All About Numbers

Review: Failed repeatedly to file our tax return in a timely manner. Now we are being billed for an amount that we have record that we paid by credit card

Failed to respond for requests to file our tax return in a timely manner, significantly delaying our tax refund. Now we are being billed for an amount that we paid by credit card on May 9, 2013, which was posted on May 12h by the credit card company. We have the record of this transaction. People we have talked to on the phone have repeatedly lied to us about processing this tax return. Only when I asked to speak to one of the owners was the office staff responsive to my request.Desired Settlement: Proof that they have filed out tax return and that the amount for their services is paid in full, and a FULL REFUND of the $325 that was paid to them for their services which were inadequate in so many ways.

Business

Response:

Business' Initial Response

Mr. [redacted]'s 2012 tax return could not be electronically filed until the signatures were obtained on IRS Form 8879, per IRS Publication 1345, Handbook for Authorized IRS Efile providers of Individual Income Tax Returns. His signatures on these documents were not received until May 30, and his return was transmitted on that date and accepted by the IRS on June 3. The return was completed on April 25, but again, the documents were not received allowing us to file the return.

This is the first year Mr. [redacted] is with this firm. He was previously with [redacted] Tax Services, which we acquired in late 2012. Apparently, that service was not adhering to the laws regarding receipt of signatures prior to transmitting returns. I am not willing to violate the law and risk my licnese and my business by allowing this practice to continue. So, yes, there was a delay in filing Mr. [redacted]'s return, but it was a delay because we did not have required signatures. The 8879s were mailed on April 25, following a phone call where he was told his return was completed, and instructed it would be mailed to him along with the 8879s which needed to be returned. An invoice was sent, which was a misunderstanding in our office. Normally, we do not invoice clients - they pay at time of service. However, [redacted] always invoiced. These clients were routinely invoiced and expected invoices. There was a miscommunication in our office about the fact that he paid with a credit card over the phone. The statement sent to him was sent in error, and when he called to bring this to our attention, he was nicely told to disregard the statement, he was in fact paid in full. In regard to the other complaints, they are not very specific so I am not sure what to address. We, as most other tax offices, did have a bumpy tax season with the delays caused by the late passing of the tax laws in 2013 effecting 2012. This created filing delays - many returns could not be filed until March, and software companies struggled to reprogram their computers so returns could be properly prepared. Wihtin our office we were challenged by the addition of [redacted] to our team. Mr. [redacted] fell early in tax season and hurt his hip. He was out for awhile healing. He was also suffering from shingles the entire tax season. We are in a transition process with [redacted] as he prepares for retirement. We have a ministerial tax specialist in training with [redacted], but we were reliant upon him to review every ministerial return. His illness and injury created delays in this process.

Because the delay from completion to filing was not in our contorl, and the liability associated with preparing a tax return for compensation still exists, and the return was fully prepared, we will not be refunding the fees. However, I will offer to personally prepare Mr. [redacted]'s 2013 return for half price.