Pacun

Jack is right. When the program doesn't calculate a credit correctly, I go to the W-2 and maybe instead of 90K, I make it 20K. I lower income to about 35K, that way if the credit is not showing because of phase out, I will see the credit when the income is 35K. This is also helpful when calculating EIC. If I get the credit when the income is 35K, then I know I did everything right. When there is no tax liability, the Child Tax Credit will not show and ATX will not give you the Additional Child tax credit automatically, in that case you have to invoke the form by clicking on the "bunny".

I think it is a local problema.

I think you have to consider if the place was rented for less than 14 days.

This only happens when I have too much crap starting up automatically and I open the program as soon as I can (while the computer is still booting up). I normally close it and wait a minute to let the crap stop using my computer resources and then it opens correctly.

Extension means nothing. If you don't send a check they are put in a box and they are opened only if you owe taxes when you file in September. When mail was the king, there was one address for extensions with checks and another for extensions by itself, meaning that they don't process those things, the IRS just cashes the check.

I feel your pain Terry. 2 months ago, I got a letter from a collection agency stating that I owed ATT more than $4K. I called ATT and they told me that they got my social and they requested phones and lines. Once they didn't pay, they took me to collection. They solved that issue but then about a month ago, someone in Arizona (I am in DC) tried to charge something to my Amex, but they didn't charge anything. I check my credit cards and bank everyday and in this case, I called Amex and they cancelled my card and issued me a new one. I became a citizen 10 years ago and I changed my name. They are using my previous name and my social security number. Ironically, ATT didn't share any information with me and I wonder if I could help with the investigation to see if somehow a friend or relative to access to my SS#. Identity theft is not a joke, so now I enter every W-2 identification code when available and I enter the driver's license number even though my states (DC, MD and VA) don't require it. That is my contribution to help fight identity theft. I forgot to mention that I checked my three credit reports and the thieves tried ATT, T Mobile and Verizon and I guess the last two companies smelled a rat and didn't approve the accounts. That happened in Jun 2016.

As I always, thank you for your answer and for keeping this site up for all us.

I don't see anything missing.... but I was going to ask you if IE checks your site for new posting when I have it open. I normally have to manually refresh it. I have noticed that feature ONLY when I am answering a post and someone answers while I am typing but not when I have the forum opened and new questions are asked. Thank you.

I think their suggestion is correct. Let's say I lived in Maryland until January 31, 2017 and it is time to file my taxes. Let's say I moved to California. So on the return, I will enter my California address and then there is a question.... this is NOT your address... the question is... where did you live on December 31, 2016 and I would enter the MD address. No one will contact me at this address because everybody knows that I live in California. This is only for statistical purposes and if you sisters have used MD as their state, they can use any address.

He works for a company but of course no SS has been paid. I doubt people who make 100K for a company and exclude everything because they lived the whole year abroad, they end up paying more than 15K in SE. Has anyone done one of those returns?

I have a US citizen client who worked in France and didn't come to the US at in 2016. He made about 7K euros working for a French company. Should he pay SE taxes? If not, he will not need to invoke the exclusion because he didn't make much money because he was studying and then doing an internship. Thank you.

Terry, Let's say I get married on Dec 30th, to a 20 years old who made 7K and is a full time student who lived with her parents and has two children whom I have never met, and they lived with their grand parents and grand parents supported my wife and her children 100%. The fact that I have never met those children, doesn't prevent me from claiming on a joint return. On the joint return ONLY one of the spouses has to meet the "living in the same household" in order to get all the goodies. So I could perfectly file jointly and no matter how much noise the grand parents make, I will prevail because my return is filed correctly. This is my last comment on this because it is getting to long and it is hard to convince other preparers without a consensus so if others want to give their views, I will be reading them and maybe Terry or I can learn something different. BTW, I love this site.

