Affidavit for EIC/CTC/ACTC

[ILLMAS]

Would be okay to request an affidavit from TP acknowledging their children lived with them the whole year or more then six months?  I am collecting school records, medical, birth certificates, SS# cards and none prove that the  child lived with the parents.

[Jack from Ohio]

By the strictest definition of the rules, if you cannot document that the children live with the parents, you cannot allow them to claim the children.  If you do, and there is an issue, guess who will be the second person to pay penalty?

[ILLMAS]

11 minutes ago, Jack from Ohio said:

By the strictest definition of the rules, if you cannot document that the children live with the parents, you cannot allow them to claim the children.  If you do, and there is an issue, guess who will be the second person to pay penalty?

I was thinking of the affidavit atop of collecting as much documents they can provide, not just the affidavit and that's it.

 

 

[Catherine]

When it comes right down to it, HOW can you prove the kids lived with the parents?  They might live with grammy and grampy three blocks away, and still go to the same school, see the same doctor, have Sunday school at the same church, heck even get their mail at the parents' house.  

At some level, we have to be able to believe what we see.  Or close up shop and go home.  Hmmm..... y'know, if we ALL (every preparer in the country, not just our little forum) did that, for one tax season, we'd collapse the tax system.  Ooh, tempting!

[NECPA in NEBRASKA]

1095's are very often worthless in the case of parent's that are not together. Many times the non-custodial parent has to provide health insurance. Most report cards around here don't have addresses. I am so glad that I take very few new clients and no one that just calls me out of the blue. It's tough enough to prove this for people that I already know.  

[Terry D EA]

This is very interesting. So, exactly what documentation could there possibly be to prove a child's actual residence??? I personally find this as almost impossible to prove. Agree with Catherine, sometimes we have to go with exactly what we see. Maybe people should start having their electric bill in the kid's name and have the kid pay for it so now they could prove residency. Oops, wait a minute, I guess we could still have the kid living with grandma and paying mom and dad's electric bill. We spend too much time making our selves crazy over things we really cannot prove. Furthermore, it is ridiculous for the IRS to think we can do this. All we can do is make a good effort for our own peace of mind. I would like to see a court case where a preparer was penalized because he/she failed to prove residency for dependent child, and what evidence the tax court would use against the preparer. I mean really.

[RitaB]

My guy that just picked up?  It was TORTURE getting any document out of him with kids' name and address.  Forget year.  I had to explain to him that a SS card does not have an address on it.  And that IRS actually already knows their SSNs, no kidding, they actually know that one, amazing, huh?   He was back and forth three times.  Last time he came in, "I don't know if this will work..."  I snatched it out of his hand and said, "Perfect."  It was something worthless for this purpose.

When he picked up just now, he said, "Well, I can prove they live with me if they ask, no problem."

Y'all know what I wanted to do, don't you?

[Lion EA]

it's only February, and Rita's hugs have started.  

[Catherine]

23 minutes ago, Lion EA said:

it's only February, and Rita's hugs have started.  

Maybe she needs to buy additional property.  Just sayin'...

[Hahn1040]

Perhaps we need to try home visits and interrogation!

We all know that when you walk in a house, you can tell if children live there!

Look each child in the eye and ask:  where did you sleep last night, last week, last month..... so what if she is 8 months old... read what her eyes are saying!

[Jack from Ohio]

1 hour ago, RitaB said:

Y'all know what I wanted to do, don't you?

Is the backhoe all serviced and ready for action?

[RitaB]

3 hours ago, Jack from Ohio said:

Is the backhoe all serviced and ready for action?

Changed the hydraulic fluid and everything.

[SaraEA]

I asked a client before her appt if she could find something that shows her child lived with her, if not okay.  She came in with a letter from the public school.  She said the school secretary knew exactly what she wanted and just zapped it off the computer.  Guess a lot of tax pros in the area have been asking for the same thing!  Only problem was it was dated February 31.

[ILLMAS]

1 hour ago, SaraEA said:

I asked a client before her appt if she could find something that shows her child lived with her, if not okay.  She came in with a letter from the public school.  She said the school secretary knew exactly what she wanted and just zapped it off the computer.  Guess a lot of tax pros in the area have been asking for the same thing!  Only problem was it was dated February 31.

[RitaB]

11 hours ago, SaraEA said:

Only problem was it was dated February 31.

Bahahahahahaha.  That may be the same calendar that my guy who left a message yesterday uses:  "I had health insurance for four months, so only three are unaccounted for."

I hope schools here start doing that.  The school refused for my guy who "can prove they live with me, no problem."  Of course, there is no telling what he told them when he asked for it.  LOL.  "Hey, can you swear to IRS that I'm entitled to that there unearned income tax thingy?  The penalty is only $510 times three."

Uh, no.