NT / Turn Around Time Today

[RitaB]

I am curious. What is your typical turn around time on returns at this moment?  I'm at the blown away stage, and when I get done with this payroll, I'll be working on people who dropped off 2/06. Most of my clients are just fine with that, and later some will be waiting 10 - 14 days or so. This one #$%^& gives me grief every year, and I'm about to fire her @$$. She dropped off Monday and is calling me today to see what the status is. Uh, the status is you are about to be hunting a new tax preparer. 

 

Yes, I know.  I'm not charging enough, cut her loose, all that.  Peace and blessings. Carry on.

Edited February 13, 2015 by kcjenkins

[JohnH]

Rita: Whenever she calls, just tell her you pulled her return out of the stack to give her an answer, but you don't remember where it was so now you have to put it back on the bottom of the stack. After the third or fourth call, maybe she will get the message.

[RitaB]

Good one, John.  She actually left a message.  I had someone in here, and I never answer the phone when a client is here.  I called her back, she didn't answer, and I told her that I'd call when I got the return done, but if she needed to pick up her forms and take them elsewhere, that would not be a problem for me, no hard feelings.  I will be sending her a Dear John (no relation) letter later. 

[NECPA in NEBRASKA]

I'm telling everyone one to two weeks right now. It will get worse as the more difficult ones come in.

[rfassett]

Until last year, I promised and lived by a 10 day turn around.  There were very few exceptions to that rule on the back side.  We often delivered them a couple days ahead of time - especially in the early going.  With my pacemaker implant in October of 2013, my wife's step-dad (an extremely dear friend to her and I) passing away February 6th last year, and my learning new software last year - it seemed to be a good time to stop promising.  Today I worked on a couple that came in on January 27th.  Tonight I will work on a couple that came in on February 3rd.  I learned last year that the vast majority of my clients are just happy to get their crap out of their house.  Some have asked this year when to expect my call and we are telling them a couple to three weeks and no one has balked.  As the season goes on, we will be quoting three to four weeks.  We are moving up our drop dead date this year a week to March 16th.  If the info is here on or before March 16th, we will do our best to deliver the return on or before April 15th - but no promises.

[Lion EA]

Yeah, I'm a couple weeks away at least for anyone dropping off today.  And, two big ones arrived via UPS and USPS.  One included her two sons (one going to college and working in OH -- Hi, Jack!).  Her 2013 return done elsewhere and her 2014 lists for me include deductions such as medical (health and dental premiums and HSA) paid via payroll w/h, HSA contributions via payroll w/h, and donations that don't separate cash/check from Goodwill.  She's not going to be happy with fewer deductions than last year.  Oh, and two WDW uncashed dividend checks for her children.  The other client left me for HRB for a year and is returning with multi-state rentals.  Was fired so lots of things without w/h such as unemployment, 401(k) withdrawals. and my first 1095-A !!  Marketplace insurance started in May, so have to see if she was still covered by her employer earlier in 2014.  She included the letter from the Marketplace with a very long list of documents she need to provide by 18 February to renew.  I hate people that don't open their mail.  Oh goody,

[mcb39]

I am working on returns that came in on Feb 2;  there were a few exceptions for people who were leaving town, etc.  Returns were flying around here today like no other day yet.  My assistant couldn't even leave because three cars were in the driveway blocking her in.  One and Three had appointments.  Two was a drop-off.  Total craziness.  Thank God for my girl.  She is taking so much weight off my shoulders and keeping me sane.  When I mention an appointment in March, many of them almost go ballistic.  At this point it is either that or find someone else.  At this precise point, I really don't care.

[JohnH]

Good one, John.  She actually left a message.  I had someone in here, and I never answer the phone when a client is here.  I called her back, she didn't answer, and I told her that I'd call when I got the return done, but if she needed to pick up her forms and take them elsewhere, that would not be a problem for me, no hard feelings.  I will be sending her a Dear John (no relation) letter later.

Reminds me of when I was in the Air Force. Stayed constantly depressed because every time we had mail call I had a couple of "Dear John" letters.

[Catherine]

I can't possibly give turn-around time right now.  I finished two corporations after bashing my head against the repair regs for a couple hours *each* only to determine each qualifies for elections -- but I had to *prove* it to myself first.  

 

Finished two returns for folks whose situations are simple and stable.  Have a bunch more that just came in; ALL are missing items (brought end of year statement instead of 1099; wait where's my credit union interest page - I'll send you the info by email; hi can you help me download my bank transactions into QuickBooks and I can't believe I forgot my wife's W-2; you *name* it).  

 

I think we're all punch-drunk from all the SNOW.  With another blizzard scheduled for Saturday night & Sunday.  I spent some time today re-scheduling folks who were supposed to come later Saturday and on Sunday afternoon.  

 

Then I (almost) finished a major job for an accounting client.

[JohnH]

I forgot to mention - planning to file my first extension tomorrow.

[SaraEA]

Today between appointments I finished some returns dropped off Feb 3. Doesn't sound too bad, but there are now 20 in my in-box and lots of appointments in the coming days. Four were added just today, so who knows what their turn around time will be. Anyone notice that a lot more of these early filers owe?  I keep stack of envelopes for the federal and state payment vouchers in my desk but I usually don't use many of them until March. This year it seems that I hand one out for nearly every return.

