Organizer

[Christian]

Good afternoon and a Happy New Year to all. I have started early to shake off the rust in my preparation skills. A task which does not improve with age. I placed an organizer on a client return and am surprised that it populated all the client entries except the pension amounts although it shows all pensions and spousal pensions but no amounts shown for 2019. If anyone can advise a solution I would much appreciate knowing what the solution might be. 

[Abby Normal]

Neither the W2 or 1099R pages have columns for last year's amounts. Are you using the basic or comprehensive organizer? I've only ever used the comprehensive one.

[Christian]

Abby I rarely have need to provide an organizer as my clients are pretty well accustomed to what info they need. The one I pulled up has columns for the prior year info but the amounts did not populate. Oddly enough all other prior year amounts did which was the reason for my question. In any event I spoke with the client this AM and will simply forward the one I have as it will provide her with the forms she needs to provide. Her husband has developed cognitive problems and the organizer will assist in he collection of these.

[Abby Normal]

We use the organizer as a checklist of what documents are needed. You must be using the basic organizer, which I haven't looked at in ages because it was not suitable for our purposes.

[ETax847]

When are you guys planning on sending out your Tax Organizers?  I put mine in the mail today. 

[Margaret CPA in OH]

I sent out engagement letters and questionnaires Monday.  I sent actual organizers only to those who request them as they have been typically a waste of paper for my folks. The questionnaire serves as a reminder of what documents are needed and, of course, I ask questions later on as needed.  This has worked for my small practice for many years.  They know me, I know them. 

[Randall]

I do it the way Margaret does.  I'm working on mine, a little each day.  I noticed the questionnaire did not have anything about receiving the stimulus.

 

[WITAXLADY]

ours are going out today - by mail and emails Monday.

We send a newsletter, Engagement letter and this year as we are not allowing Anyone in the office- we even put a 6 ft table across the entry - we enclosed a check-in sheet for them to fill out.

They receive by mail an organizer if they request it.

Be email - they are emailed their organizer - time consuming as individually created and then a blanket email bc of the above.

and $10 off if they return their check-in or organizer completed

and I am raising my prices 10% to offset the 4% rate of mostly credit card payments and a price hike.

 

Darlene

[Margaret CPA in OH]

Ooh, I like the discount for completed document!  I would do that for the questionnaire, not just the organizer.  I actually provide the organizer for the Sch. C and E clients so they can see last year numbers but for others, I want to see the original (or copies) documents.

Do you custom address the engagement letters or just Dear Client?  The letters are what take me so much time.  The questionnaire just has a line for them to put the name (I blank out the SSN) and there are only a few organizers and only on request.