Margaret CPA in OH

Eric, things on Chat seem to be working now except for the 2 topics that were misbehaving. I marked them yesterday as read and then missed later posts. Now I have marked them to follow, thanks. I'll check Off Topic now. Thanks again!

Thanks, that worked for the General Chat but not Off Topic. When I click on that, the bold disappears but when I go to Chat, it returns and 3 topics are still bolded. Maybe tomorrow...

Whew! I am always so relieved when it isn't just my problem! I emailed Eric so he surely will look into it as he always does. Meanwhile, anyone know how to mark an entire topic as read? I thought there was a way to do that but don't recall how.

For some reason the topics about the organizers and ACA refuse to go to the 'read' status no matter what I do. Clues, anyone? I can't tell whether there is a new comment.

Marilyn, all you say is completely true which is why I am here virtually every day. I have two tabs on my browser which appear on opening: this and IRS. My intention was to stress that the company employees/support that we had back then will likely not be experienced again. I, too, am a sole proprietor and rely on this esteemed collection of experienced professionals in many ways. You are correct about the 'family' feel here, too. I kind of miss the birthday greetings but it was getting a bit unwieldy. I really like during the off season and other times the sharing of our lives that takes place with pictures yet! I'm not sure I can leave this place even if/when I retire - too many friends to lose at once. We have to find out how certain 'kids' fare in college, for example, don't we?

Ah, the good 'ol days.... Never have I felt such a connection with service providers that were nearly like family.

I think those of us here using Square are not using a terminal and do not have or expect monthly fees. It just costs 2.75% per swipe. The card reader is free, at least mine was. So my cost is just 2.75% of the transaction. One transaction for $100, $2.75 cost. I don't know where you are getting a rate of $37.50 and a terminal cost. That's not what it costs me and I have no terminal, just a little card reader for free.

I've used it on my Android smartphone, sparingly but with no problems.

Wouldn't it be unethical to ask the parents about son's income? It appears as though this potential client is an adult. I would never ask the parent of an adult client about the adult child's financial matters without that parent having durable power of attorney. For the record, I would decline to accept this client. I can be objective and perform due diligence but I do not do EIC returns without a prior longstanding client relationship and that happened exactly once in 15 years. My business is in my home though mostly electronic and I only take referrals and do not accept all of those. I do not typically document my reasons.

I never even looked to see if I could add an organizer yet until Lynn's note. Sure enough, both organizers are there for tax year 2014. I didn't look in the Forms because the Organizer to add all at once is still grayed out. In the Forms though are the 1040 Organizer and the 1040 Comprehensive Organizer. The one called just Organizer has only 32 general questions and 12 business questions. The one call Comprehensive has LOTS more questions and I really like how you can now add some of your own. Hooray! I don't have to cut and paste my Use Tax question any more! What I don't see are any ACA questions, not even the one above but you would be able to word and include your own, it seems. I think I can get busy after all. Or wait a couple more days to see what appears...

Are you sure they are available? I didn't see them. In any event, in the program mark all the returns you wish to have organizers, then click on Returns. Jus above Change Printers is the Organizer option. Mine is still grayed out but if you have them, follow the arrow and add. In prior years, don't yet know for this year, that added only the organizer which I didn't like so I print out selected pages for specific clients. I also print the questionnaire as a blank and include it in with my engagement letters. The cover sheet advises that anyone who would like an organizer should contact me for either a mailed or emailed copy. No one ever has.

Jack from Ohio, there are business expenses and personal expenses. You may be referring to my whine about missing a bit more of the price reduction on ATX MAX while spending quite a bit more on the Surface Pro 2. The software is a business expense and an annual one on a declining client base. The second is an upper grade 'toy' expected to last at least as long as my now dead 6-7 year old laptop and it is far more versatile than the business software or that old laptop. My husband also uses it as it is personal with minimal outside (no deduction) business use. My dive trips to quite exotic places are comparatively very costly but I buy most of my clothes from KMart and such places. I value experiences more than most stuff but the Surface Pro gives me wonderful experiences not possible with the tax software. And the lower my business expenses, the more money I have for fun stuff and experiences! Said earlier, your mileage may vary.

ILLMAS, I have a Surface Pro 2. It has Intel i5-4300u @ 1.90 Gh, 2.5 Gh (whatever that means, not sure why it shows 2 speeds); 4G RAM; 64 bit; 112 G hard drive with 35 G still free; IE 11. Surface Pro 3 may have better numbers. I have the attached keyboard which I love. I couldn't stand to use the onscreen keyboard. I bought it for miscellaneous business (dive and CPR instruction) but mostly as a replacement for a heavy, dead laptop and nonfunctional little laptop replacements (can't even recall what they are called). Frankly, I use my Kindle Fire more but now have an attachment that I can use to connect to my television when I want to watch missed network programs that aren't on my Prime subscription. I don't think I could use it for tax prep, at least not routinely, but my eyes are getting bad. The screen resolution is sharp and my computer guy tweaked it a tad bit. It has Bluetooth and wifi so prints to any printer I have.