 

I've already done the ACA form for clients who lacked insurance for a few months of the year.  I just did one for clients who got married during the year and one had an insurance subsidy. Anyone notice that the Pub that is supposed to help us through these unusual situations is still "under development"? I actually dug up the Regs and followed the example with my own math (charts for poverty level percentages, middle cost silver plan, etc. spread all over my desk). When I was done I checked it for theory, which is about all I got out of the myriad CPE hours I took on the topic. Then I had to figure out how to make the program do it right.  I just wanted to ease into the ACA--you know, check the box that everyone was insured for my first dozen returns and then maybe someone with a month or two lapse. The complex situations that our courses just breezed over (because not even the curriculum writers could figure it out) just had to be my initiation to the ACA.

[kcjenkins]

I think we're all punch-drunk from all the SNOW.  With another blizzard scheduled for Saturday night & Sunday.  I spent some time today re-scheduling folks who were supposed to come later Saturday and on Sunday afternoon.  

 

[rfassett]

Nice KC - I got home to a driveway packed with up to twenty inches of new and drifted snow last night.  Yes - the truck is stuck - AGAIN!!!!!  I was able to use the snow blower and make a path around it so we are good.  I found out last night that sitting on my tractor with the snow blower with temps at about 4 degrees and wind chills in the minus teens (which means it was kinda windy) is something I do not want to do all that often.  However - my wife says there is no bad weather; just bad clothing.   I still need to work on that.

[joanmcq]

I'm not doing too bad, but I only had my assistant for two days this week and there are a LOT of docs in the portal. I'll be downloading them myself tomorrow or Saturday. I've turned a few around in less than a week and did do my first 3115 for the new regs. None of the S-corps are in.

But complicated stuff from clients that usually aren't. But the one that dropped off today has assets that qualify for the safe harbor election. No depreciation schedule! Yay!

[mcb39]

SaraEA..........I have also noticed that many of the early returns are ending up owing or getting noticeably smaller refunds than usual.  Very unusual this early to have to tell someone that they have a balance due; for no apparent reason.

[Catherine]

The attached is part of our roof AFTER my husband got about of foot of snow off of it.  The windows you see, if I stand next to them outside, have the bottom of the frame about at my shoulder level.  The bluish-toned photo is from BEFORE.

Edited February 13, 2015 by Catherine

[Lion EA]

Good luck this weekend, Catherine, and everyone in the path of the next storm.  

[Catherine]

Fortunately for me (but possibly not for Eric!) the storm will be worst in coastal and Downeast Maine.  Nova Scotia, too, where my brother-in-law ans his wife live.

[Eric]

I've heard all kinds of things about the snow.  I've heard 6-11 from one source and 12-18 from another, but I'm not going to be up here to deal with it when it hits so I'll have to figure out how to get it taken care of while I'm away.

 

There is relatively little snow on the ground up here right now, and I'd would gladly take more if it meant we could catch a break from the cold.  It's been -20 or lower almost every morning for the past month, and I'm definitely going a little stir crazy.  You know it's been cold when you wake up to zero degrees and no wind and it feels damned near tropical.

[DBerg]

Catherine, those pictures are surreal.  I don't remember it snowing that bad in MT. I am glad we decided to move to FL this past year.

[Lion EA]

The bitter cold is supposed to hit CT this weekend, colder than in two decades.  Our electric usage is higher than a year ago, harder to tell about our oil.  Except for one of the storms, we received less snow than predicted.  I'm going to hunker down and get a 3115 and attachments done this weekend for an anxious client -- after a webinar starting in a few minutes by KBKG on Final Tangible Property Repair Regulations "Repair vs Capitalization Regulations"

[JohnH]

I've heard all kinds of things about the snow.  I've heard 6-11 from one source and 12-18 from another, but I'm not going to be up here to deal with it when it hits so I'll have to figure out how to get it taken care of while I'm away.

 

There is relatively little snow on the ground up here right now, and I'd would gladly take more if it meant we could catch a break from the cold.  It's been -20 or lower almost every morning for the past month, and I'm definitely going a little stir crazy.  You know it's been cold when you wake up to zero degrees and no wind and it feels damned near tropical.

We woke up to 22 degrees this morning.

Some people are complaining, but not me.

Compared to what you folks are enduring, this is a heat wave.

[kcjenkins]

It is 75 and sunny here right now, but will get down to 46 tonight, according to Weather.com.

[kcjenkins]

[jklcpa]

It was cold and windy here last night. Lows tonight and the next few are to be 11, 4, 0, and 6.  High wind advisory in effect until Sun 2pm with winds 25-35, gusting up to 60 mph and that may cause power outages.

I'm getting out the big poofy coat that makes me look like the michelin man, or the little brother Randy in the movie "The Christmas Story" that fell down in his snowsuit and wasn't bendable enough to get back up.  Yep, that will be me.

 

Edited February 14, 2015 by jklcpa
added picture