Rant thread

[powerage]

My disclaimer: I like doing taxes and I like the job, for the most part. I have learned a lot. And I admit, some of the tax problems that are discussed here have me lost. Mainly depreciation and the different state taxes.

My rant...for today...

A major pet peeve...please, potential clients, leave the young kids at home. Every day I have worked this week has involved at least 1 screaming 2 year old. My punishment for working at a chain.

[taxea]

Are you self-employed or do you work in an office? If self employed you could include in your client letter a very kind way of saying "don't bring the children".
If you work in an office you have to go by the company rules. That...the kids...is why I opened by own business in my home and, among other things, I don't meet the clients in my office.
I used to go to my clients then trained them so well that everything is done by mail, email, fax, and dropbox.
My favorite comeback when someone says...it's the tax season, you must be really stressed...I say "I don't stress, that's the client's job"

[RitaB]

My major peeve

OK, TODAY, my major peeve is people cornering me at church, Wal-Mart, the Castrol place, at HOME, etc. to ask me a "quick" tax question. (What other kind is there? Hmm?)

Wait, let me qualify that. If you're a client, it's bad. IF YOU'RE NOT EVEN A CLIENT, do you have ANY idea how rude that is?!

[JohnH]

I'd like to suggest that you consider changing that philosophy. To each his/her own, but I enjoy being asked questions. I'll give them a quick answer if the quesiton is simple and it's easy to tell them this is strictly off the top of my head. It's also easy to say that question really requires getting more detailed information or it needs more reseatrch and I'd need to set up an appointment with them at the office. I've even told people in jest that my off-the-cuff answer is free and worth every cent I'm charging them when the situation justified it.

Having said all that, I don't seek business at church, but quite a bit has come my way as a result of giving out free advice when appropriate. Several of my largest clients came as a result of social interactions, so I suggest not squandering those opportunities.

[RitaB]

That's a good point, JohnH

And, I have gained clients from those situations, too. One or two were good. LOL.

I know what you're saying, JohnH. I'm always nice to these people, but I wouldn't think of asking a dentist a flossing question when we happen to be in the same line at Kroger.

And what is it about people who think they are married to their preparer? They are asking me for advice, but couldn't possibly allow me to prepare their mysterious tax return. I don't charge more than anybody, so that's not it.

There is this one guy who will DROP BY my office to ask me a question and actually TELL ME that his preparer wasn't in, so he thought he'd just ask me. What?

I hate being treated like I'm always on the clock. Or, in essence, being told: "My guy is better than you, but since we're both here..."

I love your Mark Twain quote, BTW.

[JohnH]

Now the guy dropping by to ask questions because his preparer isn't in WOULD be a nuisance. Off the top of my head, I'd be inclined to say to him "I'm pretty busy but I can take time for you. Before we get started, should I send the bill for my time to you or to your preparer?" That might get the point across.

Thanks for the feeback on Mark Twain. Between him, Will Rogers, and CS Lewis there might be enough quotes for a lifetime.

[gboykin]

I love when newly separated clients call and ask if they would come out better of they filed separately or jointly. I tell them I need to see both sides of the coin, his information and her information in order to come to a decision. Most of the time they continue asking questions that I cannot possibly answer due to lack of information (W-2's, other income, who will claim children, etc, etc, etc.)

Yesterday, after going through all this, the client says at the end, "So, you think I would be better off filing separately, right?"

Now how do you answer that? I just told him to bring in his information, and if she was willing, we could put her info in with another appointment if they were not civil, and then I could give him hard numbers. Gotta get those Engagement Letters and Consent Forms ready for this one!!!

[RitaB]

Will Rogers

Now the guy dropping by to ask questions because his preparer isn't in WOULD be a nuisance. Off the top of my head, I'd be inclined to say to him "I'm pretty busy but I can take time for you. Before we get started, should I send the bill for my time to you or to your preparer?" That might get the point across.

Thanks for the feeback on Mark Twain. Between him, Will Rogers, and CS Lewis there might be enough quotes for a lifetime.

I love this one by Will: "Never miss a good opportunity to shut up." Has saved me some grief in life.

I love CS Lewis, too.

Yeah, that guy that kept dropping in, I WAS pretty rude to him the last time. He was actually asking me questions about his basis in mutual funds. Can you believe it?!

