Hi All,
I am planning on starting a tax filing practice. I got some experience filing for family and friends but I am making an effort to become a Pro. I am working to become Enrolled Agent and I hope that gets done soon.
I would love to work for someone else remotely if possible. This will give me solid experience, but I am not sure how that would work with possible filing extension and I assume no rush to file taxes. With that being said and current health environment, is it advisable to open a practice at all? Here in Michigan when not necessary business were shut down, the place was like a ghost town. Parking lots empty. I don't know if accountants were opened or not, but I would drive often by some tax prep chains and they looked empty.
I don't have a large social circle to rely on referrals, so I need to acquire every client through hard work. By when do you see a rush of individual filings coming to office? Is it as early as Feb or they all wake up on April 14th and you a mile long on that day only?
With Covid office policies, masks on, plastic wall between you and clients, fan blasting air outside the office etc etc, have you seen any decline on new customer visits? Are new clients confident to let their tax papers with you and pick them in 1 to 2 hr or a few days? Dont the clients expect an interview?
This thread https://www.taxprotalk.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=19537 mentioned that the practitioners didn't have much demand for office visits, but they seem to deal with return customers. I will be dealing with 0 return clients.
Around what time do you open office? 8 am , or past noon? I know it may sound silly but if you have paid help, I would like to fully utilize it and not keeping an assistant unnecessary on dead hours.
If I work remotely for other established practitioners, how can I provide them my prepared work for them to check, make any necessary changes and proceed to efile?
I have been thinking of using Drake , but I am open to any software that would allow collaboration.
Thanks in advance.