Terms & Conditions
By submitting your information to us for your tax return preparation, you have engaged our services, we have established a valid contract, and you are agreeing to the policies and procedures outlined here.
​
It is your responsibility to provide all the information required for the preparation of a complete and accurate return. You should retain all the documents, canceled checks, receipts and other data that form the basis of income and deductions for 3 years from the due date of the tax return. These may be necessary to support items contained in the tax return in the event of an inquiry by a taxing authority.
​
We will not audit or otherwise verify the accuracy or completeness of any information you submit, although it may be necessary to ask you for clarifications. Our work in connection with the preparation of your income tax return does not include any procedures designed to discover defalcation or other irregularities, should any exist.
​
During the tax preparation process, we try to make sure that we have everything pertinent to your situation. We do this by comparing to last year, inquiring about pieces that appear to be missing, sending periodic reminders, and other methods. However, ultimately it is up to you to make sure we have all necessary information and to follow up as needed. It is also important to note that legally you are responsible for what is on your tax return, so even though we always do a thorough, professional job, it is important to review the numbers reported on your return.
​
While we are generally able to provide services in a quick and efficient manner, we make no guarantees regarding the timing of communication, completion of work or making deadlines. It is your responsibility to provide your information to allow sufficient time to complete the process and to follow up with me, if necessary.
​
If you decide to discontinue using our services before the tax return is completed, or if you elect not to use the completed return, fees for work performed will still be due.
​
Fees for preparation of a tax return are due when the final draft (subject to client review) is finished. We will inform you of this with a "Return Ready" email. Payment should be made within 3 days of receiving this email. We require credit card payment for the full balance before we deliver the final draft or the completed tax return or before we send you the e-file authorization forms (If we were to present completed tax returns before payment, we might have to chase some clients for payment and incur costs in this regard). Avoiding these costs and possible bad debts keeps our fees lower, and that benefits our clients. We appreciate your cooperation and understanding on this matter. Clients appreciate the added security, financial options and peace of mind using credit cards.
​
Engagement Letter
​
Before we commence our tax preparation services, we will email you our standard engagement letter using a secure and encrypted service. Our engagement letter spells out the scope of our engagement, the work to be done, our terms and conditions, and our limited responsibilities as “tax preparers” (we’re not auditing your tax file or providing any level of assurance).
​
Submission of Information
​
Please furnish us by email or another mutually agreed upon method, all relevant information to prepare a complete and accurate tax return. This includes:
​
Individual Returns:
​
*Any income related tax documents that you received (e.g. W-2s, 1099s, 1098s).
*A completed questionnaire which we would be emailing to you. This would help ensure that pertinent information is not overlooked.
*If you’re a new client, your prior year’s tax return, if one was filed.
​
Corporate or Partnership Returns:
​
*An Income Statement (Profit & Loss) and Balance Sheet. This could be generated by an accounting software such as QuickBooks.
*Company formation documents, if this is the first year we are working on the company.
*Names, addresses, and social security numbers of all owners, if not previously provided, or if there has been a change.
*If you’re a new client, the prior year’s tax return, if one was filed.
​
What we don’t need: we generally will not review your receipts, bills, bank statements, personal worksheets, or any kind of backup documentation, so please keep those for your own records. If you require assistance calculating your income, expenses, or deductions, we will be happy to provide consulting at our regular billing rate.
​
Timing: we make no guarantee of having your tax return filed before the tax deadline, so the sooner we have your complete tax information, the more likely we are to have it ready on time. Generally, our cutoff is around April 1 for individual tax returns, although later submissions can sometimes still make the deadline.
​
Tax Return Review & Filing
​
After we receive your payment, we will email you your tax return (final draft) to review. It is essential that you look them over carefully since you have the legal responsibility for their accuracy. If you discover any errors or omissions made by us, we will correct them. If you discover any errors or omissions made by you, we will correct those as well, however additional fees may apply, based on time.
​
Once you are satisfied that your tax return is accurate, they are ready to be filed. If your tax return is being filed electronically, you will need to sign and date the e-file authorization form(s) which will be included in the tax return file. Do not assume that your forms have been e-filed unless you receive an email from us confirming it has been done.
​
Agreement to Policies & Procedures
​
If you do not accept the terms and conditions above, we will not be able to provide any tax preparation services. If you have any questions regarding anything in this agreement, you can email them to us at apollofirm@gmail.com.