A COVID-19 quandary - U.S. tax prep edition
March 11, 2021 6:43 AM Subscribe
I'd appreciate your help in thinking through the logistics of how I can help my parents complete their 2020 Federal and state income tax returns.
My parents and I are United States citizens, residents, and taxpayers. They live in a town in another state about an hour's drive from me. They are in their early to mid 70s. They've each received two doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. I am a cisgender male in my mid 40s who has not received any doses of any of the U.S.-approved COVID-19 vaccines. I have two conditions - a BMI over 30 and type 2 diabetes - that, I understand, significantly elevate my risk for severe complications and/or death if I were to contract COVID-19.
I assist my parents every year, usually in early to mid-March, with the preparation and filing of their Federal and state income returns for the prior year. The process usually takes approximately 3 hours using commercial tax preparation software. It's typically done in a room with my father being present for all or nearly all of that time period, with my mother being present for some but not all of that time period. I do not think it would be feasible for me to attempt to guide my parents through this process remotely; nor do they have the technical skills or patience to scan tax forms to me for remote preparation. Their presence is helpful for checking information as it is prepared and entered into the software, but that isn't strictly necessary, and it would be possible for me to enter information and have them review that information incrementally and/or in full when the returns have been drafted. For reasons of cost, privacy, and their own comfort, my parents strongly wish to have me and only me prepare their returns.
I've been trying to parse the latest CDC guidelines and preliminary research on what activities are relatively safe for those who are vaccinated to do in the presence of those who are not yet vaccinated. I have found this to be very confusing, in part because there seems to be no certainty about which activities, in which level of proximity, are "safe" for some definition of that term. Most pressingly from my perspective as a potentially higher-risk unvaccinated person, there seems to be some anecdotal evidence that the risk of virus transmission is quite low from those who are vaccinated to those who are not yet vaccinated. While that is encouraging, I don't understand how compelling that evidence is, or whether it's been verified in any meaningfully empirical way.
The computer on which the tax returns are to be prepared and filed is located in a room on the second floor of a detached, single-family, three-story home. The room has two windows which may be opened to allow for some ventilation. I can bring an air filter from my home as well. All three of us are willing to wear masks, maintain appropriate distance, wash hands frequently, and otherwise follow public health guidance.
I am scheduled to visit their home to prepare and file the returns this coming Saturday. This is one day after my state's travel restrictions will be lifted by order of our governor. Their state doesn't have any limits or restrictions for individuals arriving from other states. It would be difficult, but not impossible, to push back the date of the return preparation and filing to a date closer to the U.S. tax filing deadline of April 15. My parents are justifiably concerned about identity theft based on their recent experience with a financial account being potentially compromised, and they strongly wish to file their tax returns this weekend. My health conditions do not allow me to seek vaccination at this time. Based on reported supply issues and my state's current phase for pursuing vaccinations, it is very unlikely that I will be eligible to receive any of the U.S.-approved vaccine shots prior to April 15.
If you were in my position, how would you approach this task so as to minimize the risk of COVID-19 for all parties? It seems clear that the biggest risk is to me, but if that assumption isn't accurate I would appreciate learning that.
My parents and I are United States citizens, residents, and taxpayers. They live in a town in another state about an hour's drive from me. They are in their early to mid 70s. They've each received two doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. I am a cisgender male in my mid 40s who has not received any doses of any of the U.S.-approved COVID-19 vaccines. I have two conditions - a BMI over 30 and type 2 diabetes - that, I understand, significantly elevate my risk for severe complications and/or death if I were to contract COVID-19.
I assist my parents every year, usually in early to mid-March, with the preparation and filing of their Federal and state income returns for the prior year. The process usually takes approximately 3 hours using commercial tax preparation software. It's typically done in a room with my father being present for all or nearly all of that time period, with my mother being present for some but not all of that time period. I do not think it would be feasible for me to attempt to guide my parents through this process remotely; nor do they have the technical skills or patience to scan tax forms to me for remote preparation. Their presence is helpful for checking information as it is prepared and entered into the software, but that isn't strictly necessary, and it would be possible for me to enter information and have them review that information incrementally and/or in full when the returns have been drafted. For reasons of cost, privacy, and their own comfort, my parents strongly wish to have me and only me prepare their returns.
