Janitor Bob Posted February 19, 2015 Report Share Posted February 19, 2015 (edited) Any clients dropping off there stuff today will wait two weeks...Is that normal? People/clients seem appalled/shocked when I tell them that. I try to prepare as quickly as I can, but with only a few hours each night after my full-time job, I can only get so many done each night. Hoping to make progress this weekend...stack of at least 30 return on my floor to be done. Edited February 19, 2015 by Janitor Bob 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DBerg Posted February 19, 2015 Report Share Posted February 19, 2015 We are running about 7-10 days out (and this is our full time job, ) 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LouD Posted February 19, 2015 Report Share Posted February 19, 2015 I am two weeks out as well doing it full-time - most of my clients are used to that turn around time each year 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILLMAS Posted February 19, 2015 Report Share Posted February 19, 2015 I tell my newer clients, I don't run a tax mill type of business here. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rfassett Posted February 19, 2015 Report Share Posted February 19, 2015 I am, today, working on returns dropped off on February 3rd, 4th, and 5th - so we are a solid two weeks out. My clients, like LouD's know the score. Those that have pressing issues (vacations are not pressing issues, I do not care where they are going or for how long) we will push it through. I get very little negative feed back about our turn a round time. We will be at three weeks out by the end of next week. I am staring at a day coming up (February 11th) on the schedule of returns dropped off, that saw 22 returns come in. I will spend at least three days working on those. And that day is sandwiched between 11 and an 8 return drop off days (41 checked in over 3 days). I continually fight the urge to feel overwhelmed. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janitor Bob Posted February 19, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2015 Thanks...sounds like I'm not doing too bad....as I also refuse to run a quantity-driven tax mill. I was just interested in seeing how others were doing. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lion EA Posted February 19, 2015 Report Share Posted February 19, 2015 I'm in the weeks instead of days range. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcb39 Posted February 19, 2015 Report Share Posted February 19, 2015 I'm in the weeks instead of days range. Absolutely!!!!! High traffic volume. So far I have only had one person call to see if their taxes were done. As it turned out, he may have had a right to call because he just dropped them off and never got put into the schedule. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RitaB Posted February 19, 2015 Report Share Posted February 19, 2015 Yep, me too, two weeks. I imagine we are all pretty normal. Well, considering everything. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rfassett Posted February 20, 2015 Report Share Posted February 20, 2015 Yep, me too, two weeks. I imagine we are all pretty normal. Well, considering everything. One of my excavating clients was in to pick up his corporate return yesterday and he made the comment that it would drive him crazy to have to sit behind a desk all day (like he thinks I do). I simply replied that being crazy is a prerequisite to being in this business. Just so we all know what our "normal" is. I guess that is what your "considering everything" comment is referring to. (And yes, hanging prepositions is part of the package.) 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAXMAN Posted February 20, 2015 Report Share Posted February 20, 2015 My take is I don't get all the stuff I need. So that may put them out a day or a week unless I can work it back in, but then I have to get back to my train of thought when I was working on that return. Seems reasonable. I want a solid Correct return when it leaves here. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcb39 Posted February 20, 2015 Report Share Posted February 20, 2015 My take is I don't get all the stuff I need. So that may put them out a day or a week unless I can work it back in, but then I have to get back to my train of thought when I was working on that return. Seems reasonable. I want a solid Correct return when it leaves here. I absolutely hate that. I actually got four returns finished up today that were laying here waiting for information. At this point, I couldn't always remember what piece of information I was waiting for. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack from Ohio Posted February 20, 2015 Report Share Posted February 20, 2015 I absolutely hate that. I actually got four returns finished up today that were laying here waiting for information. At this point, I couldn't always remember what piece of information I was waiting for. I bought stock in Post-It company!! 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rfassett Posted February 20, 2015 Report Share Posted February 20, 2015 I bought stock in Post-It company!! Ditto - I know I am not speaking for Jack - but I passed the age a few years ago where I can no longer count on my brain to remember these things. I take lots of notes and more notes to tell me where I put the notes and more.......well - you get the picture. I have three setting at my foot right now that need differing info - but all I have to do is open the envelope and I know exactly what was needed and my note also tells me what I have left to do in the return. I used to leave that all up to my remembering. But there is just too much of that to cause overload at this time of year. Take notes - and lots of notes. