Say what you want about tax accountants having it easy.
You’ll never understand the daily struggle we face trying to dial a phone number after wasting away on a 10-key.
My tax season “pick my brain” rate is $1,050/hour with a 2-hour minimum paid upfront no refunds.
Thought I would share this for anyone who believes I’m just sitting on my ass waiting for someone to ask me to answer their questions while they file their return using TurboTax.
@JessPected
This goes beyond misogyny…these “men” are predators. They don’t just hate women. They truly believe that harming women is their right as the more powerful sex. Disgusting.
3 things tax pros should stop immediately
1. Unscheduled calls
2. Walk-ins
3. Payment after the return has been delivered and/or the 8879 has been signed
How to ruin my day with four words “Are you a CPA?”…I don’t have the energy to explain that I’m not but also explaining I’m an equally licensed tax practitioner they’ve probably never heard of.
The more I inform clients they owe and their reply is “I’m shocked that I owe…” then they proceed to share all the reasons they believe they shouldn’t owe, none of it is supported by math, the more I like the idea of requiring a year-end projection meeting for all clients.
Recently a potential client told me that email wasn’t a good way to communicate because she doesn’t check it often and assumed I would just send a text if something time sensitive came up. This is how their current tax pro operates.
I have thoughts…comments below
Ok
#TaxTwitter
I was born 3/24/84 during my dad’s 1st tax season. My sister was born 9/22/85. My dad is still in practice. My sister lives in the same city as my dad. I do my sister’s taxes. These are an important details.
Why did my sister buy my children HARMONICAS 4/6/24?!
I started Testosterone shots in September last year after my bloodwork indicated no measurable level of T was in my system. Fun!
My levels now…231, 3x average for a woman of my age.
I’m no longer depressed or have anxiety. I have more patience and confidence. 🧐
Received from a client I recently disengaged
“And should there be any mandatory/urgent action required, only two missed phone calls isn't enough to get my attention.”
STOP. EXPECTING. PEOPLE. TO. BABYSIT. YOU!
A final thought…most clients are legal adults and have expectations of personal responsibility for the work we perform. We can’t care more than they do and we’re not babysitters. Consequences shape how someone will act/react in the future and I’m ok with learning the hard way.
I’m with Josh! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
My team and I work no more than 30 hours/week year round. Revenue is up from last year. I stopped taking antidepressants. I have 3 actual vacations this year.
I didn’t work over 40 hours in a week the entire tax season. Revenue was up from last year. A reminder - you don’t have to kill yourself to make a decent living.
1. Except for a couple instances, THERE ARE NO TAX EMERGENCIES! My team and I work really hard to communicate through appropriate channels to prevent operating in a state of emergency. There should be no reason I would need to text a client to take care of something.
Ok
#taxtwitter
I need your help!
I’m deeply offended that my 17 year old son went to someone “really good” to file his taxes and it wasn’t me.
Cheer me up with a good roast! I need my hate fire to return to get me through this difficult time.
Say what you want about my policy on unscheduled calls but that policy spared me from a verbal ass chewing from clients who fail to plan and want to tell me it’s all my fault. 🤣
Instead I just got several scathing emails and chat messages.
Are you missing this important clause in your engagement letter?
The ability to withdraw from an engagement when a “client’s conduct renders it unreasonably difficult for the Firm to carry out the engagement effectively”
Hey
#taxtwitter
!
Communicating with your clients is key to improving client relationships.
I have 11 essential tax season email templates to help you communicate with your clients. Available in English and Spanish.
Grab your FREE copy. Link below 👇🏻
Client: “When did you say I can expect my refund?”
Me: “I just sent you a message detailing some additional info needed for deductions I discovered.”
Client: “I’m upset my taxes weren’t filed.”
It took a former client 499 days and 70+ emails, phone calls, etc to provide the required info needed to finalize the 2022 return.
But I’m the one who needs to take accountability ✌🏻
3 things tax pros must do over the weekend
1. Sleep in an extra hour or two if you’re an overachiever
2. Have a picnic lunch with a loved one or friend for at least one hour in the sunshine (get that vitamin D!)
3. Eat at a restaurant but order dessert only
2. Before I knew better I would text clients. It has never been an effective or secure means of communication. My policy is all clients are blocked on my cell phone. This policy has never prevented a client from reaching me through our acceptable channels of communication.
I need help from the more experienced team leaders on
#TaxTwitter
I’m drowning in emails and TD chats…I’m admittedly an awful delegator and have an “I’ll just do it myself because showing someone will take longer” attitude.
Share all your tips and tricks!
I provide an Online Payment Guide to balance due clients. It’s a nice visual walk-through for IRS and limited state payment platforms.
Gotta love when clients go rogue and pay their 23 balance by making a 1Q 24 est payment using the spouse’s SSN. The only fix is a phone call. 🤦🏼♀️
On the drive home my husband mentioned he was browsing job listings to see what is out there and came across a perfect position for a director of sales…for KPMG. It weirded me out a bit that my non-accountant husband is more qualified for a position at a Big 4 than I am 🤦🏼♀️
@WSummerlinAI
We can't even get clients to upload documents all at once into a portal. We will need much smarter humans doing user interface to get there.
Sitting in a tax education session on tax stuff you didn’t know. The speaker started off stating there will be a lot of amendments made after this session.
Mid-session he covers solar credits and from the back we hear “Oh, no!” We all laugh knowing an amendment got its wings.
