suziandben

Copied from the IRS website: http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/Adoption-Credit-Phone-Forum-Questions-and-Answers If an adoptive parent pays qualified adoption expenses in 2011 and the adoption is finalized in 2012, are those expenses first allowable on the 2011 income tax return or on the 2012 return? Answer: The expenses are first allowable on the 2012 income tax return (which will be filed in 2013). Can I claim the adoption credit expenses paid for an unsuccessful adoption? Answer: You can claim the adoption credit for qualified adoption expenses paid for the attempted adoption of an eligible child who was a U.S. citizen or resident at the time the adoption effort began. The credit is claimed for the year following the year of payment. Can qualified adoption expenses for multiple failed attempts be claimed in the same year as a completed final adoption? Answer: Yes, assuming the timing requirements are met. For example, if you paid qualified adoption expenses in 2010 both for a failed domestic adoption and for a successful domestic adoption that finalized in 2011, you can claim the expenses for both the failed and the successful adoptions for the 2011 year (subject to the dollar limitation). To claim the expenses, complete both Part I and Part II of Form 8839. Refer to the Form 8839 Instructions for additional information. For a domestic adoption, if qualifying adoption expenses are paid any year before the adoption becomes final, the proper year for claiming the credit is the year following the year of payment. If the qualifying adoption expenses are paid during or after the year the adoption becomes final, the credit is claimed for the year of payment.

Merry Christmas mari!!

Beautiful and true

I so enjoy your posts Mari! You make me smile.

LOL....Suzi as long as you do not pronounce it MARY I am pretty ok with however people pronounce it... but how I say it is pronounced with a spanish sound...if you can say the word ocean in spanish that sounds out the first part mar if you can't then the english sounding is the month of march without the ch ... for the second/last part the i in spanish is pronounced like e so it would be mar e .....You probably were not banking on a spanish lesson And thought I had it because my friend has a Spanish pronunciation too. . Actually I might still have gotten it right the d sound might just be gringo-ized r sound. Lol

Mari, I had a light bulb moment today ... How do you pronounce your name? I realized today I know a mari here and I think I have been reading your name wrong as I read. Mah-dee?

Congratulations all!!!

Our CPA specializes in this! Both times the IRS has come back asking for things, it was something we'd already sent (and had copies of having sent in!) Our poor CPA is ready to bang his head on the wall, I think. I feel like we're always the exception to the rule in some way in our lives, so I can't say I'm surprised when things like this happen. I'm just trying to sit back and smile that maybe God is putting us on hold for a little while longer. You have the right to call the IRS taxpayer advocate service when the "normal" IRS channels cause you undue hardship. In other words the IRS taking way too long is affecting your ability to move forward with other plans. Google IRS taxpayer advocate and call. Your CPA does not need to call you can take care of it yourself. Actually I have it right here. IRS Taxpayer advocate 877-777-4778

Happy Birthday Mari!!

You know what would be funny? If you matched/placed before orientation and became tweezers again. Sorry no blue cooler again. (I know I am mean.)

Oh come on that doesn't sound very die hard of you Melissa. Ha ha ha

Ps when we are out with Chrystal or jordyn I never introduce our roles I always wait and allow Chrystal or jordyn to say this is her son and who we are.

Sorry to hear your photographer was a bit tacky. Wish she had just asked what configurations of pictures you guys wanted. As I think about my answer to the question "what is our relationship" I don't know that it translates into exactly what pictures I want. But since you asked when friends ask me about our relationship with our kids birth parents I say it's roughly like how my brother calls me to say his daughter did this or that. He knows I love his kids immensely and will celebrate with him in his kids lives. I say that we simply have an extra big family like another niece of mine Zoe whose parents and grandparents are all divorced and remarried so she has 8 sets of everything... That is how our open adoption family circle is for our kids extra big with extra big love.

Just a weekend in Suite 540 with some chicks and a blue cooler. glad to see you finally get to go to orientation. Long time in the coming.

To answer your post Elizabeth, I think that the thing you do have to do with older aps is demand greater financial strength and preparation. A 30 year old with few retirement savings is forgiveable because they have time to make up for it. If I were screening 50 year old aps I would be looking for certain levels of retirement funds, life insurance and lower levels of debt to equity.

Congratulations!!!!

Congratulations new family!

Wow congratulations!!!!

You are right on pace... Tara, Eric, Hugo & Hayes Late Night Stickybacks May 2008 DropSwapChop July 2010 August 2012

That's awesome!!!!

If it makes you feel better Susan my 2 year old is teaching my 3 year old how to wrestle, jump off furniture, scream, etc etc etc... I don't think it matters how far apart or close in age they are. I think siblings just have a natural born ability to bring out the WILD in each other. I joke that Ben and I need to divorce and move 100 miles apart and split raising the kids in half because when the kids are apart both of them are way easier to manage, way calmer. Just two weeks ago my kids were in the back of the van and I hear "pull my finger....you a yucky poopy stinky face..." They are 2 and 3 and where on earth do they come up with this stuff?!

Excited for you Monica!

I think that is your cue melissa

When we came home from orietation with abrazo we told our families "it's not if but when" therefore we are supposed to allow ourselves to be expecting and that it's either going to be a long pregnancy or a short pregnancy. When we matched with collin's birthmom someone said something using some words that were too owning for my comfort before his birth/relinquishment. I cannot even remember the words she used. I said to her oh we're not there yet - it's just a match at this point. She said well I thought the adoption agency told you to go home from orientation and allow yourselves to be "pregnant". I was like yeah I just don't know if we're pregnant with this baby or not ultimately. It's so confusing and emotionally charged. I don't think there's one right answer.

We filed our 2010 tax return with 2 adoptions on it (expenses from collin's and parker's adoptions) and we had ZERO issues getting our full refund in like 4 weeks after paper mailing our tax return (we actually got our refund faster than the IRS said we would). I am sure it didn't hurt that I am a tax CPA and am meticulous about all the details on my tax return (if there are any small issues on your return the IRS will question whether there are big issues as well and review your return with greater scrutiny) but either way I did not have to mail in receipts or copies of checks or any explanations with our intial filing (though I certainly have all of it on hand if the IRS asked for it at any point). I did include copies of final adoption decrees for both kids (official copies with original stamps - these were not our originals but extra official copies we had on hand) as per the IRS instructions. As always anything you mail to the IRS send using some kind of trackable mail or package service so you have proof of mailing and delivery confirmation. When in doubt seek the advice of a CPA.