There was an EA in private practice about a mile from my location. We seemed to have a good amount of target market overlap. He even invited me to lunch one day last year to discuss a merger, but it didn't fit in with my long term plans.
Yesterday I picked up a new client who brought in his 2016 return that had been prepared by the guy up the road. I asked why the client was switching to me this year, and his answer was "Jim" doesn't answer his phone or emails. I drove by his office and it looks abandoned.
I checked Inspector Google for any news and there are 5 new 1-star reviews posted for this guy stating he is not responsive and seems to be out of business. Meaning there are about 400 clients out there this year who need a tax preparer and would probably be a good fit for me. How can I go after them? And - is it ethical to go after them?