ACH is PIA

[Possi]

I have always offered the ACH option for my clients' tax liabilities, but I am considering stopping. I have had more problems with it this year, than ever. Auto payments for Installment Agreements were not deducted for 2 clients, and they got letters saying they owe the balance due to non-payment. One other gal sat in my office and painfully came up with a routing number that I knew instinctively was wrong. Turns out, it was a wire number and her payment didn't post. She is the kind of client you don't argue with because she will never understand. I just paid the penalty.

So, that was 3 in 3 weeks. There are more. The more people don't carry checkbooks, and don't supply me with a voided check, the more problems I have.

I'm not a big fan of "off season" tax work. They are all problem children. But I must pay my health insurance so that I'm covered when I have my stroke!

Thanks for listening to my whine...

While I'm at it, late W2 makes my client owe only $15.
I will amend it, would you?

[JohnH]

No, I wouldn't amend it, unless the client wants to pay for the work.
I'd hold it in the file and amend only if some other development made it somehow relevant.
I doubt there will even be a CP2000.

[RitaB]

I would

While I'm at it, late W2 makes my client owe only $15.
I will amend it, would you?

Yes, I would amend it. I'm guessing the client brought in the W-2 thinking something needed to be done, so I'd do it and charge a fair price, which might be $35 if I loved the client. Plus you already did the work to figure out they owe $15.

[TXEA]

I do not do an ACH for the client for payment or refund without the client having a check in hand, verifying and signing off that the routing and accounts numbers entered are correct.

There is no way I am going to take responsibility for entering the information for someone to pay their taxes. Tell them to set up an EFTPS account or set up with the IRS for direct bank draft.

[JohnH]

Yes, I would amend it. I'm guessing the client brought in the W-2 thinking something needed to be done, so I'd do it and charge a fair price, which might be $35 if I loved the client. Plus you already did the work to figure out they owe $15.

OK.
I changed my mind.
If Rita says amend, then I have to amend.

[RitaB]

Well, there ya go

OK.
I changed my mind.
If Rita says amend, then I have to amend.

If only all my clients were exactly like you, JohnH.

[JohnH]

That's the most important lesson I learned when I was the star student in your math class.

[RitaB]

Yep

That's the most important lesson I learned when I was the star student in your math class.

All your amended returns are free. Free, I tell you.