Catherine

Hey, if one can fake ethics and honor, the sky's the limit! Most of the "ethics" taught is nonsense and easily gamed for those of a mind to so do. Best I ever sat through was a long conversation (yes, a conversation with two instructors and a room full of 100+ tax pros) on gray areas. How to recognize when "helping a client" slowly pushes you into grayer and grayer areas (client doing this on purpose or by accident). Recognizing hidden places for conflicts of interest. There was nothing cut-and-dried in those two hours, and plenty of disagreement in minutiae, but it was the best and most thought-provoking ethics ever. I still think back to it and those same thought patterns have helped me recognize several gnarly situations and back out before they got too gnarly.

I love starting the SOL. I advise filing any time there is any question. Filing now not only starts the SOL but means it's done when information is relatively fresh in minds. Hate getting IRS letters demanding tax due that isn't actually due, just because proof of same was not filed in a return.

I scan everything, and electrons stack real high before they need more space. My electronic records go back to start of scanning. Paper? I no longer keep paper for anything except 8879-type sig pages (in ONE file folder by tax year and one folder for state pages; scanned as a whole and shredded after three years) and POAs. POAs because so often I need to include copies (or fax them) when dealing with a new agent or issue. No client original docs of any kind stored, except for one of my daughters who doesn't have enough room at her apartment, and at her specific request. With electronic records, I was able to provide copies of adoption papers to a former client who needed them after originals were lost in a move. It did take me a few minutes of digging in the old records to find them.

Doing the same here. Send that proof of payment by mail. One client who made payment (for amended return; unexpected K-1 received late) included check for a couple bucks of post-4/15 interest.

Our tax dollars at play?

Half is better than none? I had a client get a letter with instructions "you can call us at the number on the top right corner of the first page of the letter" - no number there. Or anywhere on the letter. Except for the useless general number. 3 1/2 hours on hold (all told) the client was able to resolve issue after I coached him. (No POA on file for that year.)

Not quite. Rather, it's because the answers actively HIDE until you give up and ask. Then they pop out at you, snickering, as if they had been there the whole time.

He had fun with his toy, that's for sure!

that means you, too, @BulldogTom and @Abby Normal, despite the short jokes.

Not a payroll tax issue at all. Late-filed return penalty - but the return was filed late because the tax matters partner was incapacitated, his wife was fighting cancer, and the son running the business was taking care of them both and as a result doing almost no business. We sent in penalty abatement request that was rejected only because my POA had been signed by the TMP, who had died by the time the IRS read the letter, so the POA was no longer valid.

If any of you ever make it up this way, let me know and I'll make sure there is cake for you. No more apple cake till fall, but I can still make pear cake 'cuz I canned the pears.

Just for that, @Abby Normaland @BulldogTomyou two don't get any slices of the apple-walnut cake that I just made this morning. That'll learn you!

First thought: are they getting enough water and enough sun and fertilizer? If yes, contact your county extension service or a tree specialist, and have them take a look. Good luck!

I have the most useless piece of crap sorry excuse for a legisvermin that exists. I'd rather give myself a root canal without novocaine. Better yet, give that to the "representative!"

I switched in the middle of the 2012 filing season debacle - Feb 2013. Baptism by fire! That said, once you set aside (and it's a decision to make) reliance on forms-based entry, it's remarkably quick. Yes, sometimes a checkbox will trip you up. At that point, the top-notch support steps in.

Our house has a big ole pear tree planted when the house was built (as was common back then - neighborhood is peppered with pear, apple, and peach trees in back yards). I have since planted two dwarf apple trees and a second dwarf pear tree (big tree is definitely showing its age and won't last forever - 70 years is a long time for a fruit tree). Also had a peach but the rabbits girdled it one winter (they got through my not-sturdy-enough fencing) and it died. Keep meaning to replace it, the question is where to put it 'cuz the original tree's spot isn't as good due to some changes a neighbor made. We get about 300# of pears from the one big tree and give them away by the bushel in September. We can only eat, and I can only can, so many, after which it's give away or throw away. The dwarf apple trees keep us in fresh, cooking, and sauce apples until....... about now. I have just enough left from last fall to make one more cake, and then there won't be more until September/October. The dwarf pear is a relatively new tree, and this is the first year we have pears on it. Need to thin them out, so it won't over-tax a growing plant. Another advantage of the dwarf trees is that they only get to about 8' tall. Yes, you can prune standard trees to that height, but you need to be a lot more aggressive and on top of them, and prime pruning season is late Feb/early Mar and for some unknown reason that time frame tends to be a tad bit busy around here!

The taxpayer may not remember, but the prior preparer, or the actuaries, may still have some useful information. I have also seen these partially non taxable pensions. Not from an airline, but from other industries.

I was afraid of that. Thanks, Lion.

The entirety of the IRS is reasonably broken. Some units are broken worserer than other units, that's all.

Well, I faxed in my letter on Friday and have heard nothing. For whatever that's worth. All I had was a now-expired POA for tax returns only, signed by a partner/member who is now deceased (hence, the POA being expired).

When I get asked if my prices are negotiable, I tell them, "Yes they are - but upwards only!" That usually either shuts them up or makes them walk. Either way, I'm better off.

I'll see your cat, and raise you a matrix. Matrix Ping Pong

Looks like Randall got the essential parts done. The rest can follow at his leisure! Maybe BulldogTom will mosey on over to help him.

Look on ebay for a 2 or 3 generation ago phone (android or iphone, as you prefer) that has the right type of SIM card.

Is it 2018 and later years? (for original returns; got a non-filer case)