Remote tax prep, using secure uploads

[Jim-from-Ohio]

Why I really dislike remote tax prep

1. questions always come up and client not there to answer

2. have to email or call and go back and forth, leaving piles of open returns

3. clients upload each document separately instead of one big attachment

4. to make it worse the uploads are jpegs and not pdfs

- only time I really accept returns remote is if a client moves out of the area or they are sick

I like to prepare returns with clients there.. almost never an open item and returns get done in half the time faster, or more than downloading docs on secure site 

[IRonMaN]

"only time I really accept returns remote is if a client moves out of the area or they are sick"

You might want to add to your list.  How about ones always having to use the bathroom before meeting with you .......... and they always want to carry that info with them down to bathroom 🤣

[Jim-from-Ohio]

exactly! can't they time that sort of thing before they leave their house!

[IRonMaN]

Your clients are just like puppies.  They get so excited when they see you that they just have to pee 😀

[Jim-from-Ohio]

any why do clients bring coffee to a tax meeting.. are they that coddled that they cannot go a half hour without their coffee.. people always eating and drinking something

[Jim-from-Ohio]

and one more thing while my next client is 30 seconds late for their appointment.. please do not bring me food, especially after you put the bag on the chair next to you.  I am not going to eat it but I have to pretend to be happy about it. 

[IRonMaN]

I thought that was just maybe me wondering that.  Evidently the fear of dropping dead if they don't add caffeine to their system every 10 minutes keeps the coffee cup attached to them.  Those are usually the same people that also have to use the restroom upon their arrival 🙄

[Jim-from-Ohio]

and I can tell with my excellent hearing of the plumbing in the building if they wash their hands or not and most people don't wash their hands.. I bought 250 pens before tax season for my clients to sign with.. I am down to about 240 left now as 10 I had to throw out as they were highly contaminated after dirty people used them. 

[pamdory]

Tell them to keep the *#^@ pen!  I don't want it back after you've handled it.  We started that during Covid and I think half my clients stick around for the pens now.  Of course it is a very cool pen...

[BobKamman]

A trip to the bathroom is usually the result of a medical condition that I'm sure they wish they didn't have to deal with, either.  I used to have a few clients that would need to take a smoking break, about 15 minutes into an appointment.  When they returned, I was too meek to ask them not to exhale.  I lost a couple clients when I started out, many decades ago, because I wouldn't allow smoking in my office.  (Most people refrained when I told them it was bad for the computer.)  

It's usually the women, but sometimes the men who use way too much cologne or after-shave.  I just keep the air recirculating, and give thanks that I haven't lost my sense of smell to dementia or lately, Covid.

I accept food for later consumption.  My 90-year-old client brought me the usual banana bread with chocolate chips and maraschino cherries.  And the guy who sold the vineyard -- he brought us two bottles of wine today anyway, made from "his" grapes.  

[IRonMaN]

Can you send me one of your pens?  I mean if they are that cool, I just have to have one😜

[IRonMaN]

"My 90-year-old client brought me the usual banana bread with chocolate chips and maraschino cherries.  And the guy who sold the vineyard -- he brought us two bottles of wine today anyway, made from "his" grapes."

What kind of value do you attach to that for income tax purposes when you are doing your own tax return? 😉

[pamdory]

You really should come pick it up so you can get my office manager's Vanna White demonstration of all of it's cool features.  It has an LED flashlight, a stylus tip and it actually writes quite well.  No kidding, I had two clients this week ask if I had refills as it's their favorite journaling pen.  We give them a new one each year. 

It all started in 2019 and 2020 when we were mailing returns to people.  We'd include the pen as a little personal touch.  Now we have a bunch of pen junkies for clients.

[IRonMaN]

I would run over for the show, but since you aren't down the block from me I'm probably not going to make it there for a while ------------ I'm a little busy right now 😀

[Jim-from-Ohio]

just lost another good pen. lady blew her nose and used a good pen.