Last minute filers

[SaraEA]

We've already bantered about the personality types of those who bring in their tax docs on April 10 or later--disorganized, usually owe a lot, didn't open the envelopes, etc.  Now let's amaze about those who habitually go on extension and don't show up until Oct 10 or later.  The past month has been a constant stream of emails and faxes.  Tell the client you are missing 10 items so they send one.  After reminding them they send another.  Eventually, some day you get them all (minus one or two, but you may have missed that email).  Today I finally got the numbers on a client's foreign pension, but he neglected to tell me if he was reporting foreign currency or US dollars.  Another email......   Another owns a huge business and dabbles in a few smaller ones.  Brought in two huge volumes of records on Oct 13 but "forgot" to bring one of the businesses.  Guess he'll be late.  Or the client with a dozen rental properties who finally gave me all the income and expenses but neglected to bring every single other tax doc (pensions, IRAs, bank interest, dividends, you name it).  Of course they can't find that paperwork because they got it in January and "put it somewhere."  Today a client comes in with his dad's stuff--it's a pretty basic return, nothing fancy.  Dig into it and find three documents are missing.  Why am I surprised.

Sent a client two separate emails today, one with the returns and one with the two documents to be signed and faxed back.  So what do I get?  One signed doc (not the 8879, the one I really need to file).  Another went back and forth 3 times about whether they wanted to send a check or have the balance due direct debited.  Every single email I requested the signed docs and it's like they never read beyond the first line.  Finally sent a dedicated email today asking for the signatures and actually got them.   You wonder how these people even get out of bed in the morning.

Oct 15ers have it way over April 15ers in disorganization, disinterest, confusion, carelessness, not following directions.  Oh yea, they also rank in amounts they owe.  A client just brought in a pile of stuff where I found my carefully prepared voucher with instructions highlighted and envelope attached for a $14k estimate that was supposed to have been made in January.  April people may owe a few grand.  Oct people owe in the 6 figures.  One more day....  (Well, we'll still have a dozen or so like Mr two volumes that will just be late.  But it's October--sales taxes, payroll reports, assessor reports.  Those returns will just have to wait a little longer.)

[joanmcq]

I've been awaiting last bits of stuff, and I have one habitual late couple that, in response to my "are you coming to me to have your taxes done" said they'd get to them this weekend. Oops...due tomorrow dude. 

I did did just find out that 2013 CA returns can be efiled!  As can 2014 FTB-568 when it's an SMLLC filing on a schedule C. So a few nice bits in Oct. 15 hell.

[Lion EA]

Yeah, I really have to train my clients better.  One very unhappy lady will want to bring me the rest of her stuff tomorrow.  (I'm finishing my own that I do after the paying customers and won't want to get out of my jammies.)  I've offered her daily the pick-up services of my retired hubby who's running errands for me.  I'm not going to do it on the 15th, even though I have everything I had already entered.  It's huge and she owes and I want to really proofread well.  And, the couple in Singapore that I realized two days ago were missing all the rental income/expenses for their NY home.  They were new a year ago and cousins of my stepdaughter's fiance, so I really hate to tell them they're going to be late.  But, I can't do this with foreign tax credit and NY rental and self-employment and be rushed when they're so new to me.  And, I've spent two days arguing with someone who was my second to last to drop off that he can NOT come in today or tomorrow to work on his 2015 withholding, not even to sign 2014 returns (I uploaded his returns and his signature documents to FileShare on my website).  And, I love the clients where I am in the midst of preparing their return and find W-2s from three states for their college kid that they didn't tell me I'm doing an extra return.  Then find out the kid's 1099s aren't there because Grandpa in Chicago manages that account.  And, then argue some more trying to explain why the kid owes $105 in SE tax for that project they did for a nonprofit even though they didn't earn enough to owe income tax.  And, the guy who was grossly under-withheld, so warned him to get me the rest of his stuff early so we could see his balance due and stop the interest growing.  Finally gets me his stuff and then spends a couple of days arguing to get him to accept his balance, even thought I dragged every deduction out of him that I could so his balance was a LOT less than anticipated.

I have to train me, too.  Not only am I a procrastinator.  I need to pour through folders as they arrive to put in writing the missing items and questions right when I get the first documents.  I'm not consistent.  For instance, the couple in Singapore -- I just emailed her two days ago about the rental.  The other lady I referred to above -- been emailing her all along and leaving phone messages.  This was really a year for clients to have new twists, so I should start reviewing immediately to jump on the omissions.  Back to work.

