what could you be preventing right now?
by ed mendlowitz
tax season opportunity guide
clients have many choices, including the choice of a tax preparer. every new client an accountant gets is because that client left – fired – their previous accountant.
more: 16 traits of the best tax clients | eight ways to charm a client | plug small leaks before they become big floods | you’re only as good as your last screw-up | four issues with ‘quick’ tax questions | when to pick up the phone this tax season | these five procedures will simplify your tax season | 11 steps to better client tax instructions | get your team ready for tax season | 12 ways to squeeze fun into tax season | 6 ways to get paid faster in tax season
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so why do clients leave?
here are 21 good reasons why they should:
- owed a large amount that wasn’t expected
- get super large refund that wasn’t expected
- doesn’t return phone calls
- last-minute rush
- errors every year
- large (or even a small) error not apologized for, or explained
- “dumb” phone calls from cpa’s office
- fee too high (based on previous years)
- got notice and paid a penalty that was preparer’s fault
- paid interest on a late payment that was caused by cpa’s delay
- the accountant didn’t follow up on something they should have
- cpa should have called me more frequently for missing info
- i was charged for a redo for a corrected statement from my broker
- i was charged for handling a notice that was erroneously sent to me by irs
- i was billed for people working on the return that i never heard of
- billed for staff people correcting errors they made (this was said on the time run sent to me with bill)
- cpa lost personal touch
- the person handling my account left and was not comfortable with a new person
- the practice was sold and i never heard from new accountant
- cpa’s appearance and the office looked out of control
- don’t see cpa as a “partner”
2 responses to “21 reasons tax clients fire accountants”
jaret rice
i have questions about 1, 2, and 12. how does a large refund or balance due have anything to do with our abilities as cpas? if a client doesn’t engage us for planning or tell us about large transactions ahead of time, we can’t advise them on making changes that would prevent this. next, how many times are we supposed to contact people for missing information before it’s on them to be adults and take care of their own business? 5 times, 10 times?
frank stitely
i think ed is saying that they leave for these reasons. they may not all be our fault. we all have clients who want nothing to do with paying us for planning and then gripe about the results.