TAX SEASON IS HERE - THE FUN OF FILING OF INCOME TAXES THIS YEAR

 Got some tax returns out to clients.  It has not been easy this year.  In addition to the usual problems – missing papers that clients have to get to me after the sending the rest of the papers, etc.  I have been having unusual problems this year.

A business client was ill and needed surgery – so had to get an extension for her business as the returns for same were due March 15.  Then sales tax was due March 20 – luckily she was back at work part time by then and was able to mail me (she does not use a computer at all) a list of her sales so that was out on time.  

I keep a copy of last year's returns for clients on paper and scan all returns (and many other papers) into the computer to be able to store them in much less space and it is much easier to find and access what is needed.  I have been using 2 different software programs which make pdf files to do this.  We had to get a new “all in one” (printer, scanner, fax) during the past year – this is the second one we have bought – returned the first one due to scanner peculiarities and bought this one, a different unit from a different manufacture, which seemed to work fine.  But it has developed peculiarities also – I cannot add pages to a saved pdf file.  So I was making different files and copying the pages into the older one from the newer one.  Did that on a return recently and suddenly – all the pages are there, but I can only print the pages from the original file.  Husband found software to combine files – it took over my computer making itself the default not only for scanning, but also for printing (and we did not even know it printed.  Husband took it out today, but it still seems to be default for scanning and printing – I will have to have him reset the default programs for me.  (Yes, I could do it myself – in college he would copy my computer programs, but it gives him something to do and if anything goes awry, at least I will not get blamed while he repairs the problem.)
    

THOUGHT OF THE WEEK -

Tax time is here (in the USA) – don't forget to file on time or get an extension.  Don't give Uncle Sam (or his friends the states) a reason to charge you penalties and interest – you KNOW you pay them too much to begin with.  Only 19 days left to file (due April 18 this year Federally and in most states).

PREPARING TAX RETURNS FOR CLIENTS TO FILE - APRIL 15 IS COMING

 Still working on tax returns for clients. I managed to get all of the ones for certain types of businesses out by March 15, while at the same time dealt with getting out sales tax returns by March 20 when they were due.

Now I am working on individual tax returns and our business's return which are all due for April 15. I have returns for two clients in house to work on. I have another client who is late with her returns – how late? Well I just did her 2019 – if she does not file it this year she will lose a sizable refund. I am hoping to get her to send me the information for 2020, 2021 as well as for 2022 so I can get her caught up and get her all of those refunds.

So hopefully all three of these returns will be done and out in the mail this weekend. I have one other client (it is a very small practice – actually the tail end of two practices) who I have not yet heard from, but she is local so I do not need to have weeks of lead time to make sure she gets her return in time.

THOUGHT OF THE WEEK -

You know that you have to file your taxes. Don't put it off if you have all the info you need. If you don't have all the info you need – GET THE INFO and get it done.

Most people get a refund – why let the government keep YOUR money any longer than needed? If you owe money – okay, you can wait until April 15 – but make sure it is in and if you are mailing it make sure that the mailing is postmarked that day, even if you need to stand in that LONG line at the Post office to make sure. If you can't file on time – send in an extension – but make sure that you pay with the extension what you think you will owe - Penalties and interest on money you owe can add up quickly and an extension does not give you more time to pay – only to file the return.

TAXES, EYE DOCTOR, FOOD SHOPPING - SO MUCH TO GET DONE!

 Started working on income taxes, corporation taxes and sales taxes this past couple of weeks as mentioned last week.  Depending on the type of the corporation the taxes (companies which use a calendar year as their tax year) is either March 15 or April 15.  I have one corporation to do with each due date.  I also have a partnership return which is also due by March 15.  Partnership is done and out.   The corporation return due March 15 is the one which needs the extension – and still working on getting the paperwork to do same (for our state – Federal and city extensions are filed).  The corporation return due April 15 is at least started.  Sales tax return for the partnership is completed and mailed.  That leaves the other two sales tax returns – at least I have until the 20th for them.  

Then I have the regular individual returns which are due – as all of you in the US know – is due by April 15th.  Started working on one of them also.  

