Client Letter

[FEDUKE404]

Observation

If my clients don't complete the organizer, I send it back to them and remind them that they forgot to complete the form/s. Their taxes don't get prepared until I have completed worksheets and other required documents. My clients have been trained not to give me anything until that can give me everything.

Interesting approach to things.....

Some of my clients have been with me for close to 30 years. They pretty well know what to provide, and a quick interview/phone call/email will usually settle most remaining unknowns.

Quite frankly, some of them would likely be offended were I to send them an annual request for mandatory worksheets to show their name, DOBs, etc or give them several pages of irrelevant yes/no questions. With the possible exception of a new client, about whom you may know very little, it is easy to get into an overkill range for requesting such information for established clients.

Personally I have no problem working on a return and, if I encounter an obstacle, contacting the client with a request such as "did you donate to XYZ charity like you normally do?" or even "you forgot to let me know how much you paid for your prescription meds."

Different strokes for different folks, I guess.

FE

[JohnH]

If my clients don't complete the organizer, I send it back to them and remind them that they forgot to complete the form/s. Their taxes don't get prepared until I have completed worksheets and other required documents. My clients have been trained not to give me anything until that can give me everything.

You're also training some of them to go somewhere else once their friends tell them about their preparer. When I was seeking new business, one of the main complaints I used to hear was how the prior preparer expected them to fill out this long questionnaire. "May as well do the return myself" was the common gripe.

[ttbtaxes]

My client base is much like how others above have described.

Every client must at least answer all questions in the Tax Organizer. I think it is 3-4 pages long. Those clients who simply won't fill out an Organizer will only get the 4-page questionnaire. I find that it ferrets out issues and also puts them on record (in writing) as to responses about a myriad of issues.