New One For Me. Good Laugh

[Terry D EA]

While sorting through a client's documents, I found loosing lottery tickets grouped with the items for deductions????? Really?? Must be some more of that barber shop tax prep going on. Hmmmm, could this fall under a loss for a professional gambler which these folks are not? A good laugh only on this one. It never ceases to amaze me the things people try.

Next case- Client calls whose return was prepared on February 1 with a balance due to Fed and NC State. Aggrevated at me and wanting to know where her refund was and why it hasn't been sent yet. What to do???? Arrrgh I am glad it is almost over.

[Seanr7]

Had a client yesterday under their deductions list had "$82.67 school supplies". I asked her to explain, she said "I bought school supplies for my grand child! Um no that's not going to work. After several other issues with them I gathered up all their documents and handed them back and said "You need to find someone else to do your return".

[rfassett]

I wish I understood psychiatry better. I am certain there is a name for the stage we are in. We are well seated in fatigue and exhaustion. So if we reach the point where everything seems funny maybe that is the "I don't give a crap anymore" stage. Is that a pyschiatry term? I think I will just reside here for awhile.

[RitaB]

I wish I understood psychiatry better. I am certain there is a name for the stage we are in. We are well seated in fatigue and exhaustion. So if we reach the point where everything seems funny maybe that is the "I don't give a crap anymore" stage. Is that a pyschiatry term? I think I will just reside here for awhile.

I actually love those days when I am so over it that everything is funny. Yeah, the "I don't give a crap" stage. Sounds fitting.

Right now, I am still in the "I need a nap" stage. By nap I mean small coma. Hopefully, come Monday...

[MsTabbyKats]

I actually love those days when I am so over it that everything is funny. Yeah, the "I don't give a crap" stage. Sounds fitting.

Right now, I am still in the "I need a nap" stage. By nap I mean small coma. Hopefully, come Monday...

I think of it as the "your problem is not my problem" stage......

This is a motto I've been living by for about 20 years during "the final days"........

I politely declined a few "new clients" in the past couple of days. Why? Because I knew they would be owing money...and I didn't feel like dealing with "the aftermath" of telling them this.

As far as this "psychiatry" thing......I started a thread a few weeks ago about "feeling like a psychologist".

Yes..I do. I am an RTRP...have an MBA is business. I'm not an "accountant" by degree or education.

I think the trick to being successful in this business is understanding the people and listening to their problems...not the numbers, not the rules (I know most will agree with me here.)

You have to know what will make each client happy (or the least amount unhappy), and deal with it on a case by case basis.

[taxxcpa]

I like the kind of client who ends up owing $10,000 or more and says, "Is that all I owe?"

[MsTabbyKats]

I like the kind of client who ends up owing $10,000 or more and says, "Is that all I owe?"

You know what I say....

"You should be happy you owe. It means you made money."

Again...depends on the situation. Single guy making $250,000 is one thing. Parents with 3 children making $100,000 is something else.

[kcjenkins]

Next case- Client calls whose return was prepared on February 1 with a balance due to Fed and NC State. Aggrevated at me and wanting to know where her refund was and why it hasn't been sent yet. What to do???? Arrrgh I am glad it is almost over.

Look at it this way, it's a darn good thing she called now, so she can pay by the due date. If she called on 4/20 with the same question she'd be blaming you for the penalty!!!!!

[jainen]

>>If she called on 4/20 with the same question she'd be blaming you <<

Really? 'Round here everyone's pretty mellow on 420!

[Guest Taxed]

How about girlfriend as a dependant? Just got a new referral who did his own taxes last year on TurboTax and took his GF as a dependent and claimed HOH. Fails on all tests? When he did not understand I gave him HRB # and wished him good luck.

[MsTabbyKats]

How about girlfriend as a dependant? Just got a new referral who did his own taxes last year on TurboTax and took his GF as a dependent and claimed HOH. Fails on all tests? When he did not understand I gave him HRB # and wished him good luck.

