Robert Flach

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About Robert Flach
Robert D Flach, a recent transplant from Jersey City NJ to rural Northeast PA, has been preparing 1040s for individuals in all walks of life since 1972. He is “winding down” his tax practice and no longer accepts new clients.
In 45 years of preparing individual income tax returns he has never used tax preparation software. One of the last of the dinosaurs, he prepares about 250 sets of returns each year manually.
He learned how to prepare 1040s by preparing 1040s. “On my first day at work for my uncle’s tax preparer, having never prepared a tax return before, my boss led me to a desk. He gave me a copy of a client’s prior year 1040 and a briefcase with the current year’s ‘stuff’ and told me to ‘jump in and swim!’”
Robert has been writing the popular tax blog THE WANDERING TAX PRO (since the summer of 2001. He is the creator and author of the tax websites FIND A TAX PROFESSIONAL, and A TAX PROFESSIONAL FOR TAX REFORM (http://www.taxprosfortaxreform.com), and the tax blog THE TAX PROFESSIONAL.
He has been a member of the National Association of Tax Professionals for over 30 years, and often write for the Association's TAXPRO JOURNAL as well as the newsletter of the New Jersey state chapter. He has created and compiled several packages of forms, schedules and worksheets and special reports and guides on tax planning and preparation for the average taxpayer.
Robert is available to write articles and columns for websites and portals and print or email newsletters, on general tax topics, or specifically for your individual audience. You can find samples of his writings at http://robertdflach.blogspot.com
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Author Updates
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Blog postGreat news about the raid on Mar-A-Lago. Let us pray this is truly the beginning of the end of Trump.
FYI – I mailed my paper 2021 Form 1040-SR to Sam on February 26th. The “Where’s My Refund” online tool reported that my refund was approved on August 6th.
* Once again Kay Bell, author of the DON’T MESS WITH TAXES blog, begins the BUZZ, this time with a reminder why you should NEVER automatically pay a balance due notice received from the IRS or a stat5 hours ago Read more -
Blog postThe Internal Revenue Service has released, early this year, the draft versions of the 2022 Form 1040 and accompanying schedules. Click here. The draft 2022 Form 1040-SR has not yet been released.
The 2022 Schedule A appears to be exactly the same as the 2021 Schedule A. I haven’t reviewed the other 1040 schedules (and have no real desire to do so at this point).
But there have been several changes to the Form 1040 –
* The virtual c4 days ago Read more -
Blog postFYI, here is what I believe the US Tax Code should look like -
First and foremost -the one and only purpose of the Tax Code is to raise the money necessary to fund the government.
The Tax Code SHOULD –
(1) Be simple – easy for everyone to understand. Simplicity for simplicity’s sake.
(2) Be fair and equitable - treat all taxpayers equally.
(3) Be consistent – treat specific conditions, situations, and acti5 days ago Read more -
Blog post* Kay Bell reports “Inflation prompts 16 states to issue stimulus checks” at DON’T MESS WITH TAXES -
“They are sending their residents checks, some as much as $1,500, to help them cope with the current higher cost of living.
The states are California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, South Carolina, and Virginia.”
New Jersey residents with at least one qual1 week ago Read more -
Blog postOnce again – I did not want to end the week without some BUZZ.
* The word from the NJ Division of Taxation (via Twitter) –
“We have begun mailing 2021 Senior Freeze (Property Tax Reimbursement) checks to applicants who filed before May 1, 2022. The deadline for 2021 applications is October 31, 2022. To check the status of your application, visit {here}.”
* Kay Bell, the yellow rose of taxes, reports “Tax-exempt bond spear phishing effort i1 week ago Read more -
Blog postFYI – it appears the IRS has begun to issue refunds for 2021 returns. One person, who mailed his 2021 paper federal return to the IRS on February 15th, told me one day last week the “Where’s My Refund” tool told him “you may have entered wrong info” and the next day it indicated his 2021 refund was approved.
* Michael Cohn reports on a bill in Congress that I would support at ACCOUNTING TODAY – “Democrats introduce bill to provide freetax filing thr3 weeks ago Read more -
Blog postA recently issued petition (click here) provided a well written explanation why true “traditional” Republicans are refusing to support and vote for Trump and his Republican supporters in Congress (highlights are mine) -
“ . . . the Big Lie about the election, and the behavior of Donald Trump and his enablers after the election and on January 6, disqualify Donald Trump and his enablers from holding office. They lack the civic virtue to hold office.”
“What Donald T3 weeks ago Read more -
Blog postAn FYI
The temporary COVID-related expansion of the Child Tax Credit and the Child and Dependent Care Credit expired on December 31, 2021. For tax year 2022 these credits return to the rules that existed before the expansion.
The Child Tax Credit for 2022 is $2,000 per qualifying child under age 17. The credit phases out beginning at Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) of $200,000, or $400,000 on a joint return. It may be partially refundable3 weeks ago Read more -
Blog postIf you and your spouse both work or if you are a working single parent the cost of sending your dependent child (under age 13) to a summer day camp is eligible for the Credit for Child and Dependent Care Expenses. Day camp expenses qualify even if even if the camp specializes in a particular activity, such as computers or soccer.
Only day camp expenses qualify for the credit – the cost of an overnight camp does not qualify.
If one spouse works and the other is di3 weeks ago Read more -
Blog post* TaxGirl Kelly Phillips Erb deals with “Figuring Your Tax Deduction After the IRS Boosts Mileage Rates” at her BLOOMBERG.COM blog.
A reminder from KPE –
“Beginning July 1, 2022, the standard mileage rate for business travel will be 62.5 cents per mile. The new rate for deductible medical expenses or moving expenses for active-duty members of the military will be 22 cents. The 14 cents per mile rate for charitable organizations did n4 weeks ago Read more -
Blog postHow difficult is it to understand this?
