Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

snakeweasel · March 2016

andres3 said:

stickguy said:
Mike, I would have lost it at Walmart over that. First politely tell the woman that no, I was waiting, she can take my small (under 20!) order. If she didn't, I would have yelled at every manager type I could find.

Though I also would have probably gone to a different line before that!

I hate Walmart for that reason. Checkout is always a mess. But dang, they have really cheap insulin!
Couldn't you just throw dollar bills at them at around 115% of what you think it might cost to cover margin of error, and walk out with your items?

You could have done that but the legal term for that is theft.

abacomike · March 2016

snakeweasel said:

Mike, I would have lost it at Walmart over that. First politely tell the woman that no, I was waiting, she can take my small (under 20!) order. If she didn't, I would have yelled at every manager type I could find. Though I also would have probably gone to a different line before that! I hate Walmart for that reason. Checkout is always a mess. But dang, they have really cheap insulin!
Couldn't you just throw dollar bills at them at around 115% of what you think it might cost to cover margin of error, and walk out with your items?
You could have done that but the legal term for that is theft.

Thanks, snake - he just doesn't get it - most of the time!

abacomike · March 2016

Update on my son's new dog. Got a call from him this afternoon and he said the dog is housebroken and a bit anxious when he is left alone. My son built a doggie slot in the back door so she can go out and come in as she wants - does her business and likes to stretch out by the pool in the backyard.

I think the two of them, from what he told me, are in love with eachother. Good match!

stickguy · March 2016

having a doggie door would be a big help. if I ever got another dog, I would have to have one of them put in.

snakeweasel · March 2016

abacomike said:
Speaking of speed traps, ...

I have an interesting speed trap story. When I got out of the service I was driving home to my little Chicago burb which was a well know speed trap in my red Mustang with Alaska plates. Going through the town I knew to keep my speed down but I got pulled over anyway. Well typical for our town police he started talking about me speeding through his town and being the bad cop about it and I told him I was just discharged and on my way home. Once I told him my address and he found out I lived in the village his demeanor change 180 degrees and he became very pleasant and welcomed me home.

Yep it was a nasty little speed trap but they left the village residents alone.

As a public service I will now present Snakeweasels things not to say to a cop at a traffic stop.

#1.) back in the 80's I was with a friend of mine when he got pulled over, as the officer approached he looked at her and exclaimed "Oh my god you're a girl". He got the ticket.

#2.) Another friend maybe 15-20 years ago was pulled over and he thought he did nothing wrong and was very upset about the whole deal. After the officer did his check walked back to our car gave my friend a warning and was giving his license back when my friend says "Yeah you know you can't give me a ticket". He got the ticket.

tjc78 · March 2016

Last spring I was in the middle of making a raised garden for my wife. I was sweating and dirty but was missing a few things I knew my late Stepdad had in his shed. My mother lives one town over and there is a little cut through street that pretty much links the two towns. No posted speed limit but here in Jersey that means 25. I was doing at least 45+ (in hurry to finish the job). I saw the town cop parked in a lot on an incline just waiting for someone.

As soon as I saw him I pulled over as I knew I was snagged. I rolled the window down and handed him my license as soon as he saw I was a resident (I was 1/2 mile from my house) he said "slow down and get out here, I don't need to be ticketing residents my first week on the job". Ten minutes later on my way back he snagged someone else

[Deleted User] · March 2016

I'm back! Mike mentioned he'd post about my wife, daughter, and I visiting in Florida last week. It's the first time since joining my company 6 years ago I turned off my phone for more than a day, so I've been swamped catching up with emails and voice mails this week. Monday morning my boss asked for a bunch of deliverables, so there was little time to adjust back to real life. I haven't had time to catch up on the Edmunds post, but I'll do that this weekend.

Amazing trip! I say this with all sincerity, meeting Mike in person was one of our highlights. In fact, my wife and daughter are updating our sister and brother-in-law on the trip right now and just mentioned meeting Mike and describing what a super nice and terrific person he is. I doubt anyone here is surprised to hear that. :-)

At the end of our cruise (Monday to Friday), our captain mentioned it was the best week for weather since last year. Sometimes you just get lucky. Lacaya Beach on Grand Bahamas island was our favorite spot because of the gorgeous turquoise waters, white sugar sand, and low-key atmosphere. I highly recommend it if you want to relax and float, or rent a catamaran like we did.