There seems to be plenty of time for the April 15 returns, but they need to be done and mailed to the clients for them to sign, mail and maybe write a check – for each return – Federal and state – and I know from past years (decades) that the time passes in an instant.  

Then, today, we went to our eye doctor (which took up the entire day so no work done).  He is in the next county so it is a bit of drive and worst of all, driving home we are driving into the setting sun – with drops in our eyes so the sun is all the worse to have in front of us.  At least we had good exams with no problems and very little change in vision – don't need new glasses unless we want.  

After I post this I will go back to the supermarket shopping list I started last night as we will go food shopping tomorrow – it is our once a month trip to the (Walmart) Neighborhood Market two communities away to do a full shopping trip. In between we go to one of the two Walmarts nearer to us.  Normally we go to the bigger of the two as it has a larger assortment of items, but two days ago we went to the smaller of the two as an item husband needed is carried at the smaller store, but not at the larger store.  

After I post this to you I will go back and add a few more items to the shopping list, I will then go over the list with husband when he comes down later for before bed snack in case he wants something else or doesn't want something I have on the list.  I will then print it.  The list is in an Excel spreadsheet file.  I have a list of what we normally buy and which aisles the items are in, as well as a more complete list of what is in which aisle.  By scanning down the list of what we normally buy I can make sure that I have not forgotten anything.  Hoping we will find foods we are looking for.  Store shelves/cold cases are still partially empty around here – though much better than earlier in the pandemic.  

THOUGHT OF THE WEEK-
 Don't put things you need to do off until the last minute.  Had I done that with the business tax returns they would not be out on time.  If I don't do that with the food we will run out of food.  

What have you put off that you really need to?

STILL WORKING ON STORING CHRISTMAS STUFF AWAY - BUT ALMOST THERE AND WOULD BE IF NOT FOR A RUBIK'S CUBE

 My goodness – where did January and February go?!!!

I finished a partnership tax return which is due by March 15. I still have to get back the power of attorney form from client – signed – so I can prepare her business's state exemption form. And – I have to prepare sales tax returns for all 3 businesses by March 20!

I am actually almost finished actually storing away the inside Christmas decorations. I had 2 large filled plastic boxes of inside decorations (as opposed to the tree decorations which were already put away). Being lazy I hate to make down the stairs and up again trips so they were sitting in the dining room. As I go down to change down to change laundry loads I have taken the two boxes down – last one just went down. Also took down the last couple of small fabric decorations which had been missed when the box they are stored in was filled. I do have a box left with a glass domed beaded tree (which I had made some years ago) in it and a smallish plastic Santa of Robert's from when he was a buy both of which I will take downstairs on later trips down for the laundry.

That leaves 3 decorative boxes which have to go to the closet in the Teddys' room with items I don't want stored in the basement as wax (would melt in basement) or otherwise need better care than the basement. Of course this is not easy this year. I have our suitcases which store in the bottom of the same closet out in the middle of that room. We no longer use them as we travel in our small RV, but have kept them as we like them, just in case we need suitcases in the future. (For example if one of us, God forbid, had to go to the hospital.) I took the suitcases out to solve a storage problem in our bedroom. Husband has more clothes than should go in his dresser than he can fit in same. Most of them he does not wear and a good percentage of them do not fit him (no, too big – not too small) but he does not want to get rid of them. The clothes he actually wears – such as his pjs – are sitting on top of his dresser. I came up the idea of storing the clothing he is not wearing and wants to keep in – yes – the suitcases. I got the suitcases out, but he needs me to help back them so they are in the middle of the Teddys' room until we get a chance to pack the clothes away – so there is no easy access to the closet. Oh, add in, part of the Teddy Village blocks the door to that room into the open position and the closet is, of course, behind that door – so I have to be able to move that section of the room into the room where the suitcases are to be able to put the suitcases and these Christmas boxes back. It is all sort of like a room sized Rubik's cube! But every step I take in all of this gets us that closer to being finished.

THOUGHT OF THE WEEK -

It is amazing what a puzzle storage can be and what needs to be moved to get this or that to store it away or take it out.