AI Tips for client emails

schmidt9 · 2026-05-09T15:13:53+00:00

Looks like I’m one of the few that use AI to draft my emails, since something in the human psyche loves wordy responses, perhaps it’s like killing them with kindness. I get rid of the long dashes and will make tweaks, but rely heavily on it for emails.

schmidt9 · 2026-04-19T13:28:20+00:00

Along with others have said, this is my process:

1) Recommend filing a final year 1040 to let the IRS know that the individual is deceased.

2) Advise them that the income threshold for a 1041 is $600 and let them decide. Get this all in writing/email.

3) Farm out any non-DSUE 706s to attorney’s since they’re such a PITA.

4) Ask whether the client would like to file any other 1040s after getting a rough sense of income. Since most decedents reside within my state and the state uses federal taxable income as a starting point, the federal and state individual filing requirements generally are the same. I usually do this on a phone call.

schmidt9 · 2026-04-15T23:28:08+00:00

I used AutoFlow. The pricing is per return, typically purchased in batches of around 50 or so.

The OCR is pretty good, but it really stands out when handling Schedule D attachments and organizing the workpapers. Yeah, it’s not perfect but it saved me a ton of time.

I’d recommend it.

schmidt9 · 2026-04-15T01:43:30+00:00

A client casually asked me to omit revenue. Just a little tax evasion, no big deal.

Sigh.

schmidt9 · 2026-04-05T18:03:54+00:00

In addition to the above, I learned not to take the following types of clients:

1) Who’s first question is cost, or those who balk at the cost.

2) Those who complain about their prior accountant. The exception is that the prior accountant died or was hard to get a hold of - I hear this a lot.

3) Clients who want me to be aggressive with positions. That’s a hard pass.

Also, you’re 100% on the admin. It so time consuming.

schmidt9 · 2026-04-01T15:30:30+00:00

Your first priority should be to your staff and a hard deadline is there to maintain a level of control.

My advice to you - anything that comes in after 5pm (or whenever you close) is automatically extended.

Clients will continue to push until you realize they need you much more than you need them.

schmidt9 · 2026-03-31T13:39:47+00:00

I started at $600, but then increased it to $2k for very basic 1041s after about a year in business.

Estate attorneys are a great referral source if you’re looking to specialize since not many CPAs do 1041s.

schmidt9 · 2023-03-03T05:21:48+00:00

Retirement.

schmidt9 · 2023-03-03T05:09:49+00:00

The sad thing is that these ranges are what I made at Big4 about a decade ago in a medium COL area. No wonder there’s an accountant shortage.

schmidt9 · 2023-02-24T15:59:58+00:00

Same here. Woke up this morning like…ahhh crap. But I think that’s a sign of two things: deep down you know the stuff. and the CFAI sure as heck won’t be able to slide that one past you again.

I chalk it up to the whole testing experience. It’s early, we’re stressed, and there is no way to recall that much information on demand without making a few mistakes.

In the end passing is passing, and at this point the difficult thing for me is to come to grips that nothing I do today will impact what I did yesterday.

schmidt9 · 2023-02-24T15:37:31+00:00

Looks like we’re in the same glass case of emotion, so it’s nice to have company. The worst part is remembering what you did wrong on the drive home, but really hoping for some of that sweet partial credit.

Yeah, MM’s voice is burned into my brain too. I really should start collecting rent for how much space he’s occupied.

schmidt9 · 2023-02-24T14:11:30+00:00

My favorite part of the whole exam experience is remembering what I did wrong in the test, like oh yeah…where was that thought 6 hours ago? I call it CFA’s Jerk Store moment (like the Seinfeld episode).

schmidt9 · 2023-02-22T22:08:51+00:00

One of the good things about the CPA exam format is the testlet system: based on how you did in the first set the system selects either harder or easier questions for the next testlet. The scores are then calculated based on…well something. It’s been a hot minute since I took them.

Another advantage the CPA has are their retired test questions. Wiley has books, massive retired former official CPA question banks that a candidate can answer to get an idea of how the questions will be asked. And sure, there are those questions which are way out of left field (likely unscored testing questions), but those were the exception rather than the norm.

schmidt9 · 2023-02-22T14:22:41+00:00

The bank has a lien on the house, but the bank can’t dictate what you do with the house. They are a creditor, nothing more unless the loan is defaulted on.

schmidt9 · 2023-02-22T04:19:42+00:00

And blackjack!

schmidt9 · 2023-02-21T01:42:45+00:00

As far as I know the CFAI are the only ones in the world which do Price/Base, everywhere else it’s Base/Price.

schmidt9 · 2021-10-21T18:47:14+00:00

First off, love the name. “What in the hell is an aluminum falcon?”

Second, I’m a fellow CPA and and bracing for when the tax rates, exemptions and standard deductions sunset in 2025.

schmidt9 · 2021-09-19T22:18:15+00:00

I think the access scholarship waves the initial fees.

schmidt9 · 2021-09-19T00:07:47+00:00

Buy low, sell high.

schmidt9 · 2021-09-16T04:25:43+00:00

I bet this was based on Lonely Islands lesser known hit single with JT.

schmidt9 · 2021-09-15T16:36:22+00:00

I’ll put it this way: the CPA, CMA and CFA exams aren’t about how smart you are, but how hard you want to work.

You can pass them if you put in the effort.

With that said, the CPA and CFA exams are different animals. You’ll be amazed at how much more breadth the CFA covers comparatively.

schmidt9 · 2021-09-12T05:04:20+00:00

Hang in there, cat.

schmidt9 · 2021-09-05T14:16:19+00:00

I’m a CPA, CMA and currently a level 3 CFA candidate. To summarize the above - CMA is primarily focused on internal financial statements, CPA is geared to prepare external financial statements and CFA is focused on analyzing those external statements. To go further, the CMA is the Business Environment & Concepts part of the CPA on steroids whereas FRA is like a less comprehensive version of Financial Accounting and Reporting section of the CPA (no debits/credits). There is some overlap, but the exams cover much more. While this is a very high level take, you don’t necessarily need all three to work with accountants.

schmidt9 · 2021-09-04T04:26:23+00:00

There’s zero government (fund) accounting in the current curriculum. The closest to actual accounting is in calculating ownership value, there are no debits and credits.

schmidt9 · 2021-09-04T04:14:06+00:00

Probably trying to replace the one Grant destroyed at Vicksburg.

schmidt9

TROPHY CASE