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack from Ohio Posted February 20, 2015 Report Share Posted February 20, 2015 Ditto - I know I am not speaking for Jack - but I passed the age a few years ago where I can no longer count on my brain to remember these things. I take lots of notes and more notes to tell me where I put the notes and more.......well - you get the picture. I have three setting at my foot right now that need differing info - but all I have to do is open the envelope and I know exactly what was needed and my note also tells me what I have left to do in the return. I used to leave that all up to my remembering. But there is just too much of that to cause overload at this time of year. Take notes - and lots of notes. That is EXACTLY the reason!! 20 years ago, my brain did not forget ANYTHING! Now, my short term memory is the best it's ever been. However, my short term memory is the SHORTEST it has ever been!! 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kcjenkins Posted February 20, 2015 Report Share Posted February 20, 2015 Yep. And it's embarrassing when you ask Joe about his missing ****** only to realize that it's John who is missing that, Joe is missing something else ?????? . Thank God and 3M for Post-it notes. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcb39 Posted February 20, 2015 Report Share Posted February 20, 2015 I bought stock in Post-It company!! Actually the company is 3M. I had a client from MN who passed away year before last at a very young age. However, he had worked at 3M and one year for Christmas he brought me a black tote full of post-its of all different sizes as well as sign-here and several other labels in dispensers. Wow, Jack, maybe I should be using more of that stuff. But, I am like rfassett and I need notes to tell me where my notes are. I have two bins full of undone returns in alphabetical order; now they are just landing on the floor in NO order as they come in. Life is Good!!!!!! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnH Posted February 20, 2015 Report Share Posted February 20, 2015 2 Weeks seems about right in this office as well.But I've already prepared one extension and plan to file several more the first of next week.March 13 is going to be my drop dead date for extensions this year.After that date, everything goes on extension as it comes in the door.(The only exceptions are the very simple ones).Keeps life manageable... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneInAlabama Posted February 20, 2015 Report Share Posted February 20, 2015 Speaking of memory, I like what someone posted a while back. They said that the brain does not deteriorate with age. It's just that there is more stuff in there and it takes longer to find it. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Margaret CPA in OH Posted February 20, 2015 Report Share Posted February 20, 2015 I think not only is there a lot more stuff in there, but I swear that my gray hair is a result of the interior little gray cells leaking out taking much valuable information. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catherine Posted February 20, 2015 Report Share Posted February 20, 2015 I'm easy at a couple of weeks - and that does NOT include the returns with stuff missing. Post-it notes, yes --- but I am now also doing copious electronic notes in the file where all the clients' stuff is kept. Belt, suspenders, duct tape, and staples... 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcb39 Posted February 20, 2015 Report Share Posted February 20, 2015 I think not only is there a lot more stuff in there, but I swear that my gray hair is a result of the interior little gray cells leaking out taking much valuable information. Only my roots are gray, so my seepage must be slow! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HV Ken Posted February 21, 2015 Report Share Posted February 21, 2015 2 weeks here as well. Been telling our clients this since day one. So far we are meeting/beating, but the arrival rate is coming in fast and furious! If all we prepared were simple "plug and play" returns, it would be no problem. But the more complicated returns require thought and even giving clients choices. That takes time! Our college intern remarks on a daily basis that she would never learn in college what she is learning in our office. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lion EA Posted February 21, 2015 Report Share Posted February 21, 2015 I have a couple of big S-corps that dropped off as well as three more individuals, so need to start on the S-corps now. Almost everything else is going to wait until after 15 March. I guess I'm now at least three weeks out. My "extension" date is moving closer to 1 March this year. I'm blaming it on ACA and the Repair Regs. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BulldogTom Posted February 21, 2015 Report Share Posted February 21, 2015 I used to think that someday, I would like to have the problems that you all have with being backed up. Until this year, I never had returns laying on my desk that were not waiting for more information or just signature pages from the client. Everything that came in got started that day and was done within a day if the information was all there. This year is different. For a lot of personal reasons and a lot of client personal reasons, I have a stack of returns waiting for client information, and 3 returns that I have not even started on my desk. I was going to get 3 of them done last night, but only got 1 Scorp almost done when I ran into a little bug in the software. I usually can get caught up on the weekend, but last weekend and this weekend, I have family in town and I just feel like I am sinking. I need 2 quite days to get my returns caught up so I feel inferior in the size of my practice to all of you again. Tom Newark, CA 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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