Just curious, your minimum fee?

[Jiggers]

I get calls all the time, wanting an estimated fee for preparation of their return.

I really hate to do that, because they always "forget" to tell you something, and then want to hold you to your fee estimate.

I also really don't like fee shoppers.

So I calculated a minimum fee, that my secretary can quote without interrupting me. With the qualified statement that a firm fee will be quoted during the interview and they have the option of leaving without me doing any work.

1040A $180 - $200
New client, W-2's only, EIC, e-filed, no RAL because I don't do them

1040 $300 - $325
New client, W-2's, Interest/Dividends, Business or Farm, Depreciation, no RAL

[ChEAr$]

No quotes over the phone

period.

I will ask who referred me to him/her, and if not a referral, will say I'm not taking new business. After all, we know the competition will phone/fee shop around.

but if referred and after a little small talk about the referrer, I'll suggest they bring in last year's return (which I'm going to need and demand anyway) so I can give them a ball park
figure, stressing the fact that I don't charge "an arm AND a leg."

Like everybody else I dare say, I don't want the business because I'm the lowest fee in
town. I might be, but that's no basis on which to start a relationship.

[BP.]

I'd say I'm somewhere in the range of your starting minimums, Jiggers.

Agree with you & Harlan both that phone fee quotes are tough. So I'm not providing fees on the phone. Don't want price shoppers; don't want to attract people looking for the cheapest place in town; don't want to be that place.

I like the referral question, though. May try that.

[geekgirldany]

Most of the time I tell them between $100 and $200. That doesn't include rental houses, businesses, and other special forms that may have to be prepared. I had one call the other day about S-Corporation. I told her my fee that it did not include any additional bookkeeping. When she came in the old accountant charge $2,000 to do prior year return.... oh well.

[Roberts]

I had a lady call and ask me my fee. She ran a book keeping service supposedly and hadn't done her taxes for 3 years and was to embarrassed to take them to her previous accountant who referred her clients. I told her the minimum was $250 but that it would go up very quickly if I was doing book keeping for the business. She did the math and determined she didn't have $750 for the old ones so she'd have to think about it. Seemed to her that I was over charging her and that she thought she could get it done for $75 per year (which she admitted she also didn't have).

[Uncle]

I refuse to quote a fee but I do tell them I do offer a special for new clients. If they bring an invoice from the previous preparer, I will charge half of that for the current year.

Uncle

[Jiggers]

Purpose of estimate

Yeah, I really don't quote fees in detail. Actually I won't take the call. But this gives my secretary a guide to use.

It also will keep out those that are "cheap fee" shopping. I know I won't have to spend time interviewing them.

I bill by the form/schedule and without actually seeing the prior year return and interviewing the prospective client, I can't give an estimate.

I really am selective now on clients and this is one way of weeding out ones that I don't want.