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Is it proper to charge for expediting? I think it's necessary.

Oh wait....I forgot one. Last year....a giant PITA. There was an issue about his residency...and he got very hostile towards me and accused me of being biased. He fired me....then sent me an apologetic e-mail. Here's last weeks conversation: Him-I'm not sure if I'm giving you my return this year because there's a complication. I got a settlement from my job ( I knew he had been terminated...but no details). Me-What? Him-I got a W-2 with $33,000 and a 1099-misc (box 7) with $77,000. Legal settlements are supposed to be tax free. You can do the return, and then fight it. Me-I prepare tax returns. I don't do any fighting. You have to go back and talk to the person who issued those papers. Him-Can you do the return without the $77,000? Me-Yes...but it would be meaningless as the IRS has you on record for that income. Is this money by any chance back pay? Him-No. How much would the tax be? Me-(not going to tell him about 50 per cent). I don't know. You really need to speak to your settlement lawyer. I don't want to get in the middle of this.

In the spirit of ranting, yesterday I had a guy finally pick up his 2012 return which has been laying here since December. He mentioned three times that he almost had 2013 ready to bring me. I didn't give him a button. On the way out, he informed me that Junior needs to fill out FAFSA, so he'll bring 2013 next week. I told him Junior will be guessing on FAFSA and correcting it later. And have a nice weekend.

I have charged an expedite fee for client's such as in your example, and they gladly paid it .

Sounds like he was grossly overcharged to me. Your fee might be light because it included the partnership returns too, but it sounds like there wasn't much bookkeeping involved. I have a similar return where the husband and wife own a shopping center in an LLC taxed as a partnership. I spend a little more than a day on his LLC work because I have to summarize all of the shopping center data, reconcile bank accounts, tenant billing, and I give him a complete set of books for the LLC. His personal return is fairly quick with 2 W-2s, a couple entries each for interest and dividends, sometimes a cap gain transaction (usually a mutual fund), and itemized deductions. Higher income return, always with AMT and underpayment penalty because he sometimes doesn't pay the estimates. He also has 2 meetings for the return, and his bill is usually around $1200 for the LLC with all of that and maybe $200-300 for the personal depending on what's on it. This year will be a little more as I've raised my rates this year and he will be subject to the additional medicare tax and the tax on net investment income. I have different rates for different functions since I am one person doing all. Top rate is $120/hr for accounting and tax prep, lesser rates for bookkeeping, clerical type work, assembly, stapling, filing. Even at that rate I know my fees are light compared to what others around here are charging. One thing you said that I disagree with is that you said you have no overhead. While you don't have rent expense for office space, you do have all the other expenses that go with providing the product to your clients for paper supplies, insurances, licensing and permits, CPE, cost of tax and other software, the added utility costs of running your equipment in your home, etc.

I'm going to start off by saying this is a good thing for me...maybe the cosmos heard me complain. I often complained about not liking to do 1040-NRs...at my ridiculously low fee. So I raised it...still low..but not ridiculous. I got 4 inquiries...referrals (who probably heard about my ridiculously low fees)....and no jobs! I also complained about a certain group of clients who flooded me last year because of my comparative low fees....although they could afford to pay a bit more. The flood subsided...I just heard from a couple of them this year (they were early birds last year...I don't think thy are all waiting until the end). My theory is the former preparer offered them a better price this year. Stupid EITC requests....paying mtges with $20,000 interest ....with 3 kids....on incomes of $10,000. From what I understand the business accountant is doing their personal returns. So...although less income for me, no stress.....and more time to concentrate on the people who use me because they like my service....not just my price!

An S-Corp client who cannot, for some reason, get their information to me in a timely manner. 2012 return extended and they blew beyond the extension due date and just e-mailed me a spreadsheet for the 2012 TY. It came with the statement that we don't intend to rush you or nothing but NC Workman's Comp has some new law and they need a copy of the return in a week. Are you kidding me!!! Almost a complete year late and you really want it in a week? I don't know how they have escaped the failure to file penalties each year but this is the fourth year they have done this. Each year I warn them. Just once I wish they would get penalized and I bet they get it to me on time. BTW- e-mail also said they would have 2013 to me by march 15th. I am holding my breath. Okay rant over. I wonder if it is proper to charge them an additional fee for expediting the return. Hmmm

They lie.

Had a client last year who got me his 2012 1099-MISC vendor numbers in *November* -- almost a year after they were due to be sent out! I charged him triple my usual price, and put it on my bill as "1099-MISC preparation for calendar 2012, $100; additional fee for 1099-MISC preparation out of season, $200" except the numbers were higher than that. Am hoping that for 2013 he gets me the info by -oh, I dunno -- May? At that point, I'll just charge him double. Maybe still triple, depending on how annoying he gets or if I start seeing him as a "walking annuity" instead of a client.

My rush fee varies depending upon how much the next return(s) I would normally be doing would bring in. If I bump down on the list a $600 return, the rush fee is $150. Minimum rush fee is $25 and the usual rush fee is $50. Clearly delineated on the invoice. Makes a few change their minds about how quick they need their return...

I don't show the rush fee separately; only one total number on the bill.

Of course you should charge extra for any rush job. It was not your fault that it has to be rushed.

Here's what I think of ALL the tax prep ads I've seen so far this year.

It is possible with the current technology, when my youngest daughter was born, the doctor didn't like me so he programmed the computer and gave the command "TRANSFER ALL PAIN TO THE FATHER". My wife didn't feel any pain but with all the excitement, I did not feel any pain. All of us were released from the hospital within an hour since no pain was involved. The doctors congratulated me because I was "the strongest man alive". When we got home, the mail man was dead on our doorstep.

I'll bet if you talk with the W/C Auditor you'll get a different story. They may need prior year gross receipts because the policy also covers General Liability. In most cases, they can accept a statement of the amount which will appear on the return. Or they may need a copy of a prior-year return to verify that it's an S-Corp, or to verify that the owner-officers who are claiming exclusion are really who they say they are. In these cases, they will usually accept a return from a couple of years back. Clients don't usually know or care about those distinctions, so they make requests that are unreasonable. This is one reason I always insist on speaking with the auditor myself.

Those numbers look just fine. Turn your attention back to the returns that make you money!!!

Not in the last 27 years!!!

This is not exactly the same, but over the years I have had a number of farmers quit and have an auction to sell off all their equipment. This can be pages and pages of auctioner sales sheets. I simply ad up all equipment sales, go to prior years depreciation schedules and pick up AD and cost and put one line on 4797 as "Equipment sold". I've never had one questioned, but have all the detail if it ever happens. Gerald

I have Alt-P set up to fill in the PIN screen with all of the data needed for the 8879.

KC, not sure why you would stop a discussion with simple differences of opinion on a PC technical matter. No one, with the possible exception of Jack has made any comment that is inappropriate or abusive. I understand your are the Admin and can do anything you want, but it would be helpful if you please explain your rational here.