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SUNSHINE STATE REPORTER
YOUR FLORIDA CHAPTER NEWSLETTER
OCTOBER 2015
2015 BOARD
OF DIRECTORS
JOHN RUDESTEDT
President
Education Committee Chair
LAURA WOOD, EA
Vice President
BIBI RUDESTEDT, EA
Secretary
SANDRA TORRENCE, EA
Treasurer
Newsletter Editor
DORIS E. DIMON, EA
Director
KENNETH DOWDALL, EA
Director
Nominations Committee Chair
STUART J. MILLER
Director
studebjeniAaol.com
BARBARA L. WEART
Director
REGISTER NOW FOR OUR ANNUAL CHAPTER
CONFERENCE IN WEST PALM BEACH.
NOVEMBER 12 –13, 2015
EARLY BIRD DEADLINE: 10/31/15
HOTEL DISCOUNT DEADLINE: 10/21/15
SEE PAGES THREE THROUGH SEVEN
PHONE SCAMS—THEY FRIGHTEN OUR CLIENTS
WHAT WE CAN DO ABOUT IT
By Amy Brosnan, past President
Have you heard of the list called “The Dirty Dozen” by the IRS? This
list is published by the IRS to identify “hot topics” for the year. Guess what
is the Number One item on the list? Phone Scams. I imagine that you have
had at least one client (or maybe many more) that has received that call
from the “IRS”. You know the ones....they threaten to put the client in jail
or take away their kids or if you don’t pay up the police are on the way.
The ones that you hope your client is calling you about before paying thou-
sands of dollars to them or providing bank account information. This is a
really big deal for our industry and for the taxpayers.
Let’s be honest. These scam artists scare the taxpayers and use that
fear to take advantage of them. These phone calls will be aggressive and
threatening. They will probably leave a message on voice mail as well. So
how do you make sure its not the real IRS calling? First and foremost, the
IRS will always contact the taxpayer first by mail. Second, the IRS will not
involve the local police (they’re way too busy). Third, the IRS will not
threaten jail, deportation, arrest and even license revocation. Fourth, the
IRS will not demand immediate payment for taxes due over the phone, ask
for credit or debit card numbers or require a specific payment method. And
fifth, the IRS will not demand payment without questions or an appeals pro-
cess. Continued on page two
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PHONE SCAMS—continued
What can we do? There is hope. If a client calls, once you’ve calmed them down and explained the
scam to them, advise them to immediately contact TIGTA (Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administra-
tion) at 1-800-366-4484 or if they are internet savvy, www.tigta.com TIGTA will want the number that the
“IRS” called from, what information they requested, call back numbers provided, etc. This applies to
voicemail messages left as well. Please tell your client they will NOT hear back from TIGTA about the call,
but to report it anyway. They also need to file a complaint using FTC Complaint Assistant at https://
www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov. Yes! Feel free to help them if you want to but that is up to you, your sched-
ule, office policies and your fees.
This is not always the nicest world we live in. I am a big fan of solutions to problems, but in this case,
there doesn’t seem to be another one besides reporting it. You can’t stop who calls you or clients and the
government can’t either (although they do try). The hope is that the people who get the calls do not pay and
call their tax professional for help and report it to the appropriate parties. Please remind your clients not to
threaten them back—there have been reports of the scammers having addresses and personal information and
these scammers have been known to have people outside their homes. Hopefully, calling TIGTA and the
FTC will lead to finding these scammers and putting them where they belongs—in jail. I am sure millions of
dollars have already been scammed away from many people using fear and threats. We can encourage our
clients to report these incidents to the authorities. I am sure the scammers are getting more creative and will
find other ways (probably by mail next), but for now, we can offer clients a little hope and even a small solu-
tion to this problem. It can be a scary time, but remember you are in their corner and can offer them hope.
You can include all this information in your newsletters to your clients or even to your local media just to
bring awareness. Let’s get the word out and maybe the scammers will get tired and move on or get arrested
and go to jail., Be an advocate for your client.
Amy
The Board has received notice that Herbert Bailey, EA has resigned as a Director
effective September 28, 2015.
YOUR CHAPTER NEEDS YOU!!!
Tell us what you as a Chapter member expect from your Board of Directors.
Tell us what topics you want to hear about at our educational classes.
Contact any Board member. We are here to work for you.
