Short Survey if I may

[AZ-Tax]

Do you require a down payment for a personal tax return and if so how much of a down payment?

Do you accept a "post dated check"?

Do you require a down payment for S-Corp, C-Corp and/or Partnership return and if so how much of a down payment?

Do you make house calls and if so how much do you charge per trip if at all?

[equinecpa]

Do you require a down payment for a personal tax return and if so how much of a down payment?

No but for new customers or customers who have been slow to pay me in the past-I do ask for payment before delivery.

Do you accept a "post dated check"?

Sure

Do you require a down payment for S-Corp, C-Corp and/or Partnership return and if so how much of a down payment?

No, but unless they are established customer must pay before delivery.

Do you make house calls and if so how much do you charge per trip if at all?

Most of my clients have schedule c of f's -small business clients. Yes I"ll go to their office/house to pick up papers/get backup of their computer files. What do I charge - my "tax bookkeeping" rate $50.00 an hour. I don't do this March/April.

I am thinking of incorporating a retainer fee into my practice. A lot of my longtime customers are feeling the effects of the economy and though they will pay me they are sure being slow to pay me. My receivables are WAY too high.

[Gretel]

Usually I don't require any down payment, the exception being past years tax returns and bookkeeping catch up and collection cases.

Yes, I accept post dated checks.

[Lion]

Payment

Usually no down payment, but payment upon delivery. (Many of my clients followed me from HRB or were sent to me by existing clients, so they're used to paying before filing.) If asked, I'll hold a check before depositing. I also take all major credit cards. For multiple years (my small corporations get behind), I ask for payment as each year is completed. I have a very part-time assistant or two (and now also my newly-retired husband) who do pick-ups and deliveries for me at no additional charge to the client, but my fees are not cheap. If I need to work at a client's site or meet with him there, it's $50/hour to start.

[DTS]

Do you require a down payment for a personal tax return and if so how much of a down payment? Only if I've had problems with this client before.

Do you accept a "post dated check"?
Yes, but I pause and then put that "look" on my face.

Do you require a down payment for S-Corp, C-Corp and/or Partnership return and if so how much of a down payment?
No, but I got badly burned from a family friend/customer thinking his credit was good with me. Big mistake, so I follow equinecpa's way.

Do you make house calls and if so how much do you charge per trip if at all?
My business is run like this, so no additional charge. I would not even think of it. It's all part of the cost of business.

[DaveO]

All personal returns are to be paid for on completion before efiling. We'll take a post dated check. Corp and partnership returns are billed net-30 unless we have had problems getting paid. All house calls are billed by the hour. So far this is mostly business clients.

[Nashville]

For Me

these arrangements are mostly informal, although I do have a price guide so that I price things consistently and fairly for all customers.

No down payment for personal. Customer pays IN FULL, but with the understanding I won't cash the check for 2 weeks/e-file or 6 weeks/conventionally filed. I am true to this, and would rather go through the hassle of holding checks than worry about collecting at a later time. I usually know from experience how long it will take me to prepare and produce a return.

No post-dated checks as they are illegal in most states. However, I adhere to the check-cashing promises outlined above.

Pay-as-you-go for Corporate and other entities. There will be a minimum of two appointments, including the final where I will complete collection.

House calls? Sure. I operate out of my house, so they can choose where to have the appointment done. It may sound like it's easy to have them all come to my house, but I've tried that too. You end up with unruly children, two clients coming at the same time, a client forgetting and not showing up, etc.

[jimmcg]

Do you require a down payment for a personal tax return and if so how much of a down payment?

Do you accept a "post dated check"?

Do you require a down payment for S-Corp, C-Corp and/or Partnership return and if so how much of a down payment?

Do you make house calls and if so how much do you charge per trip if at all?

No, No, No, & No

[taxmandan]

Do you require a down payment for a personal tax return and if so how much of a down payment?

>Not on current year returns, I do require 1/2 down on the expected fee for prior year returns.

Do you accept a "post dated check"?

>Only from established clients who I trust, never from a first-time client. Payment is due at time of completion and before they get their copy. Cash, check or plastic are accepted.

Do you require a down payment for S-Corp, C-Corp and/or Partnership return and if so how much of a down payment?

>Same as above for personal returns.

Do you make house calls and if so how much do you charge per trip if at all?

>No.

[Burke]

Yes, on the post-dated checks. I would rather have that in-hand, than try to bill and collect later. Never had one bounce. I will check with bank or client if I think it may be a problem to make sure funds are there.

Yes, on house calls, but those have dwindled down to a precious few, mostly elderlies -- one or two in a nursing home. And then it is just a pick-up service and review to make sure I have all the documents, and when completed, dropping off, signing, getting paid. I do not do the returns on-site.

[erchess]

My Policies

Down payment - only on audits of returns I did not prepare and out of town clients or anyone except people I know well who have prior year returns. For audits I collect my $500 minimum fee up front and for prior year returns where I don't know the person well I collect the full fee up front.

I do require payment even if its a check I must hold before I will give them their copies or electronically file the returns. Actually I have let two people who were both friends and of low income get by with paying me up to two weeks later and both did pay. I have to say the policies work for me as I have never had a check bounce or given a client their work without getting paid.

Work at their place - that's normally the only place I do work so this is built in to my fees. Out of town clients of course are handled by electronic communication and common carrier and I charge the same either way but then I do pay extra to overnight or two day when I send them stuff so the expenses are about the same.

Hold or post date Checks - yes I will. Because of the legal issues if I remember I ask them to put the current date on the check and in the memo field "cash dd/mm/yy". Holding until the refund comes in is rarely the issue with my clients as they tend to range from small refund to large balance due. What we're usually waiting on is their next large income check.

[thomtax]

Do you require a down payment for a personal tax return and if so how much of a down payment?

No.

Do you accept a "post dated check"?

No. Because of state laws. I will accept a check dated on day of return payment and hold it for a couple of weeks if requested.

Do you require a down payment for S-Corp, C-Corp and/or Partnership return and if so how much of a down payment?

No

Do you make house calls and if so how much do you charge per trip if at all?

No - Only for picking up business information.

Have usually gotten burned if allow client to pay out personal return balance.

LT

[Kram BergGold]

4 no's

I too am a 4 no person but how you handle these issues is determined by your clientel and your cash flow, There is no right way to do these things.

[Peachie]

My answers are:

Do you require a down payment for a personal tax return and if so how much of a down payment?

1. No. My returns are prepared with the customer present. Payment is reqquired when return is finished.

Do you accept a "post dated check"?

2. Rarely. Did at one time, but it got out of hand, so I stopped the practice.

Do you require a down payment for S-Corp, C-Corp and/or Partnership return and if so how much of a down payment?

3. Not applicable.

Do you make house calls and if so how much do you charge per trip if at all?

4. Had 2 elderly couples that I made house calls to. They are now deceased. I charged no fee for this service. I enjoyed ouur visits and really miss our yearly chats. I did log my mileage and wrote off on my tax return.

Peachie

[taxjungle]

A short Survey

Those of you who go to your tax clients' homes, what are the Pros and Cons of doing so?.......
I believe one of our members does this regularly. Maybe that person will comment?........

I may decide to use this method if it's easier than having them meet me in my office.

I would truly appreciate any thoughts. Thank you!