My daughter spent a couple of days in the Fort Myers area collecting shells, and those are now soaking in a bleach solution in our garage. It's one of her favorite hobbies and Sanibel Island is truly a gem for anyone interested in shells.

On a car note, did anyone see that the new Impreza was shown this week in New York? As a Subaru fan I have to say I'm disappointed. The styling is too toned down from the concept and me-too with other manufacturers, the engine is so-so, and the manual tranny is totally eliminated (not surprised on that last one). Oh well. The Audi will keep me entertained for years and hopefully Audi will come through with their promise to release a manual next year on the new A4.

I just wanted to check in real quick and I'll catch up on posts in a couple of days. Take care, all!

snakeweasel · March 2016

tyguy said:

My daughter spent a couple of days in the Fort Myers area collecting shells, and those are now soaking in a bleach solution in our garage. It's one of her favorite hobbies and Sanibel Island is truly a gem for anyone interested in shells.

Ah, on the beach collecting shells. It brings back memories.

iluvmysephia1 · March 2016

I think the two of them, from what he told me, are in love with eachother. Good match!

That's fantastic, abacomike!

jmonroe · March 2016

tyguy said:
I'm back! Mike mentioned he'd post about my wife, daughter, and I visiting in Florida last week. It's the first time since joining my company 6 years ago I turned off my phone for more than a day, so I've been swamped catching up with emails and voice mails this week. Monday morning my boss asked for a bunch of deliverables, so there was little time to adjust back to real life. I haven't had time to catch up on the Edmunds post, but I'll do that this weekend.

Amazing trip! I say this with all sincerity, meeting Mike in person was one of our highlights. In fact, my wife and daughter are updating our sister and brother-in-law on the trip right now and just mentioned meeting Mike and describing what a super nice and terrific person he is. I doubt anyone here is surprised to hear that. :-)

At the end of our cruise (Monday to Friday), our captain mentioned it was the best week for weather since last year. Sometimes you just get lucky. Lacaya Beach on Grand Bahamas island was our favorite spot because of the gorgeous turquoise waters, white sugar sand, and low-key atmosphere. I highly recommend it if you want to relax and float, or rent a catamaran like we did.

My daughter spent a couple of days in the Fort Myers area collecting shells, and those are now soaking in a bleach solution in our garage. It's one of her favorite hobbies and Sanibel Island is truly a gem for anyone interested in shells.

On a car note, did anyone see that the new Impreza was shown this week in New York? As a Subaru fan I have to say I'm disappointed. The styling is too toned down from the concept and me-too with other manufacturers, the engine is so-so, and the manual tranny is totally eliminated (not surprised on that last one). Oh well. The Audi will keep me entertained for years and hopefully Audi will come through with their promise to release a manual next year on the new A4.

I just wanted to check in real quick and I'll catch up on posts in a couple of days. Take care, all!

Ty,

Good to have you back and you sure sound like you had a great time.

One question though, how did you let Mike sweet talk you into buying lunch? He's the guy with all the money and you're still raising a family. After all he's the one that changes MB's faster than the rest of us change oil. He must have had one hell of a sob story to pull that off, we gotta hear it.

Rest up you have lots of posts to catch up on.

jmonroe

imidazol97 · March 2016

@100 NB I75 is open as scheduled past Pioneer in the rockslide area.

bwia · March 2016

snakeweasel said:

tjc78 said:
Speaking of tax prep. What do you guys pay your account for a typical Married return, state and federal?

2 W2s, typical home owner deductions

We just paid $275 to the guy I've gone to for over 10 years. I've heard much higher numbers from coworkers, just curious.
Quoting preparation fees are tricky as fees are typically driven by what forms need to be filled out. Any number of things can trigger another form to be filled out and therefor increase the fees.

However for a married couple with just W-2's as income and basic homeowners deductions (State tax, property tax, mortgage interest and charitable contributions) and nothing else we charge about $200-225. Now if you contribute to a 401K at work that's the retirement savers credit and more fees. Donate a car or boat or over $500 in non cash items that we have to list out? Well that's more in fees. Got a kid in day care and you claim that credit? Guess what more money. Install a new energy efficient furnace? Congrats you get a bigger refund and a bigger fee.

A couple with kids in day care that have not only W-2's but interest income, stock sales, stock dividends, they get a 1099-HSA (health savings account), owns a condo that they rent out, she sells Mark Kay on the side and they received a K-1 from a partnership they have a passive ownership in now you're talking some serious money. That could be over $400 easily.