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ANNUAL CONFERENCE
AGENDA — 16 HOURS CPE
NOVEMBER 12-13, 2015
EMBASSY SUITES
1601 BELVEDERE ROAD, WEST PALM BEACH, FL 33406 PHONE :561-689-6400
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12
7:00——7:45 AM Registration, Continental Breakfast
7:45——8:45 AM Annual Meeting: Jerry Cannito, CPA, National Rep.
8:45—-10:25 AM Tax Issues of Divorce, Kenneth Dowdall, EA 2 CPE
10:25—10:40 AM Mid-Morning Break (Refreshments provided)
10:40—12:10 PM Introduction to Schedule E, Hemendra Thakkar, EA 4 CPE
12:10—-1:10 PM Lunch (provided)
1:10——2:50 PM Intro to Schedule E, continued, Hemendra Thakkar, EA
2:50——3:05 PM Afternoon Break (Refreshments provided)
3:05——4:45 PM Understanding Common IRS Penalties, Owen Oatley, EA 2 CPE
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13
7:15——8:00 AM Registration, Continental Breakfast
8:00——9:40 AM Foreign Investment Reporting, Kenneth Dowdall, EA 2 CPE
9:40—-10:00 AM Mid-morning Break (Refreshments provided)
10:00—11:40 AM ACA Employer’s Obligation, Edgar Kidd, IRS Liaison 2 CPE
11:40—-1:00 PM Lunch (provided)
1:00——2:40 PM 8 Mistakes Practitioners Make That Get Their Clients In
Hot Water With The IRS, Steven Klitzner, Attorney 2 CPE
2:40——-3:00 PM Afternoon Break (Refreshments provided)
3:00——4:40 PM Ethics and Circular 230, Hemendra Thakkar, EA 2 CPE
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REGISTRATION FORM
ANNUAL CONFERENCE
NOVEMBER 12-13, 2015 WEST PALM BEACH
EMBASSY SUITES, 1601 Belvedere Rd., West Palm Beach, FL 33406 PH: 561-689-6400
Name: ____________________________________________________________________________
PTIN (required)___________________________ NATP Member # (required for discount)_______________________
Address:___________________________________________________________________________
City:_____________________________________State____________________ZIP_______________
EMAIL: __________________________________ Phone_____________________________________
Emergency Contact Name & Number:____________________________________________________
REGISTRATION FEE ONE DAY BOTH DAYS
Member $ 260 $ 395
Non-Member $ 290 $ 425
After OCTOBER 31 please add $30 per applicable fee. If attending for one day only, indicate which day.
PAYMENT METHOD
We accept: Visa, MC, AMEX and Discover cards. Checks made payable to Florida Chapter NATP.
Names as it appears on cc: ______________________________________________________________
CC #___________________________________Exp Date: ______________Security Code_____________
Signature: ____________________________________________________________________________
HOW TO REGISTER
Mail to: Florida Chapter NATP, 13001 Spring Hill Drive, Spring Hill, FL 34609-5048
Phone: 352-686-0220 FAX: 352-686-0215
Cancellation Policy: To cancel your registration, please notify in writing, Sandra Torrence, Treasurer, no
later than NOVEMBER 3, 2015 to receive a refund. Cancellation fee is $30.
NOTE: If you have a dietary restriction or preference please notify us when making your reservation.
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CONFERENCE SPEAKERS
KENNETH DOWDALL: Ken has been a
member of NATP since 1998 and has
been on the Florida Board
since May, 2000. He has
held the officer positions of
Secretary, Vice President
and President. He has been
an NATP certified instructor
since 2010. He became an Enrolled Agent
in 2005.
EDGAR KIDD: Edgar began his career in
1983 as a Taxpayer Service Representa-
tive. He has held many
managerial positions and
since July, 2002 has been
a Senior Stakeholder Liai-
son in the Communica-
tions Stakeholder Out-
reach unit.
STEVEN KLITZNER: Steven is a Miami
attorney who practices exclusively in the
area of IRS Problem Res-
olution including collec-
tions, audits and ap-
peals. A 1979 graduate
of the University of Mi-
ami School of Law, he has been a solo
practitioner since 1993. Steven is ad-
mitted to the US Supreme Court, the US
Tax Court and the US District Court for
the Southern District of Florida. He fre-
quently speaks at NATP events.
OWEN OATLEY: Owen is an EA practicing
in Daytona Beach. He is a past president
of our Chapter and now
serves on the Chapter’s Ad-
visory Board. He is a past
member of the Taxpayer
Advocate Panel which is a
Federal Advisory Board.
