New client - no depreciation schedule - options?

[Hahn1040]

And did they want you to put all the staples back that you had to remove in order to run the pages through the scanner!

I have one that has no less than 4 staples per doc where she attaches a computer printed label for each doc.  Just to be sure that i will be able to know which is the mortgage interest and which is the pension income!

[jasdlm]

I am highly entertained by people who label things for me.  One client actual prints out a full sheet of paper "Husband's W-2"; new sheet of paper "Wife's W-2".  Thank goodness; I might not know what these were, otherwise.  It entertains me when they drop documents off in this fashion, but if they set a meeting and take 30 minutes of my time just to tell me 'this is my 'W-2', they move to the front of the line for a good ole fashion 'Rita Hug'.

I did have one client who had a big orange smear across her 1099-ssa.  She drew an arrow to a conversation bubble and wrote 'This is Squash'.  That's one of my favorite all-time labels, and I was awfully glad to have it identified.

[Margaret CPA in OH]

I think, in the defense of these folks, that this process somehow helps them feel organized and have a sense of control. Memories fade and gathering these documents once a year can be a scary thing for people who are number and tax phobic and worried about missing something and getting a nasty gram from IRS.  Like jasdim, though, the hands on identifiers make me a bit, um, anxious except that "I'm billing time."

[Catherine]

21 hours ago, Abby Normal said:

scan the ones they receive in paper form

We have people who take pictures with their phone cameras.  Usually badly lit, creased, and out of focus.  However, I've taken to recommending apps like "CamScanner" that takes that camera and makes it into a scanner.  Mine gives a good, clear, IN FOCUS pdf (I tried, on purpose, to see how well it did).  

The folks who use that - well, we still get individual files of multi-page docs (most don't bother learning how to do a multipage pdf) but at least we can read them!

[Gail in Virginia]

I thought it was just my clients.  I have never understood how they can trust me to do their taxes but not trust me to know what a W2 is. 

[RitaB]

46 minutes ago, Gail in Virginia said:

I thought it was just my clients.  I have never understood how they can trust me to do their taxes but not trust me to know what a W2 is. 

The one I "lost" in this thread also told me that 10,000 of his unemployment is not taxable.  You don't say.  I should have told him Lefty Loophole down the road would make it 10,200 if you wanna try them.  Would have saved me some time on the depreciation schedule issue.

[Catherine]

4 hours ago, RitaB said:

10,000 of his unemployment is not taxable

I had a "helpful" client email me about this just yesterday - in case I had not heard.

His bill just went UP.

[Lion EA]

Yep, don't you love the ones who include clippings with their tax documents and forward you emails, links to US Today, etc.?! They're right up there with the ones who label all their documents. Actually, they're often the same clients. And, I do add a charge, calling it something like Consolidated Appropriations Act.

[Catherine]

1 hour ago, Lion EA said:

I do add a charge

I have one that I used to call Document Processing but have changed it this year to Staple Removal Fee.  It starts at $25.  I don't charge for stuff that came to them stapled (you can tell) but I do charge for stuff THEY stapled.  Our letter specifically tells people NO STAPLES!

[Lion EA]

And, my envelope opening fee, unfolding your documents fee, getting the pages in the right order fee, calling you to get the even number pages that you didn't fax fee,...