To the moderators

[taxea]

This is posted on your site
"This message board allows participants to freely exchange ideas and opinions on areas concerning taxes. The comments posted are the opinions of participants and not that of Tax Materials, Inc."

As I find that the "free exchange of opinions" is not an accurate statement and as much as I have learned and appreciated this forum I am now asking you to delete any and all of my contributions as well as my profile.

Much to my dismay, I will no longer be participating in this formum. Mahalo Taxea

[Uncle Sam]

Why isn't that claim truthful, taxea?

No doubt there are conflicting opinions at times, and some threads can get out of hand, but why drop out of this forum?

[taxea]

To the moderators -Attn Uncle Sam

Well Uncle Sam, as I said I really have gained much from this site and don't want to drop out but the moderators sent me a personal email because I blasted HRB in another post.
The information I posted was my opinion and based on experience with the company.

If I cannot freely express my opinion what is the use in being here?taxea@hawaii.rr.com

[Lion]

Hey Taxea

Don't go away. You can continue giving your opinions. I don't remember you saying anything especially horrible about Block, but I'm sure you can give your opinion of the company without putting down any of our fellow board members who happen to work for Block, members of rocket scientist caliber, literally. I'm not fond of big corporations myself; which is why I no longer work at Block. But, I worked my tail off for my clients while I was there (and now that I'm not there). I still have some valued colleagues from that job, even though I complain about the stupid corporate decisions at times. Please stick around.

[taxea]

To the moderators

The "Message Board" sent me an email advising me that they did not appreciate my bashing of HRB. I made it clear in my posts that I was not bashing any of their employees but, in fact, the company practices.

Nonetheless, the message board powers that be asked me not to express my opinions in the future. The truth is I wasn't actually bashing HRB but rather was commenting on their bad business practices. I didn't state anything that wasn't true and I have the documentation to prove it.

I believe that I have contributed to this forum and, as I said before, I have also learned from and appreciate the assistance I have received from all of you. But, when I got the email from the TMI board I realized that they didn't truly mean that they want us to "freely express our opinions" and if I can't "warn" people by expressing my experience then, like I said, why be here at all. taxea

[BOB W]

I've been yelled at once or twice also. It also got me angry and I sat on the sidelines for a while. I eventually decided to be a bystander and jumping in on occassion. I just don't have the interest that I had in the beginning.

A decission to leave the board, NEVER. This board is to valuable a resource and I do like jumping from time to time ( like now). Your anger will pass as did mine, so hang in there.

[zeros]

Leasehold Impr.-Broke lease

Client signed lease and then installed a floor drain in connection with his automotive work, $6500.00. He left he building and, of course, could not take the floor drain with him. Can this be written off?

[taxea]

To the moderators

Bob W, I appreciate your words. I'm not so much angry as I am perplexed. I guess I will try to find answers to my tax issues by just searching the board and not contributing posting a thread.

I do believe the board should delete their statement about expressing our opinions "freely". And I maintain this was not an "opinion" but a fact.taxea

[JohnH]

No need to leave.

The moderators may have been concerned about too much disparaging of a big company with deep pockets and access to lots of lawyers. Maybe they felt that the tone of some of the comments was offensive to other board members, even if not intended to be so. Or they could have just been exercising their right to decide what is and isn't said on their board - that's their prerogative. After all, since they pay for the forum they follow the golden rule - "He who has the gold makes the rules."

Like Bob, I've had my hand slapped a couple of times here and on other forums. That's just the price of getting involved in what's under dicussion and inadvertently stepping over a line that isn't always clear either to us or the moderators.

Personally I like to hear what you or anyone else thinks about HRB and a host of other issues, but I really don't care. What I do care about is your input when I or someone else has a tax question. So I'd like to ask you to reconsider as well.

[dmj4]

Please, don't leave ;

If you leave, it hurts me and everyone on this board.
dmj

[Uncle Sam]

To the Moderators

Now that I think about it - weren't Jainen and Old Jack (I beilieve) thrown off this board a couple of years ago for expressing themselves? I don't remember exactly what comments were made - as I learned of the ban AFTER they were thrown off.
But I might add, that we ALL, including myself, must be cautious of what we express and HOW we express our thoughts on this board - so long as it won't intentionally offend any one.
So taxea - PLEASE STAY.

[Snaggletooth]

Banishment

Sam - no one has ever confided (at least to me) why three frequent members (the aforementioned plus Boutwell) were banned at apprx the same time. However, I can tell you with assurance expressing their opinion had very little (if anything) to do with it. The portrayal of (at least) two of these as being martyrs of truth and justice and being thrown outside the fortress to fend their way in the bitter snow because of their rock-solid convictions is extremely inaccurate.

One of them was obviously extremely intelligent, but delighted in misleading other members with false answers and thought it to be funny. I noticed this on several occasions. Another had a propensity for making sardonic comments about other board members and hurling personal insults. I don't know why the third member was banned, but I'm almost certain all three were contacted, and the moderators had to make a tough choice to continue to put up with them or try to clean up the board.

Taxea, in the past no one has done more Block-bashing than myself, yet I have not been asked to forego my opinions. I don't like the HRB way of doing business, or their avaricious pursuit of financial products which clearly rip off the customers. But you have to consider the tax preparation industry as becoming more and more specialized, and they service a segment of the public that is incongruent to our own understanding of what the customer needs. There are serious tax preparers working with HRB, JH, and Liberty, and I feel just as much comradery with their better folks and the Premiere people as I do with the CPA and EA tax community. I also have bashed the Roni Deutsch and J K Harris firms, who produce ludicrous TV ads but also service a segment of our industry. But I always let up on anyone or anybody and revert to subject matter - I don't spend day after day and post after post like I'm on some sort of vendetta against somebody.

Are the moderators trying to censure you because these firms represent many potential customers and sales for TTB? I don't know and I hope not. I hope free expression doesn't have to take a back seat because of sheer size and institutionalism of a large firm. Before you decide that your freedom is being threatened, ask yourself if we are more attuned to hammering away at somebody or something than we are in the free exchange of ideas and topics themselves.

We have benefitted by your participation, and have a unique member from the geographical epicenter of Oahu. I don't think anyone wants you to go.

[taxea]

Thanks to all of you

Your words have had a very positive effect on me. I've had a long talk with my fingers and they all agree that they will do their best to behave and not allow my mind let them get carried away in the future.

Mahalo Nui to each and every one of you. taxea

[DTS]

The evil moderators

Laura,

I know this will p*** you off, but I'm not sure why you are making the point about the email from the moderators, deleting all your posts and leaving the board. You have to consider that this board is wonderful for several reasons, one being the moderators give us all a ton of latitude and rely on us to moderate ourselves. No doubt, they saw something in your post about HRB they did not like or want on the board. Simple as that.

Maybe, instead of trying to make the moderators look bad to the rest of us by bringing up the email you rec'd, consider they had a very good reason for it, keep it to yourself (no need to let all of us know you got it) and continue to enjoy the board, as you stated in this thread.

It all seems a little too passive-aggressive to me.

[Snaggletooth]

Floor Drain

Client signed lease and then installed a floor drain in connection with his automotive work, $6500.00. He left he building and, of course, could not take the floor drain with him. Can this be written off?

Zeros, congratulations for presenting this in this thread to emphasize what this board should really be about.

I think the answer should be "yes" - the question is how. This would have been depreciable as a leasehold improvement had he remained. How would any other abandonment loss be reported?

Apparently, a loss against ordinary income, even if the drain was depreciable. A good "plain English" discussion is in TTB, Small Business Edition, Page 5-20, or in the 1040 Edition, Page 9-20.