Sorry, Not a Fireman.

I often threat to post a sign in the office that says:

Your failure to plan, file, respond, pay, read the form, keep the records or consider the source of information is not My emergency.

The only thing stopping me is concerned that someone might take as a refusal to help them straighten out a tax problem. That is not my intention. My issue are people who get themselves into trouble and expect me to be more concerned about the problem than they have been.

Every tax practitioner has had them. Clients coming in 2 days before a notice is due and expecting you to drop everything and resolve the issue by the deadline. Like, lien and levy notices that have been sitting around for weeks. Or, returns that should have been filed years before but the IRS won't release this year's refund until all back returns are filed. (And they've already spent the money.) Most of the time they haven't started to get the information together. The frustration arises when they then expect you to drop everything to solve their problem.
Right now I have a stack of files that I am waiting on information so that I can finish them. Some are back year returns, other are requests for more information. The only thing they have in common is that the IRS/KDOR have requested them.  None of the tax work is very hard. Had this been done with the first notice or filing deadline it would have been quickly resolved. But as time goes on, the problem grows. I am not talking just interest and penalty. It becomes harder to fix the problem.

Think of a fire. Generally, it starts small. It could be a wiring problem or an unattended burning. If the problem is caught right after it starts, it is easy to put out. But as time goes by, the fire increases until it is out of control. Tax notices and deadlines are like that. At first they are easy to fix. You don't want to panic. You want to take them seriously and fix them as soon as possible. But as time goes by the requested information is harder to find. Not responding eats up any benefit of doubt you would been given and moves your file to more experienced auditors. Other issues get raised. Before long, a quickly fixed notice has progressed to panic inducing levy on your paycheck.

I have long ranted about people taking responsibility for their taxes. It will make your life (and mine) easier. But if you won't take responsibility, I will help you as much as I can. What I will not do is chase you down to get the information to meet deadlines, cancel my plans to fix a problem you have know about for weeks or play delay games with the IRS/KDOR. I am a tax practitioner not a fireman.

Comments

[Lubna Kably]

My sentiments exactly.