Bone weary.

[oceanlovin'ea]

Feel the pressure

I am feeling the pressure right now. I am getting very grouchy. My husband keeps saying "what's wrong with you!"
I forgot to call one of my older clients that doesn't drive. I just remembered her Wednesday. She was still waiting for me to call. She had a stroke about 3 years ago and you can't hardly understand what she is saying anymore. I thought by now her kids would have taken her paperwork some where else but they didn't.

I have new clients with drop offs and mail ins. But I will struggle through.

I think I can.....I think I can......I think I can.....I think I can.


Linda

[BHoffman]

This is for Dany and me

That was a nice link. Found about 5-6 more to help me work!

Thank you.

I also have to work at night because of appts all day. Dany, here's one for us night owls

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5Tiqv4Irjs&feature=related

[Anarchrist]

I still have a very hard time putting people on extension because if they owe and there is a penalty, they can come back at me and say they had their info to me in plenty of time. Some of these guys owe a lot, a whole lot, six figures a whole lot, and they don't get me their info until around 04/10

They owe six figures and are waiting till 4/10 to get you their stuff. I imagine someone owing 6 figures has a fairly complex return. They're idiots for waiting till now and you should charge them accordingly, then it wouldn't be as frustrating for you.

They can come back at you because you are accepting responsibility for their actions and are letting them come back at you. Put the responsibility on them where it belongs. State your extension cut off date in the organizers/checklists you send out in January. Put it in the engagement letter they sign.

If they owe that much now they must be making quarterly estimated payments. Add the 4/15/09 estimated payment amount to the extension. That way if you're off, you're still covered and there won't be penalty.

[BHoffman]

They owe six figures and are waiting till 4/10 to get you their stuff. I imagine someone owing 6 figures has a fairly complex return. They're idiots for waiting till now and you should charge them accordingly, then it wouldn't be as frustrating for you.

They can come back at you because you are accepting responsibility for their actions and are letting them come back at you. Put the responsibility on them where it belongs. State your extension cut off date in the organizers/checklists you send out in January. Put it in the engagement letter they sign.

If they owe that much now they must be making quarterly estimated payments. Add the 4/15/09 estimated payment amount to the extension. That way if you're off, you're still covered and there won't be penalty.

If it were only that easy.... These guys are great clients, pay very well, and make estimated payments but choose to wait because the penalty is cheaper than the cost of maintaining their cash flows through the year. They aren't the ones who come back at me regarding penalties. They assume, and they are correct, that my "blanket correspondence" doesn't apply to them. Everything with the client is fine, it's just extremely hard for me. I charge accordingly and will feel so much better when I get paid that very fat fee. I shouldn't complain. I'm tired too, although JJ Cale and Eric Clapton do their best to keep me going

[JohnH]

The more they owe, the more important it becomes that you convince them to get an extension. I always tell my reluctant extenders that the last thing they want me doing is trying to prepare their return during this runup to the 15th. They can overpay with the extension, or they can accept the fact that they may owe money and have to pay interest and a small FTP penalty when the return is filed. The 1% or so per month that this will cost them is chump change compared to the potential cost of my making a critical mistake in trying to prepare their return when I'm tired and sleepy.

[Black Bart]

Dear Hoff,

...I'm tired too, although JJ Cale and Eric Clapton do their best to keep me going

Good idea. It's been years since I paid wages, but the last couple weeks I've been thinkin' seriously about gettin' somebody to help out around the office too.

What's it run you per day for those guys? Do they insist on minimum wage? Never mind if you'd rather not say.

Regards, BB

[DTS]

Thought I would share one with the group. Enjoy and keep working

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zh4n1bZi4d8&feature=related

D

[Lion]

Part Time Seasonal Employees

Last year I paid a woman $10/hour to do data entry, but essentially doubled her salary when I gave her a $1,000 bonus at the end of the season. After the season I raised her rate to $12 but she hasn't worked much. Got her back in this last month still at $12. Gave her an extra $100 last week for clearing out two very paper intensive returns that were just a bottleneck until I could get them done. Was paying my college daughter $10 for filing, organizing, etc., and raised her to $12 recently. Obviously, she's not around much but sorts two of my shopping bag clients. Have a new woman doing some pick-ups/deliveries, PO runs, errands, check writing for clients, other tasks for $15. I knew her from Block where she was getting in excess of $20 as a manager but only $13 this year; so I offered her $15 but didn't get her early enough to train her in data entry. So, even with three people, I have them fewer hours this year than last year. My total payroll last year was much less than $3,000 and will be less than that this year.

[JohnH]

Our former church financial secretary retired a couple of years ago and she helps me with various tasks when I get into a bottleneck throughout the year. She helps out primarily with accounting-type tasks and works from home. She didn't have a computer at home, so I bought one at Office Max (about $500) and gave it to her. We generally use the mail for sending flash disks & source data back & forth, but she volunteers part-time at a senior center so she can use their computer for emailing info when necessary.


I pay her $20/hr, but she knows QuickBooks and Excel so I think she's worth the extra hourly rate. I'd probably pay someone with less skills around $14 - $16/hr.

With part-timers, if you can figure out a way for them to work from home it's very beneficial for you and for them. Plus they're often willing to work for a little less since they don't incur commuting expenses and can control thei work hours.