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I think by locking in the order for deferred payment you are protected from any price increases that may come down the pike in the meantime. At least that is how I explained such things when I was in sales.

Sometimes sales managers just throw stuff against the wall and see what sticks. That usually occurs when they've run out of good ideas and are grasping at straws. I see it all the time in the sales business. If enough people bite, they will use it again next year. If not, they will try some other oddball promotion. (I call it the Abe Lincoln sales method)

No, I don't really know. However, if they are looking for anything in particular, why aren't they asking any questions after three months? Why hasn't he gotten a CP2000 instead of two generic letters; one from Austin and one from New York? This is a single man whose return I have prepared for years. He has one job, owns a home; pays property taxes and a little mortgage, gives to charity and has receipts for everything, including the energy efficient windows that he had installed. Oh, and he loves and lives to fish in his time off. Perhaps they are trying to find out if he ever caught more than his limit.

Dead end! I tried E-services again as the client brought in the two identical letters that he has received on 3/14 and 4/2. No luck with E-services. Called Practitioners Hotline and waited 46 minutes, but did put on speaker phone and continue to work. Finally got a live person. Of course, there is nothing he could do for me other than verify that they have received the return and were reviewing it; which is exactly what the two letters said. I asked him if he could jog it; and he said he could do nothing but put a note on it that I had called. Maybe Catherine is correct and this might start something. He could not tell me what they were reviewing. So frustrating and a little frightening that these are the same people who rule our lives as professional preparers. Oh, he did tell me to call again 45 days after receipt of the last letter. I said the letter is dated Apr 2 and today is May 30; I believe that is more than 45 days. He said, "Oh!" ;)

Let me know how that works.... Our experience here (over a hundred clients) is that it makes no difference. Comparing those where someone calls vs. those where no calls are made. This is the same organization that is going to police our CPE credits for our PTIN registration and look for preparers not signing returns all at the same time???? There is a song.... "Do YOu Believe In Magic?"

Jack from Ohio -- You are right that they had no explanation for the taxpayer. BUT. It may have been the "goose" they needed to actually process the return and refund. Sometimes things sit and sit and get forgotten _until_ there is a call. So even though there is no explanation to the taxpayer it is the event that starts the taxpayer's result. Sigh.

But keep in mind that 21 days has come and gone. I have a client in exactly the same situation. Refund was scheduled, then changed, then went to "we have received your return and it is being processed". I called the hotline, the agent looked up the info for me ( I had checked me as third party designee) found in her file that she needed to call a special number. I tried to call that number for her, was on hold for 1 1/2 hours the first attempt, 45 minutes the second attempt. I finally had the client call the special number, but the computers were down and they told her to have me call the next day. When I did finally get to talk to someone I was told that the problem had been resolved two weeks earliers and to allow another 6 weeks for the refund to process. This was last week, checked on where's my refund and finally have May 31. We will cross our fingers and hope for the best. I honestly think this just got stuck in the system. When we called the number they didn't have any explanation, except they wanted to know if I had prepared her taxes this year and last year. Last year I filed her jointly as surviving spouse, this year as single. Maybe the switch in status did it, we will never know. Deb!