Workflow Management under Coronavirus

I'm curious how everyone is going to manage their client base in the wake of tax relief.

My plan is tentatively as follows:

--For those clients that have filed and owe, I have notified of the delayed payment deadline of 7/15. Thankfully, all of these clients were given vouchers and I did not setup direct debit for them (thank goodness!).
--For those clients that have filed and received refunds, no action.
--For those clients that have not filed:
----And are due refunds, I'm going to recommend to the client we file as soon as possible.
----And will owe (return already started). I will let the client make the decision whether they want to file or not. I will most likely recommend filing if the return is complete and accurate, and deliver vouchers which the client can use to pay on or before 7/15. If the client requests we do not file until July, and especially when the return is accurate and complete before 4/15, I will bill the client for some percentage of my work after I have a conversation with the client about their ability to pay. I simply cannot afford to not collect revenue for 3 months.
----And will owe (return not started). Have a conversation with the client. If they can get their information in soon, see prior bullet point. If they can't: Those that are very confident they will be able to file by 7/15, no action. Those that are NOT very confident they will be able to file by 7/15, prepare an extension to 10/15 now.

I do have some esoteric concerns as well. For example, I have some non-resident alien clients that own U.S. DEs and must paper file a 5472 with 1120 proforma. I don't know if these returns are granted relief, so to be safe I'm recommending filing before 4/15. Thankfully most of these are complete at this time.

The pressure has certainly been lifted and I can feel it in my interaction with clients, however I do want to be on top of and manage this process. I DO NOT want to effectively shift busy season to June (and Fourth of July week).

How will you manage this process?

I am having a big issue with a few clients who selected ACH Debit on 4/15 or earlier and now have changed their minds and want to pay on 7/15.

I have stopped doing ACH Debit for balance due now. I am preparing the voucher and giving them instructions on how to pay using DirectPay.

If you have a large number of clients affected, it might make a lot of sense (although not the best client service) to push the cancellation responsibility out to the client due to "time constraints" on your end.

https://www.irs.gov/payments/pay-taxes- ... withdrawal

Then, provide those who cancelled their scheduled ACH debit with a voucher and instructions to pay on or before 7/15.

Debating whether or not I'm going to cancel my own ACH debit scheduled for 4/15....might be more of a hassle than its worth. Will definitely be paying Q1 in early July.

I think the situation is too fluid right now to put anything in stone. Just keep informed and be flexible.

As of right now, I agree that right now it's best practice to not initiate further ACH debits -- either our software won't be ready for it or the IRS is going to have an issue with it, so just avoid the headache.

I think the situation is too fluid right now to put anything in stone. Just keep informed and be flexible.

As of right now, I agree that right now it's best practice to not initiate further ACH debits -- either our software won't be ready for it or the IRS is going to have an issue with it, so just avoid the headache.

Agree. My software publisher can't update their software UNTIL IRS changes the business rules for e-filing. I am preparing 1040-V ONLY now.

With the new deadline, for those of you with staff, have you gone back to 40 hours per week yet? Stopped the OT pay and no longer working Saturdays?

We are going to do this. Funny! Only the admin staff are upset about this.

We are winding back, and the admin staff seem to be the most bothered as well. Might be because some of them are temps...

Oh well, I'd rather keep the work for the full-timers.

I have not changed anything. My staff is still working extended hours. If docs were in by my deadline of 3/16, the returns will be filed by 4/15. Clients don't have the option. For those that want the taxes pulled I am telling them if I do that it will be on 4/15. If they want the 7/15 date they can mail a check or pay online. Surprisingly 90% of clients want to to have it pulled on 4/15 anyway as they don't want to worry about it.

I want my tax season over on 4/15 as I need to move on to all of the non tax work that we do. The only way this has impacted me is that I don't have to do extension calculations now. Anyone that would have been extended, I will just revisit in June to either get filed or file an extension at that time.