Why will you prevent the husband from filing jointly with his wife and claim their daughter and all the goodies that come with it, ie Additional child tax credit and EIC? Let's just say for argument sake that Terry prepares the return for the higher income earner of the family and claim daughter and grand daughter. The husband comes to me and tells me that they want to file jointly claiming their daughter. Who will prevail? Do you think Terry's return will prevail? Do you think my return will prevail? Terry has changed so many items from the original post. He know says that they were married on Dec 30, 2016 but originally he said that the wife was having the baby on that date. That date made me state that grandfather or grand mother doesn't have a leg to stand because the "child was paying rent at the hospital" for the whole 2016. AND guess who paid that rent... I bet you the father with his military benefits most likely. I would not be surprised that they got married a couple of weeks before the baby being born because grand father or grand mother didn't want to pay for the hospital bill or for any other benefit that the husband would get now or in the near future (but that's another subject).

If I were the husband, I would file jointly AND claim my child. Tell me if the IRS will take away EIC because I didn't support my family? As long and the new born didn't not provide more than 50% of his/her own support, no one will take away my right to file jointly to with my wife and to claim my son and get the EIC. If the husband is not your client, be careful not to tilt the balance unfairly to your clients while ignoring the rights of the husband. As Terry says, we need more opinions.

They both were responsible for the full amount and each saved money by not paying (yes, don't sign for anyone). You are right, one can pay the creditor and take both off the hook or they both can pay taxes on that amount.

I guess you didn't read the last sentence on his post. OR maybe you did. If you can mail it to him, the IRS can mail it to him too, I think.

File form 982 if they were insolvent. They were liable for the whole amount each and they were both forgiven that amount. Creditor is correct and there is no way the creditor will bend the rules. Let's say that the daughter was insolvent, then she files 982 and she is off the hook. If the mother was solvent, she will have two choices, to pay for the debt or pay taxes on the debt forgiven.

The rules are different for divorce parents and when 8823 is involved. Enter 12 as the months lived with him and he will be entitled to the Child Tax Credit, but no EIC even if he otherwise qualifies.

I am joining the conversation to avoid your being talking to yourself.

I don't let my clients to use my office number, but that's me. Why don't you use his account number outside the US and let him deal with it if the IRS has issues sending his money? Why don't you use his current abroad mail address? I think the state will be looking for a return if he uses your office address.

I think you are thinking about the brake given to parents of married children but that's only taken into consideration when they want to claim them and the married child allows it. In this case, the married husband has the right to file jointly with his wife and to claim his child. Filing jointly, there is no one that can say they have more rights than the parents, regardless of how much more they made. Why do bring the date of December 17th as having anything to do, it would not make any difference if they married On January 1, 2016 or December 31, 2016, they were married by the end of the year and that's the truth. If you want to be technical, the grand father or grand mother doesn't have a leg to stand to claim the child because the child didn't live with them in 2016, the child lived with the mother AND father and mother are responsible for the "rent" of the child during 2016. My 4 cents.

Parents cannot claim the husband because he earned too much. They can claim their daughter and grand child provided the daughter didn't provide more than 50% of her own support. Or they can file jointly and they should be getting way more than $1,800 that you said. Just the additional child tax credit is $1,000 and earned income credit should be a couple of thousands.

You have to be blood related or adopted for the credit. "other" is the only one that qualifies and Child Tax Credit and EIC are lost.

Yes, this is what they say: (the problem is that I put the state returns on hold) Outstanding State or Federal Acks Updated 3-24-2017 Current year federal: Federal Business all types - some Mar 22nd acks are outstanding Partnership- less than 10 outstanding from Mar 14-17th S Corp- less than 20 outstanding from Mar 14-17th All of these older acks re being researched; If you can see the return was efiled successfully using the Efile Status tool, then we have the return and no action is needed. Current year state: Note: State acks are not considered late until outstanding for more than five days. MA Individual - a small group from Mar 16 that we are researching with the state. CA Business KY Business NY Business NJ Business PA Business Prior Year: FL Business RI Business 941 1099s 2014 Individual States- a few (less than 5 each) outstanding from various states If you can see the return in the Efile Status tool, then we have it and no action is needed. Click here for instructions.

I efiled some returns yesterday and today and they are "Transmitted to EFC". Do you have the same issue?