How to get tax return done

[countrygirl2]

I can't believe this, the accountant I went to, yes she is a CPA still has not finished our tax return.  I have given her additional information on and on and on.  She says oh I will get it.  She filed an extension in April and our return is STILL not completed.  We paid the est tax, I have inquired many times about it. It's always a vacation or deadlines or she has others due, etc.  I sent her an email a month ago and told her I understand you have many larger returns then ours, no issue, if you don't have enough time to do it, just let me know I will pick it up and pay your bill.  I just need to know where we are and have it completed.  I am MAD, even hubs went with me a couple of weeks ago and she promised by yesterday, nothing.  


This is a small town, now I've heard that this is a problem.  It's not that complex or should not be for them.  It's a small LLC of 7 houses, a sale last year, the return consists only of RMD's, SS, capital gains, depn recapture.  May have some item for loss carryover from hubs overseas work but nothing else.  I supplied all the schedules, she did the depn, I even brought them up to date for quickbooks.  All she has is 2 more pieces of equipment to depn and 2 houses.


How am I ever going to get her to do this.  I am paying quarterly tax payments and have no idea where I am, I need to see last years done to get an idea, I think there might be refunds from what I paid.


I thought about contacting a principal but think she is one, now what?  Never had an issue like this ever.  I will not be going back there.

[Peace77]

I suggest giving her a few more days.

Send her an email or call and say something like:
We NEED our tax return done by Thursday. If it isn't done, we will be sitting in your office and waiting until it's done.

Thursday is just a random day. Pick whatever day works for you and DH. You may have to bring a book.

[countrygirl2]

I feel so bad having to do that.  This is a small town and I hate to make enemies.  I just cannot understand what the holdup is, its crazy.

Thank goodness I got notification the IRS got my checks, we are talking $25k her or I would really be wondering.


I may have to though, thank you for the advice.

[Opti]

Actually your taxes don't sound all that simple, especially since there was a sale this year. I don't know if you remember, but the Donald enacted several tax affecting things shortly after he was inaugurated. Odds are they affect real estate issues such as yours.

FWIW, I have not finished my federal taxes. The April extension used to default to August 15 but I think that was changed to Oct 15. I have to figure out my ACA penalty, which is non trivial given its a partial year, etc.

[Peace77]

Well, the other option is to be patient and wait a little longer.

[taz157]

Aug 12, 2018 23:52:13 GMT -5 Opti said:

Actually your taxes don't sound all that simple, especially since there was a sale this year. I don't know if you remember, but the Donald enacted several tax affecting things shortly after he was inaugurated. Odds are they affect real estate issues such as yours.

FWIW, I have not finished my federal taxes. The April extension used to default to August 15 but I think that was changed to Oct 15. I have to figure out my ACA penalty, which is non trivial given its a partial year, etc.

The tax changes affected the 2018 tax year and beyond, not 2017 that the OP wants completed.

The separate individual extensions also changed a few years ago, it’s not as a result of the latest tax changes.

[countrygirl2]

She said the extension is to Oct 15, but I don't want to wait till then and maybe end up owing money from this year and next year.  I bet I have asked at least 6 times.  That is just crazy.  If I were her I would get it done to get rid of me.  

[Value Buy]

Aug 12, 2018 23:52:13 GMT -5 Opti said:

Actually your taxes don't sound all that simple, especially since there was a sale this year. I don't know if you remember, but the Donald enacted several tax affecting things shortly after he was inaugurated. Odds are they affect real estate issues such as yours.

FWIW, I have not finished my federal taxes. The April extension used to default to August 15 but I think that was changed to Oct 15. I have to figure out my ACA penalty, which is non trivial given its a partial year, etc.

Your first paragraph---are you saying the tax laws changed for last year's taxes (2017) that were due April 14th this year?

I thought all the tax changes are for April of next year, 2018 payable 2019.

I understand her estimated taxes might be in question for this year, but the taxes due last April were pretty much a given, and it is up to the accountant to finish the extension from 2017 income tax bill.

[countrygirl2]

She has said oh it will be done several times, nothing yet.  Going to send her a note again today.


Poor way to do business, wonder if she is doing that to others.

[Value Buy]

Pat, you have said you live in a small town.
How many CPA'S are practicing there?
Is she the only game in town?
If not, pick up the paperwork and change accountants, as you stated you will not be going back there.

And have you ever discussed politics with her, just with a brief interaction? In small towns, some people take things to heart. Might be a Trump fan, and she is just putting you on the backburner......to simmer a little.
It happens in smaller towns.

[NoNamePerson]

Aug 15, 2018 7:38:23 GMT -5 Value Buy said:

Pat, you have said you live in a small town.
How many CPA'S are practicing there?
Is she the only game in town?
If not, pick up the paperwork and change accountants, as you stated you will not be going back there.

