RitaB Posted April 8, 2015 Report Share Posted April 8, 2015 Got a new preacher. Been doing his own returns on TT. Brought me three years in case I need help. Only reason he needs me is he's afraid of identity theft, something about TT, blah, blah, I wasn't really paying attention.Well, we're about to see how he deals with adversity. He has not figured SE tax on wages in Box 1. Has not filled out worksheets to determine excess Housing Allowance, and I'll betcha it's significant. I think a Come to Jesus Meeting is about to take place, y'all.Is IRS even trying???? I mean, HELLO, these are so obviously and horrifically incorrect. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catherine Posted April 8, 2015 Report Share Posted April 8, 2015 He's about to viscerally learn the "render unto Caesar" line... 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RitaB Posted April 8, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 8, 2015 He's about to viscerally learn the "render unto Caesar" line... Bahahahaha! Yes, and I'm so glad he was referred by another pastor who understands it all very well. And I'm also glad he tithes, so he knows this is true: Malachi 3:10-11 “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts.” 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack from Ohio Posted April 8, 2015 Report Share Posted April 8, 2015 Bahahahaha! Yes, and I'm so glad he was referred by another pastor who understands it all very well. And I'm glad he tithes, so he knows this is true: Malachi 3:10-11 “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts.” I can attest to this being absolute truth from 20+ years of personal experience. Unfortunately, clergy tend to be the ones more willing to bend and/or ignore Caesar's laws than the average taxpayer. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RitaB Posted April 10, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 10, 2015 Got a new preacher. Been doing his own returns on TT...Well, we're about to see how he deals with adversity. He has not figured SE tax on wages in Box 1. Has not filled out worksheets to determine excess Housing Allowance, and I'll betcha it's significant.Well, bless the LORD, Y'all, the new Preach just picked up, I explained it all in great detail, and he was just fine, asked for some business cards, said the Realtor (oh great...) who told him FMV of rental was looking for a preparer and senior pastor’s accountant is on pain meds and fell asleep on him during interview, and he’s giving them my card. I am so relieved.Hugs and kisses all around! 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJStephens Posted April 10, 2015 Report Share Posted April 10, 2015 I can attest to this being absolute truth from 20+ years of personal experience. Unfortunately, clergy tend to be the ones more willing to bend and/or ignore Caesar's laws than the average taxpayer. Sorry you've had that experience, amigo. My experience has been just the opposite. The vast majority of my clients are clergy and over the years all but a very small handful (I can count on one hand) have been intent on doing it right. I've had my share of new clients who were clueless and made clueless mistakes but all were willing to make it right when they found out. Don't get me wrong, none of them liked having to pay taxes and they weren't jumping for joy in the instances where I discovered their previous preparer did not understand clergy tax issues and we had to go back and amend to make it right. The point is, when they realized they legitimately owed more tax, they paid it. In 29 years of tax prep I've had exactly ONE (former) clergy taxpayer ask me to do something unethical or try to sneak something past me. Maybe I've just been lucky and stumbled across the honest minority. But I don't think so. I get 'em from just about every denomination, walk of life, and age range and have clients in 26 different states. I know it is popular these days to bash 'em but at least in this area, I think it unwarranted. Anyway, that's my two cents' worth. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnH Posted April 10, 2015 Report Share Posted April 10, 2015 (edited) That has been my experience as well. I've met one or two exceptions in 40 years or so of tax preparation, but most of my clergy clients have been interested in conducting themselves in accordance with the entire 13th chapter of Romans. I've often had to push them to get them to take advantage of the opportunities available to them. They are aware of their ultimate responsibility to their boss, and they are well aware of the effect an IRS problem can have on their witness to others. Edited April 10, 2015 by JohnH 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RitaB Posted April 10, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 10, 2015 (edited) I do eight pastors' returns. Four do everything right as far as I can see, including tithing. One of those four complained about my $150 fee five years ago, when I inherited him from my mother, who was charging him $75. I reminded him that the lady before her charged $210, and that was the end of that.