Hey Rita, do you have a client like this?

[BulldogTom]

These are the clients that I love....

Retired teacher, wife passed a few years ago and he took a shot at the trust return all by himself.  Made a minor mess of it all.  Came to me the next year, got him all fixed up.  He sends me an email early in the year every year letting me know he got my letter and will be sending in his information when he gets it all and would love for me to prepare his returns.

I got his information in the mail today.  A nice letter telling me which days he will be available to sign if it is convenient for me.  Has the trust information all separated with a cover page and summary of all the documents that follow, all paper clipped together.  Behind that is his personal information, with a summary page and all the documents paper clipped behind it.

We complain about the bad ones a lot, but this guy just makes my day.

Tom
Newark, CA

[RitaB]

Who are these people who mail their returns????

Actually I do have a lot of very lovely clients.  Forgive me for whining so much.

But while I'm here - New guy and wife came in with a wine box full of everything but wine.  He even had directions to TN Income Tax Return in there in case I needed them.  His CA accountant kinda messed it up last year because he wasn't "well versed" in TN taxes (hey, the instructions are two whole pages), so he wanted to be sure I knew how to do them.  Oh, and the other preparer messed up the Federal a little dab, too.  The adjustment letter said about $18,000.  But he was a good preparer other than that.  I asked what was in the box.  Oh, I'll get out what you need.  Won't take long.  Thirty minutes later, he was all set.  Love him already.

[Catherine]

I have a retired couple like @BulldogTom's folks.  They mail everything to me since they moved south for retirement but used to drop it off.  Everything of a like kind paper-clipped together with a computer-printed page on top in a 

BIG FONT saying "W-2" or "1099-R" or whatever.  I do try to send it all back clipped the same way.

[JohnH]

When I send out my year-end letter to my clients, I include two return address labels.  It's fascinating how many of the regulars will stick that label on an envelope and mail their stuff back to me.  I then correspond with them by email or text if I have questions or if they left out something.   Keeps them out of my office so I can get some work done.

[mcb39]

I have many clients who mail in their stuff.  Some are in other states, but many are local.  Am expecting two today from Az because that is where they go to winter and they called me on Sat to let me know to watch for the mailman.

[FDNY]

Since I re located from NYC to the Boston area nearly 20 years ago, my business has been almost exclusively by mail.  I've trained my clients by reminders in my letter to please remove documents from envelopes to reduce their mailing cost and prolong the life of my shredder.  Over the years I reinforce with them what I don't need, like the year end statement from their retirement plan and instructions to various forms.  A few even do the same as BullDog Tom's with the cover sheet and page notations.   The biggest time waster I have now, all the chit chat in catching up with everyone as so many have been with me many years.  For that time, I don't charge, it gives me a well needed break.  I can say, I love most of my clients, but the few that always give me a hard time, as much as I try, they will never change.  

[RitaB]

37 minutes ago, FDNY said:

The biggest time waster I have now, all the chit chat in catching up with everyone as so many have been with me many years.  For that time, I don't charge, it gives me a well needed break.  I can say, I love most of my clients, but the few that always give me a hard time, as much as I try, they will never change.  

Same.  

[michaelmars]

I just had a client come in yesterday that I haven't seen in 28 years.  I met him the first year and he had been mailing it in ever since. Out of 200 individuals or so, I see maybe 20, the rest mail it in or part of a business client that I go to.