I may have mentioned that I procrastinate and this year I have been doing this at an extreme level. May even enter the Olympics ....
I got all my stuff together (which is really 75% of all the work, right???) and personally took it to her. The first part of February. FINALLY, towards the end of March, when I hadn't heard a word ... I called to see if she needed anything more from me. "oh, I'm just getting started on your return". ????? On April 10 I asked for a copy to review ... she did not have it done for review. I went to her office on April 14 to review and discovered a GIANT mistake (and few small ones). Oregon allows residents over 60 to claim ALL medical expenses and she apparently didn't notice Mr. Ralph's birthday. Then she suggested we "just file an extension" to give us more time to review. I was flabbergasted and said NO.
She did get them redone, correctly, and gave me a bill for THREE TIMES the amount she had quoted me. For two days work?
I went back to Turbo Tax and procrastinated on my own. Until Mr. Ralph died. I would gather the info, input to determine if I owed and filed for extension because I don't keep files very well. I know I have many more deductions but would need to comb through Mint.com to find them. Never filed. Have not filed until last year. Finding a tax person willing to sort through five years of half finished returns was an embarrassing adventure.
Heidi helped find another (patient) preparer and we started work on 2019 taxes on the 5th of October. He would email every day asking for paperwork or estimates until late last week. I thought maybe he was on a long weekend for Columbus Day (yes, it will ALWAYS be Columbus day to me ... born and raised in Columbus, Ohio). (I cannot keep up with being politically correct)
I emailed him Tuesday morning. The return email was from a Partner at the firm ... he had died of a heart attack at work Monday afternoon. Probably MY fault.
OMG What a story. This would make a movie. Not funny to you, but you know...
ReplyDeleteWe use Turbo Tax. Our stuff is pretty straight forward, but we do have a few foreign investments. I have a cousin who didn't file her taxes for about three years, and didn't get an extension. This was back in the early 90s. I was mortified. I told her she had to take care of it ASAP. She did and she's not in jail. So that's good. :/ I've had a few relatives who played fast and loose with the IRS. Unlike them, I'm a scaredy-cat and a rule follower.
It may be funny SOME day. I, too, am a strict rule follower ... until I fell apart. 2019 taxes were filed ON TIME only owing $386!! 68 pages long! I never could have done it on my own.
DeleteHe was probably working on my return.....
I'm sure it wasn't your fault but maybe there is a reason you shouldn't be filing 2019 taxes or the other years? We always have H and R Block do them since we were married and hubby before then since he was self employed. I used to wait until April 10th or later to get them done because I hated the whole concept of taxes and having to pay (for years when I was self employed) but lately have been doing them in February just to get it over with. 2020 will be interesting to get taxes done. Not sure how it will all play out from getting unemployment, then early retirement, then working for one job for 6 weeks, then working temporary etc. I won't sweat it because who knows what will happen between now and tax day?? The whole planet could explode!!!
ReplyDeletebetty