My Tax Preparation Process

Once you have decided to become a client, this is generally how my tax preparation process unfolds:

Engagement Letter. The Engagement Letter outlines my responsibilities as well as yours, as this professional relationship is a collaborative one. I require all clients to read, sign and return it to me in person or via email.  

Appointments. You can make an appointment to meet with me, or if you prefer, you can mail your information or scan and email it to me (or upload it to Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.). As well, you can drop it off in person at the office. If you’re a new client, I’ll need a copy of your prior year tax returns, either in paper or PDF format. See here for a list of other things to consider. I’ll of course let you know if I think anything is missing, so don’t worry too much about whether or not you have everything; most of everything is fine.

A $300 deposit must be made within 24 hours of setting your appointment. Cancellations must be made prior to 7 business days of your scheduled appointment time in order to be refundable. Appointments needing to be rescheduled will incur a fee of $50 and there is no guarantee that another time will be available before the end of tax season so please choose your appointment time carefully and commit to it.  

Turn time may be up to two weeks, and sometimes more depending on the complexity of your return, when it is received and how timely your responses are to additional needed items.

I will email you a list of missing items, documents or clarifications needed. We can email or talk over the phone to answer any remaining questions.

I’ll send you a draft copy of your tax return, as a PDF. I send this electronically; you’ll get a link via email that will allow you to view and download the draft. I may call you at this point to talk over anything that I think is necessary to discuss. 

You look things over and let me know if you have questions or if you see anything that needs to be changed. I’ll send you revised drafts, as necessary.

You download and save the final pdf copy of your tax return, and let me know that you’re ready to sign and e-file. I utilize e-signatures which allows maximum security and ease for you. Note that I generally do not send a paper copy of your tax return to you; you may request a paper copy, for an additional fee. If you ever lose your pdf copy, I can very easily send you a new download link.

I’ll email a final tax preparation fee invoice which must be paid by debit before I file your returns.

If you have estimated tax payments or other tax balances due, I will provide clear instructions and vouchers along with a payment log and due dates. I make everything very simple for you.

I’ll e-file your returns once I get everything back from you, and will send you a confirmation email when they’ve been accepted by the IRS.

I’ll return to you any original tax documents (W-2s, etc.) that you gave or sent to me. This may not happen until after tax season ends, when I have a bit more time to work through the huge, but organized pile of files.