[gboykin]

And per the young children in the office, yesterday brought another situation. Client brought in her 2 young boys (ages 7 and 5), and they were just fine. Stayed in the lobby and played with their Nintendo DS's. However, the mother kept getting up to check on them. No one else was in the office, and we could hear everything from my office. Well, it was a pretty complicated return. They had employee business expenses, she is a teacher so qualifies for 250 teacher credit, itemized deductions, home energy credits, student loan interest, well, you get the picture. I got everything in and told her how she came out, her husband came in and was also a distraction, asking all kinds of impertinent questions (didn't pertain to the return at all). Got everything signed and as soon as they went out the door, I realized that in all the commotion of her checking on the kids 14 times and her husbands questions, I left off the student loan interest and educator deduction. Don't think I would have missed these without the distractions. Had to call them and tell them that I had to change the return and they would get back about 500 more. They live close to me, so I dropped the new copies by their house. Needless to say, they were thrilled, I was ready for the day to end.

[RitaB]

Yeah, they don't get it

[QUOTE=gboykin;92944]I love when newly separated clients call and ask if they would come out better of they filed separately or jointly...Yesterday, after going through all this, the client says at the end, "So, you think I would be better off filing separately, right?"QUOTE]

I know, it's unbelievable. Like asking the doctor to make a decision about your rash/chest pains/stuff coming out of your nose without even seeing you.

And, how about the ones that get married on New Year's Eve, messing themselves out of HOH/EIC, etc? Hey, how about invite me to the wedding next time?

[rjholmes]

And what about the cell phone users

I have a nurse practitioner client who is constantly talking or texting on his cell phone while I am asking him questions. I have thought about visiting him in his office with my phone to my ear just so I could give him the same courtesy.

[ChEAr$]

OK, TODAY, my major peeve is people cornering me at church, Wal-Mart, the Castrol place, at HOME, etc. to ask me a "quick" tax question. (What other kind is there? Hmm?)

I've no objection to this atall, and it happens often, too. Once, before Christmas I met my doctor at Office Depot (he said he was shopping for Christmas gifts for staff, IOW office supplies to make their jobs easier.) I didn't hesitate to describe a brief medical episode that happened to me a couple of weeks ago to which he said call his office and schedule three tests. I did, had the tests, and haven't heard anything negative from him about them.

Hmm.. no news is good news?

[Lion]

Questions

I definitely like the questions from non-clients and handle them about like mentioned; i.e., quick answers with a smile vs. let's make an appointment to research the more complex, still with a smile. I get new clients from those questions and from questions at church and from my broker and from a lawyer from church and from the people that don't leave their preparer but still recommend me to others.

But, you gotta love the ones who call you with a legal question because their lawyer would charge them! Or a retirement question that should go to SSA or their financial advisor or the investment question that should go to their broker.

I had one last week: a corporate bookkeeping client of mine (I also prepare the 1120-S, but don't do their payroll and am not an employee of the corporation) has an employee who called me at home to argue for over 90 minutes to complain that he's paying more taxes than he should (TurboTax) due to the corporation's SIMPLE and match and the brokerage charges a $50 annual fee and it's not fair! I'm not the one he should've talked to. I tried to explain, since the corporation is a big client of mine. He complained to the corp president that I wasn't watching out for him. Duh! I'm hired as an IC by the corp to watch out for the corp. Besides, I thought I very graciously offered time and explanations and dug up some info to print out for him (TTB mostly) the next morning to fax to him. Just can't satisfy him. Luckily, the corp prez is satisfied.

[RitaB]

LOL, Harlan

I've no objection to this atall, and it happens often, too. Once, before Christmas I met my doctor at Office Depot (he said he was shopping for Christmas gifts for staff, IOW office supplies to make their jobs easier.) I didn't hesitate to describe a brief medical episode that happened to me a couple of weeks ago to which he said call his office and schedule three tests. I did, had the tests, and haven't heard anything negative from him about them.

Hmm.. no news is good news?

Bet those three tests only cost $1000...

[BP.]

I've had the distinct satisfaction of charging "Child Distraction" fees for several clients already this year. Makes me feel loads better as I vacuum the cracker crumbs from the carpet.

"Pet Peeve"- As someone who is owned by a couple of canine pals, I used to smile sympathetically when asked (facetiously, but frequently!) if pets can be claimed as dependents. Then I had to endure client's vet-bill-rant. I'm shutting that one down this year. With head down, straight face, serious tone, I'm asking- Yeah, do you have their SSN's?