These final 20 day of tax season can be stressful on taxpayers and tax preparers. I will work at least 14 hours a day in order to meet my own work deadlines and contribute to the workload of other tax preparers.
Yet it makes sense for a young accounting practice to reserve time for new clients who ran into some unexpected trouble with their taxes this year. Most accounting firms have stopped advertising and will not accept new client appointments at this late date. I see it as an opportunity to help taxpayers who are otherwise ‘stuck’ without a solution to cope with this fast-approaching deadline.
For example, yesterday I agreed to help the seller of commercial real estate who planned to file her own taxes but could not achieve the results she expected with the online software. I expect with an hour or so tinkering, I can get IRS to accept her return calculated with the lowest available tax due.
In another situation, a restaurant owner sent a text message a few days ago that he had meant to call sooner but had been unexpectedly busy because he lost a chef last month. We had casually discussed taxes before the holidays but I was surprised to hear from him suddenly in this situation. Apparently he has an issue with wage taxes as well as income taxes. I can’t help him with the cooking or his workload but I’ll do whatever is necessary to help get his tax reporting back on track.
One common situation is that I receive calls and emails from people who have chosen to prepare their own tax return but need help with just one or two issues. I’m happy to help but it may take some explaining that my time requirement, liability and cost are the same or more as if I had prepared the entire tax return from scratch. This said, I do offer tax consults all year with written follow-up for a flat fee of $300.
I am available by cell 856-723-0294 or by email onlineadviser@live.com to help make these next few weeks go smoother with a little less stress.
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