__________ is/are overrated.

[kphoger]

My co-worker is now on a rant because Wal-Mart has recently been keeping the checking account hold for grocery pickup for a week, and now today the record of it from last week has completely dropped off her account.  She balances her checking account in Excel, but now the data isn't there to track.

[Rothman]

My co-worker is now on a rant because Wal-Mart has recently been keeping the checking account hold for grocery pickup for a week, and now today the record of it from last week has completely dropped off her account.  She balances her checking account in Excel, but now the data isn't there to track.

Checking account holds for week that actually hit your balance?  I wouldn't use the service.

And why wouldn't a hold just drop off the account after fulfillment?

[kphoger]

And why wouldn't a hold just drop off the account after fulfillment?

It still hasn't been fulfilled, but it doesn't show pending either.

[jeffandnicole]

Still, you'd think it would at least make them give their own formula a once-over.

I'd bet it's not their formula and they use third-party software to ensure compliance.

I always tested the system each year by doing some calculations by hand and comparing to what the system calculated.  Vendors are human, and mistakes can happen.  If it's wrong, my customers (the company employees) will be coming for my throat, not for the vendor's.

I'll take the word of my CPA that they screwed it up over that of random people on a web forum saying they didn't.

Again speaking as a payroll professional, I say I'll take the CPA's word when it comes to accounting and preparing tax returns.  Calculating withholding, not so much.  I've had many employees over the years come to me with "My accountant says I can ask you to..." and a withholding scheme ranging from weird to outright criminal.  The CPA is concerned only with his client's (that's you) interests, which often is trying to get withholding to be a specific amount, and also very well may include making you feel good that an unfavorable situation isn't your fault.  (Certainly I concede that without the details to look at your situation, I can't say for certain that it wasn't the employer's goof.)

TL;DR:  I don't tell accountants how to handle asset depreciation, and I don't assume they know how withholding works.

I will say, I went to school as an accountant.  I graduated as an accountant.  But I don't do my own taxes.  I take them to a CPA.  Too much to comprehend based on my tax situation with my wife running a small business.  I can probably figure it out on my own, but for the price I pay, it's much easier to give it to someone else and let them take care of it.  I basically have everything ready as it is.  I hand everything over in a envelope, wait a week, and get my completed return back.  If I have questions, they can answer them.  If I need advice, they can provide advice.  But I'm more comfortable with them doing it with the updated information that comes out, often in the middle of tax season.

I too had a tax situation many years ago where I wrote a big check come April 15.  That sucked.  Big time.  But I don't recall anyone playing the blame game.  I more remember it being a case of "Do this (update your W-4), so you don't need to do this again next year (write another big check)".  I was more worried about fees or penalties from the IRS.  The CPA assured me the IRS doesn't actually care too much if you can get a payment in on time; they tend to overlook the small stuff.

Over the years, I learned the IRS tends to overlook a lot of small stuff, especially in those early days of that small business.  We used to get letters all the time.  Often it because we sent in money...but didn't send in the forms to show how to apply the money.  The IRS was actually very decent to work with as long as you don't ignore them.  If there was a small interest or penalty, it was that - small.  Pay it, and everyone was happy.

The State was actually a lot more buggy.  We would get a notice saying they didn't receive a form...from years prior...and owed penalties and interest due to that.  At that point, we had no proof one way or another we sent the form in.  I wrote a letter with the form, which they quickly rejected...yet I never heard anything again.

[GaryV]

This year I had to pay a penalty. I had made a large transfer in the 4th quarter, so I made an estimated payment, which ended up more than covering it, I'm getting a refund. But because I didn't make 4 quarterly estimated payments, they charged me.

[JayhawkCO]

Based on another thread where kphoger posted... zucchini. Talk about a vegetable that has zero flavor.

[formulanone]

Based on another thread where kphoger posted... zucchini. Talk about a vegetable that has zero flavor.

I'd say it has a negative flavor, though I'll take it narrowly over steamed broccoli.

[kphoger]

Talk about a vegetable that has zero flavor.

OK.  Would you rather I talk about cucumbers or jicama?