And don't even get me started on OTR truckers. :@

Everyone's tax situation is different and those differences can mean differences in refund/tax due and fees even if the appear to look the same.

Snake--it seems as though you are running a free tax clinic. Even H&R Block and the other tax services around the Boston area charge much more. As a CPA, my minimum fee is $500. I don't normally do taxes but when I do the returns are so complex that I charge a steep fee for research.

One little bit of advice, think long and hard about the home office deduction. Like many government freebies it comes with its added layers of complexity that will bite you in the posterior when the property is sold down the road.

graphicguy · March 2016

Speeding tickets....I think if you've been driving for awhile, the experience (more like hard knocks lessons) allows you to be cognizant of how sheriffs and police operate regarding ticketing.

For example, about a year ago, I was riding with my wife. Nice day. Clear road. She's barreling down the highway. Up in the sky was a single engine plane circling the interstate we were on. Plus, there were markers on the side of the road for the air cop to use to clock cars between two points.

I told her she should slow down, as it looked like the plane was clocking traffic. She didn't believe me and kept the hammer down.

She saw a police car maybe 2 minutes later on the berm. She slowed down. He waived her over. She insisted she was not speeding when the officer came to the window.

His response?

"Well, maybe you weren't speeding over the last mile, but you were doing 17 MPH over a few miles back. We clocked you from the air". He was proud of his craftiness and was even willing to show her the calculation on how he pegged her speeding.

As he was writing the ticket, she looked over at me in amazement ondering how they caught her, and how I knew.

"Experience my love.....experience!"

stever · March 2016

bwia said:
One little bit of advice, think long and hard about the home office deduction. Like many government freebies it comes with its added layers of complexity that will bite you in the posterior when the property is sold down the road.

Agree - I did that in my Boise years and managed to avoid getting bit because we had no gain. Now I mostly work at my dining room table even though I still have an office in one of the bedrooms.

Where's @PF_Flyer? He's got a good speeding ticket story.

graphicguy · March 2016

Speaking of speeding, last night coming from Costco for a paper towel and gas run, a big Dodge Ram Pickup with a Cummins turbo diesel was beside me at a light. He had chrome exhaust pipes coming straight up out of the bed, and had a lift kit on it. Big chrome wheels and big chrome Ram grill rounded out the "look".

Now, I'm not one to criticize anyone's customization taste, but this truck looked hideous.

He kept reving his diesel and clearly liked hearing it, and seeing the smoke come out of his exhaust stacks.

I thought...."seriously? You want to drag a Caddy? With a 4 banger in it?"

Alright then, let's go. I know, I know....I'm acting just as childish as he is.

Hit the manual button on my gear shift.

Light changes, we're off. He has me off the line, but that lead vanishes pretty quickly as his trans shifts into higher gears as the rev band is pretty narrow for him.

Long and short of it, it was probably a 1/4 mile when I passed him, decisively and left him belching smoke well back in my rearview.

That's the first time I pushed the 8-speed with the shift paddles. Nice work Cadillac...quick, smooth shifts, as good as I could possibly ask for.

I came home, and unloaded papertowels, feeling quite smug....LOL!!!!!!!

PF_Flyer · March 2016

stever said:

Where's @PF_Flyer? He's got a good speeding ticket story.

Is it the story where I didn't get a ticket??

It was 1977 State College, PA, and I'm heading into town in my '66 Newport when the lights come on behind me and I pull over. Doing like 45-50 where the limit changes from 45 to 35. Officer comes up to the car and asks for license and registration. I pull my wallet out of my back pocket and as it flops open, I sort of give a little chirp and say, "Scotty, beam me outta here, quick" and the cop laughs and says, "Get outta here" and sends me on my way

I don't think it would work today!

(Was that the one??)

nyccarguy · March 2016

For those of you who aren't card carrying CCBA members:

30K service report - synthetic oil, filter, tire rotation, rear differential drain & fill with 75 w90 full synthetic gear oil, brake fluid, CVT fluid drain & fill - $509.65 including tax.

It's nice to be back in my own car. The Forester is nice. Very easy ingress/egress. Ride is stable and solid. "Feels" a bit quicker than my Legacy. I didn't care for the seats. They weren't power and lacked the front height adjustment power.

stever · March 2016

That's the one Sneakers. I used to have a flip-phone and always wondered if the same trick would have worked for me.

jmonroe · March 2016

graphicguy said:
Speeding tickets....I think if you've been driving for awhile, the experience (more like hard knocks lessons) allows you to be cognizant of how sheriffs and police operate regarding ticketing.

