Provide Depreciation Detail

[taxmandan]

I charge everybody for extra copies

Client is leaving and wants additional copies of work done assuming all is paid up I will give copies with an additional copy charge. My feeling is I already gave them one copy with original return that they paid for . They want another then they have to pay for a copy, employees cost money.

Only charge clients who are leaving? I charge current clients for additional copies, $25. The fee has reduced the number of additional copies we print to only 1 in 6 phone call requests we get now. It prompts them to look a little harder to find the copy they were given when we prepared it.

And they got a copy of the depreciation schedule with the original return.

[Joe Btfsplk]

time consuming copying

I agree when they want copies of p&l's , tax returns, payroll reports and all other info for a whole year. I charge for it. It is time consuming and also I already provided them copies when the work was originally completed.

I got rid of a pain-in-the-A$$ client last year. His new accountant wanted all kinds of information which would take hours to copy. I had been printing all of the client's reports as PDFs, so all I had to do is send the reports as email attachments which took very little time.

I have set PDF as my default printer. All financial statements, tax returns, payroll reports, etc. are first printed to the PDF. I look the pdf over, and if I find any error, I correct it and reprint. Then I print the paper copy for the client and save the PDF as my file copy.

I've had several clients move out of state and continue having me do their taxes which I can email as pdf attachments and not have to worry about mail delays or things getting lost in the mail.

[OldJack]

My procedures are the same: copy all documents, keep nothing belonging to client (returning all originals to them), put depreciation schedule with IRS copy and client copy.

Wow... that is really scary BB.

I thought I was the only "fool", as other say, for giving everything to clients and actually thinking the IRS might look at paper in this age of technology. I can't remember when my last IRS audit was (on a return I prepared) but it had to have been 15+ years ago. I guess I have just been lucky.

[Black Bart]

IRS audits / tax return copies

We can't really "know" whether or not our IRS operations theories are right, but we have to do what we think is best. I haven't had a client audited in many years either. It might be luck, or the pre-Everson commissioner wasn't checking all that many, or maybe they do look at those depreciation schedules. Who can say? I wish we had an ex-IRS poster here to give us the dope on inside operations at the service centers. Anyway, don't fix it if it ain't broke, as they say, so I'm going to keep doing it the same way.

As to whether to charge for return copies, Joe's got some good points about his fees discouraging unreasonable clients. I have some who ask for several each year and I suspect it's easier to get one from me than it is for them to find theirs at the house. Others have a real need -- the bank wants a file copy for the examiners and client doesn't want to turn over their only one. Or a mortgage company wants the last three years for a new loan. Or they're leaving and that new guy wants the last three years. And $25 would certainly discourage the bums and lazy people (and even pick up some good change if you had enough people asking).

Still, I'm agreeing with you again -- I may be in danger of joining that "YesJack" chorus I mentioned awhile back.

I almost never (95% of the time) charge them for copies and if I do, it's only about five dollars. That's because I think the "bad-mouthing" you mentioned could lose you some current customers and maybe a lot more potential customers, costing much more in fee dollars than those half-dozen $25 charges could ever amount up to. If you get a big tax fee and then charge for every little incidental, then people feel like they're being nickeled and dimed to death. Too, if they've been good, steady, loyal clients, they feel (and so do I) they're entitled to a few perks (including maybe a notary fee, or a short memo typed, a few postage stamps, etc.) I like that kind of treatment and so do they. Charging the right fee on the front end covers all that stuff and it's just good advertising -- a customer feels "special" and you generate loyalty when they ask "How much do I owe you?" and you reply "No charge on that -- you're a good customer and we appreciate your business."

Exception: If it's a big job like sea-tax was talking about, I'd charge no matter who it was.

[jainen]

$39

>>nickeled and dimed<<

According to the IRS, a copy of a tax return is worth $39.

[Black Bart]

Well then, they're wrong;

>>nickeled and dimed<<

According to the IRS, a copy of a tax return is worth $39.

as they are wrong about so many other things.

[OldJack]

Charging the right fee on the front end covers all that stuff and it's just good advertising -- a customer feels "special" and you generate loyalty when they ask "How much do I owe you?" and you reply "No charge on that -- you're a good customer and we appreciate your business."

Now that is what I call a good business practice. I also tell my clients to call me anytime they want as I don't charge for time I spend with them on the telephone because I want to be a part of their business decisions.

You would be surprised at how many clients have said they dumped a big firm because they felt like it cost them to say hello to their CPA. Of course, if I have a lot of telephone time with a client they are going to pay for it one way or the other but they will not get a bill that says so.

I should again say that I have no walk-in clients that I only do a personal income tax return for and never see them again. I would have to charge different for that type of client. I am talking basically about my type clients that are or will be long-term business tax clients that I also do personal taxes.

[taxmandan]

The type of client is the key

I should again say that I have no walk-in clients that I only do a personal income tax return for and never see them again. I would have to charge different for that type of client. I am talking basically about my type clients that are or will be long-term business tax clients that I also do personal taxes.

The various ways that each of us handle this is a reflection of the differences in our clients. I would spend far too much of my time on the phone answering free questions and/or printing copies of tax returns which they already received if I didn't charge them. My fee for copies isn't to make a buck or even cover the costs, it's to train clients to recognize the value of my service and time. Everyone has heard the old saw: "You get what you pay for" and I want them to know that they got something of value when they talk to me.