Pete peeve question for 4/2/25 -

[IRonMaN]

If you have a mittful of 1099Rs, why do you feel the need every year to rip apart the three part page so I have to play 52 card pickup trying to make sure that all are present and accounted for?  They get to you in one piece, why can't you just leave them that way?  Ok, for the positive side of things, at least they weren't put back in the envelopes they came in.

[rbynaker]

Your clients open their own mail?

[IRonMaN]

About 1/3 open their mail

About 1/3 open their mail and then put it back in the envelopes it came in

About 1/3 never open their mail

About 1/3 of the last one third have trouble finding their mail.

[ElizabethLNC]

Those sound like my clients.  And I whole heartedly agree with your pet peeve of the day and any  envelopes that may be involved.

[IRonMaN]

This place is a little like the old Dragnet TV show.  We all have the same clients "only their names have been changed to protect the innocent". 🚔

[rbynaker]

Nowadays I get two of everything.  "They sent me an email so I downloaded the document and printed it for you.  Then this one came in the mail.  I figured you would want both."

[IRonMaN]

Been there done that ------------------ many times.

I just worked on a return this afternoon.  I print out client organizers on colored paper.  I was working on the return and had the organizer pulled apart putting copies of the relevant stuff behind the applicable pages.  Then I see another organizer with a few sheets of paper clipped together with it in the file wondering how in the world I got another clients information in with this file.  No reason to worry, it didn't belong to another client.  He didn't return the organizer last year so obviously felt that it was really need so he brought in the 2023 and 2024 organizers this year.

[PATAX]

 @IRonMaN 👍and then the perforated paper is not functional and we have to use scissors to separate.

[PATAX]

@rbynaker 👍always a good idea to check for duplicates and/or corrected copies.

[IRonMaN]

A few years back we had a client that issued W-2s on non-perforated paper.  They had an employee claiming that they broke like 629 federal laws by not providing the W-2 on perforated paper.  He was ready to call the IRS, FBI, CIA and 60 Minutes to report it.  Apparently, the employee missed out on how to use scissors day back in grade school.

[PATAX]

@IRonMaN I wonder if maybe that employee had a lot of time on his hands?

[IRonMaN]

Too much time on his hands and too few brain cells in his head.

[Just-Lisa-Now-]

20 years ago, we had new clients that came in, they each had over a dozen W2s (they worked in the movie industry) and they had ripped them all apart!!!

[IRonMaN]

They wanted to star in the latest drama production in your office. 🎥

[C Goodmon]

My client's know this pet peeve of mine thus why I have the sign " I don't do envelopes!"  

I also just make a copy of the full page 1099-R, 1099-SSA and/or W-2's I am not cutting and playing stack any more.  So much happier with the full pages and much easier to check as well.

[IRonMaN]

I make copies of all 1099s, W-2s, etc and I like full sheets so they can go through the copier with ease so don't staple or even paper clip things together.

[dascpa]

Totall agree. I'm adding two more pet peeves - (1) do you remember last year I told you, or do you remember what my refund will be - - uh no, I don't remember what I had for lunch let alone a zillion tax returns ago, or last year. (2) every receipt, every prescription - why do I need to know that 81 year old lady is using a vaginal e-ring, or you're on anti-depressants. Give me friggin totals, not all the detail.

[IRonMaN]

Yup.  $340 in medical bills, two dollars at a time with alll of the slips to prove it, but you have to add up the slips to find out there is $340 actually there.

[IRonMaN]

As a side note, I'm surprised I haven't taken any grief over the title of this string.  I realized after I posted, that I snuck an "e" in there on the end of pet. I was going to correct it, but then I thought my peeves are special to me so I am going to officially name my pet peeves "Pete".  They are more personal if they have a name. 😀