[rfassett]

The extended procrastinators are the worst.  On the other hand, they are always the same folks.  I actually put together my work schedule for the first two weeks of October based on who I "know" is going to show up between the 1st and the 15th - and when  And I was spot on this year.  Had four come in yesterday - an 1120S, and three 1040s.  The 1040s all have multiple Es or C/Fs.  I have learned over the years that I can not change these folks.  So I have adapted. I accept the work, but tell them that I will neither put in extra time to get them done or feel guilty if they do not get done.  Another rule, they do not get to dispute how the return comes out like, "oh, I forgot to tell you......"  We will amend if necessary. 

What I can not deal with is computer issues in the 11th hour.  Came in Monday morning and my server had a slight melt down over the weekend.  Limped through most of Monday with the IT guy here from 11:30 to 4:30.  By 3:30, I could no longer access ATX.  Called support first thing Tuesday morning and they concluded I had a DNS issue but to get me up and running, they did a band aid fix with my approval.  We are keeping our fingers crossed that the band aid holds through today. Then tomorrow we will attack the DNS issue with the tech guy.

And me too - back to work.  Four more to go!

[ILLMAS]

This year I said NO twice to last minute filers and it felt great.

[Jack from Ohio]

At the firm, we just signed for a FedEx overnight package with information for a return.  Nearly 40 pages of documents.  It will NOT be completed or filed before Wednesday of next week.

[Lion EA]

OK, my tardy lady dropped off through my mail slot at noon!  I have her hundreds of pages of investments from her broker all imported, so this package is small money but many, many little pieces, SSA, property taxes, lots of charities, and a couple more K-1s, etc. Not doing it today.  She will be furious (and was a rec from another client). Not even opening her sack.

Nothing from Singapore couple.  Noon was my mental cut-off for even attempting either of those or any others that hadn't given me everything yet.

Back to work on ours.

[Jack from Ohio]

Back to work on ours.

Filed ours at 3:15 AM today.

[rfassett]

Got the 1120s and one of the 1040s done.  Will get the other two 1040s done be 3:30 and the clients have been told to be here at 4:00 to sign the 8879s.  If they are one minute late, game over and they lose.

[Lion EA]

I was working until about 4 a.m.  Put in a support request around 4 and started to close things down to go to bed.  An email popped up from support acknowledging my question, and then another email popped up from support before I could close Outlook.  They answered my question!  (They have people working in all different time zones around the globe.)  I reopened software and followed their instructions.  So, I went to bed around 5 a.m. for a few hours with one less worry. Love ProSystem fx.

Lost a couple of days in October, so running later than I'd scheduled.  Granddaughter was conveniently due 1 November.  But, daughter-in-law got gestational hypertension leading to preeclampsia and then HELLP (liver), so we went to visit for a couple of days between her hospital stays.  Hugged them as they went off to doctor appointments (over the mountains and through the woods an hour away to Scranton) and came back to CT last Tuesday night. Wednesday morning my son called to say he was scrubbing up to go into the delivery room!  C-section Wednesday 7 October resulted in Avery James Franciose at 8:47 a.m. at 18.25" and 5 lbs. 12 oz.  Avery is perfect, but she is still jaundiced.  Hari Beth is still recuperating; back for more bloodwork today.  So, she's not up to visitors yet.  Haven't held Avery yet.  November!

[NECPA in NEBRASKA]

Congratulations on the new grandbaby! I hope that you get to hold her soon! I have finished everything that will get finished today. I'm still waiting on info from two clients and one will owe a bunch! I warned him that he would owe. The other one was emailed Saturday with the one piece that I still need. I have plenty of old returns and bookkeeping to do the rest of the year, but at least I won't have to be so slammed. I'm leaving at 4:30 for my step-son's wedding rehearsal and the wedding is tomorrow so I'm taking a couple of days off.

 

,

[Lion EA]

Happy Days!  I remember dancing with my son at his wedding....  Enjoy!

[Gail in Virginia]

Just e-filed the last one.  Got at least one more to do, but he is not coming in with his stuff until next Friday, so we al ready know it will be late. 

[michaelmars]

worst season ever, which is why I have been awol from here.  we have worked most weekends since mid-august.  The 3115's killed us since we do mostly real estate and of course once the 1120s and 1065's get done, then we can start on the 1040's which many have smllc real estate in, some people up to 40 properties.  Got so many cost segs this year and doing those 3115's can take 3-4 hours extra per building.  From the get go all my real estate clients were told to expect a 50% increase in fees this year and once they saw all the work, not one complained about the price.  Great cash flow season, lousy sleep and rest season.   Now its a 3 day weekend then payroll taxes [yay, oh joy, another deadline]

[rfassett]

I had the same thought today.  Except mine did not involve a three day weekend.  We will get started on the quarterly payroll reports tomorrow (actually about half are already done thanks to my great staff) and it is a race to the next deadline.  Don't you just love this business?  If there is one that makes you age faster, I do not want to know about it.