Former client is upset their 22 1040 wasn’t filed on time. I explained it was because the 1120S return wasn’t complete due to their open items. Apparently, they expected only to report the W-2 on their personal return and the 6-figure net income from the 1120S would evaporate. 🤦🏼♀️
3 things tax pros should ask their leads
1. Have you worked with an accountant in the past?
2. What are you looking to accomplish with a new accountant?
3. How did you find out about us and what led you to contact us for assistance?
@dtmorgan18
@harpua71burner
@ralphbrooks
I’m a top-performing independent consultant for TaxDome and co-founded a software company to help tax pros review tax returns more accurately.
There are PLENTY of accountants embracing tech especially if their goal is to sell their firm in the next 5-10 years.
@MichiganMattCPA
I’m working really hard to improve my response times. The BIGGEST time suck is everyone asking for a status update. We have processes in place to handle that but it’s still frustrating.
We decided today that we’re going to send a templated reply “you can see your status in TD”
Almost ready for Day 3 of the
@westerncpe
#newmoneysummit
Today we’re talking technology!
I’m a ChatGPT novice and had been learning a TON of uses from my peers. Tell me your best ChatGPT hack! 🤓
@dtmorgan18
@harpua71burner
@ralphbrooks
Accountants are embracing AI to allow us to do perform our jobs better. I wish I could effectively say it will fix the shortage but it won’t, it will lessen the pressure on our current workforce.
I remarried my second husband. Yes, we had the whole divorce and everything…we’re watching Christmas movies with our 2 daughters, 3 dogs, 2 cats, my best friend, her son, and her 2 dogs. If we stayed divorced it would have been 10 years ago. Life is weird.
3. With proper systems in place you can better manage communicating time sensitive information. A large portion of my communication is automated allowing me to deliver a consistent client experience.
Hey
#TaxTwitter
! Any leads on potential part-time remote internships for someone looking to gain practical experience for practicing before Tax Court?
Asking for a friend and the friend is me 🤣
Attention tax and accounting firm owners!
I’m inviting you to be a guest on a podcast I’m co-hosting. We’re looking for a variety of perspectives for how you built your practice, ideally while embracing modern tools, technologies, and ideas.
DM me your email address!
@thisheregame
Where can I find this? I have some clients who should run their emails through something like that before they reach out to me with their misplaced anger.
@MikeSyl36625988
New clients I’m onboarding that provide self-prepared returns have far more errors from those who worked with a tax pro with experience.
A recent review of a prior-year return indicated the CRC was missed for an eligible child. I found the client $2K in 2 mins.
@cordes_tax
I’ve thought about it but I don’t fit well in the employee box. I’m insubordinate, I won’t back down when I know I’m right, I’m a yeller, and I like the idea of taking a day off without asking permission.
My husband just told me “I hope you have a growth spurt soon. I’m getting real tired of jamming my knees into the steering wheel every time I get into the car after you drive it.” 🤣
Flights booked!
Convinced the introverted extrovert hubby to join! He hasn’t seen me in “conference mode”…now I’m wishing I paid for a higher sponsorship level so I have a panel opportunity…🧐
@gregreed23
The primary issue is security. I can’t prevent a client from sending a text message with an IRS letter or W2 with their confidential information on display. It puts my firm and other clients at risk of a breach.
@SailerTax
I run a tax strategy practice and do not offer any bookkeeping. I partner with bookkeepers and work with them to report the income and expenses in a manner that makes my job easier.
Looking to get some additional in-person events on the calendar.
Where is
#taxtwitter
at?
I’m speaking at FSEA June 6-8 and attending/demonstrating CSEA June 11-13.
What prior job did you have that is vastly different than your current career?
I’ll go first…from 2004 - 2014 I was a licensed manicurist specializing in hand painted nail art.
Today I’m an EA specializing in representation before the tax authorities.
@CPATaxTeam
I’m getting there! My minimum fee for new clients is $1,500 and I actually get a lot of clients who fit the criteria and are happy to pay that.
A question for return reviewers…what are some common taxable and/or reportable events you noticed are overlooked and/or omitted during your review process when reviewing work performed by a return preparer (current or prior preparer)?
@TaxReview2Do
I started my business in 2009. My new boss took over in May of 2020.
She’s never happy. I don’t think she even likes me.
This pic was taken at my latest performance review. She noted she was “disappointed” with the lack of gas station hot dogs for breakfast.
@taxtherapist505
Explaining the rework and time it takes to resolve issues to clients is equally frustrating. The public believes the inefficiencies are due to our incompetence and not the broken system.
For how well the CPA is marketed there sure is a lot of confusion over what a CPA is capable and qualified to handle.
CPAs have many areas of focus available but the public still views CPAs as a “catch all” for all things accounting and tax related. It’s just not the case!
@Finance_4hire
@dig_deeper1
I've had to fire multiple CPAs bc they literally can't understand simple things like return of capital vs dividends or that owning foreign shares in an US based broker is not the same thing as having a foreign bank account. These were actual C-P-A holders who got this wrong.
@LoganGrafTax
pointed out I’ve had a Twitter account “for 10 years!” yet, I have just one Tweet 🤦🏼♀️
So…a lot has changed in 10 years! I’ve made a lot of new friends and connections.
Tell me how we met! I’ll send an Amazon gift card to the person who has the craziest story. 😉
I love creating helpful things! I recently created a digital tax planner for small business owners to calculate estimated taxes, manage tax deadlines, and get some guidance on deductions they might be eligible for.
Check it out
Had an interesting conversation with some
#newmoneysummit
attendees last night where I realized I’ve been doing public speaking gigs for about 6 years with more than 25 appearances. Give me a chance to talk and I’ll take it! 🤣 Thank you
@westerncpe
@lilytrantax