See Poll on do you have your clients enter tax forms like W-2, 1099-Misc etc into your tax organizer?
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22Have your clients enter data from their tax forms (w-2, 1099-misc etc.) into your tax organizer?13.64%3Do NOT have clients enter data from their tax forms (w-2, 1099-misc etc.) into your tax organizer?86.36%19The poll is expired.
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Possible misleading question
I answered DO NOT. We send an Organizer to all of our clients. Lacerte pre-prints instructions to the client that they are to enter their information. However, we do not require that they do. We tell the client that it is simply a checklist to make sure you bring in all of your forms. In fact, if a client inputs their numbers on the Organizer, we will ignore them. We will use the numbers per the tax forms. -
I did not see the poll, however, all my clients use a Tax Organizer.Comment
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I prefer to have my clients input all their tax information into special software I have. Seems to make it really easy for me to do their return.Comment
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Lacerte
Our organizer (condensed version) asks clients to staple their W2s, 1099s to the organizer. Some still try to write it in even though there is no place to write it in. Others like to cross out the prior year amounts and write it in there.
And then there is a core that throw away the organizer every year and then I reprint it when they are here and make them complete it.Comment
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Is this an online organizer or something they have to download that they have to enter the data?Originally posted by Roberts View Post
How do you get that data into your tax prep software?Taxes after all are the dues that we pay for the privileges of membership in an organized society. - FDRComment
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Client doing their own input?
That seems dangerous. Wouldn't take longer to find & correct their errors than to just do the input yourself?Comment
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Organizer is optional
This poll (response choices) is a bit narrow.
For "tax documents" (W2s, 1099s, similar) I ALWAYS work from the tax documents. That seems to be bordering on "common sense," at least to me.
For "tax information" that would also be shown on an organizer - contributions, property taxes, medical expenses, estimated payments, and similar - having such information entered on the organizer both helps the client when "organizing" their tax records and me when the return is being prepared. Even then, having other documentation (such as a contribution receipt where something of value was received) is often helpful.
My tax software annually creates a personalized organizer based entirely upon the prior year return. For new clients, I can create a "blank" organizer.
Use of the organizer for me is optional. Some clients love it, others completely ignore it. I do feel I have met my obligation by offering it to clients.
OTOH, I would NEVER "require" a client to fill in (except for perhaps summary personal information such as SSN, DOB, address, bank info) an organizer. There is a thin line there, and a client does not want to be put into a position where they may perceive THEY are doing the actual work and then some data entry person can later "prepare" the tax return.
FWIW: I have had several new/referred clients who specifically told me they were leaving a prior preparer, often of the CPA type, because they had finally had their personal fill of being forced to fill out pages of forms each year and then have to pay big bucks for what they perceived (correctly!) as being reasonably non-complicated tax returns. Also many "senior" clients are reluctant to have such mandatory requirements placed upon them.
Food for thought. Of course, as mentioned in a prior TTB discussion, everyone has the right to "run their own shop" in a manner they alone deem to be proper.
FEComment
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I just have them enter it directly into the tax prep software. It seems easier than having them write all that out by hand and they seem to enjoy it.Originally posted by ATSMAN View PostComment
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Client input into tax software
Huh? This does not make sense to me. I bet a $3 bill that I am faster and more accurate than most or all of my clients when it comes to inputting into my tax software. How is this more efficient? Also, it seems the client would feel an awful lot like they are the ones preparing their return which would make them wonder why they just don't do it themselves.Comment
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If clients enter it themselves, they are preparing their own return.
I take the information they send, enter it and wait a few days to recheck it, then send it to them for signature and let them think it took me all day or more to do it.Comment
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Sounds like a plan to me
You could even be more efficient by sending them to TurboTax.com, have them enter the information, and then print out a return for you to sign and return to them along with an invoice.Originally posted by Roberts View Post
FEComment
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Maybe as an extension of my answer that they all fill in the tax organizer is appropriate. My entire practice is internet based. That is I do not have any office appointments. I have a niche practice - clergy and religious workers, and it is spread all across the US and overseas. I do all questions thru e-mail and receive docs through scanning, faxing and some US mail. This is really great for documentation and storing of info. Anyway,not a perfect system, but it is working for me.Comment
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Author of this POLL
Over the yrs I have viewed tax organizers and tax organizers. Everyone I viewed had a section to enter data from official tax documents like W-2, 1099-misc etc. including the TTB 2013 tax organizer. I myself create a fillable PDF tax organizer in sections with 1 easy to read page of instructions. On the instruction page I give examples and if that example does not apply, don't complete that section but occasionally I will have a client tell me if I am going to complete a tax organizer, I might as well prepare my own tax return for which I roll my eyes. My tax organizer does not require my client to transfer any data from any official tax form or letter. I pull data directly from those official tax documents. I also have a space on each page of the tax organizer for my client to either print or write their name plus each page needs to be initialed. My tax organizer is attached to an email but there are a few for which I need to mail. I actually was surprised that so many of you tax preparers don't mandate your client to transfer data from their W-2, 1099-misc etc. onto your tax organizer. Yes the poll questions are probably vague but I maxed out on characters.Comment
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Creating an organizer
Your points are valid, and certainly fall into individual tax preparer preferences.Originally posted by AZ-Tax View Post
I do prefer the method I now use, which automatically generates a personalized tax organizer from the prior year tax return. There is a page or so of "generic questions" (of the "Did you sell any stock?" type) for everyone, but things such as personal information, wage/bank/Sch C income sources/deductions and prior year amounts are transferred/completed with no effort on my part. I can quickly complete 100 personalized organizers with the few clicks of a mouse. Also, what goes into each client's organizer is directly related to the old tax return, i.e. only people with a prior Sch E see the "rental" questions.
As for the "mandate" (highlighted above) related to entering information from tax documents, I would dare say you are in the minority on that aspect. To rely on a client getting that information 100% correct would seem like running through a minefield with snowshoes on, especially for documents such as a Form 1099-R that contains all types of critical information. I will ALWAYS enter such information directly from the supporting tax documents, regardless of what the client may have written on the organizer pages!
Just my 2ยข worth.
FEComment
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