What I would have said: "If you do something wrong, the worst case is you have to pay the tax. If I do something wrong, I have to pay a $5000 penalty, because I'm supposed to know better." That way....no animosity on either side.

[Guest Taxed]

That is a good one. In my younger days i used to aregue and try to show them that I am right based on the laws. Send them printouts and pubs etc. Now when someone says, are you sure you are right and know what you are doing because they don't agree with me and i know they are wrong I just refer them to HRB. One less headache for me!

I am done teaching tax laws!

[Kea]

I just tell them I'm not willing to go to jail for them. That usually convinces them or chases them off.

[Terry D EA]

<<<<Look at it this way, it's a darn good thing she called now, so she can pay by the due date. If she called on 4/20 with the same question she'd be blaming you for the penalty!!!!!>>>>>

My thoughts exactly.

[jainen]

In my younger days i used to argue and try to show them that I am right based on the laws.

When Congress asks me to restructure the tax code next week (it was nice of them to wait until after the 15th) I'm going to start with a new category called General Deductions. They won't actually reduce the tax, but they will show on the return. That way I won't have to argue. I'll just say, "Personally I don't think it's deductible but I put it right there on Schedule A for you!"

[Catherine]

I have a bunch of standard-deduction folks who nevertheless give me their Schedule A items. For them, I just add the Schedule A and print it out in the client copy. It doesn't transmit -- but they see it and are happy.

[Jack from Ohio]

I have a bunch of standard-deduction folks who nevertheless give me their Schedule A items. For them, I just add the Schedule A and print it out in the client copy. It doesn't transmit -- but they see it and are happy.

I have 2 dozen personal clients just like that, and at the firm probably 200+. They don't even mind the charge for the form!!

[jklcpa]

I have 2 dozen personal clients just like that, and at the firm probably 200+. They don't even mind the charge for the form!!

I have to check each of those because Delaware is a state that allows itemized deductions when the federal uses the standard. It is a pain because when this occurs, I have to submit the returns separately and tell the program to force the itemized on the federal so that Sch A will transmit with the state, all the while being careful not to submit the federal that way. Any other way and Delaware doesn't receive the Sch A even though the return has the itemized deductions on it.

[kcjenkins]

AR has a MUCH lower standard deduction, only $2K each, so most of my clients who file standard on Fed still itemize on the state. Thankfully, it's easy to do no conflict with the federal. Delaware sounds like a pain.

[GeneInAlabama]

Alabama state returns are totally separate from the federal. I have some clients that file a federal but not a state, and some that file a state but not a federal. Most of those who file a state return are able to itemize even though they don't have enough to itemize on the federal.

[JohnH]

NC has a quirky rule that allows a credit for contributions above a certain threshhold even for non-itemizers. So if they clearly are claimimng the standard deduction but gave me a contribution statement, I still enter the contributions figure just so it can flow through to the NC return if applicable. But I don't charge the non-itemizers for making that entry.

[jklcpa]

So for those of you whose states allow itemizing when the federal is using the standard deduction, do your states have their own itemized schedule or does it use the federal?

Delaware isn't really a pain because it starts with the federal and makes a couple of modifications. Also, both ATX and Drake do properly calculate and report the itemized deductions on the DE return, it's only that the federal Schedule A doesn't transmit with the state e-file.

The first year I was efiling I didn't realize the A wasn't being sent and one client got a notice to send in the Sch A after the season was over.

[gfizer]

Kentucky has its own Schedule A. Input flows from Federal Schedule A or you can override the form and enter figures on it directly.

[Jack from Ohio]

Ohio uses medical deductions above the floor limit to reduce Ohio taxable income. I always input the medical on Sch A and print it as well. Folks with lots of medical, but not enough to itemize benefit greatly.

[Lion EA]

NY (I have lots of commuters) has itemized deductions but a much higher standard than federal. My software makes the NY adjustments to compute the NY itemized to compare with the NY standard and takes the best NY outcome for each client, no matter which method was used for Federal. I haven't done a Delaware return. Have a couple of NCs, though.