For example, about a year ago, I was riding with my wife. Nice day. Clear road. She's barreling down the highway. Up in the sky was a single engine plane circling the interstate we were on. Plus, there were markers on the side of the road for the air cop to use to clock cars between two points.

I told her she should slow down, as it looked like the plane was clocking traffic. She didn't believe me and kept the hammer down.

She saw a police car maybe 2 minutes later on the berm. She slowed down. He waived her over. She insisted she was not speeding when the officer came to the window.

His response?

"Well, maybe you weren't speeding over the last mile, but you were doing 17 MPH over a few miles back. We clocked you from the air". He was proud of his craftiness and was even willing to show her the calculation on how he pegged her speeding.

As he was writing the ticket, she looked over at me in amazement ondering how they caught her, and how I knew.

"Experience my love.....experience!"

GG,

A few years ago (maybe 10) Son #1 was on his way with his family, to the Akron area, to visit his BIL and his family. Like I have mentioned before my son almost always pushes the speed limit and was at it again passing through a small town not too far from his destination. Sure enough he's pulled over and he admits to speeding and he asked the cop where he was hiding. The cop told him and then proceeds to tell him about the system that he used to clock my son. Son #1 is surprised and says, "you local guys actually have a system like that"? The cop takes him back to his car and shows him the system and how it works as traffic is moving by. My son is flabbergasted at what he sees and said, "Well you got me, I damn sure can't argue with that gismo".

The cop goes onto say that the little burgh had just gotten that toy a few weeks before and he really liked it. The cop continues the conversation and says pretty soon everybody is going to have one of these for their patrol cars. Believe it or not the cop let him off with a warning and that really surprised him because he said he was as guilty as sin and this was a typical small town that doesn't usually turn down ticket money.

That was like I said, maybe 10 years ago so it's any bodies guess what these guys have today. All I know is, I'm still ticket free.

jmonroe

abacomike · March 2016

nyccarguy said:

For those of you who aren't card carrying CCBA members:

30K service report - synthetic oil, filter, tire rotation, rear differential drain & fill with 75 w90 full synthetic gear oil, brake fluid, CVT fluid drain & fill - $509.65 including tax.

It's nice to be back in my own car. The Forester is nice. Very easy ingress/egress. Ride is stable and solid. "Feels" a bit quicker than my Legacy. I didn't care for the seats. They weren't power and lacked the front height adjustment power.

Bradd, I don't know for sure since I've never had a 10,000 or 20,000 mile inspection/service on my Mercedes-Benz vehicles, but IIRC, the 10,000 mile service is about $325.00 and the 20,000 mile service is about $550. I would have thought the Suburu services would be more reasonable. But it sounds like it was a thorough service.

nyccarguy · March 2016

Per the owner's manual, at 30K oil, filter, brake fluid, tire rotations are required.

CVT Fluid is noted with an "I" which means "Inspect, correct or replace if necessary." Under normal driving conditions. It is never "Required."

Under severe driving conditions, CVT fluid should be changed every 24,855 miles. So I drained & filled at 30,000 miles and will do it again at 60,000 miles. Cheap insurance.

Front & Rear Differential Gear Oil also has an "I," but a poster @tyguy who is a lot smarter and more mechanically inclined than I am suggested that it be changed at 15K, then again at 30K due to high content of metal shavings due to break in. It is required every 15K under severe driving conditions. I'll do this service again at 60K miles. Cheap insurance.

For the next 30K, I'll get out of there spending around $80 for a synthetic oil change & tire rotation

oldfarmer50 · March 2016

bwia said:

snakeweasel said:

tjc78 said:
Speaking of tax prep. What do you guys pay your account for a typical Married return, state and federal?

2 W2s, typical home owner deductions

We just paid $275 to the guy I've gone to for over 10 years. I've heard much higher numbers from coworkers, just curious.
Quoting preparation fees are tricky as fees are typically driven by what forms need to be filled out. Any number of things can trigger another form to be filled out and therefor increase the fees.

However for a married couple with just W-2's as income and basic homeowners deductions (State tax, property tax, mortgage interest and charitable contributions) and nothing else we charge about $200-225. Now if you contribute to a 401K at work that's the retirement savers credit and more fees. Donate a car or boat or over $500 in non cash items that we have to list out? Well that's more in fees. Got a kid in day care and you claim that credit? Guess what more money. Install a new energy efficient furnace? Congrats you get a bigger refund and a bigger fee.

