Am I being pushy asking for my taxes to be done by mid September? (it gets worse)

[progree]

For about 30 years I have seen the same tax preparer. He is pleasant and over the years has been very accurate. Over about the past 10 years I've been giving him a bonus each year (excepting last year - more on that in a bit).

One source of irritation for me over the years though is that I always agree to let him file an extension (the IRS deadline for extensions is October 15). Usually the conversation goes like this (it's an annual ritual for years and years) (typically we meet in late March):

He: I think I can have it done by April 15, it might be a little tight.

Me: I don't really need it by then

He: Good, that takes the pressure off of me, and gives me a extra time to do more checking. I should have it done in June

Me: September is fine, just so I have it in time to check it over before the September 15 estimated tax payment date.

-----

What happens every single year is that he has a draft for me to look at about 4 days before the Oct 15 deadline (or whatever the deadline that year is -- the next Monday if Oct 15 falls on a weekend).

I spend many hours checking and making annotations on it etc. If the draft is fine, then no problem, but if something is wrong that needs fixing, then the back-and-forth and getting another draft etc. and checking that gets us very close to the final deadline. I have to hope neither he nor I are sick or have emergency or other matters that must be dealt with during those critical few days.

Q1. Anyway, am I being unreasonable to insist on, say, a September 10 date (giving me some time to review), so my 3rd estimated tax payment isn't based on a quick office visit draft, like my first two estimated tax payments? Not to mention not having to sweat things out in mid-October

--------------------------------

The second problem is more serious (a relationship ender). For years and years he prints out and gives me a draft version of my tax return at the end of our March office visit. This year he didn't (I didn't notice that at the time, because he gave me a lot of other stuff, like a projection of 2018 taxes).

He hasn't responded to a March 22 or a March 27 email, or a April 25 voice message where I've asked for the "office draft" (his terminology -- he knows what I'm talking about - I explain that in my communications), even offering to pick it up.

Q2. Anyway, is it reasonable to expect a draft tax return to look over at the end of the March office visit, or has he just been extra nice all these years, and this year he decided not to do this extra favor?

(Maybe in retaliation that for the first time in probably a decade, I didn't give him a bonus last year -- I've told him some years ago, the bonus was because his high accuracy saves me a lot of time)

(Maybe he thinks I'm judging him on his March office draft, but I've never held mistakes in that office draft against him since I can't expect mistakes not to be made when there isn't a reasonable amount of time to check).

(The October draft last year had a number of serious errors, so I didn't give him a bonus -- the first time in the past decade at least that I haven't given him a bonus. I didn't tell him that was the reason, and neither of us brought it up...)

I'm planning to escalate (I warned him in my April 25 voice message), saying I'm just not going to sit and wait until October without even a draft version of my taxes. And that I need it before then for tax planning and sometimes decisions come up that are better-informed if I have a tax return to look at.

Thanks in advance
(sorry this is so long, but I felt I needed to give some background)

[Kaleva]

1. Why the wait till late March for the initial meeting?

[progree]

2. He doesn't want it any earlier than that -- several financial institutions involved, some are

late or have revisions in late February or March.

I don't mind at all not filing by April 15. It's why can't it be done before October?

[TheDebbieDee]

3. Sounds like you may have a 1% problem...

MOST working American families have one or two W2s, maybe a 1099 or two, perhaps a schedule and that's it... Something tells me that you have a complicated tax situation.

Most preparers don't have the experience to fill out multiple schedules and itemized deductions and business and investment issues, etc. Does your printed out annual return often weighs more than 10 or 12 ounces?

Surely your preparer has several other clients with complicated tax situations as well...

There's a reason that the IRS moved the automatic extension time from August 15th to October 15th - because some people have "complicated" tax situations and preparers need that extra time to gather up documents and pore over and prep schedules...

Anyway, consider all that before you start jumping all over your preparer...

