Taxguykarl channels Gravekeeper

[taxguykarl]

My first imitation of Gravekeeper's style:


HALLOWEEN CAME EARLY...

It was a busy evening at the tax office. The SM placed candy dishes on each of the desks to make the place "more inviting" (Corporate's idea). While everyone's attention was on returns, this couple's 4 y.o. systematically went to the other desks (other than the one her parents were) and dumped the contents of each candy dish into her pockets. To their credit, the 'rents stopped the kid just as she was nearing my desk. Sugar rush tonight!

...OR MAYBE NOT!

I was working on the return of a twentysomething lady. I was on a desk towards the back. My favorite CW was on another desk, closer to the front, working on a couple's return. I dropped my client's W2 on the floor and bent down to retrieve it. I heard rapid, small footfalls.

Before I got back up and realized what happened, my customer snatched the candy dish on my desk and turned in her chair so that she her back was between the other client's 5 y.o. and the candy dish.

Not to miss a chance to make light of this, I asked, "Now are you sure you don't have any kids?"
The client chuckled and replied, "Just nieces and nephews, can I claim any of them?"
"Only if they live with you."
"Oh well--it was worth a try."

SECOND OPINION SUCK

A 60ish lady accompanied by a 40ish woman (her daughter) came into the office. She asked about the cost of a second opinion. I assured her that they were free at this office.

She handed me a return for this year--complete with all the information and receipts (to her credit she was prepared). I duly went through her return and found nothing wrong (or at least nothing I wouldn't do).

There was rental property in which she took a loss (nothing out of the ordinary) that loss dropped her taxable income down to the low five figures. Itemized deductions wiped out the rest of her taxable income (the lion's share of which was from pensions). Thus she gets back all that was withheld--the most that can legally be done in her case.

I told her that there is no way that I could legally improve on that return (i.e. get her a larger refund).

SL:But does my rental property do me any good?
TGK:Yes, it slashes your taxable income.
SLD:What do you mean slashes? (Yes she actually didn't understand)
TGK:The losses on your rental property (Sidenote: the rent was ridiculously low for this area) lowers your taxable income 2/3.
SL:And the mortgage interest?
TGK: That wipes out the rest of your taxable income. You effectively untaxed yourself for that year.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

SLD: So you can't get her a bigger refund?
TGK: Not legally.

They finally left and I proceeded to work one of my favorite steadies who arrived in the middle of this exchange.

TAX DEADLINE FOLLIES

This actually happened last year. I was scheduled to open the office on the final day. I arrived early and was met by a couple, as soon as I turned the key. They were apparently waiting. As it was a classic now or later option, I ushered them in and started to work on their return. They turned out to be (as we call them) Cathys. They had a shoebox (yes, literally) of receipts, statements and other (mostly extraneous) papers. I had to make the best of it. As there was an unemployment 1099 with no withholding (problem!). I managed to get them a 4-figure refund and their papers signed before the really mad rush (remember this was the deadline).

[Yarnil]

Why do people always wait till the last day.... Oh wait, thats something my accountant always tells me :P (Im always late too )

But that was fast, nice job

[sirwired]

You'd think we'd more posters from tax preparers here. With how upset some people get about the very idea of taxes, I am absolutely shocked that more SC's don't take it out on the poor person they are paying to fill out the tax forms.

I've never actually used a preparer, although it would have been nice last year when I needed to fill out five state returns (four of which were non-resident returns.) States have zero incentive to make non-resident returns easy to figure out, and I found two bugs in the software package I did end up using. My all tax filings ended up being about 3/4 of an inch thick when I had them stacked up for mailing. (No e-filing because the feds can't accept an electronic return with more than four states under the same W-2.)

I miss the days when I could use TeleFile; ten minutes, a telephone, my W-2, and I was done. (Not that that helped the awful NC forms; I did those by hand once, and it took me two freakin' hours for a basic no-deductions, no-dependents, wages-only return.)

[NateTheChops]

I wish I understood taxes and returns better than I do. I usually need my parents to help me do mine. Pathetic, I know, but they get free dinner at my place and I get free tax help. It seems like a fair exchange.

[42_42_42]

Lived in NC for 25 years of my life then moved to GA, where I've been for the last 8 years. Yes, NC's tax forms suck. And I was single and had no mortgage when I lived there and married for all the years in GA and had a mortgage for most of them and the NC forms that supposedly correspond to the Fed EZ forms were 10 times more complicated that the GA forms we fill out and we itemize! It takes my hubby and I about an hour to do our taxes using TaxAct and my dad (in NC) uses the same program and it takes him an entire afternoon and it's not because he's not organized, he's def. more organized than we are. I remember back in the paper only days, it would take my dad a week or two of working all evening every evening to get the taxes done.

