Deductions, More Likely...

[BHoffman]

Who is the opponent?

(grin) I have the same strategy playing cribbage with Hubby. Heels and Nobs. Gits 'em every time.

[DTS]

Games

I learned the art of diversion as a young child and it's been one of my best tools. Use it all the time.

I had to do something. It's that "sink or swim" thing.

[geekgirldany]

Hey everyone. Good posts!

Snag you are dead on in your post. The new customers I had complaining about the old accountants fees said the following:

"I knew we were in the wrong place when we walked in the door. You should have seen his office. No wonder he charged us what he did. He has to pay for that office and his new car".

I was like okay what I am in a outhouse here. They then went on to ask me how secure their information would be. I told them I wouldn't be selling it on the street if that is what they are worried about. Its obvious though I need to act and look more professional.

New customer needing representation comes by before I posted this thread. I am going to have to sit with her on the phone with the IRS to get permission to talk to them. Before I would have billed her. Now I am getting payment upfront and I am trying to find a engagement letter for her to sign. Take care of the problem and then she never comes back.


Sue on the collectibles... I have a car collection on my desk. Cars from movies mostly. A couple of comic book displays. I collect them also. Then I have a curio cabinet with war collectibles in it. I also have a old radio for display. I need to rearrange my office somehow. I've got three desks in there. One is really nice. A customer gave it to me. Hated to see it thrown out.

[DTS]

Geekgirl

I was like okay what I am in a outhouse here.

I know this feeling. I have this client that has been telling me for a few years that he was going to refer his mother to me. I kept telling him that would be nice and that I would prepare a very good return for her. Mind you, he and I want no hanky panky on his returns and we work very closely on his return to make sure his return is as pristine as humanly possible.

Anyway, this year I got the call from the mom. I prepare the return for her and as bad luck would have it, my refund was not as good as the fellow she had been using. Obviously, there were reasons for this. I called her to tell her the bottomline and near the end of the call, she told me that her son told her that I would do what was needed to get good results and that was why she used me this year. My spirit just slammed to the ground! All I told her was that I had done all I could for her and cited the reasons for the differences.

I just sat here dumbfounded, wondering what I ever did or said to him that would make him think I had this type of character and to use this description of me to refer future clients. All I wanted to do was take a shower to wash the filth off me.

I guess he and his mother equated my making sure I left no stone unturned to cheating on the returns, which was not done. I suppose if I see her again this coming year, I'll lose my easygoing manner and get right down to it.

Seems no matter how hard we try to be professional and present the best possible image, some will take what they want out it.

Dennis

[JG EA]

This is why, if taxes go way up this year and AMT doesn't get fixed guess who will look bad in the eyes of the taxpayer.

Some things I plan to do:

If they say "my girlfriend's hairdresser told me I can take thus and so." I will say nothing the first time and just make a note on my sheet. If they say it again I will say well let's get into the return and see where we are and what we can do. If they say it a third time I will end the interview and tell them to please have the hairdresser do the return.

At least that's the plan in June, January is far, far away.

[S T]

All the Posters

To everyone that has posted to this thread, it is all true!

After years in business, there were so many clients that I had wished would leave me and go somewhere else. As I changed some of my business practices and was not available for home visits, and with my recent move, I finally accomplished most all of those "pesky" clients or the ones that just send us "through the hoops" come tax time! Much better for me for the 2007 filing season!

I quit thinking about the number of returns that I was preparing a few years back, and have been concentrating on the quality of the client. It has been a major transition, a "slight" loss in revenue, but I have to say I am sleeping better at night, I spend a lot less time on finalizing a client return, and now also allows me more time to concentrate on a new potential client or provide additional services to a old time loyal client.

All tax professionals operate in different manners, some like the high volumne count, some like the high dollar count, some are good at individual returns only, some are good at different type of entity returns, and some us try to accomodate all!

We all as tax professionals have to find our own comfort zone for "our own" practice!

I am just glad that I had a few "gut wrentching" (sp) go bye-bye this last season!

Sandy

[JohnH]

I'd ask them if there was a shampoo included with the tax advice. Unless the shampoo is purchased along with the cut, the consultation generally doesn't last long enough to cover all the facts and thus would render the advice unreliable. But we can still consider the deduction if they will get a second opinion from their auto mechanic.

[JG EA]

Ha!

... But we can still consider the deduction if they will get a second opinion from their auto mechanic.

I love this and will definitely add it to future discussions. It will get the point across to the type of client I want to keep.

[AuditorTurnedGood]

I too have learned

when to bid a fond goodbye to certain clients. My practice is two years old, coming out of an equal time with the MN Dept of Revenue. I used to lay out the options for my clients and let them roll the dice, but now I'm canning clients I can't get to comply. I've now been asked twice to falsify a tax position, and both times they were shocked when I said no. The education of two seasons has been huge- in the beginning, any business was good business, since I had to do such things as pay my mortgage. I took on clients that were lacking in integrity, always paid late, and was charging them too little. I recently wrote off about a grand on a client for whom I was preparing past due returns (back to 2000 for 1040, 1120S and 941) because I was silly enough not to get a retainer. I learn from you all every day I look at the board. Thanks for talking about what they don't teach in school!