[bugo]

Based on another thread where kphoger posted... zucchini. Talk about a vegetable that has zero flavor.

I tried some fried squash once, and it tasted like dirt. Literal dirt, like as in soil. The only vegetables I will eat are corn, carrots and potatoes.

[1995hoo]

This year I had to pay a penalty. I had made a large transfer in the 4th quarter, so I made an estimated payment, which ended up more than covering it, I'm getting a refund. But because I didn't make 4 quarterly estimated payments, they charged me.

That's what I was referring to earlier about annualizing income and deductions. The IRS assumes that you make money fairly evenly over the course of the year, which for most people is correct. But if you get a particularly large amount of income in one quarter, it can throw that off. So if you can show that more of your income came in a particular quarter and that you paid your estimated taxes accordingly, you can reduce or eliminate the penalty. But, as is also noted above, it may not be worth the trouble depending on what the penalty is.

[kkt]

Still, you'd think it would at least make them give their own formula a once-over.

I'd bet it's not their formula and they use third-party software to ensure compliance.

Therefore, they just plug in the numbers that are on people's W-4s.

I'll take the word of my CPA that they screwed it up over that of random people on a web forum saying they didn't.

(Don't really get why everyone's brown-nosing the payroll department at some random casino they don't work at...Not like you'd even want to work there anyway, so kissing up to them doesn't get you anything...)

Taking the word of your CPA is overrated.

Whose word should I take?  Anonymous strangers on the internet?

[Rothman]

Still, you'd think it would at least make them give their own formula a once-over.

I'd bet it's not their formula and they use third-party software to ensure compliance.

Therefore, they just plug in the numbers that are on people's W-4s.

I'll take the word of my CPA that they screwed it up over that of random people on a web forum saying they didn't.

(Don't really get why everyone's brown-nosing the payroll department at some random casino they don't work at...Not like you'd even want to work there anyway, so kissing up to them doesn't get you anything...)

Taking the word of your CPA is overrated.

Whose word should I take?  Anonymous strangers on the internet?

Mine.

[SSOWorld]

Rothman is overrated (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻

[Rothman]

Rothman is overrated (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻

As we all are.

[JayhawkCO]

Talk about a vegetable that has zero flavor.

OK.  Would you rather I talk about cucumbers or jicama?

Both of those have more flavor than zucchini. Zucchini is the vegetable version of the "no temperature temperature".

[Rothman]

Cucumbers are overrated.

[mgk920]

Zucchinis are also the gift from friends, neighbors and relatives that keep on giving, and giving, and giving . . .



mike

[jeffandnicole]

Zucchinis are also the gift from friends, neighbors and relatives that keep on giving, and giving, and giving . . .



mike

Got a grill?  Cut them thick, season them up and cook them on there.  Taste great!

[kirbykart]

Zucchinis are also the gift from friends, neighbors and relatives that keep on giving, and giving, and giving . . .



mike

Got a grill?  Cut them thick, season them up and cook them on there.  Taste great!

Taste like the seasoning you put on them.

Cucumbers are overrated.

Yes!!!

[Max Rockatansky]

Zucchinis are also the gift from friends, neighbors and relatives that keep on giving, and giving, and giving . . .



mike

Got a grill?  Cut them thick, season them up and cook them on there.  Taste great!

The year my wife planted them in the garden we got a huge yield.  I had grilled Zucchini on almost everything for a solid month, good times.  I'm surprised she didn't want to grow Zucchini again given it is one of the few crops that really took to growing in the yard.

[CoreySamson]

Cake, cookies, and brownies are all overrated.

[roadman65]

Cell phones and the GPS.

[JayhawkCO]

Cake, cookies, and brownies are all overrated.

I can agree on cake and brownies, but I'm a sucker for cookies.

[GaryV]

Cake, cookies, and brownies are all overrated.

Only in terms of what people think it takes to make them.

My wife makes brownies (from mixes) for various events all the time. You dump the stuff into a bowl, mix it up, pour it into the cake pan and bake it.

Cookies are a little more effort - for one thing, you have to scoop them out individually - but still pretty easy.

[kkt]

Cake, cookies, and brownies are all overrated.

Great, more for me!