Columbus Day Power Outages

[kcjenkins]

Columbus Day Power Outages - (IMRS 09-0000982 Revisited)

Last year you told us we created problems when we had e-File and e-Services outages during the Columbus Day holiday, just before the big October 15th filing deadline, and that if we could not reschedule the outages, we needed to provide plenty of advance warning. These outages are required so that the IRS can perform critical operations and maintenance programs to enhance the reliability of the building infrastructure. In response to your complaints, we promised to represent practitioner interests in determining the dates for the 2009 power outages. We did, but we weren’t able to find reasonable alternatives. However, in response to your requests, we are giving you advanced warning that e-File and e-Services will be unavailable from Sunday, October 11, 2009 at 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time through Tuesday, October 13, 2009 at 5:00 a.m. Eastern Time. We apologize in advance for any inconvenience.

[TAXBILLY]

The inmates are still running the asylum.

taxbilly

[taxxcpa]

It would take too much effort to postpone it until Oct 16

[JohnH]

Oct 16 probably starts conflicting with early Halloween vacation schedules.

You can't be too prepared, you know.

No sense inconveniencing anyone in the office when a simple memo to the preparer community solves the problem for the bureaucrats.

[NECPA in NEBRASKA]

I can't believe that they can't wait until after Oct. 15. I am leaving for Florida on the 14th, so I really need to start pushing my clients to get their returns in so I can get them accepted before I go or they are mailing them. I started calling them last week, but so far only one has managed to get their act together.

Bonnie

[Tax Prep by Deb]

I can't believe that they can't wait until after Oct. 15. I am leaving for Florida on the 14th, so I really need to start pushing my clients to get their returns in so I can get them accepted before I go or they are mailing them. I started calling them last week, but so far only one has managed to get their act together.

Bonnie

Isn't it amazing how we have become our clients babysitters? Bonnie, perhaps what you can do is give them a deadline by which if they do not get you the info their returns will not get done until you come back. I am going to do this for the April 15th deadline as I do not plan on any pickups on the last day and all extensions for this next year will be done by the 10th. I'm tired of the babysitting. It's time that our clients accept some responsibility!

Deb!

[Catherine]

Isn't it amazing how we have become our clients babysitters? Bonnie, perhaps what you can do is give them a deadline by which if they do not get you the info their returns will not get done until you come back. I am going to do this for the April 15th deadline as I do not plan on any pickups on the last day and all extensions for this next year will be done by the 10th. I'm tired of the babysitting. It's time that our clients accept some responsibility!

Deb!

I'm seriously debating this year whether I even bother notifying people about the upcoming deadline. One reason against is, if I do, then they expect me to race to get stuff done. Part of me figures it's fine to let them go past 10/15 and then just have to mail stuff in. OTOH, a quick email note could save me Thanksgiving/Christmas time headaches.

Hmmm. It's always a dance, isn't it?

Catherine

[JohnH]

Isn't it amazing how we have become our clients babysitters? Bonnie, perhaps what you can do is give them a deadline by which if they do not get you the info their returns will not get done until you come back. I am going to do this for the April 15th deadline as I do not plan on any pickups on the last day and all extensions for this next year will be done by the 10th. I'm tired of the babysitting. It's time that our clients accept some responsibility!

Deb!

The 10th won't work. I suggest you set the cutoff date around mid-March. Anything coming in after Mar 15 - 20 automatically goes on extension. If you follow a policy like that, you'll find that you actually get more done in early April because the upfront decision on the bulk of your extensions is already made. If you explain to the clients that the extension simply gets Apr 15 off the table as having any significance, you're better able to manage anything that comes in around the 15th that actually deserves attention - you're not distracted by the procrastinators. (You can wait and deal with them on Oct 15).

[NECPA in NEBRASKA]

I had a March 16 deadlin this year to possibly go on extension and March 30 to definitely go on extension. Next year it will be March 15 only. I know that I lost a few clients last year with the deadline, but I didn't miss them. I'm getting too old for the lack of sleep and I would like to enjoy my son before he graduates.

Bonnie

[michaelmars]

When you are in a seasonal business you work the season. most of my clients need outside k-1's so they have to wait till the last minute until they are received. [this year is better] but i love the late ones. so i loose some sleep for a few weeks, i jack up there fees and since the work is mostly seasonal i can be very lax in the off seasons. i work 7days a week all hours from 2/1-4/15, 9/1-9/15 and 10/1-10/15 and the rest of the time i never work more than 3 days a week unless i want too. for me its a good trade off. of course the few clients that are pure procastinators and didn't have to wait for any k-, its either pay me double my normal fee or i do drop them.

[TAXBILLY]

I require my clients who are waiting for K-1s to drop off the rest of their stuff during the month of August. If they care not to then they are notified on September 1 to make other arrangements to have their taxes done. This is a client problem that will stay with the client and I refuse to have it transferred to me.

taxbilly