MsTabbyKats

Another thing I find:

When people emphasize "simple"...they are complex

When people tell you how crazy and complex their situation is...it may mean they had a stock sale.

Yes...I know the feeling.

When I quote a price....I add..."This is based on no surprises."

Go home....eat some chicken soup...and go to sleep on your napping sofa.

Feel better soon.........

I had a client who had an opportunity to do "better than free" this year. I was prepared to PAY him to go somewhere else. Too bad he didn't know that before telling me he was changing.

Please share why he was that bad...

The worst I had was someone I offered to reimburse...because NJ was very slow on his refund...and he thought I was supposed to do something about it (above and beyond calling every few weeks).  I got so fed up I told him I'd give him his money back...and when he ultimately got the refund he could pay me.

Put him on extension and keep him.  That sort of client is always worth the effort, IMHO.

I like to share  

I'm really trying to phase out....and if I think someone could be serviced better by another tax preparer....I'm happy to refer.

I don't refer PITAs any longer....I did that a few years back...and let's just say....nobody was happy.

I am really trying to phase out...otherwise I'd keep this one.  He's in FL...so not state.

Good client...long term...good income (last year about $156,000)....doesn't bargain over the fee

Usually he has a nice and clean Schedule A...and owes a few dollars.

His first e-mail was at 6 am today....telling me he's gonna send me everything by tomorrow evening

The follow-up 7 am e-mail announced that he bought 2 rental properties.

I want to leave him in good hands...so if anyone is interested in this as a referral...to be done by 4/15...please pm me.

If not....he'll just go on extension.

Thanks.............

I just figure if he can lose lots of money to gambling he can pay lots of money to his tax preparer who reports his gambling the most beneficial way and keeps him out of jail.  Raise his price.

OK...I checked my records back to 2006...and saw no winnings...so, we now know my memory is getting fuzzy.

He probsbly just gave me his loss...and I told him there was nothing I could do with it. I am sure that the loss was more than his earnings. That I remember...and his earrings back then was in the low 20s. I'd bet this is why he's still living paycheck to paycheck...not his expenses.

The problem with giving discounts is when they "spread the word".

I did look over my list of "where are they?"....and a few names of cheapskates popped up.

One of them went to a lawyer 2 years ago because of an inheritance in France  (who completely and totally screwed up his FBAR...and cost him BIG TIME..to the tune of $50,000 last I heard)...but he came back to me in 2014...and I quote "because you're cheaper".  Forget the fact that if he had followed my advice...he never would have had the FBAR fiasco.

Back to waiting for the mob to attack 

This guy is in his early 30s....been a client since he graduated med school. I don't remember his losses...but he did have a huge winning....and his bona fide loss was more than that. I'll have to go back a few years and check.

As far as the fee...if he does come back...it's gonna be "I'll e-file as son as I receive payment...."

I think I lost several due to the H&R half price offer....and if the come back next year...I'll double the fee.

Oy vey....

I got a response:

This guy is a "surgical resident" making, even by NYC standards, a decent living (but he lives in Minneapolis).  My fee was $150 for an itemized return.

Is there any way you can charge a slightly lower fee? The local H&R block was offering to do it for ~$60 and said my tax return was very straight forward, but I decided to have you do it since i've been with you for so long. As you can see from my expenses, i'm still kind of living paycheck to paycheck!

So, here's my response:

Do your patients bargain with you...and tell you they can get the same service at "the free clinic"?

I don't compete with H&R...I give personalized service.  And if you have a problem...they won't be there for you.  Your "straightforward return" would have been a standard deduction...with a much lower refund.

My absolute lowest fee is $125.  If that's not acceptable, please go to H&R.

Another PITA (he bargains every year....I also know he's a gambling addict).  Another one to add to my "banned list".

Well....I e-mailed all my "ready to be e-filed" people that I haven't heard from...that had over a week to "look it over".

I e-mailed "new clients" that didn't like the results...and told them they could adjust "whatever"...and if they choose not to use my services....I'll be sending them a consultation fee invoice.