A couple with kids in day care that have not only W-2's but interest income, stock sales, stock dividends, they get a 1099-HSA (health savings account), owns a condo that they rent out, she sells Mark Kay on the side and they received a K-1 from a partnership they have a passive ownership in now you're talking some serious money. That could be over $400 easily.

And don't even get me started on OTR truckers. :@

Everyone's tax situation is different and those differences can mean differences in refund/tax due and fees even if the appear to look the same.
Snake--it seems as though you are running a free tax clinic. Even H&R Block and the other tax services around the Boston area charge much more. As a CPA, my minimum fee is $500. I don't normally do taxes but when I do the returns are so complex that I charge a steep fee for research.

One little bit of advice, think long and hard about the home office deduction. Like many government freebies it comes with its added layers of complexity that will bite you in the posterior when the property is sold down the road.

$500 bucks! Holy cow! You just turned me into a life time do-it-yourselfer. I've toyed with the idea of having someone do that stupid schedule D and 8949 but if that's what it costs I'll take the 500 for my own effort. Schedule F is easy but the bookkeeping for it is a royal pain.

My mother's final return and estate tax prep cost over $1300 but that was beyond my talents so I just gritted my teeth.

driver100 · March 2016

imidazol97 said:
@100 NB I75 is open as scheduled past Pioneer in the rockslide area.

Thanks for the heads up imid. Is it just one lane? How is it for getting through? Let me know if there are any other tie ups.

What I watch for is sometimes in TN the police can be lined up on the median about every mile just waiting to pounce. I try to stay in packs too, that's why they say there is safety in numbers.

driver100 · March 2016

graphicguy said:
Speeding tickets....I think if you've been driving for awhile, the experience (more like hard knocks lessons) allows you to be cognizant of how sheriffs and police operate regarding ticketing.

"

True GG, and another general rule don't speed when going up a grade or coming around a corner....police can be waiting. Better if you have to do it, to do it on a straight flat road or going downhill

stickguy · March 2016

It's amazing how many people are too oblivious (or stupid) to okay attention to brake lights up the road. Sure tip off a cop is hiding.

nyccarguy · March 2016

@abacomike - what does the 10K and 20K service on the Mercedes entail?

andres3 · March 2016

snakeweasel said:

andres3 said:

stickguy said:
Mike, I would have lost it at Walmart over that. First politely tell the woman that no, I was waiting, she can take my small (under 20!) order. If she didn't, I would have yelled at every manager type I could find.

Though I also would have probably gone to a different line before that!

I hate Walmart for that reason. Checkout is always a mess. But dang, they have really cheap insulin!
Couldn't you just throw dollar bills at them at around 115% of what you think it might cost to cover margin of error, and walk out with your items?
You could have done that but the legal term for that is theft.

If you leave legal tender on the register worth an equal amount to what you take; how is that theft? If it is a retail store it is a fair assumption the items on the shelves are for sale at the marked prices. You couldn't do this for just anything, but at a store intended to sell items, it seems fair enough.

If any of you want to leave a suitcase filled with 100,000 dollars, my S4 that isn't for sale, well, your welcome to "steal" it at that amount.

jwm40517 · March 2016

Regarding home offices on tax returns, if you use the new simplified method of $5/sq foot up to the limit of $1500 there will be no complications in the future with depreciation.

jmonroe · March 2016

oldfarmer50 said:

bwia said:

snakeweasel said:

tjc78 said:
Speaking of tax prep. What do you guys pay your account for a typical Married return, state and federal?

2 W2s, typical home owner deductions

We just paid $275 to the guy I've gone to for over 10 years. I've heard much higher numbers from coworkers, just curious.
Quoting preparation fees are tricky as fees are typically driven by what forms need to be filled out. Any number of things can trigger another form to be filled out and therefor increase the fees.

However for a married couple with just W-2's as income and basic homeowners deductions (State tax, property tax, mortgage interest and charitable contributions) and nothing else we charge about $200-225. Now if you contribute to a 401K at work that's the retirement savers credit and more fees. Donate a car or boat or over $500 in non cash items that we have to list out? Well that's more in fees. Got a kid in day care and you claim that credit? Guess what more money. Install a new energy efficient furnace? Congrats you get a bigger refund and a bigger fee.

