Medlin Software, Dennis

Sometimes, when I let my inner gremlin (the gremlin who believes adults should adult) loose, I would not even resend. I would keep the returned item unopened, for the required time. If the employee/vendor asks, I would give them a copy, but still keep the returned one as proof it was sent.

Reporting the taxable income has not changed. What has/will change is the threshold for the electronic payment vendors to report 1099 data. A big for instance, I was able to get some Adele Las Vegas tix for the original dates. When she bailed at the last minute, we bailed as well, selling then for a HEFTY markup (paid for a fam trip to the Mouse). Just because I am not getting a 1099 does not mean the profit is "tax free".

Me? Vendor address only issue? pffffft. Mail a copy to the proper vendor address.

Rare indeed, kudos! Likely as common as (what used to be) common sense.

To see if the address they sent to is real (no bounce) and most importantly, to troll for a reply/unsubscribe. The reply gives certain information to identify you, which is gold/platinum for hackers. For instance, if you reply from a cell, and are not properly masking certain things, the recipient of your message/reply can geolocate you fairly well, and in some cases, within a few meters. If you reply from your desk, the same place you have data someone might want to get at, unless you do certain things, you can certainly be geolocated reasonably accurately, and more importantly, the route to your computer is decipherable. I will not go deeper here, but this is stuff any script kiddie knows or can look up, let alone the "professional" hacker entities. Like the security company who posts their head's SSN as proof of their protection, with proper security, it is not a big deal if someone knows your IP. BTW, long gone are the days when an ISP would actually change your IP often. It is easier for them, less support and all, to essentially give you a static IP, which only changes on certain rare events. Even the bounce you received is likely a fake, as they don't want you to know they "got" you until they see what they can sell the information for, or until they get what they can.

Eerily calm now. Since about 1pm pacific, few messages. I suppose all who are timely submitting W2 data have done so. It has been a long four months, and I am ready for calm. Maybe the longest four months I have had (work) because of the repetitive issues with W2 efile questions, and a large number of new customers wondering why their low paid employees are incorrectly getting zero for their calculated FWH. I am thankful for those who heeded my nags and gained access to SSA timely. The one which is nagging me today, and it could not have been associated with anyone here, is a complaint (not a question, just asking why the calculations are wrong), as a customer's employee's accountant said 1% was deducted for FWH, when "it has to be at least 10%". Like the decades old joke about "I cannot find the ANY key to press", I have yet to see any W4 setting or calculation for FWH to be a flat %. Well, the exception is not a flat %, but the current form allows essentially turning off FWH calc, and selecting a flat dollar amount for the year. My client says the employee is raising a large stink, and is not listening to the employer telling them to pound sand, the amount is correct for the instructions FROM THE EMPLOYEE on their W4. The customer has gone quiet, after my last advice to ask the accountant to provide a signed valid W4 showing a flat % for FWH. Should have led with the last advice... While writing this, received a good old annual "why is federal withholding less this month than last month, with no changes to earnings or W4? Does the software have an issue?". A couple of clicks, and onto the next.

Not a special or new rule, the proper reporting of the shareholder insurance. It started with IRS notice 2008-1. The rub, what most people do not figure out is 2008-1 was all about the W2 to prevent double dipping. The consequences, which I have not seen documented officially - and something I have been arguing for many years - is the amount it wages, and needs to be reported as constructively received. Many accountant types believe adjusting the W2 is all that is needed, which may not cause issues, but as wages, it is not a once a year deal.

Yuck/muck. Sounds like the clergy person is doing right, and the church person (and whomever is or should be monitoring their books) has been making the same error for years. Sadly, more common than it should be, even in the small sample size I deal with. If not acting as an employee (assuming there is no employee activity at all), if there are any payments from the church to your client at all, why? I have seen similar before, a church has associates who never give in church service, but do things like weddings and counseling. The church lets them be an associate, but unless they do something such as fill in speaking, they are never an employee.

Similar but different. In my younger days, I would inevitably end up involved with whatever org my kids were in. Baseball, school, whatever. So many times the finances were a mess for prior volunteers. Now, those that care about me prohibit me from volunteering. Paid? Maybe, but the usual is to refer to pros who will be there through many volunteer cycles.

No telling what, if anything, gets passed. The advice of file when ready is likely the best. If something comes later with more bene, the IRS will likely send payment.

I have not followed it in a bit, but there was some court challenges to housing allowance - I don't remember the argument, other than it seemed logical (which does not usually apply to taxation). I don't expect HA to get negated, as the political ramifications would cause upheaval for sure, but IIRC, it was an interesting argument.

My usual first place to look is in the image. I used to have an online "friend" who was likely the most expert independent person on church payroll, but they passed a few years back. "Doing pastoral duties for the church" sounds like employee for that work. As opposed to performing a wedding for a church member as IC.

