Sticker Shock

[RitaB]

Sticker on the W-2: "W-2"

Sticker on the 1099-SSA: "1099"

Sticker on the 1099-R:  "1099"

Sticker on the 1099-DIV:  "Interest"

Sticker on the property tax:  "Property tax"

Sticker on the stack of donations I gotta add up: "Only if we itemize"   Well, if you don't know, and I have to go thru this stack, you do.

Last but not least, sticker on the outside of the envelope everything is in:  "2015 Tax Envelope"

 

[JohnH]

No sticker on their copy of your invoice for last year?  "Exorbitant Fee for Tax Prep"

[rfassett]

I hear you.  But I will take the stickers any day over the meeting wherein they come in with a folder and taking out one piece at a time while saying, "this is my W-2",   pause, pause, shuffle, shuffle, "this is the interest on my savings account, I think it is a 1099"............

Or the guy who comes in with his legal pad to give me his rental property information.  He reads every line off of his sheets while I write it on mine.  How cost effective is that for a use of my time? I have offered to copy his papers on the copier - no way Jose!

 

[Possi]

Too bad there isn't a sticker on the DUPLICATES. Or sticker for useless information!

[RitaB]

37 minutes ago, rfassett said:

I hear you.  But I will take the stickers any day over the meeting wherein they come in with a folder and taking out one piece at a time while saying, "this is my W-2",   pause, pause, shuffle, shuffle, "this is the interest on my savings account, I think it is a 1099"............

Or the guy who comes in with his legal pad to give me his rental property information.  He reads every line off of his sheets while I write it on mine.  How cost effective is that for a use of my time? I have offered to copy his papers on the copier - no way Jose!

 

The absolute worst.  Reading to me.  I'm glad they can't read the thought bubble.

[rfassett]

I just yelled out - SOMEONE'S GOING TO GET WHACKED!!!!!!

For about the third time this year I have strained to read the numbers on a poor quality copy or fax of the W-2 or 1099 or 1098 only to find the original in much better clarity deeper in the pile of stuff.  WWWWHHHHHYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Randall]

1 hour ago, rfassett said:

the meeting wherein they come in with a folder and taking out one piece at a time while saying, "this is my W-2",   pause, pause, shuffle, shuffle, "this is the interest on my savings account, I think it is a 1099"............

Sometimes I break the ice and say 'let me see that' and then reach for the whole stack, then say something like 'I see, looks like everything's here, anything new or different from last year?'

[RitaB]

And don't you wish you had a nickel for every time you heard, "I think it's all there."

And, "If it's not, let me know."

[jklcpa]

7 minutes ago, RitaB said:

And don't you wish you had a nickel for every time you heard, "I think it's all there."

And, "If it's not, let me know."

 

Have you been talking to one of my clients?

"It's all there". Deliver the returns and:  "wait, there's something missing with the student loan interest."  Ok, send me the missing form.

"[insert spouse's name] refinanced last year, I'll check into it tomorrow."  I email back and explain about student loans refinanced for more and if additional funds weren't used for education, none of that interest is deductible.   Message from client the next day: "you have everything for the student loans."

So I'm still waiting for the e-file signature forms back and I'm hearing crickets! 

Anyone want to bet these people went somewhere else and told a different story for a larger refund?

[Catherine]

I'd love some stickers some times.  Just had one client send in a big packet of forms.  EVERY forms was in there three times; some of them FOUR times.  In separate places in the pile.  It's like she just started copying everything, lost her place,and started from the top again - and then sent me the lot.  It took my assistant the better part of an hour to double check that we counted everything once and nothing more than once.  

Her bill just went up, too.

[Abby Normal]

Now that we're scanning records before we do data entry, it forces us to go thru the stack, sort and weed out duplicates and useless pages. It's an unexpected bonus plus it familiarizes us with all the data before we start entering.

[jasdlm]

3 hours ago, rfassett said:

I hear you.  But I will take the stickers any day over the meeting wherein they come in with a folder and taking out one piece at a time while saying, "this is my W-2",   pause, pause, shuffle, shuffle, "this is the interest on my savings account, I think it is a 1099"............