Marilyn, it really is behind me. And I don't stress over things like this very much at all. My blood pressure is very low because of that mindset, too. It's just a bit disappointing. I don't recall the actual Bible passage but there's something about payments agreed to when workers put in a whole day and others who work just a short time get the same pay. I agreed to what I paid and thought it fair enough for me. But (whimper a little), I am just a bit disappointed that the price was much lower now. Same 10%, okay, but not lower. Thanks for words of advice, though. Not really stressing, honest!

I'm a bit bummed. I renewed early for the 10% discount as I understood that was the best offer that would be available. Well, 10% of the MAX price is $132.90, less than the $200 discount. Moral for me is to wait longer to renew, I guess. I did get that great deal the one year, however, through the other TRX then ATX honored it again the next year for total savings of more than $1000. But still, I suppose I should have waited for the additional $67.10 and less tax, too!

My head hurts already.

Christian, don't be hard on yourself. Ask me how I thought that just might be the problem... Sometimes there are just too many things to check but that is also a reason why I still like this program. It does a lot of things automatically but you still have to think on occasion.

On the Expense Allocation Input sheet, did you select the correct home office from the 'list' at the top in the blue area? When you go to Schedule C, have you clicked on Line 30 and followed the paths to the entry screens to be sure of the source data?

I efiled one yesterday and it was transmitted and accepted within 2 hours.

Just don't dawdle when inputting some information. I had to double check my credit card number and the system decided those extra 5 or so seconds constituted too much idle time, kicked me out and I had to do it again. Done now, though, and ready to go. Like Gail, I like not using my SSN although I also have an EIN now, too.

I have a German professor who received a 1042-S with a code 18, compensation for teaching. See what the code says in Box 1 and look online to check it. There are many types of income reported on 1042-S including some interest and certain pensions, annuities, etc. In my client's situation, this amount was not subject to income taxation due to treaty as it was received from Germany. Another amount was received from the university and was taxable and reported on W-2. I think the code determines where you report it. In this case, I included it as fellowship grant not reported on W-2 then back it out on Line 21 explaining Treaty Exempt Reported on Form 1042-S. I would think that the tax withheld would then be overpaid and refunded.

PatHack, this is so timely. I am trying to complete a return for a couple from Germany and just received a copy of their German return. It shows a small amount of SE income in Germany for each of them. I will look up this Totalization agreement that you mention to be sure of proper treatment and be sure of the tax items on the return in case there is a comparable SE tax assessed in Germany. Oh, the things we learn here from each other!

So I called Practitioner hotline, had a good conversation (after a 52 minute hold) with agent, was transferred to Underreporting and that agent saw that the case was already being worked and should be resolved soon. Someone finally noticed that that name and address on the 1099 didn't match that of my client although the EIN did. I think this morning's call where we got a letter from IRS faxed to client with the correct number, name and address set those wheels in motion. Max, this last agent did say that we still had lots of time, that the Dec. 8 date was only to file an appeal to tax court but we didn't need to do that as there really is no issue now. The client should also get a letter within 30 days. Whew! I will be happy when this is over. I may even ask her why she didn't come back to me for 2013 and whether she will for 2014. At least I have pie and wine now!

We already know the payer information and amount as it was listed on the IRS notice. We have even found the payer online and spoken with her. She was checking to see if the error occurred on her end. The transcript would show, perhaps, the EIN which I put on the return as the client provided. But the client provided the wrong number. We now know the correct number; the payer was correct but my client was the wrong person as IRS just matched up numbers not payee details; we are trying to forestall having to pay tax not owed or petition tax court. Just not sure of the next step whether an amended return showing correct EIN; call to Tax Practitioner Hotline or Taxpayer Advocate Service or what. The number on the form is another blasted phone tree leading nowhere. Thanks for the suggestion, though. And I will definitely enjoy both pie and wine!

Client and I spoke with IRS this morning and she received by fax a copy of her EIN letter. Client had provided me with an incorrect number. In looking at her IRS notice, CP3219A and almost certainly not her first notice, her options are to pay or petition tax court. There is also an option to consider additional information by mail but that does not extend the Dec. 8 deadline to file a petition. Tax Practitioner Hotline? Taxpayer Advocate Service? What is the best option? Do I prepare an amended return showing only the correct EIN on her Sch. C? She is contacting the filer of the 1099 that she did report to file a corrected 1099 but that likely will not be in the record by the deadline. She is also contacting the filer of the 1099 that had the correct EIN which was not hers to let her know the issue is on the client's end. What a mess! But she brought fresh pumpkin sweet potato pie made from fresh pumpkin.