NT / My Day So Far

[RitaB]

Just had a slacker drop off their stuff and tell me:

a) I don't know why we just didn't do this ourselves; it is so easy.

We don't want to pay any more taxes than we have to.

OK - does this guy think that I went "Ohhhhh, I see. Their stuff will now go in the stack for people whose returns need to come out with refunds. Also, note to self: Don't charge them; after all, they could have done it themselves.

Arghhhhh!!!!!

[lbbwest]

How about the Blonde from the East Coast whose information arrived overnight express yesterday sans W2, is computing with Blonde from West Coast who supposedly overnight espressed her information yesterday, it still hasn't arrived. Blonde from CA's ex-husband's new wife called to say she would drop off kid's stuff...but she is very busy. HELLO

[Cathy]

After complimenting my office and the work I had done on a new client's tax return today, while reaching for my receipt book, he said he bet I was going to surely miss tax season next week because of the "pocket change" I won't have coming in. I then wrote the receipt for 600 quarters. He said he'd see me next year. I should have charged him 1000 quarters. My husband said I'm just too cranky right now.....cranky, who me?

My next new client came in and said he had 5 years of receipts and expenses (in boxes, many boxes) in his suv that he wanted to bring in so I could prepare taxes from 2002 thru 2006. I told him that I had already paid my dues and not to dare bring the boxes in my office. He left with strict instructions on how to organize and total his income and expenses and return to my office at a later date with an accounting in categories in a nice little package for each year. I asked him if he wife works...yes, 2 hours each day but hates the bookkeeping. I told him I hate it worse than she does and once they would find out my bookkeeping fee to straighten out this mess, I bet they might not matter that much in doing the work themselves. Will see how well this mess gets organized and go with a 50% retainer before starting the returns if I do them at at .

[joanmcq]

I was going to add in something about my last appointment, but when I came back in after the appointment, I found my cat on top of my laptop keypad...again. She hides in the office, so when I close it up to keep her out, I actually trap her in. this morning I came in and speech recognition and narrator was on.....and supposedly my admin was locked. It still appears to be locked. This cat is going to drive me crazy. I leave the laptop open because my backup runs automatically when I go to bed.

I am so fried....

[Janitor Bob]

Just had a slacker drop off their stuff and tell me:

a) I don't know why we just didn't do this ourselves; it is so easy.

We don't want to pay any more taxes than we have to.

OK - does this guy think that I went "Ohhhhh, I see. Their stuff will now go in the stack for people whose returns need to come out with refunds. Also, note to self: Don't charge them; after all, they could have done it themselves.

Arghhhhh!!!!!

Former client had someone else prepare their taxes last year (for 2005) because I would not give them the credits and refund they wanted...She received a letter this past summer from IRS...correcting her return for a credit she took but was not entitled to. She attempted to do it herself this year and just called me for help! I told her I could not really help her over the phone, but I would prepare her return at normal rate if she came in tomorrow...double if she waited until Tuesday. She told me that she really did not want to pay me because she felt she could do them herself.....I just told her good luck and hung up the phone.

[SCL]

Former client had someone else prepare their taxes last year (for 2005) because I would not give them the credits and refund they wanted...She received a letter this past summer from IRS...correcting her return for a credit she took but was not entitled to. She attempted to do it herself this year and just called me for help! I told her I could not really help her over the phone, but I would prepare her return at normal rate if she came in tomorrow...double if she waited until Tuesday. She told me that she really did not want to pay me because she felt she could do them herself.....I just told her good luck and hung up the phone.

and in situations like that, when i hang up the phone, i make a mental note to "KISS MY GRITS!"

[Marge]

and in situations like that, when i hang up the phone, i make a mental note to "KISS MY GRITS!"

Grits is putting it nicely...

I have a client that brought me what I thought was a whole years reciepts and canceled checks on the 5th of April.

I had my girls post the stuff and then when I went to do the return I realized from past experience with this client that he was missing a whole lot of stuff especially from the first 6 months of the year.

So I called him on the 11th, told him I was missing the majority of the first 6 months. His reply was that I had picked that up a long time ago. BS I never picked up anything of the sort. The only thing I had was his sales reciepts so I could do his sales tax reports.

But like the good little girl I am I tore my office, my house apart looking for the crap that I was supposed to have picked up. Now I am pretty organized and there are only so many places to look!!

I called him back and he said he would look. Called him back today he was watching TV. Hadn't taken the time to look cause he just knew that I had them..

So if you see my name in the Denison Newspaper under Accountant goes Mad and kills Client it will probably be true..

I told him that if he didnt get off his lead you know what and look for his records he was going to owe big buckets of taxes..

Darn people anyway... I can smell a fireing coming on.

By the way Janitor Bob your avatars are a hoot...

Marge Powell

[RitaB]

Former client had someone else prepare their taxes last year (for 2005) because I would not give them the credits and refund they wanted...She received a letter this past summer from IRS...correcting her return for a credit she took but was not entitled to. She attempted to do it herself this year and just called me for help! I told her I could not really help her over the phone, but I would prepare her return at normal rate if she came in tomorrow...double if she waited until Tuesday. She told me that she really did not want to pay me because she felt she could do them herself.....I just told her good luck and hung up the phone.

Speaking of credits, just had a guy call me and suddenly remember that his child really did live with him more that 1/2 the year. Previous conversation went something like this:

Him: Well, the guy last year let me have EIC.

Me: Yes sir, I don't doubt that he did. Many preparers don't ask, and some just don't mind doing it incorrectly. You may pick up your forms

and take them to him if you wish. I will keep my tax return, and you won't owe me a dime.

Speaking of "I can do them myself": I actually had one call me (a few times actually) with questions about her partnership (?!?) return. She said it was just a matter of pride and she wanted to see if she could do it herself. (It was the $350 fee.) The last time she called she asked about getting a worksheet for NOL on her personal return; I told her Turbo Tax would have it. She said she gave up on Turbo Tax and was downloading all the forms from the IRS website. I bet she wound up going to somebody else. Good riddance, I say!

You know, I just noticed on my original post, that somehow I put a face instead of a "b." I bet everybody thought I really was losing it! That made no sense at all! Janitor Bob, hope you are doing well. I've been praying for you. ---Rita

[JohnH]

--> OK - does this guy think that I went "Ohhhhh, I see. Their stuff will now go in the stack for people whose returns need to come out with refunds. Also, note to self: Don't charge them; after all, they could have done it themselves. <---

I like that. I think in the future if someone says they don't want to pay I'll tell them I'll just put their return into the "refund" stack.

As for how to charge those who could have done the return themselves, I think you should tell them you decided to forego being a brain surgeon and chose to go into tax preparation. So since you "couild have" been a brain surgeon, you'll charge them brain surgeon rates for preparing their return.

[RitaB]

--> OK - does this guy think that I went "Ohhhhh, I see. Their stuff will now go in the stack for people whose returns need to come out with refunds. Also, note to self: Don't charge them; after all, they could have done it themselves. <---

I like that. I think in the future if someone says they don't want to pay I'll tell them I'll just put their return into the "refund" stack.

As for how to charge those who could have done the return themselves, I think you should tell them you decided to forego being a brain surgeon and chose to go into tax preparation. So since you "couild have" been a brain surgeon, you'll charge them brain surgeon rates for preparing their return.

HaHaHa! Great to see you here, JohnH! A very nice client this morning said, "This is why I pay you to do this. I don't have time to learn this stuff." I told him, "That's exactly right; and I don't try to figure out how to change my own oil or pull my own teeth." (He got a kick out of the pulling my own teeth.)