JohnH

Well, did you get their extensions? Just checking...

It is a good idea to do that.

Reply: "Thanks. I'll be waiting for it. You're on extension until then."

I would deduct it as medical transportation.

Glad I could help out, Bill.

The problem is probably a leading zero. You can find out by going here:. http://www.sosnc.gov/search/index/corp type in the corporation name, then look for the ID number. Second box to the right, after the name.

Happy Birthday, KC.

Last three stragglers' extensions were filed today. Unless something new, unusual, or weird comes in over the transom, I'm coasting. Now to see how many of those extended returns I can (or care to) loop back and complete by the 18th. Not sure it will be any of them since there are payroll reports to crank out and get a jump on the 30th, but at least I have options. Thank God for Form 4868 and all its benefits.

I sympathize with the "make 'em pay" viewpoint, but I respectfully disagree. We all have a right to be paid for our work, but accepting payment for anything carries with it an implied acceptance of some responsibility. We all know that isn't the case, but most clients don't. So when this scheme blows up and they get audited 2 or 3 years from now, and dad is dead or incapacitated, they are likely to come back to you since they paid you for "some kind of help" in the past. It isn't right, but that's how things often work. Who needs the hassle? If I'm in this situation, I'm giving them back their original documents with no charge, and wishing them well. That way if they ever return for any reason, I'm free to say "I couldn't help you then and I can't help you now." Oh, and one more thing. As Catherine rightly said, "Before you go, I'd like to have my business card back. "

I saw the Facebook question about access this morning, and Eric I have your email address in my contacts. But I was getting ready to leave the office for an extended appointment and at this time of year I didn't have the presence of mind to send you an email. Anyhow, a little down time reminds us of how important this forum is to us. Thanks Eric for taking care of us. We all appreciate you immensely.

So, what exactly is the point of drinking water not filtered through coffee grounds? Water needs to be filtered. Don't you know all the disgusting things fish do in water?

Chances are she will find someone who will prepare the return for her. She may go through one or two candidates before she figures out what she needs to tell them in order to get her desired result And chances are she will get away with it. But if she does get audited, it would not be pretty to be in the middle of this, even unknowingly. It is always smart to dig deeply when a new client shows up on the doorstep with a complicated situation and without a clear explanation for why they left the last preparer.

Same here. I bailed out of ATX early in the 2012 meltdown, discovered Drake (thank God), and have never looked back. But I still like this forum, both for the camaraderie and for the total independence from meddling by any vendor.

Interesting. Thanks for the perspective. Guess I need to be on the lookout for something like this. Right after I become an expert on ACA.

Whew! Now I can live without that fear hanging over my head.

Rita, if I ever meet you and you try to hug me, please don't be offended if I politely decline. Or even if I run the other way screaming "Somebody save me!"

Whatever amount he stiffed you for was well worth the investment. If he cheated you out of $500, you learned enough about his lack of character to insure that he would never have a chance to cheat you out of $5,000 (which he probably would do if given the chance). That's valuable information to have about anyone with whom you might be doing business in the future. Some people are are so insecure that they simply MUST get things over on others, usuallly as a way to validate their own self-worth. Best to identify them early in the relationship and steer clear of them forever afterward.

I've only had a few clients over the years who actually questioned the bill. But in those cases I've always followed the advice to ask them "What do you think it should be?" They never have an answer, other than to say it should be less. So they don't have any idea of what's reasonable, but they are absolutely sure the existing charge is unreasonable. How stupid & illogical can someone be? (Don't answer that...) Anyhow, my response has always been to tell them to decide what's fair and send a check for that amount. I think in all these years only one person actually sent less than the amount billed. But in almost every case I made sure they went somewhere else the next year. If they didn't do so voluntarily, I took the initiative - usuallly by calling it to their attention next time around (if there was going to be one), and pointing out it will be larger the current year if all work is about the same as the year before. They need to know & acknowledge you're in the business to make a profit, not just to earn a wage. I don't want to do business with someone who doesn't trust me to charge them appropriately, and I don't want to do business with someone who is opposed to me making a profit. No sense being bashful about that.

I think it's a mistake to ask clients if they are OK with an extension. I prefer to tell them up front we will need to file an extension and proceed to get it ready. It's the tax preparer equivalent. Of what's known as the "assumed close" in sales. Asking implies that they have a choice in the matter, when in fact the preparer should be making the choice. If they object, in some cases I tell them it's the only way we can move forward. But for special situations (and in my case they have to be VERY special), I will make an exception and go ahead without the extension. This business is about making distinctions, but the essential question becomes "who is making the distinctions?" If you surrender that control to the client, they will always decide in a way that is not in your best interests.

I think the "Loos Ends" title is very appropriate and illustrative. The creative spelling is what attracted my attention to the topic. I actually I thought it was intentiona

This is the first I've heard of student loan repayment schedules being lower when people file MFS. Maybe it's because most of my clients are old (like me), and student loans aren't in their financial mix. But I've never run across this even among my younger & middle-age clients. Anyhow, here's my question. Does the lower payment come with a lower interest rate? If not, then that means they are probably paying more income tax solely for the purpose of getting a lower monthly payment. Sounds like false economy to me, since the additional taxes are essentially an increase in their 'effective' interest rate (their true all-in cost of borrowing money). But I guess if they fall for that, they are the same people who routinely sign up for 7-year auto loans or fool themselves into thinking that leasing a car is more economical than buying. Or those who do serial refinancing, paying exorbitant transaction costs to ratchet down their home mortgage rate a few points without regard for the payback period. I guess there is a pattern there.

I don't charge extra for paper. If they want to paper file, I prepare the return. If they require e-flnging, I don't charge extra. I send them somewhere else.

There are some people out there who will drain your energy and wear out your patience simply because the drama they create gives their lives meaning & purpose. . They run the gamut from bored, well-to-do trust fund babies to highly-accomplished people with low self-esteem to abject losers with nothing but time on their hands and a penchant for trouble-making. I try to avoid these types whenever I identify them (some even in my own extended family). As friends & associates, the time can be better spent on more useful endeavors. As clients, it isn't possible to charge them enough to make them worth the effort. It's evident that this client falls into that category.

Maybe I'm reading this incorrectly, but if using 50% of the interest and prop taxes on schedule E leaves them without enough deductions to itemize on A, they haven't lost anything. The undeducted personal portion of mortgage interest and property taxes isn't really "lost". It's just overridden by a larger allowance via the standard deduction. You want to reduce the rental income as much as possible before making the itemized vs standard deduction on the schedule A. If standard deduction is greater, the excess is a freebie.

You mean no bunny pops up to ask "Do you really want to check this box?"