Organizers For New Clients

I'm in an 8 man firm. Out of all the returns we prepare, there's only about 3 or 4 that are interested in any kind of organizer. One of them actually demands to receive the entire 3x pages and she goes through every page. Everyone else brings their "tax stuff" in every conceivable manner. The main thing we make sure of is that we have a current phone number because we know we'll need more info. Point is, every client should be handled individually. Find out how they prefer to send the info. If they pay the fee, no problem. If not, fire them, assuming you get the chance. Mike Lewis, CPA

I send organizers to people who indicate they want me to do their tax returns for that year. I sent one to a little ole lady referred by one of my other LOLs. I make house calls. When I didn't hear from her, I called. It turns out she was so overwhelmed by all the paperwork I sent that she took her stuff to someplace and they filled out their organizer and did her returns. I find that most of my clients do not completely fill out the organizer and those that do only fill out part of it or do it incorrectly (put 1099-MISC income in wages, pensions in wages, etc.) I use the organizer to take notes and input to my software. I then use the income documents to double check my work. I found one distinct disadvantage to not having the organizer to work with. One of my clients lost the package I sent her and I had to work blind. When I got home I found a variety of business expenses that they had deducted in the prior year that I didn't ask about because I didn't have the organizer with the prior year figures on it. More work than necessary. Linda Dorfmont E.A., CFP, CSA

I get a copy of their prior year return and redo it myself based on the information presented there. This gives you the basic that they had the prior year. You can then transfer to the next year and produce a "custom organizer". As a side benefit you also have a more comitted prospect. Rgs,

Mark

wrote

I send out tax organizers by request. Of course, existing clients I should already know what the likelyhood is that they want one (we've already marked their folders for organizers with a red-dot sticker folded over the name tab) and send it out with the appointment letter. And yes, a new client gets a blank or generic organizer with a request to bring in all W-2, 1099 and broker statements. I have used generic organizers from Tax-Aid @ taxaid-inc.com, but my current software spits out generic pages that do just as well. I have had a few new clients that bring in their former preparers organizer to me. Even with the pre-printed custom orgainzers, some keep insisting on writing "see box for details" for the Schedule C business activities.

You know you've moved up in clientele status when they stop using the Kroger bags and Keds shoe boxes and begin bringing their stuff in Neiman-Marcus bags and Guuci shoe boxes

-- Paul Thomas, CPA snipped-for-privacy@bellsouth.net

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