I’ve emailed them multiple times, and they always say it’ll get done, but they never say when. Now it’s almost December, and I’m not sure if they extended the deadline past October 15. Can professional preparers even get extensions past that date? Should I contact the IRS myself to see if I’m in trouble?
ETA: I called today, and the receptionist told me the owner said not to worry and that it’ll all be handled. I guess I’ll trust them for now, but it’s stressful. I’ve had a bad experience before where a tax guy had a mental health crisis, locked his office, and left everyone’s documents inside. Law enforcement had to step in to get them back. So, yeah, this situation is really unsettling. Thanks for reading.
Are you in an area affected by recent disasters? Some places, like all of Florida, got automatic extensions past October 15, even if they weren’t directly impacted. For example, Miami wasn’t hit by hurricanes but still got the extensions.
You should call your tax preparer. The IRS e-file system closes November 30 and won’t reopen until late January or February. After that, you’ll either have to wait or paper file, which could take six months to process.
@Kale
Thanks! I called today. The receptionist said they’d call back, but I haven’t heard anything yet. It is a holiday weekend, but I’ve been emailing them since early November. Oddly enough, they still handled my quarterly LLC returns on time, so I’m wondering if something’s up with the person who handles the personal returns.
@Zen
If you owe taxes, you’ll be on the hook for penalties and interest. These only apply to what you owed as of April 15. If you’ve never filed late before, you might qualify for a first-time abatement for the penalties, but not the interest.
Zen said: @Kale
So even if they were hired to file for me, I’m still liable for any penalties? Would I have to sue them to get them to cover it?
You should’ve paid your taxes by December 31 to avoid most penalties. Even if the return isn’t filed, you can estimate what you owe and pay it. By April 15, many people already owe penalties for not paying sooner.
I’m not sure about Arizona state taxes, but if you’re getting a federal refund and don’t owe anything, it’s not a huge deal. That said, your preparer missing the deadline is really unprofessional. We only miss deadlines if clients don’t get their documents to us on time.
This is unacceptable for any professional. Filing is ultimately your responsibility, even if you hired someone else. If they’re unreliable, you should find someone else who can handle it properly.
Bevin said:
Do you owe taxes or are you expecting a refund? If you owe, why haven’t you just paid online? You don’t need to wait for the return to be filed.
No idea! That’s part of the problem. I don’t think they’ve even looked at it since I turned in my documents earlier this year.
Bevin said: @Zen
So they haven’t prepared your return yet? Have you paid them anything for this?
It doesn’t sound like they’ve prepared it. And no, I haven’t paid them anything for this yet. They’ve been handling my quarterly business taxes just fine, though.
Ashby said:
How much are you paying for their service? They seem careless.
I haven’t been billed for this yet. And yeah, it does seem careless. They’ve been good in the past, so I assume there’s a reason, but I have no clue what it could be.