per diem costs

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#1
zl28  
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wow...interviewing a few per diems

one is an ea..looks quite good...wants $100 /hr

another cpa mst $80-85/hr out in CA looks very competent.
or 50-60% of the fee

sort of irrational i think for someone to ask for 50-60%

after overhead for myself.

what's left?

person was like well you could just spend 15min reviewing

i've never spent 15 min on a client.
 

#2
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50-60% of the fee? I'll have a pint of whatever he's having.
 

#3
zl28  
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exactly..it's like are you an accountant

do the math

after overhead, there's nothing left

they are doing better than me at getting 50-60% of the fee
 

#4
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On the 15 minute reviewing, I suggest that this person is not the sort you want working on your (yes, your) clients. If he thinks that managing a client can be condensed into a fifteen-minute review, I wonder how much he really cares about the work he produces.
 

#5
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New York
1/3 of the fee I think would be reasonable. I like percentage of the fee arrangements. No one gets penalized for being proficient or rewarded for not being proficient.
 

#6
zl28  
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totally agree - one extra take though - 1/3 of the fee for preparing the return. if i do projections and consult with client during year and charge for that - the contractor shouldn't get 1/3 of that...and i've had hurdles dealing with contractors re this issue.

Also, interesting to note....1/3 of the fee means if htey spend 2 hours and 1 spend 1 hour....they are getting 1/3 of my billable

hour for free.



on a separate note - just lost 2 clients - a couple that both file single - they switched to a new broker - and that broker is insisting they do the tax preparation in house - what really annoys me is that now in hindsight - they've probably been with this broker since September... - if you know you are going to leave me...dont' tell me in late February....tell me in September /October if you know so..i've turned away business figuring i only have so many slots.
 

#7
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Northern MI and Coastal SC
zl28 wrote:on a separate note - just lost 2 clients - a couple that both file single - they switched to a new broker - and that broker is insisting they do the tax preparation in house - what really annoys me is that now in hindsight - they've probably been with this broker since September... - if you know you are going to leave me...dont' tell me in late February....tell me in September /October if you know so..i've turned away business figuring i only have so many slots.


Clients don't think that way. They get pissed if you fire them, but they don't have the courtesy of letting you know or grasping that we accept fewer clients based on an expectation of them returning and thus having limited availability for new clients.

Anyway, I spoke with a CPA in Florida last year and he wanted $55 or $65/hr, cannot recall, but I felt it was fair. I just don't know how proficient he would have been. Didn't end up working out and I now have competent staff handling books, so I have far more time to focus on taxes and my high end work.
 

#8
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$65 hour is very fair perhaps even low. That was the rate (albeit in NYC) 15 years ago at a cpa firm I worked for.
 

#9
zl28  
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what do you think hte going rate for a per diem in NYC with 10 years experience these days?
 

#10
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Lower 48
Now that the upcoming tax season is rapidly approaching, what hourly rate would you pay for someone with 20+ yrs experience who worked only during tax season for you?
 

#11
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New York
For NYC minimum $60/hour to max $90/hr
 

#12
Benztax  
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21-Jun-2019 10:25am
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NY
We are a new firm and sometimes do some contract work for other accountants. $100/hour or 1/3 of the fee is what we ask for. Otherwise, it is a waste of time.
 


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