And have you ever discussed politics with her, just with a brief interaction? In small towns, some people take things to heart. Might be a Trump fan, and she is just putting you on the backburner......to simmer a little.
It happens in smaller towns.

Not to mention that clients think they are brilliant and know more than CPA so why bring it to them in the first place. And clients think they are a class above the small town CPA's. It happens in smaller towns.

[countrygirl2]

No, I haven't talked politics with her, only that I am concerned about the final figure we will owe
and that I have to get extra money out to pay it if we owe more.  We will have to get into IRA's or CD's or something so I want to know.  And I plan how much to get out extra if we need it to keep within certain additional tax guidelines. I do know quite a bit but not more or I wouldn't have taken it to her.  If not for the LLC part I could have done it myself.  I'm about ready to just dissolve it but would have to move property and vehicles out of it if I do and that's not cheap. I made our attorney mad, it was totally unintentional when the renewal for the LLC was sent to us by the state, I just filled it out and sent it back.  Guess I left something out and got a rather seething letter from the attorney.  I apologized and said I didn't even think about sending it to them.  I fixed it and had it sent to me from now on.  They just want a fee for each piece they touch and I understand that. I think these small town places want to hang on to every dime they can get and I understand that too.

They are the only CPA's in town that I know of.  But there is a tax service and they have one person there that does LLC's, she may or may not be a CPA.  I think they want you to bring everything to them and do all the backup work so they can charge a fee for that too is what I think it is.  Of course that is just speculation.  

After meeting her she acts like she is frazzled all the time, shall I say a bit of a rattle brain, but I don't know, we are all different so maybe just her personality. Hubs thinks there may be something in it from before and the overseas stuff and she doesn't know what to do with it and won't say.  I don't, only thing left was some money from a carryover, nothing more should effect it. She may just be poed because I have asked several times when it will be completed.  It's always oh, I'm about to get it done, no definite date or anything.  Knowing me and my sparkling personality, I have likely poed her off in some way.  I hadn't even been there twice and called to give her some information and the old lady that answered said she doesn't have time to just chitchat, I was shocked.  I had been in and given my information and brought in some other stuff she asked for and that was it.  I should have taken that as a warning and got my stuff and left at that point.  

[bean29]

Aug 15, 2018 8:40:21 GMT -5 countrygirl2 said:

No, I haven't talked politics with her, only that I am concerned about the final figure we will owe
and that I have to get extra money out to pay it if we owe more.  We will have to get into IRA's or CD's or something so I want to know.  And I plan how much to get out extra if we need it to keep within certain additional tax guidelines. I do know quite a bit but not more or I wouldn't have taken it to her.  If not for the LLC part I could have done it myself.  I'm about ready to just dissolve it but would have to move property and vehicles out of it if I do and that's not cheap. I made our attorney mad, it was totally unintentional when the renewal for the LLC was sent to us by the state, I just filled it out and sent it back.  Guess I left something out and got a rather seething letter from the attorney.  I apologized and said I didn't even think about sending it to them.  I fixed it and had it sent to me from now on.  They just want a fee for each piece they touch and I understand that. I think these small town places want to hang on to every dime they can get and I understand that too.

They are the only CPA's in town that I know of.  But there is a tax service and they have one person there that does LLC's, she may or may not be a CPA.  I think they want you to bring everything to them and do all the backup work so they can charge a fee for that too is what I think it is.  Of course that is just speculation.  

After meeting her she acts like she is frazzled all the time, shall I say a bit of a rattle brain, but I don't know, we are all different so maybe just her personality. Hubs thinks there may be something in it from before and the overseas stuff and she doesn't know what to do with it and won't say.  I don't, only thing left was some money from a carryover, nothing more should effect it. She may just be poed because I have asked several times when it will be completed.  It's always oh, I'm about to get it done, no definite date or anything.  Knowing me and my sparkling personality, I have likely poed her off in some way.  I hadn't even been there twice and called to give her some information and the old lady that answered said she doesn't have time to just chitchat, I was shocked.  I had been in and given my information and brought in some other stuff she asked for and that was it.  I should have taken that as a warning and got my stuff and left at that point.  

I would ask her to return everything you gave her to you and take it to a different CPA firm.  If she is a CPA you could contact the AICPA and file a complaint.  Someone like Ava who is a CPA could probably give you more direction on how to do that. 

It does not have to be a local CPA - The CPA firm we use for work does the whole family's returns, even family members that live in other States.  Of course, that could be because the returns involve Subchapter S distributions (K-1's), so not every accountant may be familiar with it, but K-1 earnings are pretty common from what I understand. The firm is often waiting on the Corporate returns to get the K-1's out and file the tax returns and they usually still do it within 2-3 weeks.