NT / Just dodged a bullet

[RitaB]

Been playing phone tag with a PITA client for days, who keeps calling after hours and on my day off, and is apparently not listening to my greeting that divulges this top secret information. Hello! It's also posted on my front door.

Anyhow, state has no record of her paying her sales tax last period. She is habitually late to boot. I asked her on day one if the check has cleared. "I dunno." I ask her again today, she still "dunno."

I fax her the sales tax return and copy of check that I had to write out for her so she can forward to the agent who is after her.

First attempt, she couldn't turn on fax. Second attempt, my fax says it got thru. She calls two hours later, "Can you send it again? The first page got stuck..."

So, I send it again, ALONG WITH MY VERY SARCASTIC NOTES OF THE WHOLE INCIDIENT. Oh. No.

Well. I think, ok, I really didn't need her anyway.

She calls 30 minutes later. I am ready to get a tongue lashing. Client: "Can you send the fax again? I am still just getting the first page..."

Me: Be glad to! No problem! Don't worry about, this is no big deal. My fax malfunctions all the time. Stupid things. No trouble at all.

[Edsel]

Nothing Changes

We all have clients we don't need. But we put up with them. Only in extreme PITA cases do we fire a client.

There is an old stoic proverb that says: "The more things change, the more things stay the same." Not getting your sarcastic notes salvaged this client for you. Lucky you.

If you didn't need her before sending the fax, you don't suddenly need her because she didn't receive it. "The more things change, the more things stay the same."

[RitaB]

So true

Not getting your sarcastic notes salvaged this client for you. Lucky you.

LOL.

Yeah, and after thinking about it (and HER), if she had gotten the notes, she probably wouldn't have read them, and I would still be stuck with her. Today is my day,

[FEDUKE404]

Simple solution

Print out the client material, place into an envelope, affix a 44¢ stamp, drop in mail box.

Enjoy your day(s) off.....

FE

[taxea]

Thought you might be able to use this

Rita B feel free to edit it to your liking

(CLIENT NAME)
(COMPANY NAME)
(MAILING ADDRESS)
(CITY, STATE, ZIP)
Dear
Effective [Insert date], we can no longer service your account. We have come to this decision with great reluctance. We are resigning because [delete inappropriate reason e.g.)

of your continued failure to pay our fee for services in a timely manner;

we have a conflict of interest between your company and other clients;

our continuing staffing problems have made it impossible to serve your needs;

we are changing the types of services we will offer in the future;

we are concerned about your failure to act upon the recommendations we have made in the past;

of our desire to decrease the number of clients we will serve in the future.

We wish to remind you that we will not be performing any services for you after [Insert date], and that there may be tax returns, elections, or other compliance matters for which you are now responsible. We recommend that you immediately obtain a new tax preparer, and we will fully cooperate in providing information to your new preparer, within our company guidelines, when your unpaid balance of [Insert amount] is paid in full.

We appreciate the opportunity to have served you in previous years, and wish you success in your future pursuits.

Sincerely,

[JohnH]

Or you could use this one:

Dear (client):

Sometimes I wonder how this office could function without you as a client.
As of this upcoming Monday we're all going to find out.
Enclosed is your stuff.

Regards,
JohnH

[taxmom34]

i really like JohnH's answer, best of all!!!

[newbie]

i really like JohnH's answer, best of all!!!

Me too!!!!!

[Jiggers]

Fired clients

I always send out of 4 - 5 letters each year, firing clients that I really don't want to have as clients.

This year was no exception.

My standard phrase in each letter is "I have decided to change the type of returns that I prepare and specialize in other areas of taxation and complexity. Your return does not meet this type and I must relunctantly resign from preparing your returns in the future. I am also reducing the size of my business and am looking forwrad to a reduction in tax returns that I prepare."

This usually covers P*I*T*A clients and helps them feel good about leaving!

I also start the letter with "...effective with the filing of your 2009 Federal Income Tax Return in 2010, I will no longer prepare your return."

For some reason, this year, 2 of the recipients came to my office with their tax information. I reminded them of the letter and they thought it meant NEXT year.

I didn't do their return! I did refer them to other firms. One was an EIC which I really don't want to do and the other is a one that uses Quickbooks and GIGO. I just got tired of trying to understand and correct her postings and categorization which was a mix of personal and business stuff.