JohnH

Marilyn: Sounds like you're headed for a divorce regardless of what they decide to do.

Congratulations. You're obviously very proud of him and you have every right to be. Best way to overcome a fear of flying is to realize that when you travel by air, the most dangeous part of the trip is the drive to and from the airport in your car.

I'll always remember the broker who called me up and asked if I could send them a letter stating that the client was self-employed. After getting the client's OK to talk with the broker, I called him back to say I couldn't write that type of letter. All I could say was that I had prepared tax returns based on the figures the client was providing me. He said that wasn't good enough, so I offered to get copies of the actual Schedule C's to him. He quickly replied, "Oh no, we don't want to see any actual numbers. We just need the assurances we're asking you for". He didn't get anything from me, and that conversation was a dead giveaway that something fishy was taking place.

Oh, I didn't think about the fact that you might show our responses to the client. If so, then be sure to show them this: If it becomes apparent that somebody might go to jail, your first responsibility is be sure it's the client.

Assume a worst-case scenario, which would be that you amend the prior-year returns, the bank is swayed by the numbers, and they make the loan. Fast forward a few years and the client defaults on the loan (maybe due to the financial strains of a divorce, for example). The bank is looking for someone to blame, and the only choices are the client, his wife, and you. Wonder how quickly the client and/or his wife will come to your defense, or will they throw you under the bus? If they want the return amended, or if they want to commit mortgage fraud in some other way, I'd let them find someone else to aid & abet their lies. You'll sleep better.

I take phone calls as they come in, unless I'm busy ona project that I don't need interrupted (which is rare). If they must leave a message, I return all phone calls the same day, or the next day at the latest. I try everything possible to migrate my clients over to email because it's infinitely more convenient for them and for me. I answer most emails within a few minutes, even if only to reply that I received their question and I'll get back to them as soon as I have a chance to check on it. I'll send email responses any time, as soon as I get the message (night, day, weekend, etc). It's amazing how patient clients will be insofar as actually getting answers is concerned, provided they are simply given a little reassurance. And most of them are very appreciative of the attention. I like it when they comment something to the effect that "I didn't expect a response that quickly." Oftentimes it's followed by "My previous accountant didn't do that." (I usually tell them "That's one of the reasons he's your previous accountant.")

I think you've figured out part of the reason for assigning a "personal representative". Think of the word "veneer". Just like your "personal banker", it's someone who runs interference for management, slows down the process while giving the appearance of being responsive, and forces customers to seek out their own answers rather than bother the Customer Service department with these pesky questions. After all, most Customer Service departments don't have time to waste on the non-productive tasks of actually assisting customers or answering questions - they're too busy upselling.

I did that this year and managed to get under 100. But next year is a bigger challenge. Unless I can get under 10, I'll have to start eflinging. Think I can select 9 who will accept a 1,000 percent increase? (If I managed to pull this off, I'd call it the Gideon principle on steroids)

I'm going to study retiring. If I pass the course, that should take care of my CE for many years to come.

Weird, isn't it? But that's one approach the NCDR recommended. I decided to also hope they cut my tax rate in half and that I'd get a big refund, so that's how I prepared my own return. Since the cut didn't happen, should I amend? Or just keep hoping?

Only a geek would fall in love with their technology. ( but I'm equally in love with my iPad and iPhone...)

Unlike many in the media and the courts, I acknowledge my biases and freely admit to being hostile toward certain ideologies. As for evidence to support my accusation, exhibit 1 would be the Nedow case. It's hard to find a more convoluted decision, clearly motivated by hostility toward religion.

The housing allowance is being challenged? I thought the Rick Warren case pretty much cleared up the confusion and actually reaffirmed it. But if the ninth circuit persists in this silliness, I wonder if they will try to invalidate the benefit for military officers as well. Given their political leanings, it wouldn't surprise me if their hostility extends beyond religion to the military as well.

KC: I'm shocked at this demeaning example. I think it's in poor taste to show this level of disrespect for monkeys!

I didn't understand the math on e-how. 10 x $50 is $500, and 10 x $100 is $1,000. So where did they get their staement that the penalties could be in the "thousands" of dollars?

I think we've gotten hung up on the "opt back in" phraseology, when in fact that isn't what's taking place. She has opted out with respect to her clergy income, but she has no ability to opt out with respect to her non-clergy income. There simply isn't a choice here. So as Mike pointed out, if she performs services in a second job or a different job, she automatically receives SocSec income and the accompanying credits. She just can't have her church change the way it pays her - I think that clearly crosses the line Jainen is referring to. Whether it's right or wrong to work a job which qualifies her for SocSec benefits ( or whether she accepts them even if forced to pay for them) since she initially objected to SocSec benefits on theological principle, I suppose she will just have to reconcile that issue between herself and her Boss at the appropriate time.

I agree - no sense wasting time when they won't listen. There was a time long ago when I felt bad for people who consistently underpaid. But I finally got tired of commiserating with them - thicker skin, I guess. Now I just tell them they'll probably have the same problem next year if they don't do something about their withholding. When they say they can't stand a reduction in their net check, I just tell them to plan to pay again next year and I move on to something more productive. It's useless trying to teach a pig to sing - all you get for your efforts is bad music and a frustrated pig.

Maybe Mike has a different answer, but I don't think it's possible. There were a couple of opportunities (with the last one expiring in 2002) for a minister to opt back in, but both had very narrow windows of time. The decision to opt out is based on theological reasons - being morally oppsed to accepting public assistance of any kind - rather than financial reasons. So I'm fairly certain that IRS and SSA consider it to be an irrevocable election.

Sometimes you just have to put your foot down. Funny how people can rationalize how the rules don't apply to them, especially when it's their ox that's being gored.

Just watching it makes my feet hurt.

How did you NC preparers handle the education credit adjustment on the NC return this year? ATX didn't make the automatic adjustment to income as in past years because the NC general assembly hadn't made it legal. Did you manually adjust it on LIne 52 in hopes that it would pass, or did you leave it out and now need to amend the affected returns?

You still use line 12 for amortizable points, even if they were reported on a 1098. I think it's worded that way to give you a place to deduct points in full when they're on the HUD-1 but not on a 1098. Using line 12 also triggers the error trapping that reminds you to deduct the points in future years. Nice feature, BTW.

I had one to send me an email this week saying "next year we have to figure out how to pay less taxes". My response was, "That's easy - next year just make less money". Problem solved.

Only if he sends a 1099 at the end of the year.

I deduct my logo shirts.