This week started off bad. .

Posted by Bruce Mc on Aug 13, 2008 in News Flash, Opinions | 1 comment

So Sunday night was an interesting night. (I am so being polite.) I had done all the research and was ready to take my blog and my web site and join them all together in one place. (Okay this isn’t really about tax stuff but there is a bit at the end) Well things aren’t / weren’t as easy as that and in the processes, where I had my site, they obliterated all the pages.

So now I have to start that over. I have most everything saved as a word .doc from the site so it won’t be that hard a chore. But what a blow to find out everything was just gone. 55 plus pages just, “poof”, gone. This presented an interesting situation for me. When this all happened, or the realization of it, one might say I wasn’t myself. I was aggravated there was no denying that but I was also going “I needed to fix the site anyway”, this just forced my hand. A lot earlier than I might have preferred, but whatever.

Tax Carnival. . .

As promised, the Tax Carnival #39: Dog Days of Summer 2008 came to be. I made it. Very cool. Be sure to read it all, even the links. (duh. . .) Kelly Bell from Don’t mess with Taxes was the host of this carnival. And she did a great job putting it together. Thanks Kelly.

Moving blog address. . .

I have started rebuilding the site and should have some of it up by the end of this weekend. At least that is the plan. I am working on it with most every free moment but I am very busy with lessons, clients and life in general. Like Kevin from No Dept Plan, at times there is just a lot you have to do. I was however able to get the web log side of things working correctly and there will be a new address to follow to get there/here. Or is it here there? Let’s see this blog is there or will be. In an effort to let everyone make the adjustments, this Friday will be the last blog post from the here at the wordpress site.

The new web addy is www.lrtaxprep.com/blog. Which comes up with the http://. . . so however you want to deal with it. I have sent out emails to everyone I have an email address for to let them know but that doesn’t reach every one. The new site isn’t perfect and maybe a bit dark, but. . .

It is up and running now. Swing by take a look. Let me know what you think. If you are fellow wordpress bloggers with/thru wordpress.org V 2.6. and you see a page that is better suited for this site/that site, please let me know. Please do so in the comments section as I don’t have my email straightened out yet, unless you got my email please use that as my alternate, for now.

Looking for finance blogger. . .

I am also looking for someone to author for the tax guy blog on the days I don’t (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and a joint round up on Sunday). I know a few of you are interested but I am looking for someone that can/will Personal Finance blog and keep somewhat of an air of tax relation sorta`, maybe, not real sure. (Sounds like I know what I want. NOT!)

Tax something. . .

I was reading in something I got from NATP on how a tax professional had filed several fraudulent returns costing (estimated) the IRS over $250.000.00. what was going on was he had hired someone to get names, addresses, and SS numbers for/from people in low income housing area, he then took the information, prepared a return for that person, transmitted to the IRS (If I read the article correctly) then presented the accepted return to the tax payer and (here I am assuming) split the refund with the taxpayer who otherwise wouldn’t have received one or would have received a much smaller refund. On average the refund per return was around $1,800.00.

Now I am not sure what bugs me most about this. And I assure you, there is a lot wrong with it on so many levels.

The big issue I want to point out to you, all of you. No matter who prepares the return, the tax payer is ultimately responsible for the accuracy of the return. And please if some guy walks up to you and says “here is what I have done, sign here and give me half”, run away. I mean, duh.  Luckily he was caught and he isn’t allowed to have anything to do with any tax preparation ever again. However that won’t stop someone else from trying a similar scam.

What the article didn’t mention was, what happened to those tax payers. It was determined that approximately 140 tax returns where filed in this manner. That’s approximately 140 tax payers. I am looking into this, but I am betting, they are in trouble too.

Please remember no matter who prepares your return, you are ultimately responsible. Ask your prepare questions when your return is done. Understand as best you can what they have done in the preparation of your return and why. IF you think he knows what he is doing and follow him blindly, your neck will be on the chopping block too.

Fridays Post. . .

Want to remind everyone that this Friday will be the last post from this address http://lrtaxprep.wordpress.com.

Sundays Passing the week will start my full blogging from the new address.

www.lrtaxprep.com/blog