#5 I have always suspected of underreporting income (no W-2). He got married this year to a lady who gives 25% to church, and is the best organized little lady on earth, and suddenly his income tripled. I think she held his feet to the fire. So to speak.#6 & #7 are nice guys, but they don't tithe, and they are finishing last in life and have not put it together. (Christians gotta tithe, that's the LEAST we can do.)#8 - Well, I can't believe he's called to pastor. That's the nicest thing I can say there. Edited April 10, 2015 by RitaB 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RitaB Posted April 10, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 10, 2015 Oh, wait, nine. He's fabulous, and will never try to do his own return again. ;) 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lion EA Posted April 11, 2015 Report Share Posted April 11, 2015 OK, Rita, you're making me a bit nervous about going on this mission trip to TN in July! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RitaB Posted April 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 11, 2015 OK, Rita, you're making me a bit nervous about going on this mission trip to TN in July!Nah, #8 will be on vacation or doing a side job that I don't know about, and all the others you will love. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lion EA Posted April 11, 2015 Report Share Posted April 11, 2015 I love ASP's CEO Walter Crouch, headquartered in Johnson City, TN. He attended one of our orientations in Ridgefield, CT, on Thursday. Although, he's not the minister that writes their devotionals. And, then there's you; I love you. And, some of our southern gentlemen posters must be from TN, right? I might check with you when we get our assignments; you can see if we're repairing homes for any of your clients (well, no, because we use code names only and you can't disclose clients; but I can tell you what counties we will be working in by our June orientation and meetings.) 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted April 13, 2015 Report Share Posted April 13, 2015 Rita, If the Service didn't catch the farm losses i discussed in an earlier post do you really suppose they will notice his mistake ? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catherine Posted April 13, 2015 Report Share Posted April 13, 2015 Rita, If the Service didn't catch the farm losses i discussed in an earlier post do you really suppose they will notice his mistake ? They catch the WEIRDEST things; ignore the folks who owe gazillions but send nasty-grams on a $50 "discrepancy" that resulted in $12 tax change in my taxpayers' favor.... 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kcjenkins Posted April 14, 2015 Report Share Posted April 14, 2015 So very true. I had several new clients, in 1982, from a preparer who died. She had a stroke several years before, but her clients loved her and these had stayed with her. She could not talk, and used an Etch-A-Sketch [NO, I AM NOT MAKING THAT UP] to communicate with the clients. Their returns were "outstanding", but none of them was ever audited. Outstanding in the sense of 'standing out' because while they all included either Sch C or/and Sch F, and EVERY SINGLE NUMBER on those forms was rounded to even hundreds. She had done them that way for over 20 years, at least, but was proud of the fact that she had never had an audit, they all told me. And, no, it was not because she under-reported expenses, either. She clearly, based on the prior returns I looked at, 'pushed the envelope'. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gail in Virginia Posted April 15, 2015 Report Share Posted April 15, 2015 I always wonder when someone says they have never been audited exactly what they mean by that. I have never had a tax return that I prepared "audited" I'm the sense that I had face to face contact with a representative of the IRS. I gave had correspondence audits for various reasons that required me to submit copies of documents used, or teach some one at the IRS how to properly follow regulations. And from what I understand, a full blown face to face audit does not mean the preparer has done anything wrong necessarily. It might mean the taxpayer gave them bad information for whatever reason, to it might just mean that they got lucky. So I never have understood thus tendency to brag about never being audited. Maybe they have never done a complex return? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joanmcq Posted April 15, 2015 Report Share Posted April 15, 2015 I had one of those random compliance audits - just happened to be the first year for community property splitting for SSMCs AND the client had an MLM. The MLM came through fine, and I did NOT push the envelope with it at all. She still had a loss, but at least I was able to tell the auditor that she had made the wise business decision to quit before she lost any more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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