I e-mailed old clients...who send me their stuff...then vanished off the face of the earth...and told them that I assume they won't be needing me this year...but if they do...contact me asap.

Now I just have to call the people who in the past "dropped it off" at my husband's store....and tell them he is no longer in business, but will be at that location for very limited hours. (They're in the neighborhood...they know he sold the store.)

Now...I know you all have chocolate Easter eggs, peanut brittle and other high carb stuff to keep you going.  Not me.  I spend Mondays at the casino (10-1 during tax season)....so when I get home tomorrow....I'll be e-mailing all the others on my pile...and suggest replying asap...or they will "go on extension" and explain that they still have to pay by 4/15.  We'll see if that wakes them up.

But...when they're on extension they have to pay by 4/15.....so don't you have to do some work on the return, so they know how much to pay?

I don't know if anyone else has this (maybe everyone does)....but I have piles of people I'm waiting to hear from....and nothing (absolutely nothing) that i can work on.

I've been e-mailing...and all kinds of "manyana" responses;  I don't want to annoy them but...I'm on the verge of telling people "Hey, you aren't my only client".

I'm getting very anxious.

(I don't do extensions unless absolutely necessary.....I don't want to commit being here on 10/15...just for someone's convenience.)

Rant over...and back to e-mailing........

It's currently $100,000 on 12/31...or $150,000 at anytime during the year if you live here.

If you're abroad...it's $400,000 or 12/31...or $600,000 at any time during the year

I have 3 piles:

1-waiting for approval (all the work is done...ready to e-file)

2-waiting for information

3-returns I can actively work on

Piles 1 & 2 are high...pile 3 is empty

I hope you guys with "chaotic returns" charge well.  I'm only accepting new clients with simple returns.  I tell the others that I don't have the necessary time to devote to the return.

I'm having the following problem....

Returns completed...people owe money....not big money (I know this is relative)....but haven't gotten back to me.

One told me "her partner" said she didn't have to file a tax return (1099-misc income) and could be her dependent.  I told her about a letter she would be receiving if she did that...lol   But...she didn't get back to me.....

I think that I will send each and every one on this pile a consultation fee invoice on 4/16.

When I started doing tax returns...in someone's office...his motto was (towards the clients).."Your problem is not my problem"...and that's how we worked.  I still refuse to get "out of shape" because someone waits till the final few days with complications.

LOL....I was having a senior moment

I caught it about a second after I posted....

Client had been renting a house.

Then he converted it for personal use.

Do I put anything in "the sales price"?

I left it blank...and I'm getting a loss on Form 4797.  Is this correct?

Thanks

Sorry for the loss.......and for your pain.  But...he will live in your heart and your memories forever.

C'mon people........

If clients knew what was needed to do a tax return...they wouldn't be clients.

This is far from the stupidest question I ever heard.  Sometimes I think some people are truly brain dead.

Client had 2 teenage sons...who went to college.  Child tax credits ended....college tuition credits ended in 2014.  Dependent exemptions are ending.  Try explaining (to a brain dead person) why the refunds used to be about $4000/year...now they are almost $0...and next year...if the recent grad gets a real job....they will be owing about $2000!

I tried explaining this twice in the past 3 days...and it still hasn't sunk in.

It's "not the same as last year"! 

If the client didn't file and got this letter I'd be extremely concerned.  I'd have him on the phone with IRS "yesterday".

It appears that someone already filed under his info.

I once asked a client her occupation....and she told me that she didn't want to discuss her life with me.

Remember the "paper filing days"....and putting the returns in the wrong envelopes!

If the school issues a 1098-T with a valid tax id.........

If it's a foreign school I doubt they can.

Just e-file.

Assuming they just sent the paper return....e-filed return will get there soon...and the IRS will throw out the paper one.

I do this with states...when I apply for ITINs.  I tell the client to contact me when they get the ITIN and I'll e-file.  But I always give them a paper copy...just in case they can't contact me.  Quite often...they send in the paper one anyway.  One state rep said if a paper return comes in after an e-filed return...it goes in the garbage.