Bookkeeper Client Consent Form

That question is better answered by an attorney than a tax specialist. I am not an attorney, and cannot offer legal advice, but I have done taxes and worked with attorneys in the US, I suspect the answer might look like this:1. Regardless, it is generally best to acquire permission from the other party if at all possible.2. You are in control of whatever documents you possess. You (therefore) could (physically) copy the documents and hand them to another party. However, it MIGHT be illegal and/or unethical for you to do so, that requires the insights of an attorney familiar with your jurisdiction (generally state-by-state in the US) and the reason your reluctant/unable to seek permission (divorce agreements may stipulate regarding this). If you share the documents without first getting an attorney’s advice, you risk being sued for damages, and possibly even worse if that action is illegal.3. Most organizations requiring tax returns, would like to have the IRS verify the reported information (if you are in the US, they would probably want you to file https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/... )4. If the other person on the tax return does not ALSO submit the form, I am pretty certain the IRS will not release the information.So, IMO, this question is best answered by an attorney. If you mention where you are, and ask it as a legal question, you might find a helpful answer. If it’s due to divorce, you might even check the divorce agreement and decree to see if there is a provision regarding income taxes. Any other separation overseen by a court may likewise list it. It is possible insightful attorneys may have spelled it out at the time of the agreement. Good luck.

The actual information in your return cannot be sold to third parties.  Some online processors may be able to sell your email address, but if they sold any identifiable information from your return, they would be subject to serious penalties from the IRS.  Even employees of the IRS cannot access your individual return unless they have authorization to do so in the normal course of performing their job at the service.Confidentiality is something they take VERY serious at the IRS.

Most small businesses are notoriously bad at bookkeeping, and desparately need your services. But, they’re experts in their trade, not experts in running abusiness, so most do not realise the severity of the problem, or what could be gained with better bookkeeping practises. Many use a familiy member or friend to help, and mistakes are made that are difficult to untangle, often long-running.Chartered Accountants are used to this, and seldom seem to do much about it (other than bill their clients more, to cover the hassle of dealing with poor organisation).The way a bookkeeper can motivate small businesses, is to sell the benefits, not the features. Consider this, how most bookkeepers sell their services - expressed as features:Look what I can do for you!Tax returnsVAT / BAS (quarterly sales tax) returnsClient invoicingAccounting administrationPay billsSure, it’s the stuff most businesses need. But most small business owners eyes glaze over - it’s boring, complicated, they don’t understand it, they often don’t want to understand it. They wish it’d go away. To make matters worse, they know it’s a mess, and as soon as someone starts digging, they are going to be asked questions they do not know the answer to.Consider an alternative, expressed as benefits:Look what I can do for you!Maximise taxable deductions: pay less taxReduce stress and save money by ensuring no late notices or penalty interest from Tax OfficeMaximise money in your bank account by chasing people who owe you money, and paying bills at the last responsible momentReduce stress by ensuring administration tasks like business registration, insurance, duties, reports, and fees are submitted on timeReduce stress: Provide monthly reports to advise on the overall health of your business. (Am I making money? How much better was December this year, than December last year? How much did I spend on xyz last quarter, compare to this quarter? Is the business profitable? How much could I sell my business for? What’s my equity? How much do I owe?)Know if you have enough money to pay bills and salary this month, or to buy new stock or new plant-and-equipment (cashflow prediction)Make it quick and easy to apply for a business loan (up to date Profit and Loss, Balance sheet and cashflow always available).Sleep well at night knowing, not guessing or hopingNo risk: All data backed up securely, and accessible from anywhere.Comfort and reduce costs: I’ll make an end-of-month process that meets all government requirements, and will reduce costs at your CPA at end of year.Everything I do is open and transparent, you have access to all data. I am certified by xyz. I’ll provide top-level and detailed reports for you to ask questions about, and provide advice on accounting.The idea, of course, is to push their buttons: they are scared, uncomfortable, don’t sleep well at night, stressed, and worried.I also think it’s important to communicate when you’re courting a new Client, that you separate out fixing the current mess, and ongoing work. They are different tasks, skills and costs.There’s a huge market for this - almost every small business owner I meet (professionally, and in my day to day life) has these problems, and are willing to pay to fix it, if approached the right way. Most of them have unrealistic expectations (ie, just start doing stuff right and it’ll be all good!), but you’ll need to explain the importance of fixing the backlog first.

It sounds like you wish to get a large tax return. In that case when filling out your W-4 form you should claim S-0 (that’s single with zero exemptions). This means that your employer will take out the maximum amount. For those people who insist upon the government having use of their money all year there is also an option to have additional funds taken out and held and then returned when your annual return is filed. For that matter you could allow the government to keep it all during the year and then when you file your return instead of taking a refund just tell them to keep it toward next years return. Seriously, I know the large tax return seems nice and for some people that is how they save for vacations and other things, but a tax return is not a gift from the USA. It is your money and receiving a large tax return means that you allowed someone else to have your money for a year without paying you interest for the privilege of keeping your money.

To file income taxes:You could use do-it-yourself (DIY) software like TurboTax.You could go to a tax shop like H&R Block, Liberty Tax, or Jackson Hewitt.You could use an EA or Enrolled Agent with the IRS.Or, you could use a CPA or Certified Public Accountant.The best at income tax preparation, I believe, are CPA’s. The tax shops hire people for $10 an hour to do your taxes. Enrolled Agent exams are easier than the CPA exams. Even though it’s the cheapest, the DIY software misses stuff, and you have to invest a lot of your personal time into it. As far as pricing goes for Tax Shops, EA’s, and CPA’s, they vary greatly, but it can range from $100 for a simple individual return to $1,500 for a corporate return.Hope this helps!Brian

Individuals who don't own businesses spend tens of billions of dollars each year (in fees and time) filing taxes.  Most of this is unnecessary.  The government already has most of the information it asks us to provide.  It knows what are wages are, how much interest we earn, and so on. It should provide the information it has on the right line of an electronic tax return it provides us or our accountant.  Think about VISA. VISA doesn't send you a blank piece of paper each month, and ask you to list all your purchases, add them up and then penalize you if you get the wrong number.  It sends you a statement with everything it knows on it.   We are one of the only countries in the world that makes filing so hard. Many companies send you a tentative tax return, which you can adjust. Others have withholding at the source, so the average citizen doesn't file anything.California adopted a form of the above -- it was called ReadyReturn. 98%+ of those who tried it loved it. But the program was bitterly opposed by Intuit, makers of Turbo Tax. They went so far as to contribute $1 million to a PAC that made an independent expenditure for one candidate running for statewide office. The program was also opposed by Rush Limbaugh and Grover Norquist. The stated reason was that the government would cheat taxpayers. I believe the real reason is that they want tax filing to be painful, since they believe that acts as a constraint on government programs.