Fee Increase Re-visit

[JohnH]

How about the following sign in your office for the price shoppers?

"Buying quality is like buying oats.

For a reasonable price I can get you good quality oats.

On the on the other hand, if price is the only thing you are interested in, then for slightly less money you can settle for oats that have already been through the horse.

It's your choice."

[erchess]

Some Ideas

I like getting referrals so much that I take ten percent off a client's next return for every paid return I do for someone who they refer to me. I tell them to write my name on the back of my card and give it to the persons they send to me. And yes, if you refer me ten people your return is free but no if you refer more than ten I don't write you a check in addition to doing your return for free.

This year I made two significant changes to the way I charge. Always in the past I charged per form with decreases in cases where for example a Sch C was very simple. (I'm sure I am not the only one on this board who has done a Sch C with one 1099M and literally nothing else.) I guess my fee worked out to around 75 bucks an hour. This year my return pricing is very simple and straightforward - $150 an hour plus a $300 surcharge for entities because everyone in my area seems to have very high minimum fees for those.

[AZ-Tax]

Avondale AZ (PHX suburb) tax prep fee schedule

Avondale pop of about 90K sits just west of Phoenix and about 40 mi from my office. Fee are probably a little higher then mine.

http://www.corlisstax.com/images/Pricelist.pdf

[Uncle Sam]

Fee Schedule

A-Z - how did you get hold of that schedule?

[FEDUKE404]

Answer

A-Z - how did you get hold of that schedule?

It's on their web site: http://www.corlisstax.com/

On left side, go to "forms" then to "price list"

FE

[joanmcq]

ten bucks for a Sch C? Are they daft?

Of course then again, I don't charge for a Sch SE unless I have to adjust it somehow (clergy); the program fills it out. But my Sch C is a base price of $55.

An EZ is less.

[ToledoEd]

How about the following sign in your office for the price shoppers?

"Buying quality is like buying oats.

For a reasonable price I can get you good quality oats.

On the on the other hand, if price is the only thing you are interested in, then for slightly less money you can settle for oats that have already been through the horse.

It's your choice."

Of course we will charge a small fee for the processing of the oats by the horse.

[equinecpa]

How about the following sign in your office for the price shoppers?

"Buying quality is like buying oats.

For a reasonable price I can get you good quality oats.

On the on the other hand, if price is the only thing you are interested in, then for slightly less money you can settle for oats that have already been through the horse.

It's your choice."

Oh John...I'm going to have to use that considering I do mostly equine and farm related returns...

[JohnH]

Yes, talk about a concept your clients will relate to easily...

[Y2KEA]

My sign

My sign says:

Fees are charged according to the following schedule:

1. Fast
2. Accurate
3. Cheap

Choose any two.

[kpangelinan]

My sign says:

Fees are charged according to the following schedule:

1. Fast
2. Accurate
3. Cheap

Choose any two.

Hahaha....I like this one too!

[ChEAr$]

Once upon a time I worked for an ice cream company. No, not dipping, but involving with franchising Basin Robbins stores. There was a framed plaque on the wall of each store, part of the decor, which quoted John Ruskin:

“There is hardly anything in the world that some man cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper, and the people who consider price only are this man's lawful prey.”

[JoshinNC]

That's a weird price schedule

Avondale pop of about 90K sits just west of Phoenix and about 40 mi from my office. Fee are probably a little higher then mine.

http://www.corlisstax.com/images/Pricelist.pdf

Some of it seems normal (1040, financial statements, etc), but then others make no sense ($10 for a C, D or E?).

Maybe they do additional charges based on complexity for these items?

[ToddFogelberg]

Fees are not the #1 issue

I agree with the post that fees aren't the #1 issue for most clients and prospective clients. I've seen preparers run themselves running ragged doing $50 and $100 returns that should be twice the price. I post my fees on my website and they are reasonable but not the lowest around. And I add on for complexity.

[MAJ]

Client Loyalty!!

Clients are loyal to their tax preparers for the most part. As long as you are decent to them that is!! I am proud to say that I have client who have been with us since 1959. And that's not too bad since I just turned 50!! My Dad's clients will have no part of searching.. The once client said - Fine - I just doubled your fee for you. Now what do you have to say?? I said - Bring it on!
Note: I used to go to them and pick up like my Dad did. I told them I could no longer do their return as it was a distance and took so much time. They now bring to me (all client do at this point) and did in fact double the fee! I cannot complain on that one!!

This my two cents worth on fees. I will not compete with other peoples fees to just get the client because if they are shopping on fees then they will not be back next year and who needs the one year people? Most of my clients have been coming to me for over 5 years and if I was to raise my fees I am still about half of what the national chains cost in my area.

As I said in previous posts when I started out I under priced myself and still regret that. Most good clients know that the best does not charge the least and also do not overcharge. I do consider myself knowlagable and pride myself on doing more education then I have to so if someone wants cheap or quick I say that is not me.

I feel that most of us on this board are in touch with what is reasonable to charge someone and I do offer a cheap 1040ez but this is only in hopes to gain this client for a long term client that will work into a "long form" person for many years to come.

That is my take on fees. I know it is a little disorginized but when fees and fee shoppers come up it just makes me so mad. How can you expect to get quality when you just want cheap?

Superman