22-yr old free spirit

[Golden Rocket]

Wonder what happened to that thread? My guess is the young guy left himself open to so many derisive comments that the whole tone went downhill to the extent the monitors deleted it because of excessive insults.

Unfortunately, mine was one of the them. Fact of the matter is the guy reminds me of another fella I knew when I was young -- myself. Regardless of his youth, we should have done a better job to help address his positions, as he did come to us for advice. It's easy to act the part of "older and wiser" just because we can look back at that part of our lives.

I think the guy was victimized by a series of tax myths that laymen hear when they are on the street and talk about what their tax guy says and what their lawyer told them and what the salesman told him, etc. If the guy really did own a condo/timeshare, we should have at a minimum suggested that he find a local CPA or EA in his area. He was so full of misconceptions that I don't think an endless thread could have served him like a local tax professional.

Yes, even though this guy was an easy target, we are not well served when someone comes to the forum for advice and is greeted by buckshot. For my part of it, "older and wiser" should have brought with it a decorum which stops short of deriding a young guy with big ideas in his head. I'm thinking most of us have been there ourselves and should remember.

[BOB W]

He must of replied back with heavy words that exceeded some boundry. I don't think we can answer taxpayer questions on this board anymore due to Circular 230. We will share resonsibilty for that advice.

[Snaggletoof]

Responsibility

Bob, are there not enough caveats and disclaimers implicit in a forum such as this that we now have to worry about Cir 230 chasing us down and making us responsible for advice?

The fact that the advice is "free" doesn't make any difference? No consideration means no contractural liability -- at least that's what I've been taught...

[Joe Btfsplk]

Tax questions by non-professionals

You are right. The only advise we should have given him is to see a local CPA or EA.
I don't think we should answer questions by non-professionals on this message board unless they are normal, straightforward in nature.

[erchess]

Non Professionals

I really do not understand why the board is not restricted to purchasers of TTB Products. It seems to me that it would be simple to provide each purchaser with a unique code that one has to provide in order to get on.

[Bees Knees]

I really do not understand why the board is not restricted to purchasers of TTB Products. It seems to me that it would be simple to provide each purchaser with a unique code that one has to provide in order to get on.

The justification for the expense and time it takes to operate a message board is the potential it has to attract new customers. If only existing customers have access to participate, then it can't attract new customers. This is not some public service provided as charity. It is a for-profit venture trying to sell books. In turn, the customer is provided with a free service in the form of easy access to the knowledge base of other customers. A win win situation for both the customer and the seller.

If you don’t like the occasional non-pro dropping by to get freebee answers, don’t answer.

[les grans]

What risk?

I may have my head in the sand but I think there's virtually no exposure for the things I write on this and other message boards. Can someone point to instances where a pro, or better yet, a non-pro, got in any kind of trouble for giving uncompensated, tainted advice to questions in an online forum?

In the meantime, here's some advice that'll get all of us in trouble: But low, sell high.

[joanmcq]

The justification for the expense and time it takes to operate a message board is the potential it has to attract new customers. If only existing customers have access to participate, then it can't attract new customers. This is not some public service provided as charity. It is a for-profit venture trying to sell books. In turn, the customer is provided with a free service in the form of easy access to the knowledge base of other customers. A win win situation for both the customer and the seller.

If you don’t like the occasional non-pro dropping by to get freebee answers, don’t answer.

Besides, since my office mates and I pool our resouces and buy together to get a discount, I'm not even an 'official' purchaser of the book. My coworker is, and I wouldn't want to be shut out just because we want to save a few bucks.

[erchess]

interesting points

Joann I did not mean to screen out people in your situation or even people who may have only one book for an entire firm. As to you personally, I have gotten a good bit out of your presence here.

Bees, I am fascinated to learn that this website gets you new customers but since it does, I see why you allow non professionals. It would be hard to let on all professionals whether or not they are current customers while keeping off nonprofessionals. I had assumed that the site only helped you keep existing customers because I don't personally go searching for new websites when I want information. On the other hand, your site is the major reason I bought your books and CD again this year instead of returning to Competitor Q.

[JohnH]

Buy Low, sell high?

Buy low, sell high !!!!

Why didn't somebody give me this advice 20 years ago?
I could have made a fortune by now !
My broker's gonna get an earful as soon as his office opens today.

[Black Bart]

Oh well, at least

Wonder what happened to that thread? My guess is the young guy left himself open to so many derisive comments that the whole tone went downhill...Unfortunately, mine was one of the them...the guy reminds me of another fella I knew when I was young -- myself...we should have done a better job to help...It's easy to act the part of "older and wiser"...

...victimized by a series of tax myths that laymen hear...on the street...this guy was an easy target, we are not well served when someone comes...for advice and is greeted by buckshot...most of us have been there ourselves and should remember.

you mean well -- that's the way it goes -- your heart's in the right place -- them's the breaks -- etc., etc., etc.

Some aspects of his dopey demeanor reminded me of me too, maybe with a keg but without the outsized ego and 17 wardrobeless "chicks" (I thought just one was doing pretty good).

You make a good point about "talking down" to him. His post was too ripe to pass up and when that thread got the axe, I had composed an unposted pageful of junk/sarcasm. Rereading it now, it doesn't seem so funny. You're right to a certain extent -- we (or at least I) need to keep in mind that people in need of help are just that rather than grist for the mill. Still, your post and others I saw had a good ring -- didn't seem hateful even while taking the tone of grizzled "old vet" to clueless "babe-in-the-woods." It's doubtful he'd want unpleasant advice anyway; his parents probably offered plenty and you see what he thinks about them (as you know, they'll seem smarter to him a little later). Sometimes these things have to be personally experienced to make a dent. If he loses the apartment, then he'll understand that "tax savings" aren't necessarily the same thing as "cash on hand"...and so on.

But anyway, I shall endeavor, to do better.

If youth but knew, and age were able, then poverty would be a fable -- Proverb

[Joe Btfsplk]

Buy low, sell high

Buy low, sell high !!!!

Why didn't somebody give me this advice 20 years ago?
I could have made a fortune by now !
My broker's gonna get an earful as soon as his office opens today.

My broker is E-Trade, so I'm not sure they will even be in business with all those sub-prime mortgages they loaded up on with their banking business. I've made more dumb mistakes in the market this year than ever before (except in the dot com bubble days).

[joanmcq]

I feel so lost...I missed the original question and am curious as to just how clueless this guy was to get such a response!

[Bees Knees]

I feel so lost...I missed the original question and am curious as to just how clueless this guy was to get such a response!

Something about being drunk, wanting to take 80% of his apartment for business, having a kegger, and some obscene stuff that got the thread deleted…etc. etc.

If he comes back, he'll probably get banned as well.