Before he started his own practice, he was
employed by the IRS. He has a Master’s
degree in political science from FSU. In
May, 2006 he was the NATP Member of
the Month.
HEMENDRA THAKKAR: Hemendra is a
graduate in accounting and finance from
Bombay University. He
came to Orlando in June,
1980 and started his own
office for accounting, tax
planning and financial con-
sulting. He obtained his
CFP, ATA and EA designations soon after
that. He joined NATP in 1984 and is a past
President of the Chapter and now serves
on the Chapter’s Advisory Board. He has
also served one three-year term as a Di-
rector on the National Board. In 2010
Hemendra became a certified NATP in-
structor. He has served as a member of
the IRS North Florida District Advisory
Board.
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CONFERENCE MENUS
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12TH
CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST: Chilled orange or cranberry juice, Danish pas-
tries, muffins, croissants and bagels. Cream cheese, butter and fruit pre-
serves. Fresh seasonal sliced fruits, strawberry and blueberry flavored yo-
gurts and crunchy granola. Cold cereals with whole or 2% milk. Freshly brewed
regular or decaf coffee and a variety of teas.
MID-MORNING BREAK: Soft drinks, bottled water, coffee and Teas.
LUNCH: Embassy garden salad of mixed greens with tomatoes, cucum-
bers and shredded carrots. Served with creamy ranch or balsamic vinai-
grette dressings. Breast of chicken stuffed with sun-dried tomatoes and
goat cheese and served with creamy sun dried tomato sauce. Key Lime pie
for your dessert.
MID-AFTERNOON BREAK: Soft drinks, bottled water, coffee, tea. Fudge
brownies and individual bags of chips and pretzels.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13TH
CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST: Chilled orange or cranberry juice, Danish pas-
tries, muffins and croissants with butter and fruit preserves. Sliced fresh
seasonal fruits. Freshly brewed regular or decaf coffee and assorted teas.
MID-MORNNG BREAK: Soft drinks and bottled water. Coffee and tea.
LUNCH: South of the Border Mexican buffet. Tossed garden salad with cu-
cumber, tomatoes and carrots served with Ranch or Balsamic vinaigrette dress-
ings. Grilled corn and avocado salad. Cilantro black bean salad. Grilled
chicken and steak fajitas with sautéed peppers and onions. Warm soft
flour tortillas. Crispy tortilla chips. Refried red beans. Cheese enchi-
ladas. Spanish yellow rice. For dessert there will be sliced seasonal fruit or
flan.
MID-AFTERNOON BREAK: Soft drinks, bottled water, coffee and tea.
Home baked cookies and healthy (which we’ll need by now) granola bars.
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GOING TO THE CONFERENCE…….
CONFERENCE MATERIALS: Your 3-ring binder of class materi-
als will be available at the check-in desk.
HOTEL ACCOMODATIONS: The Chapter has a block of rooms
available at the Embassy Suites (a Hilton Hotel) through OCTOBER 21.
Rates are $124 per night plus tax. Please call the hotel at 561-689-
6400 to make your arrangements.
The website is: eswestpalmbeach.com. The Group code is: XTP.
REMINDERS: The usual cautions apply about wearing lay-
ered clothing due to varying temperatures. No smoking or use
of recording devices is permitted.
CONFERENCE VENDOR:
The Chapter is pleased to once again welcome Mr. Bill Stopps
who represents CFS Software. There will be a discount available
of 30% to all first time purchasers. Renewal purchases will re-
ceive a 10% discount.
Mr. Stopps will have a presentation table set up outside the con-
ference room and will be available during the breaks. He will be
attending our seminars. Do stop by and make his acquaintance.
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AUGUST
NEW CHAPTER MEMBERS
TOTAL CHAPTER MEMBERS: 1573
FRANCISCO ANDINO, JR JACKSONVILLE
PAT BRAYTON BROOKSVILLE
AMANDA CALDERON MIAMI
GENE HESS ORLANDO
SANDRA MARIN OVIEDO
FRANK NIKISCHER TRINITY
ERIC M PEMPER HOLLYWOOD
JOHN PHILLIPS MILTON
ANGEL ARTURO RODRIGUEZ LAKE WALES
GARY RUBIN BOCA RATON
BRUCE M SZABO CLEARWATER
REBECCA WILLIAMS TEMPLE TERRACE
WELCOME TO OUR NEW MEMBERS. WE VERY MUCH HOPE TO MEET YOU IN
PERSON AT OUR ANNUAL CONFERENCE IN WEST PALM BEACH IN NOVEMBER.
