RitaB

The one I'm thinking of is in NY and can lap me in the mile run. And I'm no slacker. I'm also very happy with how I run my business, so there's that.

Ok, I didn't, but I've seen that statement out of pros, and I just want to say: I cannot do 16 returns on a Saturday with the door locked if I manage to pick up the info for my only 16 clients who brought all their $%^&. I hope those people mean "my assistant and I," because even with a wine per diem, I can only make eight returns look like ten.

It is also possible that they would save by filing separately. I know the law says you can't get PTC if you're MFS, but what happens is they don't qualify for any PTC, correct, but the payback is limited. It seems so wrong because it really is incredibly unfair for someone whose income was too high to qualify for the credit to somehow get away with not paying it all back, but there are the two loopholes. They are legal and I'm with Tom on this law from h e double hockey sticks.

Amen and amen. When we've been there ten thousand years...

Not everybody knows the words to both Ring of Fire and Amazing Grace, but I bet you do, buddy.

Honestly? I wish IRS would take a look at some tax returns that new people are bringing me and put their money where their Circular 230 is. All the yay hoo preparers are not dining room table pencil whippers. Or paid preparers abusing Turbo Tax. Yeah, get them, too. And every DIY return. OK, yeah, I am in @Catherine 's softly whimpering stage of tax season.

Client: Do I have to report that? Me: Yes. Have you ever noticed, the answer is always yes? Please stop telling me about income and then asking me if you have to report it.

Well, ship, don't ask me the standard amount for a donation. Hellur? There is no standard amount for a donation. Yeah, I know what they mean, but learn how to talk, you peanut butter jar donating cheapskates.

I really am, cause they can't even itemize. But the one who wanted to deduct the used peanut butter jars she donated to Vacation Bible School? Uh. They were worth zero. ZEE. ROW.

It was his own return he was screwing up. It was either intentional or he's never mind.

Here's an interesting article from 2011 about an EA who apparently didn't know the nuances of his software and went to jail over it. (That's complete BS, you know something else was going on there, but it was on the interwebs and all): http://www.cpa-connecticut.com/blog/?p=2057

Oh, they give me a number then, I just like to be a smart ass I mean educate my clients.

What's the standard amount for my yard sale crap I unloaded on the porch at Goodwill I mean non-cash donations to charity? Zero.

Crying. ISTG.

June 23, and I already have a place card with your name on it.

I'm the only one in here, but I am totally going to start doing this.

This week was a killer for me, too. I kept thinking: Wait, there's always a March lull. What is going on here?? I had the client whose co-workers were deducting the difference between the per diem for lodging that the employer COULD have reimbursed them and the actual hotel bills that the employer paid directly to the hotel. The employees had no expense at all. It is hard to prove a negative, and I always try to back up everything I say with an article or the form instructions. I did print Instructions to 2106, but you know about how much that means to people wanting to go for gold on Form 2106. I finally said, "I may or may not have one of your co-workers who came to me in 2016 after having his @$$ handed to him in a audit of 2015." That was tacky, but effective.

Math. I was laying awake and realized 25% of 4,000 was less than 20% of 10,000. I couldn't remember the limits and all, but I knew her marginal tax bracket was no more than 25%.

Well, I have a new client, who moved and began renting her residence 2017. We did a lot of back and forth and waiting on answers as she had no idea what I needed as sometimes happens here. (Who am I kidding? It happens every day here.) Anyway, I somehow gave her the Tuition and Fees Deduction instead of the Lifetime Learning Credit for her son's college expenses. Her son picked up her return to take to her and she was to review it, sign the 8879, and pay me. She texted me last night and asked if it was ok if she let her brother in law look at it. Well, my first impulse was to be angry. You know. because I am Super Tax Pro and everything. I somehow had enough sense not to respond. I was up all night worrying about this and realized something was wrong, and that she should have had the Lifetime Learning Credit on there. I got here this morning and discovered I had not entered the address of the University. I explained the error to her and apologized this morning. She was very gracious, but I am so embarrassed. Not as embarrassed as I would be if I had responded to her text last night in anger. So, there's my confession of dropping the ball royally. And my unsolicited advice to everybody is don't respond to people when you are livid. I will say that till the cows freeze over. And I really wish it was impossible to create the e-file without the address of the University on there. Just saying.

Yeah, my proud new client set up a C-Corp all by himself and told three different taxing agencies three different names for it. And I can see that he's paid everything from his personal account. Me: Why did you want to incorporate? He: I can't get sued. And I can also have the Corporation buy a vehicle and write it off. Me: Do tell. Then the seminar where I was pretty unsympathetic and a little mean. I think I said "if you're gonna be in business you need to act like it" more than once. I had no interest in him being my client. Well, ship, his wife said, "Thank you. We are in the right place. Tell us what to do." Ship.

Yes. Yes it is. Jesus made a whip. He had a premeditated fit. For a church group. Yep. You go, girl.

Client's secretary just called to give me payroll information so I can figure and submit 941 tax. If it's not done today, it's late. She: Oh, good, when I got the machine earlier, I was afraid you were out today. Thought Bubble: "There's a little thing called tax season where else would I be and a good thing for you to do is get your head of out your @$$ and call me on one of the other 12 days in March that I've been here." No, I'm not grouchy at all. Everything's going great here.

I will sign put XXOO on his first invoice.

Oh snap is exactly what I thought, except not "snap". I know his records will be in ship shape. Ship. Shape.

I can't stop laughing. Guy says he desperately needs me to save his life by doing one year of bookkeeping and his tax return. Me: Well, I would love to save your life after tax season, so bring in last year's return, I'll get you an extension and you can pay at least as much as last year's liability now, which will put you on a respirator, but you'll survive. Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you. You won't be sorry. I pay everything thru my bank account except for the stuff I pay by cash. I'm pretty organized.