How tired are you?

[jasdlm]

Somehow, in looking at a dependent return from several angles, I toggled to have her claim herself (made NO difference on her return as only tax was self-employment tax on a small stipend).  I didn't catch it, nor did my reviewer.  The kids return was accepted (aaargh) and parents' just rejected.  Now I get to tell the parents I'm an idiot, file an amended return for the kid, and wait to file the parents.

Although my 'mess up' list is long and distinguished, I have never pulled this ridiculous stunt before.

 

[Lynn EA USTCP in Louisiana]

I have made this very mistake - once.  After that I vowed to always file the parents' return first, and then the dependent's return.  Oh, and the year I made this mistake I did not charge the parents for the returns.  I didn't wait to file the parents, just made it a paper/mailed return with an explanation cross referencing the dependent's amended return. 

[RitaB]

18 minutes ago, jasdlm said:

Although my 'mess up' list is long and distinguished, I have never pulled this ridiculous stunt before.

Welcome!  So glad to have you in my world! 

[jasdlm]

I just made a rule that there would be no filing of dependents' returns until parent returns cleared!

[jasdlm]

Yikes!  This posted twice, even though the first time, it told me I had to change the subject because I used too many letters before it would post.

Judy or KC, would you please make it go away?

Sorry, friends.

 

[Possi]

That happened to me twice. Now I have a new MO. I hold every dependent return until the parent's return is accepted. Standard Operating Practice now. It will never happen to me again.

Then, I have a jello shot. Right, Rita?

[RitaB]

6 minutes ago, Possi said:

That happened to me twice. Now I have a new MO. I hold every dependent return until the parent's return is accepted. Standard Operating Practice now. It will never happen to me again.

Then, I have a jello shot. Right, Rita?

"Cough syrup"

[RitaB]

18 minutes ago, jasdlm said:

 

Judy or KC, would you please make it go away?

 

If I had a nickel for every time I said that...

[Elrod]

[jklcpa]

2 hours ago, jasdlm said:

Yikes!  This posted twice, even though the first time, it told me I had to change the subject because I used too many letters before it would post.

Judy or KC, would you please make it go away?

Sorry, friends.

 

 

1 hour ago, RitaB said:

If I had a nickel for every time I said that...

 

I decided to merge the two posts since each had replies.

Please send nickels.  

[jasdlm]

Amazing!  I just put 10 nickels in the CD drive.  Let me know when you get them. 

Thanks so much!

[Jack from Ohio]

1 hour ago, jklcpa said:

 

 

I decided to merge the two posts since each had replies.

Please send nickels.  

 

[BHoffman]

I sort of like crossing the line into real exhaustion.  Nothing else exists or matters except the work.  That mono-focus is pretty liberating in some ways.  What's for dinner?  Well, maybe a frozen pot pie and a glass of single malt.  Who cares?  What should I wear today? Well, what's clean in the closet?  Did my stupid sister hurt my feelings today?  Yes.  Should I go round and round or simply plot revenge?  The obvious answer is to plot revenge and enjoy it by going out of town for Thanksgiving.  Sis was supposed to cook for us on alternating years.  After two years in a row of showing up for dinner and there's nothing, we relieved her of that duty and we always host.  Going to Baja this year.  Vaya con Dios, you crappy little blighter!!!!  Hmmmph!

[SaraEA]

I did the same thing once, the year of the Sandy Hook school shootings in CT.  One of the parents was a teacher at the school.  These folks didn't need any more grief in their lives.  They're still my clients though, so I guess they forgave me.  I will never forgive myself.

[SaraEA]

My post made me realize something.  Why do we remember and dwell over every single error we ever made (I still remember my first one almost 20 years ago) and not feel good about the zillions of clients we have helped over time?  The ones we found eligible for credits they never claimed, played with the numbers and discovered MFS actually would save them a bunch, cajoled into increasing their withholding or paying quarterly, warned about missing sales tax returns, spent precious time calculating basis of assets, dropped everything so we could meet some outside deadline for them......

[BHoffman]

Human nature.  My client lost his long time girlfriend to cancer.  He said he found himself apologizing to her every day in his mind.  He took such good care of her, provided for her, loved her until the very end, gave her safety and security while she fought.  I reminded him of that and he seemed to lighten up right there.  He was going to stay home, alone, for Easter.  When he left, he said maybe he would put together some fun Easter baskets for the family nieces and nephews and go to the dinner after all.  I don't know why we are so very hard on ourselves.

