What do you charge and other bad questions

[RitaB]

Today:

1)  Blah, blah, blah, (long @$$ story about a credit card), and will that hurt my credit score? 

2)  Mortgage lender:  Do you know how much [our mutual client] will be paying for homeowner's insurance? 

3)  So, are you real busy?  (New client, just now calling for appointment). 

I'm so glad I asked that last one who did her return last year.  Jackson Hewitt.  Cha-ching, thanks for calling, I'm never too busy for a new client.

[Possi]

^^ LOVE IT!

 

[WITAXLADY]

do you bump waiting returns for new clients or just get info and file extension? 

[RitaB]

54 minutes ago, WITAXLADY said:

do you bump waiting returns for new clients or just get info and file extension? 

If their info is complete, I can get it done.  If not, extension.  I will not put them ahead of anybody here whose info is complete.

[Terry D EA]

I too will always make room for a new client. More often than not, there is a risk of incomplete information with a new client coming in this late in the season. I don't put them ahead of anyone else for any reason either. Drop offs are processed in the order they are received. 

[NECPA in NEBRASKA]

I will make room for new clients, but they want them done now. I turned away two today, because they wanted them done before the 18th.  I don't even have my head above water with the ones that I have. I still have a little over 100 in house that I have not started. There will be some extensions and 10 of those returns are past years and will be done after 4/18. It seems like this year I am missing lots of information or the returns are just way more complicated than normal. Lots of people starting businesses that didn't ask questions before they did it. 

[joanmcq]

I'm telling anyone new that calls or emails that I can take them on but they would be going on extension. If they are ok with that, fine. 

My my returning clients that haven't sent in their stuff, or did it in the last week, well they already know form 4868 is their friend. 

[Catherine]

13 hours ago, Terry D said:

Drop offs are processed in the order they are received. 

I process in the order the LAST piece of information is received.  For example I have one young couple who came in mid-February "we have all our stuff!" then they get here... "except for her W-2, one of our two mortgages, grad school expenses, bitcoin details...." and I'm still waiting for some of it.  Won't even touch them till that last bit arrives.

[Catherine]

We sent an email last week to ALL clients whose returns are not complete stating they would be put on extension and we would try to get payment coupons out by 4/18 for those who owe.  Couple of folks who think they will owe called to say "fine but payment coupon please!" so we'll make sure that happens.

The few we had heard nothing from yet got a different email stating they would NOT be put on extension unless we heard that they intended to have us do taxes for 2015 for them.  All but two replies have so far been "yes please" and those two were no surprise.  I have found that folks who make bone-stupid mistakes (and then desperately look for someone to fix the un-fixable) frequently don't come back - don't know if they're embarrassed or what.

The ones we're waiting for 8979's from will get another email the end of this week stating if we don't have those asap then THEY will be put on extension.  Our fax number and link to SecureSend will figure prominently in that email. 

[RitaB]

4) Guy with $37,000 in dividend income (and SS and pension):  How can I pay less tax?

    Me:  Put your money in the bank at 0.45% interest.  Or the stock market may take care of your problem if you're lucky.

This type client is so annoying to me.  Came from NY where he paid $360 for tax prep in 2008.  I'm just now getting up to $350 and he's bitching about my fee, too.  This is one of those days.  Glad I brought cookies. 

 

[kcjenkins]

Hang in there Rita.  And find some reason to bump his fee a bit more!  He deserves it.

[jasdlm]

1 hour ago, kcjenkins said:

Hang in there Rita.  And find some reason to bump his fee a bit more!  He deserves it.

Who needs a reason.  PITA fee - we assign those as needed (or deserved) in my office.

[RitaB]

5)  Are you about caught up?

6)  Guy who just whined about my fee:  So if I move to FL [to avoid $2,400 in TN income tax and pay far more than that in additional property tax], will you still be able to do my return?  Yeah, if you figure out how to use USPS and/or email.  He actually makes a trip to NY annually to visit his financial advisor. 

7)  What time do you go to lunch?

8)  If I sell something in 2016, how will that affect my 2016 taxes?  This is just a bad question now, not next month.

9)  What time do you close?

 

[jasdlm]

10)  I know you're really busy, BUT . . .

[BHoffman]

My email last night:  "Would you like me to file an extension for you?"
 

client emails reply this morning:  "thanks for the note. Well i probably should. We just moved and I got really behind this time. I have everything but probably would be good just in case. I don't want to get you the stuff too late"

 

Hey Pal, it was too late two weeks ago.

[RitaB]

4 hours ago, jasdlm said:

10)  I know you're really busy, BUT . . .

Translation:  "I don't care that you're busy, here's what I want you to do."  My favorite.

[FDNY]

11)  Got a minute?   My answer, yes, one minute.

[Richcpaman]

17 minutes ago, FDNY said:

11)  Got a minute?   My answer, yes, one minute.

59.....

58.....

57.....

 

[Catherine]

44 minutes ago, FDNY said:

11)  Got a minute?   My answer, yes, one minute.

Nope but I will in May; try then.

[WITAXLADY]

you are nice - I booked 2 apptmts for "just" questions - Apr 20th

[Roberts]

Just had a client call up and freak out that I missed 90% of his income on his return and I had screwed it all up.

After a few minutes he admitted he was looking at a tiny 1041 we do for him - he wasn't even looking at the 1040.

Every year he does something very similar to this. Last year he wanted me to argue with Fidelity that his wife's wash sale of a stock wasn't really a wash sale - even though it was a wash sale (turned out he didn't know what a wash sale was). Year before that he thought I should go through all of his wife's 1099 trades and verify that Fidelity had the right numbers - even though he knows I don't have ANY of the information. And she has about 200 trades every year (and reports a loss every year).