Extra Charge for 4/1-4/15

[taxea]

how I run my business. The fees are set and the date the return is done has no effect on them. What I charged on January 2 is what I charge on April 15. Taxes are my passion. I will never prepare taxes for the financial end of it. While it's nice to have the $$$, I want my customers to feel that I care more about their bottom line than I do mine. I charge a fair and reasonable rate. I know how I feel when I think some one's trying to gouge me when I am the consumer. I won't use them again.

Of course, I don't overbook and I don't allow clients to rush me. I have established my practice to be a certain way, and unless you are a new client, you know what the guidelines are. It is rare that I have to file an extension.

Yep, me too. I let the clients know that if their docs are not in by a certain date, extensions will be filed and they will have to pay for the extension. That raises the fee.
I also let them know that, for all intent and purpose, my office is technically closed to normal work hours after 5/30 and if docs received past that date it is understood that the returns are done as I have the time to fit them into my non-tax season life.
Last thing I do is not tell them their extension is good for 6 months. They all still think the returns have to be in by 8/15. Believe me they will wait til the last minute of the extension too.

[MAJ]

Extra for Late Filers....

I'm going to charge more for client that wait till the last minute, I hate extensions and try not to file them, but sometimes must. Any ideas on a fair amount for 4/1 to 4/15 I'm thinking a 5% increase, but that's not much money. Thoughts?

I too say the same thing. I would normally throw an extra $20 onto the return for last minute filers. Drives ya nuts... Even that's not worth it when you're pulling all nighters. It's the ones that wait that have no idea - Contractors - self employed who keep god awful books. Think I've discourged a few -- But they say they have not filed yet.. Hell it's July & I know who I've done extension for. Now I just have to start chasing them becuase they too tend to wait until the last two weeks.
Maybe I'll go on vacation from 10/1/2010 - 10/15/2010....

[Lion]

Wedding

My son's getting married 1 October 2010 out of state. A couple of my usual procrastinators will end up late this year. They'll be mad at me, but I've been telling them since my son announced in March that I'll be out of state after September.

[Burke]

I too say the same thing. I would normally throw an extra $20 onto the return for last minute filers. Drives ya nuts... Even that's not worth it when you're pulling all nighters. It's the ones that wait that have no idea - Contractors - self employed who keep god awful books. Think I've discourged a few -- But they say they have not filed yet.. Hell it's July & I know who I've done extension for. Now I just have to start chasing them becuase they too tend to wait until the last two weeks.
Maybe I'll go on vacation from 10/1/2010 - 10/15/2010....

I wrote a letter to two of mine in this category last November, firing them. (I had a couple of other good reasons too.) It just became too much of a headache and I stopped chasing them. One called in Jan and begged me to at least do 2008. I refused. Life has been SO much nicer since then. All mine were done this year by 6/30.

[JohnH]

Everybody has a different operational approach and business philosophy about this. I filed about 60 extensions (I think that's correct because I'm on vacation this week) and still have plenty of work to do when I return to the office. That work wouldn't be waiting for me if it were not for extensions, so I'm thankful to have quite a few procrastinators on my client list.

Since I don't efile, I don't have the hassle of getting anything back from them once the return is ready. I just complete the return and drop it in the mail to them or give them the opportunity to come pick it up if we're close to the deadline. That's an absolute last resort since I do everything possible to keep my clients out of my office so I can get some work done. If they file late, that's their problem because I don't FILE tax returns, I limit my job to PREPARING tax returns. Guess I'll have to rethink THAT part of the process next year unless there's some last-minute reprieve for us troglodytes.

[MAJ]

Married!

My son's getting married 1 October 2010 out of state. A couple of my usual procrastinators will end up late this year. They'll be mad at me, but I've been telling them since my son announced in March that I'll be out of state after September.

Cool... Have a great time. Reading more of this thread made me think more about how my rates are charged. I do charge for the extension. Curious what others charge.

I do like the April 1st pricing. Interesting concept. But the way I look at is - If I was sooooo organized and did everything when I was supposed to life would be grand. We all get into binds at times... But the flip side of the coin, it is our clients that we know. Some are CHRONIC and totally unprepared. Those are the ones that have to be DIRECTED to better ways.