Former clients: How to get rid of them for life

[ILLMAS]

I had to call another tax preparer to request a copy of a tax return, the call only lasted a few seconds.

Me: I need to request a copy of the last tax return you prepared for XYZ.

Him: We no longer have copies of former clients pre 2008, they were all shredded.

Me: Ok, bye

I guess their retenion policy is a short one :)

[JohnH]

I have one or two whose info I should have shredded the day they first came in the door. It would have been less aggravation in the long run.

[Terry O]

This could be an omen - - -I wish I had listened to all the signals when I took on the client from - - -you know where - - -

[Karen Lee]

I am hoping next tax season is my last. I am gunning for a real job, first one in over 20 years. I am to take the RTRP exam 7/30/12 and I don't care if I pass or not.

Just received my annual letter from HRB to buy my business and may take them up on it next year. HRB office is next door to me but never impacted my business. Lost some only to get them back.

Just done.

[Terry O]

Karen,

I KNOW how you feel - - but, since you have been doing this for 20 yrs - - RTRP exam will be a piece of cake! The last few years - -I DREAD the summer - - -just received yet another email from a client - -IRS wants proof that he was serving overseas - -apparently - -the W-2 code is insufficient????

It seems like we are doing MORE followup work than ever.

Hang in there!!!!!

[taxxcpa]

I keep thinking I want to retire, but I keep putting it off for just one more tax season.

[Margaret CPA in OH]

Fading away here...my biggest income clients are two elderly folks (one is 98) for whom I do major trust work. When they pass, my income will be about half the current amount. I stopped taking new business clients when my other CPA retired 2 years ago and, finally, I can pay 'retired' membership rates for Ohio Society and American Institute of CPA's due to decline in hours and having reached full retirement age. I really don't want to sell so will probably just have natural attrition. But I am now no longer concerned about losing ANY clients and am quite relieved about some who have left within the last couple of years.

[mcb39]

Once I decided to take the RTRP; after over 30 years in this business, I decided to go forward agressively. Am well past retirement age, but don't feel it. Am adding an addition to my office. Don't know for how long, but as long as I am healthy and (hopefully) in my right mind; there is no way that I could possibly sit around doing nothing when there are so many people out there who need alternates to HRB and Liberty. I have a pretty consistent client basis of a little over 200; which keeps me mighty busy; but with the additional room, I am considering some parttime help this year with assembly, phone, filing, etc. At the same time, I am easing out of my other part-time job as a Dental Receptionist. At this point, I would miss my clients and the work too much, not to continue.