Catherine

It sounds like there was another distribution from somewhere. I have had clients who took from multiple sources but only gave paperwork for one; could this be what happened? Get the wage & income transcript if you have POA and see what 1099-R forms were reported to the IRS.

I don't personally know about these companies, but a search showed at least three and they only charge $15-$20 per filing, and they are all authorized IRS e-file providers. https://www.tax2efile.com/efile-7004-form https://www.expressextension.com/business-tax-extensions/efile-7004/ https://www.taxbandits.com/extensions/file-form-7004-online/ Good luck, and let us know how it went!

Nice; faster than searching for the organization and looking at it's "Donate" page to look for 501c3 notices there. Thanks!

I had a client who paper filed a return and had no response for over 6 months. Client called IRS and got instructed to e-file, at which point I was asked to re-create the paper return and e-file it. (Simple return; had been done correctly.) Refund received a week and a half later.

Good catch, Terry! I was making the assumption that since she was sole beneficiary she was also appointed as executrix.

Travel to see to the safety of assets held by an estate is indeed an acceptable estate expense. Think of it this way: if a professional was hired to administer the estate, would they be eligible for mileage? Then an amateur is, too.

You can make a good case for it being an asset of the estate. The mailman might have simply forgotten to drop it off on Wednesday (that sort of delay sure happens around here a lot), in which case it would have been estate asset. If there was a postmark on the envelope, or any letter coming with it that was dated, I'd be even more inclined to say asset. If the estate needs funds to pay a lawyer (or you!) or for death certificate copies, or upkeep on the residence, those are all appropriate uses of the funds.

Does your client often hear these voices? More to the point, do those voices recommend anything dangerous to you?

Former client moved to Florida. Moved on from my practice 'cuz he needed more help than I could provide. Now he's looking for advice on starting a religious group and I know nothing about religious or clergy taxes. Anyone here who has a clue on those topics who'd be willing to advise him (for a fee; not free!)? TIA.

I'll stick with Drake for now. I know the program, I've not had much trouble with support, they are still very responsive in general. Plus with having downsized my practice, it doesn't make sense to spend a lot of time evaluating new programs and learning a new one. I'm down to less than 100 returns a year. Could just about do those by hand (except for the e-file part).

Four days after signatures, he gave me a debit card number. Returns were submitted and accepted, and his copies mailed to him (first class, not Priority). I'm done with him, and it was technically only a day later than we are "supposed" to wait. But it also took him three different promised times to call me to pay before he came through. At some point in the next few weeks I'll make sure he knows that was a last-time courtesy for his mom's sake, and that I have no unaffiliated individual clients that I work with under the age of 80. (That last is true; sold off the bulk of my practice some years ago. Kept the elderlies 'cuz change is too hard for them plus - let's face it - they're not long-term clients. Also kept family and a few friends and charity cases that I do for a song. Anyone who wanders in new gets referred out to the guys who bought me out. He is not his mom, and he's under 80, so he's also history. Better ask the guys if they want him, or not...)

She prepared the last-known returns from her office in Florida. At this point I'll wait for the POA to be uploaded by the CAF unit, and see if there is a record of return filed for those two years. If they're filed, we're done. If they're not filed, I have prepared returns to enter in my system and I'll get them submitted.

Good dodge; thank you. I have not had too much extra trouble with support, although I don't like the "press 1 for" nonsense - I prefer a person. Yes, s/w has been buggier than in the past - but the tax laws have been changing as fast as Italy changes governments, and states are lagging in accepting federal changes. I figured it was all a part of the general upheaval of the past few years. I'm sticking with Drake for now.

Not really, and for anyone else I would file and not worry about payment. This guy is different. Loser son of a very nice couple (now deceased). His mom paid for his returns to be done for years, but she's gone now. This will be the last time I help him - he can go to the big box store of his choice in the future. Good news, though - he emailed me back (I had tried one more time) and promises to call tomorrow late morning with a debit card. If that happens, I can file. If not, I still don't know what to do.

Deadbeat client, did his return as a favor to his mom who recently died. He was told flat out - several times - that I cannot e-file his return until I have 1. signature pages properly signed and 2. payment in full for the return. He's sent me signature pages, and refuses to answer email queries about payment. Now what? I'm not (yet) the paid preparer, but I have signature pages.

2848 was submitted today, so in theory I can wait a couple weeks and see if there is a return transcript for her.

I have her name and supposed office address in Fort Myers FL. No phone number, no email. Can't find web site or phone. Very frustrating. Need to find out if prior year returns she prepared were ever filed (paperwork is not clear, and the client's husband who would have known is deceased).

I have the woman's name and her town and even a corporation name. But I can't find her. Corporation lookup gets me incorporation date, but no web site or phone. Nothing on LinkedIn or Facebook. Nothing in the yellow pages under her corporation name or the white pages under her name. Searching on a Florida CPA site returned no results, either. Where else can I look? Anyone got any clever (or even dumb) ideas? TIA

It all went very easily. Hit enter too quickly when a client showed up at the door unexpectedly.

Did mine yesterday; very annoying. First step: log in with 2FA including a very long delay before the code showed up in email (was ready to try again but I waited; good move). Which then required me to update the password with ridiculous requirements. But then I had to log in again with the new password and 2FA, as if maybe it wasn't the real me who had been fully logged in with the old pw and 2FA. That brought me to a screen with no "renew your PTIN" option. Tried all the other options before trying the "home" button (did find a confirmation of last year's PTIN renewal - so timely), because as we all know sometimes on the IRS site using the "home" option bumps you out leading you to log in again. But that Home button did get me tot he "Renew your PTIN" choice. After I got to that point, it all very easily.

F0urScoreAnd7YearsAgo (not one I use)

I'll put it on my to-do list!

Maybe you're just not that special any more, Tom. Or, maybe you are, but they're not ready for you yet!

I don't know; that would be a conversation to have with the client. I have no knowledge of how an entity structure could help or hinder the client's efforts.

I try hard to look for ethics classes that aren't some iteration of Circular 230 over and over and over ad nauseam. Best one ever was an interactive class of "gray areas" where a situation was given, what would you do? What if this detail changed? What if instead of stating case this way, it was stated that way? What if as time went on and you had an investment (time, effort, sympathy) in the client's case, it edged in this direction? Where is the line that crosses from advocating for the client to colluding with the client, and how can you anticipate where it might be so as to watch for it? It was excellent. Most of them are boring as spit, and not nearly as useful. I truly detest the classes (and especially the presenters) that assume we are adversaries and threaten with the horrible penalties that await. Have sometimes felt those people should be publicly flogged.