True Turbo Tax story

[dkss]

For a chuckle -
On Saturday, I had a new client bring in copies of last years return, as I always like to check the prior year return. The turbo tax return was in shambles. Probably a hundred pages in no particular order - mixing federal return with two state returns - 75 of those pages were TT worksheets.
Within five seconds of perusal (flipping), I hit upon page 2 of the schedule D showing a huge loss (in excess of 150,000). I think to myself "oh i found a carryover, they must have lost a lot of money in stocks. Where is page one of the sched?" I flip thru some more to finally find page one.
Prepare yourselves.... I find a property sale with a sales price as a NEGATIVE number and a large adjusted basis. And when I question the taxpayer I find out that the sale was for their personal residence! LMAO!

[Snaggletooth]

Worst

I've redone some TT returns very bad, but I believe your story is the grand champion.

All of us can understand and appreciate the colossal stupidity. Unfortunately, however, the general public cannot. And they will continue to believe that tax prep is nothing more than data entry, and try to avoid our fees by forking over $$ to Intuit.

TurboTax fault? Of course not, it was not a TT error. But you don't have to ascend very far from basic W-2s to find idiots like the one you described, and TT clearly falls out of their best interest.

[ChEAr$]

What the do it yourselfer does, is after he's done with the return, presses print key, and
thus so relieved to have it done, goes off and fixes himself a drink. then comes back to see
curled paper (humidity you know) spilled out all over the table and the floor. Gathers it up
and stacks it at least face side up, but still in no particular order.

[dkss]

oops

i forgot to mention that this was a 2008 return and the sale was in 2007!

[Brian EA]

Well,Well,Well

That was Turbo Tax.
A client from 2008 came to my office last week to amend her 2009 tax return to claim the Home Owners Credit. She is qualified for the credit.
She had a part time job last year and they paid her $6000 reported on a 1099Misc. The guy who prepared her return claimed just under $6000 as auto expenses. Her job was to go to the office and answer the phone.She has no record of mileage and she has no idea why the preparer made that claim. When I questioned her she claimed that the guy charged her $60 and gave her a refund.. Oh Well. I bet Turbo cant beat that.
Of course I suggested amending the return.
brian

[ChEAr$]

That was Turbo Tax.
A client from 2008 came to my office last week to amend her 2009 tax return to claim the Home Owners Credit. She is qualified for the credit.
She had a part time job last year and they paid her $6000 reported on a 1099Misc. The guy who prepared her return claimed just under $6000 as auto expenses. Her job was to go to the office and answer the phone.She has no record of mileage and she has no idea why the preparer made that claim. When I questioned her she claimed that the guy charged her $60 and gave her a refund.. Oh Well. I bet Turbo cant beat that.
Of course I suggested amending the return.
brian

My first reaction would be to send her back to the other guy and tell her that MAYBE, just
maybe, he can get her more than $ 8,000 credit.

However, In order to gain a former client back for life, and if the purchase of home
qualifies, why not just amend the 2008 return?

[Brian EA]

My first reaction would be to send her back to the other guy and tell her that MAYBE, just
maybe, he can get her more than $ 8,000 credit.

However, In order to gain a former client back for life, and if the purchase of home
qualifies, why not just amend the 2008 return?

She has to think about it

brian

[BP.]

a new client bring in copies of last years return, as I always like to check the prior year return. The turbo tax return was in shambles. . . pages in no particular order - mixing federal return with two state returns

Very same scenario as above- sweet young military couple. TT was giving then fits this yr w/multi states. I saw they paid PA almost $900 last yr on DFAS earnings while active duty out-of-state- nontaxable, so no PA tax was withheld. They said they paid because TT told them to. (!?!) When they picked up the amended return, he said sympathetically, "This must have been really hard for you." How cute!