office procedures

[taxmom34]

if you advertise your business as being fast and accurate, what is the time frame for a client to have an appointment and when can client expect return to be done? this is not for you guys that go to the clients home and do the return there.
if client brought to your office with appointment march 7 when would you have it ready for signatures? just curious , exclient emailed me asking what the normal time was. i didnt have an answer.

[Dusty2004]

Making an assumption that I have all the information

if you advertise your business as being fast and accurate, what is the time frame for a client to have an appointment and when can client expect return to be done? this is not for you guys that go to the clients home and do the return there.
if client brought to your office with appointment march 7 when would you have it ready for signatures? just curious , exclient emailed me asking what the normal time was. i didnt have an answer.

It is rare that I go more that 3-4 days before getting the return back to the client.

As far as advertising "fast" - that is very subjective. Fast for me might be slow for you.

Dusty

[KBTS]

I tell clients the "usual" time frame is about a week. Now that assumes they have everything in order and no information is missing. At some points in the season, it might only be 3-4 days and at other points it might be closer to two weeks. When you are a one person operation, you can only do so much sometimes.

[AZ-Tax]

I am a one man show here...

therefore I basically do it all. Currently I am unregistered even though I came very very close to passing the ole take all 4 parts in 1 day EA exam about 5 yr ago. I held off to see what the new IRS laws are going to be. I believe I am also very under priced and plan to raise my fees after either becoming a Registered Tax Prerparer or an EA most likely this year. In Feb, I had turn around times within a week, March and up thru April 18th, 2 week min turn around. Most clients, not big deal but some, 2 weeks a big deal. As April 18th gets closer, any TP's both repeat and new clients risk the extension.

[erchess]

I sometimes take returns home

and I often take a couple weeks to do those particularly if I have to do extensive research. We are of course normally talking about returns that I could not complete in four un-interrupted hours of work. In this computer age that's obviously limited to very complex ones.

[geekgirldany]

Most of the time it is a week or less turn around especially on the "easier" returns. Those with businesses, rentals, corporate returns it is about two weeks as long as they get the info to me. Found myself calling people three times to get info and still don't get it.

The closer it comes to the 15th the less likely they will have a time frame. On S-Corps I don't give a time frame other than expect it before the 15th.

[PIGLEE]

I usually do the tax return while people are sitting at my desk. They have an extra monitor so they can watch the whole process. When done they sign the efiling papers. Then after it is accepted I mail them their copy. (that is if they have everything at their appointment time).

My mail in returns I try to get them out within a week, I then mail the return with the 8879's for them to sign and return.

This year I will admit I am running very slow. We moved during tax season, and I have a husband with alzhiemers. Got a lot to do before the 18th. Got to go, this forum is my great escape.

[kpangelinan]

It is rare that I go more that 3-4 days before getting the return back to the client.

As far as advertising "fast" - that is very subjective. Fast for me might be slow for you.

Dusty

This is about my turn around for basic to semi-complicated returns.

I tell clients the "usual" time frame is about a week. Now that assumes they have everything in order and no information is missing. At some points in the season, it might only be 3-4 days and at other points it might be closer to two weeks. When you are a one person operation, you can only do so much sometimes.

therefore I basically do it all. Currently I am unregistered even though I came very very close to passing the ole take all 4 parts in 1 day EA exam about 5 yr ago. I held off to see what the new IRS laws are going to be. I believe I am also very under priced and plan to raise my fees after either becoming a Registered Tax Prerparer or an EA most likely this year. In Feb, I had turn around times within a week, March and up thru April 18th, 2 week min turn around. Most clients, not big deal but some, 2 weeks a big deal. As April 18th gets closer, any TP's both repeat and new clients risk the extension.

Ditto to these two responses above....I, too, am a one man operation, or should I say, I'm the only one licensed in my office and who prepares the returns. I do have a full time office manager who helps me with prepping the cases before and after I complete my work.

AZ-Tax....good luck on the EA...I got mine a while back and a friend of mine took it last year with the new format and it seems much easier than before. I have a few resources for study that helped me back in the day if you're interested.

I usually do the tax return while people are sitting at my desk. They have an extra monitor so they can watch the whole process. When done they sign the efiling papers. Then after it is accepted I mail them their copy. (that is if they have everything at their appointment time).

My mail in returns I try to get them out within a week, I then mail the return with the 8879's for them to sign and return.

This year I will admit I am running very slow. We moved during tax season, and I have a husband with alzhiemers. Got a lot to do before the 18th. Got to go, this forum is my great escape.

Holy moly......I didn't think they did it this way any more, other than the large chains today of course.

Ditto here also, as this forum provides a wealth of knowledge and an opportunity to take a break during the commotion as I'm doing now!

[RitaB]

One - Two Weeks

Generally, it takes me one to two weeks to get to a return after drop off. The pile I am starting on today is for 3/21 drop offs. Have four others laying here since about 3/10 waiting on something to finish. I am happy to do extensions.

Like AZ-Tax and kpangelinan, it's just me. Have not been stressed or behind enough to hire help. Not real hopeful that I could find a competent worker if I tried. I figure the kind of worker I want already has a job.

I am a bit of a control freak, and tend to rely upon me, myself, and I. It has taken me 17 years to get to where I can handle things the way I want them handled, and I figure that it would take me longer to train someone than do it myself.

Similar to when I used to just wash all the clothes rather than train my kids.

I got over that.

[kpangelinan]

Same here.

Generally, it takes me one to two weeks to get to a return after drop off. The pile I am starting on today is for 3/21 drop offs. Have four others laying here since about 3/10 waiting on something to finish. I am happy to do extensions.

Like AZ-Tax and kpangelinan, it's just me. Have not been stressed or behind enough to hire help. Not real hopeful that I could find a competent worker if I tried. I figure the kind of worker I want already has a job.

I am a bit of a control freak, and tend to rely upon me, myself, and I. It has taken me 17 years to get to where I can handle things the way I want them handled, and I figure that it would take me longer to train someone than do it myself.

Similar to when I used to just wash all the clothes rather than train my kids.

I got over that.

Same here....my wife and I made the decision a few years back (with the help of a long time mentor in the industry) to just stay with our operation just the way it was and not bring anyone on. There was way too many negatives as compared to anything we'd gain from growing our practice.....it might have been different had we been in the Big City, but in rural Maine, we're just fine and dandy.

[oceanlovin'ea]

I do as many returns as I can while the client is here. I would say 75% I can do while they are here. Some just want to leave it. It gets postponed more if they leave it but I try to get it finished in a week or two at the most. That is unless they have to get more information for me.

It is me, myself and I doing tax returns here. My husband works for me...helping me with bookkeeping and doing my deposits, making sure I get things done on time, etc. He is retiring from his accounting job in 3 1/2 weeks. He will do more for me with the bookkeeping part of things and other things too. Maybe he will decide to take a tax course and learn to do taxes. He keeps asking a lot of questions.

I don't ever want this business to be so big I need to hire someone else. If my husband and I can't handle it, then we have too much. I really want to be able to take off when I want to. My aunt was down here for 2 1/2 months. We just took her to the airport to go home to Michigan to 6 inches of snow in her yard. But I didn't really spend as much time with her as I wanted to. I like my flexibility.

Linda, EA