The fun start to my day

[GLJEANNE]

I got my day off to such a good start today (not), when I went to compile a finished return, and the client’s original forms weren’t in her file.  I always clip the originals with a green or blue paperclip, so they're obvious when I'm ready to mail everything back to them.  This morning I started to compile, and the originals were nowhere to be found.

10 minutes of pure panic as I flipped through all my other open return files, and was thinking “OMG, what if I mailed them back to someone else??!”   Finally I remembered - oh yeah, she was the one who came in super early and completely unprepared, and had to email me all her forms.  I never had any originals!  Whew! 

[Catherine]

50 minutes ago, GLJEANNE said:

I never had any originals!  Whew!

Whew indeed!

I had something similar a few years ago, except I did have originals, and only ONE form was missing.  Turned out it had fallen behind the file cabinet (still don't know HOW it could have gotten there, since it should have been with its fellow forms and not on the file cabinet), and let me tell you it was FUN (not!) fishing it out.  But man oh man was I frantic trying to find it.  Finally remembered hearing something fall the day before but saw nothing when I looked, and started looking behind things.  It's an extremely upsetting thing to happen!

Glad you figured it out.

[Lion EA]

We've all been there! I had a missing document from a very nervous lady. Luckily, she was also a bit overwhelmed putting her documents back where she wanted them as I finished with each one. After she left, I was checking everything I'd ever done in case I stapled her document to someone else's and, of course, worried that I'd actually SENT it to someone else. Days or weeks later I found her document when I opened the top of my copier; it was on the glass. I don't copy much anymore, now that I scan a lot and lots of clients upload to my portal. Huge relief.

[Abby Normal]

This is why we scan all the documents as soon as they are received. If they're ever lost, we still have them electronically, but we've never lost any that I know of. We put them in a clear plastic expanding folders with a sticky note with the client's name and log #. Then match the records up with the return when assembled.

But I love my out of state clients that are totally paperless, both ways.

[Lion EA]

My gal had some obscure document with withholding that I'd copied, so I had a copy to put in client's folder with her return. And, I'd scanned, so I had it electronically and could keep with 8879 electronically; although, I still do that with paper. She was actually in my office and replaced each of her papers in her own files (from home) the way she wanted to store them. But, I couldn't find the original what with her taking each document out of my hands to replace in her own filing system. She's a huge worrier, so I was definitely panicked knowing a piece of paper had to be somewhere in my office. I tried to stay calm and gave her the paper copy as if it was her original. She seemed to buy that and left happy. But, I tore the office (just one room in my house) apart the rest of the day. I printed from my scan to keep with her paper 8879. I didn't find her original until I used the copier days or more later. I find it hard to stay organized with the client sitting here moving papers around. I have an L-shaped desk and usually move papers from in front of the client and me as we discuss them, or in rare cases actually prepare the return, to the leg of the L AWAY from the client; but she takes each of her documents back into her briefcase. In her case, it was TWO clients; two cousins always come together to get their taxes prepared, because only one has all the documents organized for each of them, the organizer being the worrier. All's well that ends well.

[GLJEANNE]

15 hours ago, Lion EA said:

We've all been there! I had a missing document from a very nervous lady. Luckily, she was also a bit overwhelmed putting her documents back where she wanted them as I finished with each one. After she left, I was checking everything I'd ever done in case I stapled her document to someone else's and, of course, worried that I'd actually SENT it to someone else. Days or weeks later I found her document when I opened the top of my copier; it was on the glass. I don't copy much anymore, now that I scan a lot and lots of clients upload to my portal. Huge relief.

Oh man, I've "lost" many an item to the copier!

I don't do on-the-spot returns, so they leave everything.  But this is the first time I've had a scare like that - unless I've blocked the memory of it happening before, lol.

[Lion EA]

These memories stay with us, trust me!

[Patrick Michael]

Had a client that swore up and down that their original documents were not in the envelope with the return.  I looked all over , could not find them, and agreed to pay for a year of Life Lock to placate her.  A couple weeks later I ran into her at a store and she tells me "Guess what, I found the documents.  My husband had taken them out the envelope and filed them away."  Never apologized or offered to re-pay me for the Life Lock. Next year I charged her double and had her sign a receipt when I returned everything to her.  Didn't come back  after that!

[Catherine]

12 minutes ago, Patrick Michael said:

Didn't come back  after that!

I think that comes under the heading of "good riddance!"

[Terry D EA]

I too did this one time. After that, I employed this anal method. I purchased numerous boxes of Hefty jumbo zip lock bags. Each client that drops off gets a zip lock bag. I place a post-it-note in the bag with the client's name on it. Once the return is complete, the docs and the return are put right back in the zip lock bag to stay until the client picks them up. 

[WITAXLADY]

what do you do with the client who continues to drop off like 6 x every single piece of paper - with multiple clients dropping off daily - these additional pieces become a worry -

So of course this one gets home and 3 days later says - after her 1on1 and says 1 seems to be missing a 1099/income?

How do you handle these loose papers?

With 30 + to check in at a time - too hard to find the folder until later in the week??

thx

D