Notary for Tax Professionals

[Chief]

How many of you are notaries? What are you thoughts on the pros and cons of this added reponsibility? Are there risks involved in providing notary services to your clients? Just wonderingand would appreciate your feedback. Thanks

[Armando Beaujolais]

I was a notary for several years. Our company advertised "Notary" in the phone book. It was the biggest pain in the arse I've ever had in the tax business. In our state you could only charge a buck or two for a signature, but it was never just a signature people needed. Car sales, affadavits, executors, general hand holding. I don't remember a single client I got from having the notary stamp. It seemed like in every situation I had voluntarily involved myself in a mess in a field I had no experience in. Then when you refuse to notarize a document, you've wasted a bunch of time and made people mad because they think you're supposed to be an expert in the field of whatever stupid document they put in front of you. Not to mention the people committing fraud who want you to help them out.

I let my notary commission expire, and with it a ton of headaches. Now I just send them down to the bank.

[DTS]

Yes, there are added responsibilites

Chief,

I am a Notary here in CA. I am also a Notary Signing Agent (loan docs) and am working on becoming certified in this. I got into it as an extra service to help clients. There are, indeed, added responsibilites that come with being a Notary. Something you do incorrectly could cause terrible damage to someone financially, emotionally, etc. There can be financial consequences for you as well.

Having said this, if you decide to become one, take a good, basic one-day course and learn the "hows, whats and whys" of doing this and go from there. A good place to start is to join their membership and enroll in a class with the Nat'l Notary Assc. I think they have good classes nationwide and offer many things that will aid you in this field, such as additional classes, insurance, supplies, etc.

Good luck, Dennis

[BOB W]

Notary

I too gave it up many years ago. Some clients were asking too much of me and I refused to back date and sign-off with just a phone call from the other party. Let them go to the bank and save yourself a lot of trouble.

[Lion]

Notary

I got mine years ago when I was with a company that needed it with some frequency. However even then, it was more often than not my own signature that needed notarizing, so I still trotted down to the bank. At HRB, they won't allow me to use my stamp on their premises; and I'm glad to be able to use that excuse. Like it has been said, you waste too much time explaining why you can't notarize a signature for someone who isn't here, why you can't explain the legal ramifications of that document, why you won't backdate, why you won't drive across the county to their house, why now isn't a good time for them to stop by your house, etc. I may not bother renewing. I send people to their local bank or their town clerk.

[S T]

Notary

Well add me to the list. I have had my Notary, not renewed, reapplied, not renewed, and then someone convinced me to do it again. I have done it more as a convenience to my clients, and I like Dennis had thought about the new loan signing document notary.

I find in some cases I can not sign as a Notary as it seems like a confilct of interest, and the costs associated are more than the income I receive.

I don't know about other states, but in Califoria, each 4 year term you have to reapply, be fingerprinted and go through the entire application process as if you were a "newbie" Order all new supplies, etc. Seems like they should be able to put into place a renewal CE program much like other licensing, rather than apply like a 1st timer again.

I probably will not renew on this expiration date in 2 years! About a $400 expense and maybe I have received $50.

Sandy