I've been trying to parse the latest CDC guidelines and preliminary research on what activities are relatively safe for those who are vaccinated to do in the presence of those who are not yet vaccinated. I have found this to be very confusing, in part because there seems to be no certainty about which activities, in which level of proximity, are "safe" for some definition of that term. Most pressingly from my perspective as a potentially higher-risk unvaccinated person, there seems to be some anecdotal evidence that the risk of virus transmission is quite low from those who are vaccinated to those who are not yet vaccinated. While that is encouraging, I don't understand how compelling that evidence is, or whether it's been verified in any meaningfully empirical way.
The computer on which the tax returns are to be prepared and filed is located in a room on the second floor of a detached, single-family, three-story home. The room has two windows which may be opened to allow for some ventilation. I can bring an air filter from my home as well. All three of us are willing to wear masks, maintain appropriate distance, wash hands frequently, and otherwise follow public health guidance.
I am scheduled to visit their home to prepare and file the returns this coming Saturday. This is one day after my state's travel restrictions will be lifted by order of our governor. Their state doesn't have any limits or restrictions for individuals arriving from other states. It would be difficult, but not impossible, to push back the date of the return preparation and filing to a date closer to the U.S. tax filing deadline of April 15. My parents are justifiably concerned about identity theft based on their recent experience with a financial account being potentially compromised, and they strongly wish to file their tax returns this weekend. My health conditions do not allow me to seek vaccination at this time. Based on reported supply issues and my state's current phase for pursuing vaccinations, it is very unlikely that I will be eligible to receive any of the U.S.-approved vaccine shots prior to April 15.
If you were in my position, how would you approach this task so as to minimize the risk of COVID-19 for all parties? It seems clear that the biggest risk is to me, but if that assumption isn't accurate I would appreciate learning that.
I would do so absolutely as is but to make you feel better can you ask your parents to self quarantine for 10 days prior to you coming?
posted by sandmanwv at 6:59 AM on March 11, 2021
posted by sandmanwv at 6:59 AM on March 11, 2021
All the steps you outline sound good to minimize risk in the unlikely but possible scenario that at least one of you is COVID positive this weekend. But given that the biggest risk is to you, if you are going to these lengths I'd ask your parents not to do any higher risk COVID activities between now and your visit. So far it's looking like fully vaccinated people don't spread virus, or at least don't spread it efficiently, but if your folks can avoid doing things that would expose them to virus in the first place for 2-3 days before your visit, then it's even harder to imagine they'd be actively shedding virus as fully vaccinated people.
posted by deludingmyself at 7:01 AM on March 11, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by deludingmyself at 7:01 AM on March 11, 2021 [1 favorite]
They can pack up all their tax stuff and you can drive by (long drive I know) and get it from their front porch, or they can FedEx it to you. I wouldn't trust USPS right now with their timelines even just from the next town over. You do their taxes at your own home. Then you set up a zoom or even just a phone call when you need to verify something.
posted by phunniemee at 7:01 AM on March 11, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by phunniemee at 7:01 AM on March 11, 2021 [1 favorite]
Are your parents two weeks past their second vaccination? If not, you could ask them to push your visit until after the two week mark. I also agree with the suggestions above that you could also ask your parents to self-quarantine for some period of time before you come (which would also require you to push the visit past this Saturday).
If you do end up going on Saturday, you could consider asking your parents to leave the documents in the room with the computer, windows open, and staying in another part of the house. You could call/Facetime/zoom them with questions within the house, but from separate rooms, while you also remain masked while in the house and you could ask them to be masked within the house while you're there.
posted by Caz721 at 7:21 AM on March 11, 2021 [2 favorites]
If you do end up going on Saturday, you could consider asking your parents to leave the documents in the room with the computer, windows open, and staying in another part of the house. You could call/Facetime/zoom them with questions within the house, but from separate rooms, while you also remain masked while in the house and you could ask them to be masked within the house while you're there.
posted by Caz721 at 7:21 AM on March 11, 2021 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Thank you for all of the helpful, creative, and thoughtful replies thus far. I apologize for the length and detail of the original question, too. I think in more "normal" times I could've phrased things a little more concisely. I suppose that clear writing is another casualty of my "COVID brain."
Caz721, my parents are indeed more than two weeks past their second shot. I like your suggestion as well that we use technology from different parts of the house when we need to chat.