THANK YOU FOR BECOMING PART OF OUR CHAPTER “FAMILY”.
John Rudestedt, President
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NEWSLETTER SUBMISSIONS
If you wish to contribute to the
next Sunshine State Reporter
please email your article, event or
information to the editor at:
NOVEMBER DEADLINE : 10/28
2015 UPCOMING EVENTS
NOVEMBER 12—13
CHAPTER ANNUAL CONFERENCE
WEST PALM BEACH
EMBASSY SUITES
************
DECEMBER 10
REGIONAL NETWORKING
CHRISTMAS PARTY
CENTRAL EAST COAST GROUP
NORWOOD’S RESTAURANT
NEW SMYRNA BEACH
FUN, FROLIC AND MAYBE A FEW
WORDS ABOUT TAXES
**************
MAY 19-20, 2016
CHAPTER SPRING CONFERENCE
DAYTONA BEACH, FL
**************
NATIONAL CONVENTION
AUGUST 9—12, 2016
INDIANAPOLIS, IN
CONFERENCE CHARITY RAFFLE
TO SUPPORT
DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS
10
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE CUPCAKES (MAKES 12)
1 1/2 CUPS ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR,
SIFTED
1 TSP BAKING POWDER
1/4 TSP COARSE SALT
1/2 CUP WHOLE MILK, ROOM TEMP
1 TSP PURE VANILLA EXTRACT
2 TBSP KEY LIME JUICE
1 TBSP KEY LIME ZEST
1/2 CUP UNSALTED BUTTER, ROOM
TEMP
1 CUP SUGAR
1 LARGE EGG, ROOM TEMPERATURE
2 LARGE EGG WHITES, ROOM TEMP
TOOTHPICK OR SKEWER
FOR THE FROSTING
(FROSTS 1 DOZEN +)
1 CUP (2 STICKS) UNSALTED BUTTER,
FIRM BUT NOT COLD
1/8 TSP SALT
3 1/2 CUPS CONFECTIONERS SUGAR,
SIFTED
1/2 TSP VANILLA EXTRACT
1 TSP KEY LIME JUICE
1 TBSP KEY LIME ZEST
1/2 TSP MILK (ONLY IF NECESSARY)
DIRECTIONS—FOR THE CUPCAKES
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake lin-
ers; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and
salt; set aside. In a small bowl, mix together milk, vanilla, key lime zest
and 1 tbsp. of lime juice; set aside. (Obviously, you’ll need a lot of coun-
ter space.) In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attach-
ment, cream butter on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy. (If you
don’t have this piece of equipment, rely on the hand held electric mixer.)
Continued on page 11
KEY LIME CUPCAKES
From the kitchen of AMY BROSNAN
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KEY LIME CUPCAKES, continued
Reduce mixer speed to medium and slowly add egg and egg whites until
just blended. With the mixer on low, slowly add half the flour mixture;
mix until just blended. Add the milk mixture; mix until just blended.
Slowly add remaining flour mixture, scraping down sides of the bowl with a
spatula, as necessary until just blended. (This recipe could be called the
‘just blended cupcake recipe’.) Divide batter evenly among prepared muf-
fin cups. Transfer muffin tin to oven and bake until tops are just dry to
the touch, 22 to 25 minutes. Transfer muffin tin to a wire rack and let
cupcakes cool completely., Use a toothpick or skewer to poke the tops of
the cupcakes with holes. Use a pastry brush to brush remaining lime juice
over the tops of the cupcakes. Let cupcakes dry slightly before topping
with key lime frosting. (Provided you can wait that long before eating
one.)
DIRECTIONS —FOR THE FROSTING
Beat together butter and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy. Re-
duce mixer speed and slowly add confectioners sugar; beat until well com-
bined. Add vanilla, key lime juice and zest; mix until just blended. Do
not overmix or frosting will incorporate too much air. Frosting consistency
should be dense and creamy, like ice cream. Frosts over one dozen.
FL NATP DEALS AND DISCOUNTS
QUICKFINDER –code Q680 THE TAX BOOK-code 433
Each of these companies are offering a discount to all FL NATP members.
Access the websites below to see the complete list of books offered and order
forms. You can order online, print out the form and mail it in or just phone
them. Quickfinder: 800.510.8997; Tax Book: 866.919.5277
http://tax.thompsonreuters.com/products/brands/checkpoint/quickfinder
www.the taxbook.com