[protege]

I've done my own taxes the past couple of years. It's not that difficult--Turbotax or Taxcut is what I usually use. Just fill in the blanks, and you're good. That covers state and federal. Those programs don't handle my local taxes. What sucks about my borough, is rather than have one tax agency (like everyone else) they have 2. Don't ask, it makes no sense to me either. Wouldn't it be better to simply tax my income at 1%, send in one check, and be done with it? Also annoying, is that my employer will only withhold local taxes for *one* of the taxing agencies. At least they bother with it--the other, I have to estimate roughly how much it's going to come to, and make quarterly payments....with the balance due before 4/15.

[Mytical]

From my experience with people during tax season, they are too nervous and worried to be too bad..(there are exceptions) or expecting a large return which puts them in a good mood. They seem to not want to upset the person who is going to either make things easier, or get them money.

[bainsidhe]

I miss the days when I could use TeleFile; ten minutes, a telephone, my W-2, and I was done.

Amen to that, Nebraska Telafile was easy peasy, and then they got rid of it. Supposedly it was because they expected people to e-file their state taxes instead. Not when I have to pay for that privilege, thank you.

[taxguykarl]

You'd think we'd more posters from tax preparers here. With how upset some people get about the very idea of taxes, I am absolutely shocked that more SC's don't take it out on the poor person they are paying to fill out the tax forms.

Don't worry I get my share of those--especially when they owe.

[Andara Bledin]

I miss the days when I could use TeleFile; ten minutes, a telephone, my W-2, and I was done. (Not that that helped the awful NC forms; I did those by hand once, and it took me two freakin' hours for a basic no-deductions, no-dependents, wages-only return.)

I've done my federal online in mid-February for the last two years. I suspect that this year's return will be much more difficult, since I'm in the process of buying a house.

The state was online this year, too, with me only having to confirm that the numbers that were already entered were correct.

^-.-^

[wagegoth]

Amen to that, Nebraska Telafile was easy peasy, and then they got rid of it. Supposedly it was because they expected people to e-file their state taxes instead. Not when I have to pay for that privilege, thank you.

A friend told me about Calfile this year. It's California's free online filing program. So at least we have that. But California forms are a pain. The IRS is bad enough, but somehow the California form writers are even worse. I've used TurboTax for about ten years now, and I do not miss pencils, erasers, multiple forms, trips to the Post Office for more forms, trips to the Library for more forms, running the calculations manually and on a calculator, and losing at least a weekend to the process.

[Elspeth]

proceeds to hug her freaking easy taxes (20 minutes with the free turbotax) and no state filing. I don't understand waiting to the last minute, it is not like they change the date every year.

[taxguykarl]

I've done my federal online in mid-February for the last two years. I suspect that this year's return will be much more difficult, since I'm in the process of buying a house.^-.-^

Save your closing statement and go through the line items carefully--some of those items are points and can be deducted as mortgage interest. This is likely to be the first year that it will pay to itemize for you. If Congress extends the homebuyer credit, be prepared to wait as returns with that form are paper file only.

I don't understand waiting to the last minute, it is not like they change the date every year.

This year they have, as a matter of fact, due to the Emancipation Day holiday in DC, the deadline is Monday the 18th this year.

[DGoddessChardonnay]

I miss the days when I could use TeleFile; ten minutes, a telephone, my W-2, and I was done. (Not that that helped the awful NC forms; I did those by hand once, and it took me two freakin' hours for a basic no-deductions, no-dependents, wages-only return.)

I almost cried when I found out TeleFile was being discontinued. But the bright side of that is I discovered e-filing and where it used to take 2 weeks to have my refund direct deposited into my bank account, it now takes one week.

But still it doesn't help that godawful D-400 I have to file for NC state taxes. I think this year is the first time I didn't have a meltdown trying to fill those out electronically. Thankfully the tax site I use improved the software (and I mean major) so this year I had both returns filled out and ready for transmission within 15 minutes.

And that reminds me I've got to file the state this week, as even though I qualify for free filing for my federal return, I don't get a break from paying for the state filing.

And I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I don't hear anything else back from the NC tax department about any errors on my returns. Been through that headache three times within the last 5 years and it was due to that little worksheet on the back page where you have to figure out your personal exemption amount. Ended up having to pay over $300 one time and almost another $200 or so just last year.

Then had a headache and a half because I couldn't get payments set up to where I could afford them, so it went to garnishment. Then I filed my return right after the garnishment started, so then a "lovely" letter came saying they were keeping my refund (even though when I had called to attempt to set up a payment plan they told me they would not keep my refund.)

And on top of that, they were also telling me that they only had one payment showing on their computer where Litter Box had sent the payment from my earnings. I read off to them the dates (I had all 3 paystubs from Litter Box Corporate in front of me that showed the payments) and read them to the person over the phone. Of course their computer system was 4 weeks behind, so another month ended up going by before they finally received notification that all 3 payments were made and then they broke up my refund into 3 payments and the last of those didn't come until June 2010.

And folks wonder why I drink.

[EmiOfBrie]

This year they have, as a matter of fact, due to the Emancipation Day holiday in DC, the deadline is Monday the 18th this year.

Only for Federal...It may vary state to state, but MN State deadline is still Friday the 15th.