Occupation

[taxea]

leave it blank for atty...snake oil salesman is more appropriate.

[Possi]

so,

leave it blank for attorney? hahaha

[RitaB]

Lol

Unmentionable, Useless, and Worthless would all be listed as Attorney.

Good one, Davc. LOL.

[Davc]

So unless my client is deriving compensation, his endeavor is unmentionable? Inconsequential? Useless? Worthless? Nothing on the line?

Unmentionable, Useless, and Worthless would all be listed as Attorney.

[Possi]

Good one!

Trust-funster?

That's a good one!

[ChEAr$]

So unless my client is deriving compensation, his endeavor is unmentionable? Inconsequential? Useless? Worthless? Nothing on the line?

Righto!

(more added here because error message said that my original message of one word was too short.)

[erchess]

ty Harlan

I have always put what was their principal occupation for the tax year in question and never mind if it was different for the year during which I prepared the return.

[Possi]

An occupation is an endeavor from which one derives compensation, thus none
of your examples qualify. Even 'student' or 'retired" don't qualify.

And please spare me a discourse on just how much a wife and homemaker are
worth. (grin

So unless my client is deriving compensation, his endeavor is unmentionable? Inconsequential? Useless? Worthless? Nothing on the line?

[ChEAr$]

I'm so surprised that some don't list an occupation at all! I thought you had to put something on there.. even 'domestic goddess" or "housewife" or "homemaker" or even "unemployed" but I didn't think you could leave it blank.

(I like "spork" too...)

An occupation is an endeavor from which one derives compensation, thus none
of your examples qualify. Even 'student' or 'retired" don't qualify.

And please spare me a discourse on just how much a wife and homemaker are
worth. (grin

[Possi]

I'm surprised!

I'm so surprised that some don't list an occupation at all! I thought you had to put something on there.. even 'domestic goddess" or "housewife" or "homemaker" or even "unemployed" but I didn't think you could leave it blank.

(I like "spork" too...)

[ChEAr$]

Do we put the client's CURRENT occupation, or their occupation during the tax year we are preparing? As, you say, one could be executive and the other unemployed or retired. I'd heard through the grapevine that the IRS used the occupation to judge deductions as reasonable or not, so I've used the occupation during the bulk of the tax year of the return.

My comments about using taxpayer's current occupation dates back to when I first learned how to prepare tax forms. I would have thought it would have been in some IRS literature of that day and age (1972), but would have to dig it out at the office.

Rationale was that if IRS wanted to contact taxpayer at work they would have that
information when phoning the employer. But they have better ways of finding someone these days.

[JohnH]

I usually leave it blank.
Have never heard a word about it and have never been able to find any IRS policy on the subject.

[BP.]

What would you put as the "occupation" for a spoiled little rich girl living on her daddy's trust fund while partying away in South Africa?

Trust-funster?

[taxxcpa]

Occupation

I don't know what occupation half of my clients are in. I either leave it blank or put in something like XYZ, Inc employee.

[Lion]

Current or tax year?

Do we put the client's CURRENT occupation, or their occupation during the tax year we are preparing? As, you say, one could be executive and the other unemployed or retired. I'd heard through the grapevine that the IRS used the occupation to judge deductions as reasonable or not, so I've used the occupation during the bulk of the tax year of the return.