[SaraEA]

Tackled one today where the client took $450k out of his IRA and never told me about it!!!  He owes $100k+ and says he doesn't have it.  How the heck did he spend $450k within the year?  I just hope he has enough left to pay for tax prep.  We are having a staff meeting next week to talk about training clients better, giving them deadlines, and finally being firm about them.

[Catherine]

I had a nasty week but today wasn't nearly as bad as I had feared yesterday.  Got the last tidbits from the four that I had not yet written off as "fugedit; they're not filing 'til next week" and had everyone done by 6PM at which point I went home.  Several folks from whom I have nothing yet (and like rfassett I could have told you who those would be last January).  Couple more with complex returns where I am either missing crucial pieces and/or need to go through with a fine-toothed comb which was NOT going to happen today.  Ours got filed last week, finally.  

Have to keep reminding my self that I am NOT my clients' mommy and cannot MAKE them send me stuff; and that I cannot allow myself to care more than they do (but I can be fussier about accuracy).  But I do intend next year to be MUCH more strict about sending out those "what is missing" emails sooner.  Will train my assistant to do some triage while he is scanning documents.

[jklcpa]

Horrible day today with a dog in crisis with CHF, but that's a topic for another forum. All I can say is, thank goodness I didn't leave any work until the last day and that the last 3 returns were finished and filed several days ago. All I had to do was wait for the acks.

[NECPA in NEBRASKA]

Judy, I'm so sorry about your dog. Our pets are so important to us and it is so hard when they are sick. 

 

[Lion EA]

Well, all three of my OWN returns were rejected, because my SSN was already used.  I don't have time for this!  Two more clients dropped off today.  I want to find time to go to PA to hold my new granddaughter.  Bummer.

[Abby Normal]

I had two returns rejected, so now I can take advantage of the 5 extra days to give them a more thorough review before resubmitting.

[Catherine]

Well, all three of my OWN returns were rejected, because my SSN was already used.  I don't have time for this!  Two more clients dropped off today.  I want to find time to go to PA to hold my new granddaughter.  Bummer.

Go see your granddaughter.  All the latecomers can bloody well WAIT -- after all, they have been making YOU wait for months!  As for your own return; send it on paper and file all the "someone used my ssn" paperwork AFTER you cuddle that baby.  Consider it an order, so clients who fuss can be told, "Sorry, I am required to be elsewhere."  

[Catherine]

Judy -- hope your dog is better very soon!

[Lion EA]

Don't I have to get the police reports, whatever that 5-digit form is, certify my identity at the nearest IRS office 50 miles away, etc., paperwork to attach to the federal before I can file on paper?  Just starting to read through the to-do lists now.  And, the states were never submitted.  So, any late relief for CT and IL?  I owe a bundle to CT, so that will be costly if late.  For any of you that had some of these this year, if you have the Cliff Notes version, I would be ever grateful.

My first identity theft, and it's me!  Not sure if I'm relieved it's not a client who might blame me or more ticked off 'cause it's me and I can't just hand them a form and tell them to do it themselves.  Hubby's former insurance was Anthem, so we were warned.  And, a lot of the ID thefts in CT did have Anthem in common.

Going to a week of tax classes in NV; hope my credit cards work...

[rfassett]

Lion - hopefully your identity theft is of the "soft" variety.  Meaning that someone used your ssn to apply for a governmental refund and that is where it stopped.  We had two of these this year (clients, not mine) and ironically they were from the same neighborhood - almost next door neighbors.  I had them check with their banks, credit card issuers and review their credit report and there was no further suspicious activity.  So I had them file the Form 14039, which is pretty slam dunk and paper file the returns.  One of them filed in late July, had a 7,000 refund coming and is still waiting for the money.  You need to file the 14039, paper file your returns, and get out of dodge.  Wait, did you hear that?  I think I heard Avery say something.........gama?????????????????????

Judy - I am sorry to hear about your puppy.  These are very difficult times for you.  I feel your pain!

And finally, these pesky clients almost made me not get my own 1040 filed timely.  I finally sent that at 4:20 yesterday afternoon.  Fortunately I had already filed my six entity returns and it was just the 1040 remaining.  I usually spend most of October 15th working on that.  Anticipating a crazy 15th, I had it pretty well put together a couple of weeks ago.  But still, who do those clients think they are that can tread on MY time?