A couple with kids in day care that have not only W-2's but interest income, stock sales, stock dividends, they get a 1099-HSA (health savings account), owns a condo that they rent out, she sells Mark Kay on the side and they received a K-1 from a partnership they have a passive ownership in now you're talking some serious money. That could be over $400 easily.

And don't even get me started on OTR truckers. :@

Everyone's tax situation is different and those differences can mean differences in refund/tax due and fees even if the appear to look the same.
Snake--it seems as though you are running a free tax clinic. Even H&R Block and the other tax services around the Boston area charge much more. As a CPA, my minimum fee is $500. I don't normally do taxes but when I do the returns are so complex that I charge a steep fee for research.

One little bit of advice, think long and hard about the home office deduction. Like many government freebies it comes with its added layers of complexity that will bite you in the posterior when the property is sold down the road.
$500 bucks! Holy cow! You just turned me into a life time do-it-yourselfer. I've toyed with the idea of having someone do that stupid schedule D and 8949 but if that's what it costs I'll take the 500 for my own effort. Schedule F is easy but the bookkeeping for it is a royal pain.

My mother's final return and estate tax prep cost over $1300 but that was beyond my talents so I just gritted my teeth.

I'm with you 'farmer'. It's going to be a cold day in Hawaii when I pay $500 for someone to do my taxes.

About 4 years ago I finally broke down and started buying the H&R Block tax program. It doesn't allow me to cheat as much I used to do before but prison terms for me now could take me to the end-of-life projection for someone my age.

jmonroe

thebean · March 2016

abacomike · March 2016

nyccarguy said:

@abacomike - what does the 10K and 20K service on the Mercedes entail?

The 10,000 mile service (A Service) is a 2 hour scheduled service. It includes full synthetic oil change w/filter and a physical check of all systems in the car including a readout of the diagnostics computer. It includes engine diagnostics, lighting, brakes and brake system, interior air filtration system, steering system, wheels and tires w/adjustments to tire pressures, and a physical inspection of all fluid levels. It also includes cleaning air intakes and removal of any debris.

They remove all wheels and physically inspect brake pad wear and rotor wear and condition. The GPS is updated by downloading updates.

According to the manual, it is a two hour minimum service.

The 20,000 mile service (B Service) includes everything found on the A Service plus replacement of all fluids and is a 3-4 hour service.

The list of things to be done are too numerous to list here, but the B Service is very involved.

Hope that helps Bradd. Remember, I've never had either service done.

abacomike · March 2016

We were discussing Yuengling beer the other day. I had never seen a TV commercial for Yuengling down here in Florida until this afternoon, which really surprised me since it has become a local beer with their third brewery, 2 in PA and one in Tampa.

I've also noticed ads on TV for a North American Guiness beer. They claim it is mellower and less bitter. I didn't know they had built a brewery here in the US.

I still have my stash of Yuengling in the fridge. I normally am not a beer drinker - I just like one every so often and to have some on ice in case of unexpected visitors.

berri · March 2016

Could that be the old Budweiser brewery in Tampa or is that still there ?

abacomike · March 2016

berri said:

Could that be the old Budweiser brewery in Tampa or is that still there ?

I checked the location of the Yuengling brewery in Tampa and noted that within 10 miles of that brewery I found 7 other breweries of lesser known brands.

graphicguy · March 2016

jwm40517 said:
Regarding home offices on tax returns, if you use the new simplified method of $5/sq foot up to the limit of $1500 there will be no complications in the future with depreciation.

I've had a home office for 20 years. When I claimed it at first, my accountant said I was begging for an audit (which never happened). Now, they're ubiquitous and not such a big deal. Still, you better be prepared to show your home office if the IRS starts sniffing around. I keep a picture of it with each of my tax returns in case they get curious.

I take my office as a percentage of the total square footage of my house, or about 10%. House is 3,000 sq ft. Office is 300 sq ft.

Michaell · March 2016

graphicguy said:

jwm40517 said:
Regarding home offices on tax returns, if you use the new simplified method of $5/sq foot up to the limit of $1500 there will be no complications in the future with depreciation.
I've had a home office for 20 years. When I claimed it at first, my accountant said I was begging for an audit (which never happened). Now, they're ubiquitous and not such a big deal. Still, you better be prepared to show your home office if the IRS starts sniffing around. I keep a picture of it with each of my tax returns in case they get curious.

I take my office as a percentage of the total square footage of my house, or about 10%. House is 3,00 sq ft. Office is 300 sq ft.

