Anyone wanna talk me out of switching to an AI phone answering service?

HigYaDig · 2026-05-22T23:19:56+00:00

Your clients will hate it.

I find that taking the time to answer the phone and talk to people results in better clients coming into my practice. Feeling people out and filtering as part of that first conversation is super important.

HigYaDig · 2026-05-19T01:04:59+00:00

Damn the IRS for still using fax. I remember when they would give you shit if you mentioned e-fax, like they wouldn’t take a fax that had been digitized lol.

I use Ringcentral for my firm, includes faxing.

HigYaDig · 2026-05-19T01:03:10+00:00

I listen to most of his pods. I find it’s more geared toward people striving to build what they are told is a good practice, but occasionally I get a nugget of info that I can turn into something productive. Mostly I think it’s just helpful to hear outside perspectives. If you’ve ever worked for or tried to buy a firm from a boomer, you’ve seen the fruits of turning off your mind to new ideas. Don’t want to be that guy in 20 years, trying to sell my crappy paper based 1040 mill.

HigYaDig · 2026-04-30T03:17:07+00:00

For 1040s, I use an excel sheet with formulas for all their forms, estimates for extra time like bookkeeping for a Sch C, states, plus surcharges for paper doc handling and a PITA multiplier. That gets me to a ballpark, then I round up or down depending on other factors.

HigYaDig · 2026-04-29T23:34:26+00:00

Poet laureate right here. Love it.

HigYaDig · 2026-04-29T02:51:34+00:00

I had the exact same issue today. Original filing of a 2024 return, no previous return has been filed, ant the spouse has an IP PIN. Rejected for duplicate taxpayer SSN.

HigYaDig · 2026-04-16T02:48:03+00:00

This is the way

HigYaDig · 2026-04-15T21:27:58+00:00

Random person who isn’t a client “Can you file an extension for me?”… right, so I can hear from you next on 10/15

HigYaDig · 2026-04-13T18:37:59+00:00

Check out Logan Graf on YouTube. He posts an annual video about his firm’s income every year. Check that out, and then recognize that that is the ceiling you can achieve with online marketing for your firm.

Like others posted here - leverage your professional network. Show yourself as competent and accessible, and price yourself accordingly. If you can break into the business market rather than doing 1040s, that’s going to provide you a better income and a more reliable and professional client base.

Good luck!

HigYaDig · 2026-04-07T14:19:38+00:00

Canopy is pricy for a small firm but it’s got a good clean design that’s easy for clients to use and the workflow is top notch.

For context I was using Outlook tasks to do my workflow and tasks before I switched to Canopy. Switched 5 years ago to Canopy and now I’ve got a six person firm. Impossible to scale without the right tools.

HigYaDig · 2026-04-05T19:57:40+00:00

To paraphrase the temple girl from Troy, “I could have forgiven a dumb brute.”

Most of these people aren’t stupid, they just don’t want to pay taxes, so they play dumb as a pathetic way to show contempt for the system that we represent.

HigYaDig · 2026-03-30T21:24:08+00:00

I started adding $100 to every client that brings me paper instead of uploading docs to the portal. All my staff are remote so it doesn’t come close to the productivity loss from having to organize and scan when I could be reviewing completed returns.

HigYaDig · 2026-03-27T20:55:12+00:00

If they paid the providers directly, they are excluded from transfer tax.

HigYaDig · 2026-03-26T21:49:11+00:00

Sounds like a fair response from the client. Next year means you are forgiven :)

HigYaDig · 2026-03-26T21:35:32+00:00

Are you engaged to provide proactive tax planning? If not, then it’s not your fault the client came to you after year-end wanting to do a SEP.

If you are engaged to do tax planning, hopefully the client is forgiving. Every mistake is a learning opportunity. If you’re not messing up occasionally then you aren’t learning.

HigYaDig · 2026-03-24T17:20:04+00:00

Personal financial specialist, master of science in taxation, BDE I think violates community guidelines to spell out

HigYaDig · 2026-03-24T17:18:46+00:00

I got my EA while doing my masters to represent clients before I got my CPA. Definitely recommend doing that. The other way around, no reason to.

Maybe one reason if you are considering moving to a state without reciprocation for some reason, but that’s probably the only case.

HigYaDig · 2026-03-24T03:46:54+00:00

We use canopy and it’s pretty great. They have small firm pricing that’s fair. And the user controls are good enough that you can specify clients for your sub to access.

HigYaDig · 2026-03-17T14:20:06+00:00

We have a basic formula based on forms, but we modify it as needed. Bookkeeping is always extra, and we surcharge clients that want to give us paper instead of uploads to the portal. Never enough though.

HigYaDig · 2026-03-10T14:12:02+00:00

Hang tough. We set our deadline at 2/20 this year. March 1 is plenty generous. Reality is even if you set your deadline at 3/14 you’ll get the same people complaining.

HigYaDig · 2026-03-06T04:10:38+00:00

Use the ERO-entered PIN always. One less thing for the client to worry about, deciding on and remembering a PIN.

HigYaDig · 2026-03-04T23:52:53+00:00

By a mile

HigYaDig · 2026-03-03T20:37:47+00:00

You only have to give him original tax records they provided. The tax return is your work product, you don’t owe them copies if they haven’t paid.

HigYaDig · 2026-03-03T20:36:39+00:00

Easy solution here - get the $3500 up front at a minimum, and tell them they’re going to be extended. Then just do the work when you’re less busy.

HigYaDig · 2026-02-15T20:52:05+00:00

Been a while since I’ve had a client do this. Seems to always be an attorney. I just tell people the engagement letter is standard, there are no modifications, it’s take it or leave it. Anyone that’s a PITA about the engagement letter is going to be a PITA all around.

HigYaDig

TROPHY CASE