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Finally doing some 1040s...

Posted on 2/16/19 at 12:09 pm
Posted by LSUFanHouston
NOLA
Member since Jul 2009
36987 posts
Posted on 2/16/19 at 12:09 pm
My clients tend not to be the types who can do returns themselves or have H&R Block do them. As such, I'm just starting to see some 1040s trickle through the office.

I'm pretty convinced - and I've talked to other CPAs who feel the same way - that the "new" 1040 format is actually HARDER to follow and check, than the old version.

I'm just talking about the flow of information across the forms - not the actual tax laws / calculations themselves.

In their desire to make the 1040 "simpler" and "postcard-size" all they have done is create a bunch of new schedules and add-ons and shoved a bunch of things together.

The best is when we print a client copy who wants a hard paper copy (not a pdf copy) and the total number of pages is MORE than prior year.

"Government simplification" is truly an oxymoron. Good luck to all of you.
Posted by hungryone
river parishes
Member since Sep 2010
11987 posts
Posted on 2/16/19 at 1:02 pm to
Agree—it takes more pages to accomplish the same filing this year. Definitely not a simplification from where I sit.
Posted by AmosMosesAndTwins
Lake Charles
Member since Apr 2010
17886 posts
Posted on 2/16/19 at 8:31 pm to
Question: Wife got 1099-MISC w amount paid to non-employee. I keep getting prompted for Schedule C as self-employed which is not the case. Explain this frickery to me.
Posted by TheWiz
Third World, LA
Member since Aug 2007
11665 posts
Posted on 2/16/19 at 9:49 pm to
I do a couple of consulting jobs on the side and receive 1099-misc from them. I had to do the same thing.

quote:

If you received a 1099-MISC with the amount of the income in Box 7, Nonemployee Compensation, the person or company who issued the form did not consider you an employee*. Because of this, they did not withhold any of your applicable social security or Medicare taxes. When this is the case, you generally will have to pay the full amount of these taxes (rather than just half) and include this on your federal income tax return (Schedule SE). When you report the income on a Schedule C, the program will automatically calculate your self-employment taxes for you.
Posted by AmosMosesAndTwins
Lake Charles
Member since Apr 2010
17886 posts
Posted on 2/17/19 at 12:00 am to
Thanks. Then I'm assuming you proceed as self-employed and use your name, not your client company reflected on the 1099-MISC. Is that correct? This is where I got spooked. But it makes more sense as consulting.
Posted by Spirit of Dunson
Member since Mar 2007
23111 posts
Posted on 2/17/19 at 1:19 am to
Ugh. I hate taxes so much. I have to file in multiple countries, their results are interdependent, and their schedules never align. I usually don't find out until December what my final previous year tax burden actually is, and I still get inquiries >24 months later.

I know this doesn't relate to your thread. but I started today to do the data collection and am frustrated.

Rant over.
Posted by LSU1018
Baton Rouge
Member since Feb 2007
7215 posts
Posted on 2/17/19 at 3:17 am to
Yes, use your name.
Posted by TheWiz
Third World, LA
Member since Aug 2007
11665 posts
Posted on 2/17/19 at 9:32 am to
Yes, I use my name. It auto-calculated that I would get a "self-employment" tax break which was very small but better than nothing.

Somewhere you will have to put the employer's tax ID number. Probably at the beginning of that section.
Posted by Iowa Golfer
Heaven
Member since Dec 2013
10229 posts
Posted on 2/17/19 at 2:20 pm to
I'm not sure what tax professionals face, but I know several things:

1) My record keeping for 2018 taxes, both corp and individual was much easier.

2) Outside of some late K1's, my taxes were finished early.

3) My taxable income decreased significantly due to the new tax code

4) Both my marginal and effective rate decreased.

5) My tax attorney charged me the same amount as last year.

6) My state marginal and effective rates decreased. I'm assuming becuase of 3 & 4 above.

7) My federal return in 2018 was only 15 pages. In 2017 it was 16 pages. In 2016 it was 13 pages. So my individual returns are probably fairly basic with so few pages.

The fairest comparison I have is probably 2016, becuase I had significant capital gains in 2017. Comparing 2016 to 2018, there is no comparison. 2018 far exceeded my expectations. I way overpaid the government in estimated taxes in 2018.

While I have empathy for tax preparers if their jobs have become more difficult, I like the end result, and find it interesting that my tax attorney didn't see fit to increase his charges this year if tax prep was so much more difficult.

Posted by Teddy Ruxpin
Member since Oct 2006
39547 posts
Posted on 2/17/19 at 6:47 pm to
quote:

7) My federal return in 2018 was only 15 pages. In 2017 it was 16 pages. In 2016 it was 13 pages. So my individual returns are probably fairly basic with so few pages.



Turbo Tax shot out 21 pages for me
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