Lion EA

take income at the kid's lower rate and use the education credit or deduction against the parents' higher rate income

And, sometimes it's Mary Wenck down the street who's open on Tuesdays from 1-4 p.m., but "come before 3 p.m. to avoid the school busses" !! Gotta be an old-fashioned patronage job, right?

4 a.m. is getting more common than I wish. But, as I get older, I do collapse sooner. I've told my clients they can call between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m.; although, those who know me well know the p.m. time is for my husband's benefit -- the teacher who gets up early. With my home office phone only in my office, colleagues who know me call me later knowing I'm sitting here working. I've been trying to get up at 8 a.m., in office reading email and returning calls at 9 a.m., and really available by 10 a.m., but I probably won't get up until 9 a.m. tomorrow morning to make up for 7 a.m. this morning with an assistant arriving (still training her in hopes of a better season next year) and a client picking up. I function OK if I'm in bed around 1 p.m., but less sleep has my eyes dry and burning and me very, very cranky. This was easier when I was with a company and we kept each other awake and on topic during those late nights. When I'm by myself and my husband's asleep, I really want to stop working -- and too often do! I hope to manage my time better next season.

through 15 October

They're all public, sounds too general to be special

This east coast gal is not sleeping much lately.

You need a client who's a nurse, or a massage therapist...

CT also accepts the federal Form 1310.

If the son can be claimed by someone else/dad, even if no one else claims the son, the son can NOT claim himself.

Well, you were just lucky that UConn had their best players out for the month with injuries! At least the Lady Huskies made it farther than the UConn men...

I worked for a chain that discouraged extensions, even though I was in a premium office open year round. So, unfortunately, my clients have come to feel they can NOT extend. Now that I'm on my own, I would prefer to spread them out throughout the year. Especially THIS year. With Congress voting new tax laws in December for the second year in a row, and the IRS not accepting AMT-related forms until 11 February, and my having a week of three funerals including one out of state at the end of February followed by a sinus infection, and learning new software...well, I'm trying hard to explain extensions to many more clients than ever before -- and, hopefully, than ever again. This year I had less than two months to do all the work I usually do in 3 1/2 months. I'm trying not to be too exhausted to function well, but that means many are going on extension. I didn't help myself by not making a software decision until December, but I'd thought I was going to use ATX which I already knew; then the sudden death of their board make me take a closer look at their weak diagnostics and other issues that were going to have a higher priority on my own than they had when part of a chain preparing a few business returns. I know this is just temporary, and that I'll be much higher on the learning curve next tax season. But, have you noticed that no one's returns get simpler over time; everyone's tax life becomes more complex? So, it's hard just to keep up with the same ones without putting in more research time each year. Oh well, I lost a few but am meeting my financial goals. Back to work.

I had a retired New York Bell worker who got phone service and had those codes.

Then you've got to be careful of condensation!

Was it a job-hunting expense?

a K-1 from a fiscal year estate would go on the son's return for the year the K-1 ENDS, so you don't have to wait for a 2008 K-1 to prepare his 2007 individual return. listen to all the other stuff, though, and talk to the lawyer...

Who cares? It's April and you have better things to do. She'll pay $ to get copies from the IRS. And, $385 for FIVE years. And prior years at that, where you have to pull out your old software and research materials for tax law changes. Have a sheet on hand for just such occasions listing a few fees, including $100/year copying charge for prior year returns. Tell her you'll get then out of storage as soon as her check clears, or she can bring cash...

Schedule D transaction with dates flipped? Short sale not coded correctly?

Who's on the title or deed, the legal owner? Who's on the mortgage? Who actually pays the mortgage? Who pays the real estate taxes?

She should check with her lawyer. He might want her to claim the children if not claiming them jeopardizes her custodial rights or child support or gives her something to bargain with or.... Or, the lawyer might want her to not claim children or file a certain way to not rile up the other side over an issue they don't want to raise, or to save their energy for the battles that are most important or.... You give her the tax implications and let her decide what to do.

My husband bought me a laptop stand with a fan at Cosco. I bought my girls laptop stands that are supposed to wick heat away from the computer. My assistant said they told her on her day job that overheating is the leading cause of laptop failure. On one of hers, the hard drive actually melted. Ever use it on your lap? If so, you know how hot it gets. One of my clients has a newish Dell with THREE fans built in; the desk underneath is barely warm to the touch.

To give my husband something to do while I prepare returns!

Jainen, can you give a merit badge in tax preparation? That would be a good survival skill in today's world.

Go UConn Women!

Grew up with those old TV programs. Didn't like all of the movies, though. Alfred was always an under-appreciated character, much like a mother!

I think Joel looks more like Alfred who managed the Bat Cave for Batman than Alfred Hitchcock.