Or the guy who comes in with his legal pad to give me his rental property information.  He reads every line off of his sheets while I write it on mine.  How cost effective is that for a use of my time? I have offered to copy his papers on the copier - no way Jose!

 

I've gotten this down to a handful of clients (in large part thanks to my very convincing staff), and I make those who still want to come give me an itemized litany bring me lunch or a latte.  I've received both this week!  Somehow, it makes it much easier to sit through.

[kcjenkins]

4 hours ago, rfassett said:

I hear you.  But I will take the stickers any day over the meeting wherein they come in with a folder and taking out one piece at a time while saying, "this is my W-2",   pause, pause, shuffle, shuffle, "this is the interest on my savings account, I think it is a 1099"............

Or the guy who comes in with his legal pad to give me his rental property information.  He reads every line off of his sheets while I write it on mine.  How cost effective is that for a use of my time? I have offered to copy his papers on the copier - no way Jose!

 

Had some that started out that way, but I broke them fast.  "Give it all to me, if you read them out or hand them over one at a time, my fee doubles."  That always worked for me.  And the ones with the legal pad, I just took it from them and went and made them copies.  I kept the originals in my file.   I did give them back the rest of the pad.  

[rfassett]

13 minutes ago, kcjenkins said:

Had some that started out that way, but I broke them fast.  "Give it all to me, if you read them out or hand them over one at a time, my fee doubles."  That always worked for me.  And the ones with the legal pad, I just took it from them and went and made them copies.  I kept the originals in my file.   I did give them back the rest of the pad.  

Yeah - but I am more meek than you.

 

Fortunately I can count on one hand the number of clients that do these things now.  One of the reader's asked me just last week if he really had to fill the organizer out or if we could just do it like we always do.  We agreed that he would let me copy his pages and he would not read them to me.  Another one called this year for an appointment (to read to me) and my secretary told him to just drop off his stuff.  We'll see if that flew or the if client flew.  Either way - I win.

[BHoffman]

I have a terrible cold and it's GREAT!!!   Clients are pulling into the driveway and almost tossing envelopes of paperwork at me!  I cannot believe how much more work I'm getting done without all those appointments

[joanmcq]

I grabbed stacks of docs from new clients tonight!  And tossed back the pages of 'instructions' and other useless crap. I have no qualms about that kind of stuff now. Lol.

[mcb39]

8 hours ago, joanmcq said:

I grabbed stacks of docs from new clients tonight!  And tossed back the pages of 'instructions' and other useless crap. I have no qualms about that kind of stuff now. Lol.

I toss it in the waste  basket right in front of them.  Nobody says a word!  My husband then incinerates it.

[Catherine]

14 hours ago, BHoffman said:

I have a terrible cold and it's GREAT!!!   Clients are pulling into the driveway and almost tossing envelopes of paperwork at me!  I cannot believe how much more work I'm getting done without all those appointments

Oooh!  Great idea -- client comes in, don't shake hands, instead say "I think I'm not contagious any longer" and let the assumptions fly.  Along with them, right out the door.  Use only as needed.  Best part is it's all TRUE!  Not even a white lie.  

[kcjenkins]

Hope you feel better real soon, Cat.  Too bad you can't come visit me, it was 73 today and sunny, supposed to be up tp 76 Tuesday.  

[Catherine]

11 hours ago, kcjenkins said:

Hope you feel better real soon, Cat.  Too bad you can't come visit me, it was 73 today and sunny, supposed to be up tp 76 Tuesday.  

i actually feel fine (except for a niggly headache caused by lack of time to visit my chiropractor - I can always tell because I start making specific typing mistakes).  It was the *idea* that I loved.  We have all been contagious at some point or other in our lives, so it's not a lie to say you don't think you are contagious.  Especially if any family member is under the weather and you've been exposed (Gwen had mono for a month, poor baby, late Jan to late Feb; Doug is slowly getting over a cold).  

Today it's about 60 degrees here and I had a guy come to give me an estimate on pruning my fruit trees (needs to be done before 4/15 and I just can't anymore; too busy) and it was gorgeous walking around the yard.  Made me want to play hooky today but I was a good do-bee and came in.