Box checked on May the IRS discuss this return with the preparer below on 1041

[jskouberdis]

Hello community I hope you all had a good tax season.  I have a question that I am sure some of you have had the opportunity to experience.

I prepared a 1041 return for my client and it had to be mailed in because one of the beneficiaries was missing their social security number.  My client mailed in the federal and Arizona 1041's by priority mail and she did not keep the tracking slip to see when the returns arrived to the government.

Yesterday I called Arizona and they told me they received the return.  I called the IRS and they said that I had no authority for them to talk to me.  I checked the box to have the IRS discuss the return with me.  Could this be because my client mailed in the returns around 3-1-26 and it is only 8 weeks ago and they may need some more time to record mailed in returns?  The IRS website said it takes 6 to 8 weeks for mailed in returns to record on the IRS computer system.  Perhaps I should give them 2 more weeks and then call back.  My question is not that intimidating of a question I just want to know if it arrived at the IRS.

What is the communities take on this matter.  Let me know.

John Skouberdis

[BobKamman · Accepted solution]

May we assume that this is a zero-tax return, so you don't have a payment or a refund to track?  Why are you so concerned?  Can you imagine what would happen if all 3 million taxpayers filing paper returns called IRS to check if they were received?  (Even with delivery confirmation, they could have been ripped apart by the machinery in the mail room.)  Meanwhile, the information is readily available, that IRS is still processing 1041s filed in February.  https://www.irs.gov/help/processing-status-for-tax-forms 

Although the 1040 instructions do say that checking Yes allows the designee to "Call the IRS for information about the processing of your return or the status of your refund or payment(s)," I've never heard of IRS accepting such calls.  But then, I've never heard of IRS actually calling anyone who is designated.  I always check "No," because it just encourages phishing.  If IRS has a problem, put it in writing. It's difficult enough, sometimes, spotting the fake notices. 

Before I got into tax work, my boss the journalist had a favorite expression.  "Very few things in life are worth worrying about, and this is not one of them."

[jskouberdis]

Mr. Bob,

The reason both my client and I have some worry is because we both have had instances sending priority mail that has gotten stuck in sorting machines and either never got delivered or was delivered 6 weeks later than expected.  But that was a good article on which months returns are being processed.  I might be a little pre mature in calling them since they are processing February and the return I am asking about was mailed in March.  I just don't want my client to take final year deductions on their personal return from the trust and then get a letter asking where did these deductions come from.  Thank you for your input.

John

[BobKamman]

Your client is so concerned about Priority Mail getting stuck that they pay for a tracking number but then don't keep it?  Must be nice to be rich, and pay others to call IRS to clean up your mess.  You actually think IRS matches 1040 miscellaneous deductions with 1041 Schedule K-1s?  Whatever gave you that idea?  

[jskouberdis]

The deductions I am talking about are on line 11A of the 1041-K-1.  They are final year excess deductions that are allowed on schedule 1 of the 1040 as deductions from adjusted gross income.  These are pretty valuable since you get a deduction from federal and state tax returns

[BobKamman]

I suppose it's OK for you to talk down to me, since I have expressed amusement at your naivete and inflated anguish over solutions in search of a problem.  Just another case of the imaginary short little man with a green eyeshade at IRS, scoping out every return as it passed by his desk to ruin lives with "gotcha" accusations.  "Hey, Buford, come here and take a look!  We found another Schedule A in Ogden that doesn't match a K-1 in Kansas City!"

[jskouberdis]

I don't think you understand that these are not itemized deductions.  They are against AGI which is a valuable deduction on the Federal and State return.  Somehow don't take this personal but you seem like a very condescending person.  You sound like you enjoy diminishing other people because you are much greater than them.

[BobKamman]

"than them they"

[jskouberdis]

Mr. Bob,

You did give me one good answer when you gave me the IRS schedule of processing mailed in tax returns but your other responses seemed to be to diminish my concern over my problem and to inflate yourself as being all knowing.  You sound like you are a lot younger than me so I would like to give you some fatherly advice.  You should not be drinking when answering questions from members in the accounting community.  Your responses sounded like you had one to many pops.

John

[BobKamman]

"lot younger than me I" That's hilarious.  I'm 2 years and 13 days older than you.  Michigan says your CPA license goes back to 1981.  In 1975, when I worked for IRS, I was assigned to its filing-season office on Capitol Hill, to prepare or review returns of Senators and their staff.  Got to meet people like William Roth.  His office called me later to ask if I was interested in a job with the Finance Committee, but I didn't have a law degree yet.