Things I Hate About Tax Season / Please Add Yours

[anu31402]

Client sent me an Email on March 15th at 10.45 pm "Can you please file a business extension for me ASAP please? It's Urgent!"

[veritas]

Goodwill Hunting

No your 14 blank Goodwill receipts are not a $8,000 deduction.

[DMICPA]

Tex Gurus

Don't forget the engineer that details everything on some Amega computer AND wants to review the tax return prior to finishing it so he can run different scenarios on various other deductions that he did not give me yet because we might not need them.

[DMICPA]

Tax Experts

How about the client that insists on a low bill and also comments on every line you input and every tax position you take by saying " OK, you are right because I already called the IRS help line to see if you would do it that way. Or, ZI don't know if you are right because I called the IRS help line and they did not say the same thing as you are.

They end with, "just so you know, I also do taxes for some people at work so I already know everything"

[DMICPA]

Tax Pimps

Let's not forget the client that is always complaining about the bill and one busy season comes to my office and says to me that, in his opinion, all tax preparer's are just like prostitutes because they charge by the hour!

Now why is it that I get headaches

[BP.]

Don't forget the engineer that details everything on some Amega computer AND wants to review the tax return prior to finishing it so he can run different scenarios on various other deductions that he did not give me yet because we might not need them.

Yeah, he was in my office yesterday with the master flow chart that includes dependents he won't be claiming and the college costs that he knows he's over the AGI limit for. But we'll review this sheet four times.

[RitaB]

That Guy

Don't forget the engineer that details everything on some Amega computer AND wants to review the tax return prior to finishing it so he can run different scenarios on various other deductions that he did not give me yet because we might not need them.

Yeah, he was in my office yesterday with the master flow chart that includes dependents he won't be claiming and the college costs that he knows he's over the AGI limit for. But we'll review this sheet four times.

Yeah, that guy with the good ole multiple choice return was in HERE today and brought me a stale energy bar from 1998. I want to shove his pocket protector up his Amega. But, I'm pretty sure I'm his favorite.

I feel used.

[Jiggers]

Oil companies who have no clue on how to complete a 1099MISC properly.

You would think that they would have some clue, but I bet it is some lowly secretary preparing these.

Oil & Gas Lease: I have seen reported in box 3 Other Income and 7 Nonemployee Compensation. It goes in box 1 Rents.

Seismic work: The land men are telling my clients that the checks they receive for seismic work on their property looking for oil and gas is tax free because it is for damages. OK, why the 1099 then?

Seismic work: I have seem them reported in box 1 Rents and 7 Nonemployee Compensation. It goes in box 3 Other Income.

[Burke]

"What are your contributions this year?
"Uh, about the same. Whatever, you think."
"I'm thinking zero so maybe you better take a look."

Or, my personal favorite, "whatever they let you take."

[JG EA]

You guys must get your client's into shape. I have weeded out all of the above.

(With the exception of the one who asks me every year why she must pay taxes. She has friends who never pay taxes and doesn't ever want to give me the 1099R for her IRA because the taxes have been paid).

Client's bring me goody's and coffee and pretty much do what I tell them. (With the exception of the one that keeps terrible books and always has stuff missing.)

My clients are perfect. (With the exception for the one who emails question after question and never understands my answer until I finally just call him and tell him everytiing is OK.)

Well most of them are OK I guess.

[Mo Sheets]

One of my favorites.....

Client who drops off tax return....and as they are walking out the door...."Oh, you have all of my stuff....hopefully hubby will get his to you shortly!" I've had two clients do this to me this year....like I'm running a babysitting service for incomplete tax returns.

I'm about ready to call them back and say "I left your return sitting on my front porch....stop by to pick it up whenever you get a chance....there is no more room in the house for returns I can't complete."

SORRY!!!

[Uncle Sam]

Tax Season Goodies

And when you ask the client "How much are your charitable contributions"?
They reply "As much as you can get away with"

Client who's a single mother gets EIC, pays me, signs engagement letter,
signs e-file forms, I e-file, get acceptance, THEN the next week calls to
tell me she got married last year and didn't think to tell me because he
didn't earn any income for the year. The guy isn't even a U. S. citizen
(he lives with her), doesn't have a Soc Sec # or ITIN, was never
previously married - still hasn't come to pick up her amended return.
(I put down "Applied For" for his number).

Another clown remembered that last year I advised him to document
his non-cash donations by taking pictures of the donations before he
gave them away. So he showed me 6 photographs of stuffed plastic
garbage bags.

And how can I forget today's experience? A new client came to me last year
who had a previous preparer for his 2009 return. He never says anything during
the interview last year that the prior person had set him up for resident state
estimates because he works across the border in another state. This he doesn't
tell me last year - so I never knew to pick up the estimate payment.
Just after I gave him the 2011 returns to go home to wife to sign e-file forms,
he sends me a notice received from resident state showing the estimate I never
knew about. Then the amount doesn't reconcile. It turns out before the state issued
the refund, they offset it by the balance due for 2010 that he didn't tell me he didn't pay.
Then went to the state website to find the 1099-G (my state doesn't issue them anymore
to save budget money) and the amount looked strange. What the state did was take the
estimate not paid but now issued, less a state credit that is not taxable.
It's like Crime Scene Investigation.

[RitaB]

Wow

Another clown remembered that last year I advised him to document his non-cash donations by taking pictures of the donations before he
gave them away. So he showed me 6 photographs of stuffed plastic
garbage bags.

I would have busted out laughing right in front of him. That is hilarious.

Shoot, I have six bags of donations in my garage right now. Where's my camera?

[PIGLEE]

The people with the MOST money, complain because they are SO POOR.

[manyhappyreturns]

Answering the phone from a caller named "withheld" who asks, "Hi, I was just wondering, how much do you guys charge to do a simple short form?"