I've been claiming mine for a few years, too. Office size hasn't changed (about 110 sf), but the size of the house did when I moved last year (went from 1600 to about 2700). No issues here, either.

oldfarmer50 · March 2016

Is this the C4 Vette you guys were talking about?

https://albany.craigslist.org/cto/5506677506.html

coldinohio · March 2016

tampa bud brewery closed to make more room for rides at busch gardens

i think the yeungling is in an old ??strohs or miller facility very close to busch gardens

cleveland has great lakes brewery; if you can find it, and like lagers, try Dortmunder

oldfarmer50 · March 2016

graphicguy said:

jwm40517 said:
Regarding home offices on tax returns, if you use the new simplified method of $5/sq foot up to the limit of $1500 there will be no complications in the future with depreciation.
I've had a home office for 20 years. When I claimed it at first, my accountant said I was begging for an audit (which never happened). Now, they're ubiquitous and not such a big deal. Still, you better be prepared to show your home office if the IRS starts sniffing around. I keep a picture of it with each of my tax returns in case they get curious.

I take my office as a percentage of the total square footage of my house, or about 10%. House is 3,000 sq ft. Office is 300 sq ft.

My former home office now houses my Mustang. I was audited once but it was over an election to delay determination of business for profit or some such thing. Thought it would be good to give myself an extra year to show profit on the farm. Didn't know it would trigger an audit. The extra money they squeezed out of me wasn't worth the postage.

Mr_Shiftright · March 2016

oldfarmer50 said:
Is this the C4 Vette you guys were talking about?

https://albany.craigslist.org/cto/5506677506.html

That's a nice set of options and the first year for OBD-II diagnostics. However, seller is swinging for the seats and at that asking price, the car isn't really for sale.

Look here--same car, with Grand Sport option, with more miles, granted, but still $12,000 cheaper!

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/ctd/5475639881.html

snakeweasel · March 2016

bwia said:
Snake--it seems as though you are running a free tax clinic. Even H&R Block and the other tax services around the Boston area charge much more. As a CPA, my minimum fee is $500. I don't normally do taxes but when I do the returns are so complex that I charge a steep fee for research.

One little bit of advice, think long and hard about the home office deduction. Like many government freebies it comes with its added layers of complexity that will bite you in the posterior when the property is sold down the road.

We tend to beat the Blockheads in price by about 10% give or take. The vast majority of my tax returns aren't so complex that I have to do much, if any, research and they take under an hour to complete (an hour and a half for the most complex). A lot of what you would call cookie cutter tax returns.

To give you an idea the last return I did was an $83 return, it was one W2 and unemployment and that was it. No deductions, no EIC, no credits, no dependents nothing. If it weren't for the unemployment it would have been the most basic you could have done. He was in and out in 20-25 minutes.

abacomike · March 2016

snakeweasel said:

Snake--it seems as though you are running a free tax clinic. Even H&R Block and the other tax services around the Boston area charge much more. As a CPA, my minimum fee is $500. I don't normally do taxes but when I do the returns are so complex that I charge a steep fee for research. One little bit of advice, think long and hard about the home office deduction. Like many government freebies it comes with its added layers of complexity that will bite you in the posterior when the property is sold down the road.
We tend to beat the Blockheads in price by about 10% give or take. The vast majority of my tax returns aren't so complex that I have to do much, if any, research and they take under an hour to complete (an hour and a half for the most complex). A lot of what you would call cookie cutter tax returns. To give you an idea the last return I did was an $83 return, it was one W2 and unemployment and that was it. No deductions, no EIC, no credits, no dependents nothing. If it weren't for the unemployment it would have been the most basic you could have done. He was in and out in 20-25 minutes.

So you had a "quickie" client then?

roadburner · March 2016

I was audited in 2003; it was minor- they wanted proof of my charitable contributions. I sent them copies of all the receipts. and have not been bothered since.

snakeweasel · March 2016

driver100 said:
True GG, and another general rule don't speed when going up a grade or coming around a corner....police can be waiting. Better if you have to do it, to do it on a straight flat road or going downhill

Don't speed when going up a grade? Most people slow down when going up a grade as they don't compensate for the pull of gravity. I would think that few cops set up speed traps at the top of hills.

Now going downhill you pick up speed and that's where I would think speed traps would logically be placed.

snakeweasel · March 2016

andres3 said:

snakeweasel said:

andres3 said:

stickguy said:
Mike, I would have lost it at Walmart over that. First politely tell the woman that no, I was waiting, she can take my small (under 20!) order. If she didn't, I would have yelled at every manager type I could find.