[progree]

5. It's just a bunch of mutual funds, ETFs, and one U.S. stock

No, I know it doesn't take him that long to finalize beyond the office visit. The office draft that he produces after about 1 1/3 hours usually ends up to be the final version. They aren't anything fancy. Just a large number of them. (And no it isn't a "1% problem" -- lots of us old people have savings and investments. I have no pension and only an average-sized Social Security check -- that's why I saved and invested as much as I could).

His ignoring 3 requests (no answer at all) and not giving me a draft like he has every year in the past, without explanation, is not something I can or will live with, unless there is some kind of exceptional circumstance -- I'm just wondering if he's been sick or some other problem, before I go all-out nuclear.

On Edit:

Every year I trace LITERALLY EVERY number from the various 1099's and other tax forms to my tax return, so I know exactly what is involved.

The only reason I don't do my taxes myself is that, well two heads are better than one, and occasionally he has some knowledge or ideas that I didn't think about or know about. That doesn't affect filling out the tax return, but does help me in tax planning and investments. And I feel more comfortable with a tax professional's signature on my return.

Next year I'll probably do my taxes with Turbo Tax and then find a human tax professional to look it all over.

[TheDebbieDee]

7. Then maybe it IS time to find a new tax preparer...

[progree]

8. Yes, unless I find out that he's been sick or some other special circumstance, this will be the

last year.

[elleng]

13. Sounds like a good idea to me.

[jberryhill]

4. How much back and forth is there?

The reason I hire a pro is so I don’t have to deal with it.

I sign where the stickers are.

Are we talking about an accountant, an attorney, or some other type of tax preparer.

[progree]

6. He's an enrolled agent -- been doing taxes for more than 30 years

I always check his work. I just cannot sign something I haven't looked at, and I like and need to understand my taxes so that I can factor in taxes in my investment decisions.

On edit: There's a lot of information, and always the occasional miscommunication or misinterpretation, so that's another reason I check his work -- there might be a miscommunication about some item or another.

[TheSmarterDog]

9. You're paying him. He should be working to accommodate you & your needs.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

10. Find a different tax guy.

I understand some of your problems, as I don't get all of my necessary tax papers until late March. Even so, I go into my preparer's office in early April. He does everything in front of me. I owe, I don't owe, I get a refund. It varies from year to year. But there's no bullshit about filing for an extension. That only ever happened in the past, when I was quite dilatory in getting the paperwork to the tax guy (different person, slightly different circumstances.)

Everything is on computer programs any more. There is zero reason for anything to take this long. Plus, if he's making serious errors, it is past time to fire him. Especially if he's not responding to emails in a timely fashion.

If you want, PM me and I'll give you contact information for my tax guy.

[wasupaloopa]

11. When I worked at CPA firms and did taxes we planned our tax season

based on prior years and our current list of clients.

My advise would be to tell him what you expect from him and can he deliver. If not find someone new but don’t wait until December.

[progree]

12. Thanks all for all the great responses

I've appreciated them all, including the ones I've pushed back on .. they have all made me think a little differently about the situation.

[DFW]

14. I once had a problem like that

This was about the time we moved out HQ from Boston to Dallas, which was the early eighties. I had a nice, seemingly competent account doing my taxes in Boston. He was an older gentleman, but seemed to know his stuff, and his office was right across the street from ours. When we moved to Dallas, I still gave him work to prepare parts of my return, as I had a few minor things up there that I hadn't gotten around to transferring down to Dallas.

Very soon, the accountants in Dallas were bugging me that documents they needed to complete my return were arriving late or not at all. Now this guy was already in his sixties and chain smoked. It turns out he was being treated for lung cancer, but I had to wait to hear this from his relatives who he was sending into his office to pick up mail, etc. No internet in those days, I needed the hard copies, or get hit for penalties for late filing, and I always got an extension, as I was already spending much of my time in Europe.

I finally gave up, sent a formal written request by registered mail for all my records and documents to be sent down to Dallas for me, and even that took nearly a year. He was a one-man operation, and I guess he figured he was immortal. But no one is, and it isn't fair to inconvenience others just because of your own denial.

[Iggo]

15. Are you stuck with him for this year? If so, ride him hard. Make him do what you want when you want.

At the same time, start shopping for a new tax guy.