It might also work to have my parents send materials via an overnight mail service like UPS or FedEx. I hadn't even thought of that.
Thank you! I'll try to avoid further threadsitting and I look forward to additional replies.
posted by cheapskatebay at 7:28 AM on March 11, 2021 [2 favorites]
Caz721, my parents are indeed more than two weeks past their second shot. I like your suggestion as well that we use technology from different parts of the house when we need to chat.
It might also work to have my parents send materials via an overnight mail service like UPS or FedEx. I hadn't even thought of that.
Thank you! I'll try to avoid further threadsitting and I look forward to additional replies.
posted by cheapskatebay at 7:28 AM on March 11, 2021 [2 favorites]
If they can zoom: they can share their screen, and you tell them what to enter and where. It'll be tedious, but should work fine, and that way they can go seek out additional things they might have forgotten.
Otherwise, pick up a box from their porch.
You visiting them alone is within current CDC guidelines, though. I think you'd be fine to go and sit in the room with them. Open windows if you want. But really, the risk is low, which is why the CDC says this (two vaxxed, one single unvaxxed but otherwise cautious person) is ok.
posted by Dashy at 7:41 AM on March 11, 2021 [2 favorites]
Otherwise, pick up a box from their porch.
You visiting them alone is within current CDC guidelines, though. I think you'd be fine to go and sit in the room with them. Open windows if you want. But really, the risk is low, which is why the CDC says this (two vaxxed, one single unvaxxed but otherwise cautious person) is ok.
posted by Dashy at 7:41 AM on March 11, 2021 [2 favorites]
You could always have them file for an extension or help them file, and complete the taxes later for this year if having more information would help you to bette assess risk about the trip.
posted by AlexiaSky at 7:52 AM on March 11, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by AlexiaSky at 7:52 AM on March 11, 2021 [1 favorite]
I would probably do this via stopping by for an outdoor porch pickup of the documents, heading home, and then working through any questions you have about the documents via phone or video chat. Or even going inside long enough for you to photograph/scan the documents but then heading home, if they're not comfortable with their originals leaving their house at all.
But my risk tolerance is quite low. Given they are both vaccinated, I don't think it would be unreasonable for you to just do the returns there, with open windows and keeping whatever distance can reasonably be kept between you. I just think that I would view it as an unnecessary risk in your shoes, if picking up the documents and heading home were a viable alternative.
posted by Stacey at 7:52 AM on March 11, 2021
But my risk tolerance is quite low. Given they are both vaccinated, I don't think it would be unreasonable for you to just do the returns there, with open windows and keeping whatever distance can reasonably be kept between you. I just think that I would view it as an unnecessary risk in your shoes, if picking up the documents and heading home were a viable alternative.
posted by Stacey at 7:52 AM on March 11, 2021
If warm enough where your parents are, could you bring a laptop and sit outside?
posted by sciencegeek at 8:15 AM on March 11, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by sciencegeek at 8:15 AM on March 11, 2021 [1 favorite]
I've just done this. Mom's fully vaccinated and does the occasional careful, masked grocery trip. I'm high risk and unmasked and go absolutely nowhere but hospital appts, and was days away from my first dose. I never visit with her indoors due to risk, but we're occasionally in the car together, fully masked, by necessity, to get me to and from medical appts at a hospital an hour away.
For taxes, we masked up at a distance in a room that opens to the outdoors, with the big doors open. Breezes and sunshine. Outside would have been optimal but the wifi doesn't reach that far.
What especially helped was that she had all the 1099 forms etc organized and her password confirmed in advance, which saved us a lot of time. I ran through most of the entries on my own and I'm familiar with all her forms, so there was nothing all that new. It went well. We use turbotax, which we know is not ideal, but we've used it for years and this year wasn't the year for us to navigate something new. She only has about 8-9 forms. We always do standard deduction. It went really quickly, maybe 60-80 mins start to finish. It usually takes twice that when I prompt her for questions. But we skipped all that this year.
In a few weeks, we're planning to reconvene on a later (warmer) day to repeat the meeting conditions and confirm the amounts in all the boxes in the forms. I just had my first dose this week, so that'll help. She knows how to print everything on her own, so I can walk her through that from a distance.
posted by mochapickle at 8:20 AM on March 11, 2021 [1 favorite]
For taxes, we masked up at a distance in a room that opens to the outdoors, with the big doors open. Breezes and sunshine. Outside would have been optimal but the wifi doesn't reach that far.
