LKYPon wrote:

- quote -

What an ideal world that would be if all clients took these
suggestions to heart. But then......

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Generally good ideas, but certainly not applicable in all
cases.

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"I can be reached at the office or at home (my home number's
in the book), email, or on the web site. And unless it
involves some deep tax related research, there's no charge."

- quote -

I second that.

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In other words, don't bother me with your concerns about
what I charge? Indeed, I want to get feedback from customers
(notice I said customers, and not clients) as to their
opinions of the value of my services. After all, none of us
have the same fees for all customers. Age and station in
life matter. Remember the customers who never get to
complain about your fee will some day walk.

- quote -

This one takes patience and working with customers year
after year to improve their recordkeeping. Some I admit you
just can't change, and to sort out the shoebox must or
should be done at less than tax prep rates, i.e.
bookkekeping rates instead. But... that enables employment
for an assistant, doesn't it? someone who might need a job?

- quote -

Be careful in how you tell a customer this, he might take it
the wrong way. It's possible to get the message across
without being confrontational.

- quote -

As for the ethical considerations above, the best time to
weed out an ugly customers is the very first year.

I would add number 9:

"Expect the very best from us, and if not satisfied, tell us."

A "client" is someone who depends on someone else, like us,
and denotes a one way relationship. And that's why I use
the word customer, meaning it's a two way street.

enough ranting for today.

Christmas Cheer$,
Harlan Lunsford, EA n LA

<< -------------------------------------------------> << The Charter and the Guidelines for submitting > << messages to this newsgroup are at www.asktax.org > << ------------------------------------------------->

9. Please do not get upset with us if your tax bill is more
than you think it should be if we have properly prepared the
return. There may be many factors which you had not
considered in the amount of the tax bill.

10. Please do not wait until 4 p.m. on April 14 to bring us
your grocery sacks full of receipts and expect a tax return
the following morning at 9:30.

Carol

What can one expect of a day that begins with getting out of bed.

<< -------------------------------------------------> << The Charter and the Guidelines for submitting > << messages to this newsgroup are at www.asktax.org > << ------------------------------------------------->

LKYPon wrote:

- quote -

I look at it this way--there are numerous types of tax
preparers, and each is properly suited for a different type
of client. You have to decide whether you have a dirt
simple return for which you simply want someone to transfer
data onto forms as rapidly as possible or whether you want
or need more detailed advice to plan your tax situation and
reduce your taxes.

If you want the latter, going in the door complaining about
fees is likely to get you *off* the list of acceptable
clients for those most likely to be able to provide useful
information. But, similarly, there are returns that simply
do not make sense to have a firm like mine do--we are not
geared up to be a volume operation, and if your return
really is one W-2 and 1040EZ with no chance of it ever
changing, you almost certainly will not get very good value
from us. In fact, the most likely outcome is that I'll be
unhappy because I'll end up writing down the bill since I
won't feel that I can bill our standard fees there, and
you'll be upset because my reduced fee is still more than
what the preparation was worth. We simply aren't designed
to handle a high volume of relatively simple returns.

As well, it's best not to lecture the preparer about the
fact you have such an "easy" return--whether or not the
preparer will say it, he/she is thinking immediately if the
return is so darned easy and you are skilled enough to
recognize that, why in the heck are you asking me to prepare
it <grin> . In fact, the thought that immediately comes to
mind is that no matter what I do or what I charge, this
person is not going to appreciate my work and will complain
he/she was ripped off.

But also be sure to ask about fees--unfortunately,
accountants are apt to avoid the topic if given the chance,
since it's a potentially confrontational issue and quite a
few of us try to avoid confrontations if at all possible.
That also brings up a second thing you should know--firing a
problem client by raising fees is also a known tactic, since
it's easier to do that (and have the client fire himself)
rather than simply tell the person you want him/her to go
elsewhere <grin> .

We, as preparers, do need to be sure we communicate on fee
issues *and* be sure that if the proverbial shoebox shows
up, we make clear that we require to be paid for doing that
work--or else we'll find that we are doing that work for
nothing.

--
Ed Zollars, CPA
Phoenix, Arizona

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LKYPon <lkypon[at]aol.com> wrote:

- quote -

However, if for any reason you think that you might have
committed a crime, do NOT, NOT, NOT tell me about it !!!

MTW

<< -------------------------------------------------> << The Charter and the Guidelines for submitting > << messages to this newsgroup are at www.asktax.org > << ------------------------------------------------->

I want to start a thread on tips on being a good client.
Sometimes I see a post from someone complaining about their
tax advisor/preparer. I think it is important to be a good
client so we can give excellent service. Let me start with
a few:

1. Please contact us before entering into any large
transactions such as buying a home, selling a business,
getting married, getting divorce, etc.

2. Please contact us during the year so we can do tax
planning to minimize the tax bill. Then you cannot complain
about your tax situation at tax time or be surprised.

3. Please come to the appointment prepared. Bring the
relevant paperwork and documents such as W-2s, paystubs,
closing statements, brokerage statements, 1099s, etc.

4. Please don't complain about our fees. We're worth every
penny. It would be more expensive to go to a cheaper
provider. Do you always look for the cheapest doctor? We
spend a lot of time and energy trying to keep up with the
tax changes.

5. Please do not expect us to sort out your shoebox, unless
you want to pay us to do your administrative work.

6. Please bring the appropriate information for us to help
you figure out your capital gains. We're not very good at
guessing your cost basis.

7. Please don't ask us to cheat. Otherwise you will have to
find someone less honest.

8. Please be open and honest with us. Everything we do is
confidential. We cannot give good advice or help if we
don't know the right information about you.

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