As history will acknowledge and report, no one single individual has ever done more damage to America, the American people, American freedom and democracy, and true American values than Donald Trump.
The future safety and security of America and of democracy requires that Trump never again be allowed to hold any position of power at any level.
The future safety and security of America and of democrac1 month ago Read more -
Blog postI didn’t want to end the week without some BUZZ.
* From the office of Governor Murphy of NJ – “Governor Murphy, Senate President Scutari, Assembly Speaker Coughlin Announce Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday”.
“The sales tax holiday will take place from August 27 to September 5. Under the sales tax holiday, tax exempt supplies and equipment include: (1) school supplies, such as pens and pencils, notebooks, and binders; (2) school art supplies, suc1 month ago Read more -
Blog postWhatever you may think of the IRS – and thanks to the excessive 2020 shut-down in reaction to COVID the Service today is totally FU-ed – the website www.irs.gov remains an excellent resource for tax planning and preparation.
At irs.gov you can –
* Access, download and print current and past year federal tax forms and instructions - click here.
* Check the status of a refund going back several years (once the return has actually been processed by the IRS)1 month ago Read more -
Blog postHere is a real-life tax situation I was recently asked about -
A retired taxpayer lives in South Carolina and his adult son lives and works in California. The son wants to purchase a personal residence in California worth $1.3 Million but needs the help of his father with both the down-payment on the property and the monthly mortgage payments. The purchase mortgage principal will be $1.1 Million. Title to the residence will be held in the name of the son and the father jointly2 months ago Read more -
Blog postOnce again, a day late but not a dollar short.
* Also once again, like Oliver Twist New Jersey is last on the list of the TAX FOUNDATION’s “2022 State Business Tax Climate Index”.
“New Jersey, for example, is hampered by some of the highest property tax burdens in the country, has the highest corporate income taxes and among the highest individual income taxes in the country, has a particularly aggressive treatment of international2 months ago Read more -
Blog postHave you filed your 2021 tax returns yet? If not (this does not work on an amended return) before doing so you should purchase and read my special report AVOID NEW JERSEY TAXES LEGALLY to find out how to save from hundreds of dollars to thousands of dollars in NJ state income tax (and maybe some federal tax as well), depending on the extent and source of your individual incomes.
This report includes several historical real-life examples from my tax practice (I have2 months ago Read more -
Blog postI realize this post has nothing to do with income taxes – but this must be acknowledged, understood and addressed.
I have been voting for 50 years. Over the years I have voted for Democratic, Republican and 3rd-Party candidates, based on the individual issues and candidates. I have never been a “card-carrying” member of any political party and I have not registered as either a Democrat or Republican since my early 20s.
Never in my lifetime, until now,2 months ago Read more -
Blog postA meaty BUZZ this week!
* A reminder that the IRS recently increased the Standard Mileage Allowance for business, medical and moving travel for July – December 2022. Click here.
* Also from the IRS - good news for teachers. The IRS reminds us “For the first time,maximum educator expense deduction rises to $300 in 2022; limit $250 for those filing 2021 tax returns”.
“This is the first time the annual limit has incre2 months ago Read more -
Blog postEvery few years I re-post my advice for those who are starting out in the tax preparation business – lessons I have learned from my many decades as a tax professional.
My advice involves a song lyric and two advertising slogans –
* “You See You Can’t Please Everyone, So You Got to Please Yourself” (no jokes about pleasuring oneself now)
* “Only Sherwin Williams Can Cover the Earth”
* “Just Say No!”
1) Rick Nelson was spouting real wisdom when he sang2 months ago Read more -
Blog postThe IRS has announced in Announcement 2022-13 -
“This announcement informs taxpayers that the Internal Revenue Service is modifying Notice 2022-3, 2022-2 I.R.B. 308, by revising the optional standard mileage rates for computing the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business, medical, or moving expense purposes and for determining the reimbursed amount of these expenses that is deemed substantiated. This modification results from recent increases in the pric2 months ago Read more -
Blog postCongress has been obsessed with using refundable credits as a form of “negative income tax” in an attempt to redistribute income to lower earners. It began with the Earned Income Credit, recently added the Additional Child Tax Credit, American Opportunity Credit and Premium Tax Credit and during COVID included the Recovery Rebate Credit and temporarily made the basic Child Tax Credit and Credit for Child and Dependent Care refundable. A component of the so-far unsuccessful B2 months ago Read more
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Blog post* The latest “issue” of NATP’s TAXPRO Weekly member email newsletter provided information from the IRS detailed update on backlogged returns. It reported -
“As of May 20, 2022, the IRS had 9.8 million unprocessed individual returns, which include returns received before 2022, and new tax year 2021 returns. Of these, 2 million returns require error correction or other special handling, and 7.8 million are paper returns waiting to be reviewed and processed.”2 months ago Read more -
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Blog postLet me begin with a message to every 1040 client from every tax preparer –
“Dear Client -
DO NOT email me to ask about your 2021, or 2020, federal refund. There is absolutely nothing I, or you, can do to expedite the processing of your 2021 federal return or the issuance of your 2021 federal refund. The word is it will take 5 – 6 months from the date the return was received by the IRS to get your refund. You just need patience. FYI – the IR2 months ago Read more -
Blog postFYI - According to the IRS, As of April 29 there were6.2 MILLION paper returns awaiting review and processing. The word is it will take 5 to 6 months to process a return and issue a refund.
There is absolutely nothing your tax preparer can do to expedite the processing of your federal return or the issuance of your federal refund – so DO NOT call or email him or her to ask about your refund!
* Back in March KIPLINGER.COM listed the “10 Least Tax-Frie3 months ago Read more