What especially helped was that she had all the 1099 forms etc organized and her password confirmed in advance, which saved us a lot of time. I ran through most of the entries on my own and I'm familiar with all her forms, so there was nothing all that new. It went well. We use turbotax, which we know is not ideal, but we've used it for years and this year wasn't the year for us to navigate something new. She only has about 8-9 forms. We always do standard deduction. It went really quickly, maybe 60-80 mins start to finish. It usually takes twice that when I prompt her for questions. But we skipped all that this year.
In a few weeks, we're planning to reconvene on a later (warmer) day to repeat the meeting conditions and confirm the amounts in all the boxes in the forms. I just had my first dose this week, so that'll help. She knows how to print everything on her own, so I can walk her through that from a distance.
posted by mochapickle at 8:20 AM on March 11, 2021 [1 favorite]
A relative just mailed me their taxes from about an hour away using USPS and it took a few days at most. If they won't do that, then they should drive the forms to you. You can drive them back or just hold onto them if they don't need a printout right now. I'd complete as much as you can without them and keep a log of questions. Then have a call with them to go over everything.
posted by soelo at 11:09 AM on March 11, 2021
posted by soelo at 11:09 AM on March 11, 2021
If your parents are stressed about having the tax files leave the house or mailing them, then, yes, I'd say do this. Before you arrive, have one of them open both windows and then close the bedroom door (maybe around when you leave home?). Then you go upstairs and they stay downstairs. Sure, wear masks, even in different parts of the house. You can call or FaceTime with questions, or put some papers out in the hall if you have questions where they need to look at the documents.
I'd also say... go for a walk with them outside or have a several-feet-apart visit outside (masked if you'd prefer) before you do taxes because that might make it easier to stay apart once you are inside.
I see that you are being cautious and careful, and that is great, and I also think that you being in their house in a room with the windows open and door closed means pretty limited risk from my perspective as a non-expert internet person.
posted by bluedaisy at 3:49 PM on March 11, 2021 [2 favorites]
I'd also say... go for a walk with them outside or have a several-feet-apart visit outside (masked if you'd prefer) before you do taxes because that might make it easier to stay apart once you are inside.
I see that you are being cautious and careful, and that is great, and I also think that you being in their house in a room with the windows open and door closed means pretty limited risk from my perspective as a non-expert internet person.
posted by bluedaisy at 3:49 PM on March 11, 2021 [2 favorites]
This website attempts to include what is known about covid transmission into a risk model for certain activities. I used the tabs to entered the details for a bedroom sized room, with closed windows, everyone masked, no one vaccinated their estimate is that if you want less than a 10% chance of getting Covid, then there two people should be together no more than 13 hours after the infected person entered.
While the estimate can be way off (we don't actually know enough about covid to be that precise, several factors work in your favor:
- Assuming your parents are the infected person, the chance of them giving it to you post-vaccination are even lower than estimated.
- Most of the time you will be the only person in the room
- You will have open, not closed windows
If you click on advanced mode at the top, you control even more factors.
So, it's not perfectly safe but risk from spending a couple hours as planned seems to be pretty low.
posted by metahawk at 5:45 PM on March 11, 2021
While the estimate can be way off (we don't actually know enough about covid to be that precise, several factors work in your favor:
- Assuming your parents are the infected person, the chance of them giving it to you post-vaccination are even lower than estimated.
- Most of the time you will be the only person in the room
- You will have open, not closed windows
If you click on advanced mode at the top, you control even more factors.
So, it's not perfectly safe but risk from spending a couple hours as planned seems to be pretty low.
posted by metahawk at 5:45 PM on March 11, 2021
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If either one of them has a cell phone with a half-decent camera, and enough skills to send a picture... could that be a feasible way for them to send tax forms to you? If not, could they send you the tax forms by courier?
Under the circumstances, I would feel like it would be safe enough to visit and prepare taxes in their house on their computer. But I also don't feel that there's much advantage to being in the same room or the same house if you would feel safer doing it remotely, and if you can do it remotely.
posted by Jeanne at 6:57 AM on March 11, 2021