Pub 17

[dyne]

I recommend IRS Publication 17: Your Federal Income Tax booklet. I imagine most
tax preparers know about it but I am constantly amazed by what simple tax matters
some preparers do not know, including myself at times. You can call IRS every December
or January to obtain a Pub 17 free. Years ago IRSs charged 60 cents or whatever for this
pub until I submitted a suggestion to them that it should be free. Ever since it has been free.
Pub 17 is on the simple side but can often provide an answer we have forgotten or did not
know. The Pub 17 was the "bible" or main tax resource for IRS Tax Auditors for years.
I imgaine that they use a computer now instead. I was told that if you call IRS they may ask if
you are a tax prepaper, presumably so that then will ask you pay to for it.My understanding
is that every individual taxpayer is entilted to one if they ask, at no charge. It can be
downloaded off the internet and printed out but it is in excess of 300 pages in length.
A Business Tax Guide is also available from IRS: Pub 334 (I was corrected by Black
Bart. I thought it was pub 225).

[rosieea]

Pub 17, as well as all other forms & pubs, are available by mail for free by ordering on the IRS website. It takes a couple of weeks to get it.

[Jiggers]

Free IRS Pubs & Forms

Pub 17, as well as all other forms & pubs, are available by mail for free by ordering on the IRS website. It takes a couple of weeks to get it.

But, if the IRS identifies you as a tax return preparer you will not receive. I did over the internet for two years and did not receive.

This year I used one of the forms that comes in the back of the 1040 instruction booklet and sent to my home address and received all the publications I ordered.

I also order the IRS CD.

[Unregistered]

Pub. 17

But, if the IRS identifies you as a tax return preparer you will not receive. I did over the internet for two years and did not receive.

I have had the same problem, but I explain that the Pubs. where not for my business, but for my personnel return--then they sent them free.

[Black Bart]

Pubs

Try ordering them by phone (800-829-3676) and ask for only one copy. I do that and they haven't asked me yet if I'm a tax preparer. If you need two 17s, hang up, wait a while, and call back. You can then order another one (using the same name and address) and they'll send it also -- they don't cross-check to see who's ordered what before or after. It's the asking for multiple copies or a wide variety of pubs that tips them off you're a tax preparer.

Dyne / You're close, but 225 is actually the Farmer's Tax Guide. Still, it's a very good practical book and the information in it can be used to answer questions that are also relevant to many non-farm businesses. I always order both 17 & 225.

The "Tax Guide for Small Business" is number 334. At one time it contained great practical advice for small shops -- I always ordered it. It was a couple of hundred pages thick and had good information. But several years ago IRS decided that it was redundant. All the information inside it (depreciation, inventory, casualty losses, property sales, etc.) is discussed in detail in separate publications dealing with those and other subjects. They dropped the discussion of most subjects inside 334 and stated "See Publication So-and-So for a full explanation." The last time I looked, it was down to fifty-something pages and I cant' really figure out why they didn't just drop the 334 altogether as it's practically useless now other than as an index of what pub number to look up.

[jainen]

flat-out wrong

>>The Pub 17 was the "bible" or main tax resource for IRS Tax Auditors<<

The main value of Pub 17 for tax professionals is to provide simple language to explain things. Auditors use it that way too. It does not even pretend to be up to date or accurate, and has a specific disclaimer to that effect on the first page. Which is good, because there have been many major errors, such as the statement in the current edition, page 32, that a non-custodial parent can use a divorce decree to claim a dependent--which is flat-out wrong.

[Unregistered]

103rd Birthday

I see in your profile, Jainen, that your 103rd birthday is coming up.

Cheers to you and I hope you live another 103 years.

[Black Bart]

Please!

>>The Pub 17 was the "bible" or main tax resource for IRS Tax Auditors<<

The main value of Pub 17 for tax professionals is to provide simple language to explain things. Auditors use it that way too. It does not even pretend to be up to date or accurate, and has a specific disclaimer to that effect on the first page. Which is good, because there have been many major errors, such as the statement in the current edition, page 32, that a non-custodial parent can use a divorce decree to claim a dependent--which is flat-out wrong.

You're talking about a pub that's near and dear to my heart (and maybe dyne's).

So it's not 100% right or timely (what is?) and contains errors (what doesn't?). It's still 99% good practical stuff and it was good enough for IRS back when dyne was "sleeping with the enemy." Why shouldn't it be okay now? It's solid enough to navigate through the tsunami of mediocre cases we're handling without slipping into those little backwater streams of "Lutz Vs. Commissioner" et al (you know -- those TC memos, RRs, various cites of sub-paragraph b(3)(g) and so on with which you RegRats are taken).

I would ask how many times you've argued before Scalia or been to Tax Court, but you probably have. Anyhow, I like anything (especially 17) which will provide "simple language to explain things" and I refuse to "throw out the baby with the bathwater." Two outta three ain't bad and neither is 99%.

Now; fire away.

Yours truly,

Your "Pub" colleague from across the aisle.

[ecb34691]

Always keep one downloaded to my desktop (and all workstations in the office) for quick reference. Since I also check IRS.gov daily for updates, if they do Pub 17 (which they normally do a couple times a year) I have a new downloaded version. Been using Pub 17 since the mid 70's.

[jainen]

it ain't no &quot;bible.&quot;

I downloaded Pub 17 and keep an icon on my desktop, so it's only one click away. That adds up to several clicks a week this time of year, and several a day you-know-when. I have referred to it many times to support my posts on this board, and the post that you are responding to cited its specific language, which I have even quoted here in the past.

My favorite audit involved Pub 17 exclusively. The issue was taxable Social Security--the client didn't have any but the auditor was calculating the base amount backwards. I explained my position and the auditor said that was ridiculous and she had been doing her job for years. I opened the Pub 17 she had on her desk and turned directly to the page that stated my position word-for-word. The clients were stunned and followed me for years, even when I moved to another city. They always paid me in fish.

But it ain't no "bible."

[Black Bart]

Now

that was a worthy "war story." Congratulations on your coup (nothin' like that ever happens to me, dadgummit).

Okay, I concede it's not a bible and besides, you've given it (17) some good marks, so Peace Be Upon You, my brother. Also, you've one-upped me, technologically speaking, because I don't have my pub on the desktop -- I'm still using the ol' book.

[jainen]

hard to tell

I might have the book around here someplace. It's hard to tell.

[Bees Knees]

Your office is almost as "clean" as my wife's office...

[DTS]

No! No! No!

Jainen,

This office is just unacceptable! Everything has its proper place and out in the open is NOT it.

Remember, "cleanliness is next to..." You know the rest. You have some work to do!

Dennis

[JG EA]

Paperclip

Jainen, This office is just unacceptable! Everything has its proper place and out in the open is NOT it.
Remember, "cleanliness is next to..." You know the rest. You have some work to do!
Dennis

The problem with putting everything away is that it is also out of sight. Out of sight can turn into forgotten faster than a firing synapse.