Though I also would have probably gone to a different line before that!

I hate Walmart for that reason. Checkout is always a mess. But dang, they have really cheap insulin!
Couldn't you just throw dollar bills at them at around 115% of what you think it might cost to cover margin of error, and walk out with your items?
You could have done that but the legal term for that is theft.
If you leave legal tender on the register worth an equal amount to what you take; how is that theft? If it is a retail store it is a fair assumption the items on the shelves are for sale at the marked prices. You couldn't do this for just anything, but at a store intended to sell items, it seems fair enough.

If any of you want to leave a suitcase filled with 100,000 dollars, my S4 that isn't for sale, well, your welcome to "steal" it at that amount.

A few issues with it, first how does the store know what you took and if you placed enough money on the counter to pay for it?

Secondly legally a sale isn't made until the conditions of a contract are fulfilled such as offer and acceptance. If the store didn't accept your money there is no acceptance on the part of the store and therefor they haven't consented to you taking the merchandise out of the store.

Thirdly there is no way the store could confirm that the items taken were saleable, was the items merchandise for sale or were the store fixtures that you just took.

Fourthly is the legality of the sale, many store sell things that are legally controlled, either by age or by time of sale (i.e. liquor, one of our favorite subjects, can only be purchased at certain times by individuals over a certain age). How does the store know that your not a 20 year old with a bottle of scotch in that bag of stuff you just walked out with.

Finally legal tender prior to services being performed can be whatever the store want's it to be. If they want you to pay for that box of fruit loops with 50 used Band-Aids they can.

Simply put you can't just walk out with something while throwing money at an employee.

Now that I think about it if you do actually throw money at an employee that could be considered assault and/or battery.

abacomike · March 2016

@snakeweasel:

Thank you for your legal interpretation of throwing money at Walmart employees or even the register at the check-our counter. It is always frustrating when one has to deal with outrageous hypotheticals!

oldfarmer50 · March 2016

Mr_Shiftright said:

oldfarmer50 said:
Is this the C4 Vette you guys were talking about?

https://albany.craigslist.org/cto/5506677506.html
That's a nice set of options and the first year for OBD-II diagnostics. However, seller is swinging for the seats and at that asking price, the car isn't really for sale.

Look here--same car, with Grand Sport option, with more miles, granted, but still $12,000 cheaper!

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/ctd/5475639881.html

So it's the Grand Sport option that's the holy grail?

oldfarmer50 · March 2016

snakeweasel said:

bwia said:
Snake--it seems as though you are running a free tax clinic. Even H&R Block and the other tax services around the Boston area charge much more. As a CPA, my minimum fee is $500. I don't normally do taxes but when I do the returns are so complex that I charge a steep fee for research.

One little bit of advice, think long and hard about the home office deduction. Like many government freebies it comes with its added layers of complexity that will bite you in the posterior when the property is sold down the road.
We tend to beat the Blockheads in price by about 10% give or take. The vast majority of my tax returns aren't so complex that I have to do much, if any, research and they take under an hour to complete (an hour and a half for the most complex). A lot of what you would call cookie cutter tax returns.

To give you an idea the last return I did was an $83 return, it was one W2 and unemployment and that was it. No deductions, no EIC, no credits, no dependents nothing. If it weren't for the unemployment it would have been the most basic you could have done. He was in and out in 20-25 minutes.

Why so long? I do my son's 1040EZ in 10.

stickguy · March 2016

the seats on the black interior look like a couple of hefty backs held together by wire.

abacomike · March 2016

I had to stay at home all day because the plumbing department had to enter every condo unit to check for leaking faucets and/or pipes. It seems that water usage for the 48 units in my building has been well above expected or anticipated levels. Security was making the rounds with the plumbing department in order to gain access to condo units where the owners were not at home for the inspection. Security has a master key for both the bolt locks and the doorknob locks.

When they showed up at my unit, I asked them if they had found any units with major leaks. They said that they had - and all of the units are owned by Canadians or absentee owners who were not going to repair the leaks until September/October. I asked them how they handle those cases. They responded that they are sent a certified letter explaining that the owner either repairs the leak(s) or the Condo director will have a plumbing contractor repair/replace the defective plumbing (toilets, faucets, water pipes, etc.).

The guys told me the least cooperative owners were the Canadians. Any comments driver?

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