 

[BLACK BART]

6 hours ago, Elrod said:

Even though it's non-deductible, this is absolutely true.  Just proved it to myself this evening.  Worked till 5 P.M., quit, ate supper and watched TV 'til drowsing off at 6:30, then up again at 11 P.M., nursed fever (and fever blister) with two Tylenol, and now back to work until 3 A.M., then bed 'til 9 A.M., get up and do it all over again tomorrow.  Like Jack, I'm meeting myself coming out of the file room.

[joanmcq]

I've got a toothache, a weird rash on one finger that's spreading to the adjacent one,  my lower back has been aching nonstop for about a week, and the knuckle on the ring finger of my left hand either is succumbing to arthritis or I injured it somehow, and don't remember how. I'm thinking of just pulling the plug tonight - I haven't napped today and just feel tired to my core. Nothing overt, just exhausted. I've been working til after 4am and not getting to sleep til after 5am. I stopped booking appointments at 1pm; now I just see clients from 2-7.

[BLACK BART]

1 hour ago, joanmcq said:

I've got a toothache, a weird rash on one finger that's spreading to the adjacent one,  my lower back has been aching nonstop for about a week, and the knuckle on the ring finger of my left hand either is succumbing to arthritis or I injured it somehow, and don't remember how. I'm thinking of just pulling the plug tonight - I haven't napped today and just feel tired to my core. Nothing overt, just exhausted. I've been working til after 4am and not getting to sleep til after 5am. I stopped booking appointments at 1pm; now I just see clients from 2-7.

Thanx Joan.  Now I don't feel so sorry for myself.

[FDNY]

1 hour ago, joanmcq said:

I've got a toothache, a weird rash on one finger that's spreading to the adjacent one,  my lower back has been aching nonstop for about a week, and the knuckle on the ring finger of my left hand either is succumbing to arthritis or I injured it somehow, and don't remember how. I'm thinking of just pulling the plug tonight - I haven't napped today and just feel tired to my core. Nothing overt, just exhausted. I've been working til after 4am and not getting to sleep til after 5am. I stopped booking appointments at 1pm; now I just see clients from 2-7.

See a dentist.   You probably have dermatitis on your finger, Doc will write you an RX for Desonide ointment.  Get on a stretching routine for your back.   Eat organic dark cherries and take turmeric twice a day for early arthritis.  You'll be good to go in no time at all.  I'm not a doctor, just got a good night's sleep last night.

 

[Richcpaman]

My problem is that the children's returns do not go thru this office.  They go thru HRB or online and claim themselves.  And of course they always say they don't. 

Feel pretty good today.  Going to be a late one tonight, however.

Rich

 

[Lion EA]

I've needed the late nights, but back is in spasm to the point of taking muscle relaxants that have me too drugged up to work, so I'm falling farther and farther behind and the calls from clients re their pending returns put me farther behind, too.  Wish I had an assistant to return the emails and calls or maybe should just set up an auto-response.  I too have fingers with arthritis this year, one of which is painful, so more typos and more time proofreading.  Thermacare heat wraps help my lower back without the extension cord of a heating pad, but don't do much for the spasm in the middle.  I have a cold or sinus issue, coughing (which throws my back into spasm each time I cough).  So, zinc and cough drops for that and turmuric and Move Free from Costco for the arthritis and the heat wraps and anti-inflammatories (sp?) for the back and then the big guns when I finally sleep.  It looks like a doctor's office in here with a pile of pills on my desk.  I have a cracked tooth, too, that the dentist said could wait until I have more pain.  Maybe Joan and I can merge practices and share an assistant and a nurse.

[Catherine]

My main computer has been DEAD for a week.  In that week I have managed to complete a whopping total of SIX returns on my assistant's machine, while playing EMT/nursemaid/assistant to the slew of IT professionals who always say this next attempt will fix everything.  Today I set that machine aside and brought in and hooked up my home computer.  I need to access my network storage (another call to an IT center but this one has a hope of getting me good info), then bring over my data files and a couple of other must-haves, and then be back in business.  EVERYONE is going on extension, my assistant will be starting to process those tomorrow.  No guesses of tax due or anything.  I have well over a hundred UN-touched returns in house and more arriving daily.  I can put everyone on extension, collapse in my office, or be in Belize or New Zealand before anyone realizes I have left.  I pick the first one.

I'm done.  My practice is going up for sale on 4/20.  I'll do pay-per-return for family, a couple of nearly-pro-bono's I do, and my very elderly clients (because change is so hard on them).  

[jklcpa]

I went into the season already being tired, and now I'm staring blankly at the screen.

 

[BHoffman]

{{{{❤️}}}}. Virtual hug to everyone!