Church payroll is a highly specialized endeavor. Even some of the denomination provided advice can be suspect. Coupled with the number oif church payrolls run by volunteers, and kind at heart folks, mistakes are common.

Ugh. Scratch my back at its worst.

You can use a virtual phone service. Those services can email you any sms messages, and often can handle fax in/out. You could transfer your LL number to the service and have the voice calls forwarded to your cell or a new LL number.

I would have agreed 40 years ago. Expectations are different today, given the shift to "there must be somebody I can get to do what I want, at no risk to me". And as have aged, the natural consequence is to accept less BS.

One method, for the best safety, is to "wash" your incoming message through something like mailwasher. Another is to always open messages in plain text mode, so no links can be selected, and no one pixel images can be used to track your opening of the message. The issue is really too large for one person to handle their own filtering, yet the filters are so bad, wanted messages get trapped. Catch-22. For me, I have my mail server scan attachments for obvious issues, and I will setup blocks for repeated offenders, but for the most part, I let all through, filter locally, but I still have to review all messages in case one gets caught incorrectly, and I don't open anything in an email unless I asked for something. Good old Safe Hex. Deeper, the "managed" email providers are terrible at filtering. Why? Because they filter for their own reasons first (to save money), and they do not filter "for" you at all. I get messages every single day from customers who say they did not get their receipt (although some are a farce as we also send it via SMS when they provide it). There are still a few providers who use the block everything, unless the sender fills out a form. The absolute worst are the "cloud" filters, as they will often not even allow you to see the blocked messages (I am talking about Loyal Order of Moose, which ran into this a year or two ago, and could not get anything from me, even though I never send spam, and I do not send from shared IP addresses.)

Ugh. I just got a written earful, and threats of bad reviews and BBB reporting from a now former client. All because I pointed out a possible error, which now appears to be a knowing decision to defraud (the old "protest too much" theory). I don't worry about threats or bad reviews, and in this case, I suspect nothing will happen out of fear they will get caught. I reserve the right to be wrong, in case there is a statutory or other exception. Person asked why the W2 "I" prepared is different than the 1099 they received. "I own my own business (S-corp). I work under X and they do my billing, credentialing, etc. I am an independent contractor. I pay for their services and they give me a biweekly check minus their pay. Does that make sense? I bought your software to pay myself and give myself a W2 at the end of the year. " I shared information pointing to an employer/employee relationship. The result "Can I receive my money back for your services? I will be dealing with another company. Again, I did not ask for your opinion. Apparently I am dealing with a narcissist and as a counselor I would like to set a boundary. I will be reporting our conversations to BBB and anyone else who will listen including the referral source I was given for your software."

The elder generations still eat dog meat. The younger generations do not, but are not inclined to cause their elders to lose face by making a new law. We are part of a rescue group, and we are good at foster failing. (We foster failed twice with human pups too.)

My assistants whine if I don’t cover them up with their blankets in the morning. Or if I don’t go upstairs to work on time! The traffic on the stairway can get a little intense, one likes to race by on the left, the other follows on the right. If I forget to leave space on the left, there can be a backup. Or a collision if I carry my water bottle too low on the right Saved from the meat market (really) in China. one has wonky front legs from being hung up for sale.

Way to go! Keeps the peace a little and gives the son some relief at this most difficult time.

Hard to argue RC is met if dist is used for day to day. So silly, the RC game. Those that play are likely served best taking wages up to the ss limit, if they have the option.

Unless the shareholder rarely participates, the wage amount you are referring to seems a bit shy for RC. HI more than wages gets my attention too. Many shareholders neglect to consider for their employee/officer type efforts, they need to be paid at least min wage, for all hours worked, on a regular basis (not the one a year or once a quarter garbage, except in a few states with no pay freq requirement). And the HI should have been pro rated and shown on every paycheck, not just added in for end of year (constructive receipt of the HI benefit). But, ignoring shenanigans, Box 1 = Box 1, however it came to be.

I was not kidding, there is no amount (which anyone would pay) which would entice me. I've had enough. It is a natural progression though, and I was so fortunate to start when all computer users were experts, and those who had a computer and my software, were at the top of the expert list. It was like chatting with a trusted colleague. A few of those originals have become close friends. How many times can one person tell someone the solution is to properly read and do what is in plain language on their receipt? How much can someone pay for that sort of hand holding? Of course, had I been paying attention, I would have seen the end was near when W3.1 came out, and I started to get questions about how to find the drive door, and why was the floppy disk in a hard case now. And I remember all too well having to tell some to put their thumb on the label then insert the disk (so it would not be upside down). It used to be a whole day of "fun" things like one yesterday. Looking into how IPERS contributions are to be reported on a W2. (No, NOT required to be in box 14, only a should be ignored "may". Yes, check the retirement box and alter FWH and SWH wages. And the kicker, no known requirement to include the amount in Box 12! as none of the codes apply.)

Hopefully at least one of the parties had proper representation. Sounds like no for both, or there would have been documentation to already spell this out.