider for advice.

Nice. You must provide service with a smile.

Good luck, everyone! I have some relatives and some farmland in IL, but haven't heard of any damages so far except the small ones like shingles ripped off or power out. Our prayers go out to everyone in the path of this violent weather.

Code Sec. 1244 provides individual taxpayers with ordinary loss treatment for losses recognized on the sale Code Sec. 1244 limits ordinary loss treatment for a taxable year to $50,000 ($100,000 in the case of married individuals filing joint returns). Any excess amount is treated is a capital loss. If the amount of the ordinary loss exceeds the taxpayer's income, the excess is treated as a net operating loss (NOL) and can be carried over to other years. Doesn't the excess loss (the part treated as a business loss instead of a capital loss) create an NOL that can be carried back or forward as usual? Was looking at examples in CCH's Practical Tax Expert on line, snippet above.

Try paperwork showing his primary residence was a rental (or lived with parents or whatever was his situation). Signed lease, canceled checks to landlord, drivers license and utility bills at apartment, etc. Include the vacant land stuff again as well.

ProSystem fx has pay-per-return. I love it.

Also, confirm with your client that his partnership agreement requires him to pay certain expenses on behalf of the partnership and that they will not be reimbursed. Or, ask him to provide you with a copy.

SHE gave you the deductions. And, now, she's asking you to ignore them. You can NOT. Watch today's Tax Talk Today (it'll be archived); it was about ethics. When they talked about conflict of interest, they talked a lot about married couples as well as partners/partnerships, etc. You'll drop these clients when they're divorced, so maybe you should drop them now. Document EVERYTHING. Keep/copy/scan EVERYTHING.

You can educate your client to choose from among several choices for depreciation. And, a client can disqualify potential deductions by personal use, lack of record-keeping, etc. Think about the TV in a home office or family use of a computer. Did he keep a mileage log? As you say, Forms 1099 put you in a Catch-22 situation when your client paid cash.

Congratulations! Enjoy your son's successes (because YOU had a part in them,too!). Gives a whole new meaning to your child flying the coop.

Mine's the 9100. They wanted to sell me diagnostic software on one call and an external hard drive for back-up on another. I supposedly have a business support contract for next-day on-site service. But, you have to convince them to send someone! When I finally got some action, it was not from my doing. My local techie's day job is an IT director at a multiple listing service; he buys $100,000's of Dell computers each year for this state's MLS and has his own rep. He copied my emails to his rep who ordered the parts for me. That's not a string he pulled lightly as he has to keep on Dell's good side, but he thought I'd been mistreated and used his leverage with his rep to help me. My amber warning light has changed back to white. Don't know why.

Thank you, KC. I'd been wanting a second external hard drive to swap them out and was waiting for a large Seagate under $100. This is terrific. And, red, too!! Thanks for sharing.

I belong to both NATP and NAEA for their e-newsletters and printed magazines and other educational materials included in membership for similar prices. Here in CT, I've found the local NAEA chapter has had more engaging live education. I might drop NATP. The best value for my dollar comes from NY/CT-ATP at only $50, but if you're not in NY or CT that won't help you. (If you are, then check out their web site at NYCTATP.org)

I do pretty much as JohnH does. If that doesn't fit your workflow, then let your partner take messages or get email addresses or let calls go to voice mail; but pick a consistent time to return messages. (Your partner may be able to make some of the return calls for you after you tell him what to say.) Find what works for you, such as before you leave or before dinner or first thing every morning or.... I too try to return emails immediately or at least the same day to encourage emails, but might postpone phoning until the next business day. I too have had surprised clients comment on my accessibility when I pick up the telephone on a Sunday or return an email immediately. I compete on service and not on price.

Of course the right column comes from your correctly prepared "1040" to be used on the 1040-X. I was responding to the poster who created the wrong 1040 in his software to duplicate the wrong 1040 that had been prepared elsewhere. If the original 1040 is not in my software, I don't waste time creating it. I create the amended 1040 and just type the original, incorrect numbers into the left column. I use the power of my software and my time to create the amendment and not to recreate the erroneous original. I use ProSystem fx, and it is very strong and very fast to amend returns in my system But I don't waste time creating an incorrect return that is not in my system; I create the correct, amended return and then just type in the column A numbers from the original return my new client brought in. I was taught a similar technique at HRB when amending returns not originally prepared at Block.

Yes, the original, errors and all, is reported on the amended as the beginning column. But, sometimes you cannot force your software to create the erroneous return, so why waste time trying and eventually overwriting when all you need is to get those original numbers into the first column. Just type them into the first column and be done with that part. Spend your time creating the amended return correctly. If the return is in your system, then you let the process of creating the amendment move the original numbers to the first column. Then you make any and all corrections &/or additions and let your software put the amended numbers in the last column.

I don't use ATX, but if the return is not in my software, I don't try to recreate the original return (often it cannot be recreated if self-prepared with errors). I create the final return the way it should be, MFJ in this case. Then I call up an amended return but do not transfer the data to the "original" column A, let it stay in the "amended" column C. Then I type in the original numbers in column A and I'm done. I don't waste time trying to create a return that I did not prepare; I just use the original numbers needed on the 1040-X and nothing more from the original.

Amend her returns to include his information. Be specific in your explanation. Is she in your system? (I won't even ask if she qualified to file HoH since that's going to be amended anyway.)

Anybody in PA on now?. Mother lives in PA. Would there be PA gift tax if mother puts funds in a joint account with daughter now? If the investments grow (mother is only in her 50's) will daughter get step-up on only half the account when mother passes if a joint account? Mother owns an antique inn that she hopes to revitalize, so estate value may be an issue in future years.

Mother will withdraw if daughter needs, and take the income in mother's name. So, it sounds like the financial advisor had a good plan for them. Thank you everyone for your explanations.