ComplaintsforHouston, Helseth & Myers PC

• Initial Complaint

  06/30/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We used Houston, Helseth and Myers to prepare our 2020 taxes. We were told that we had to pay the cost that was due when we picked up our taxes. I paid and was given my taxes. A month later, I received a **** for $2055. I called and asked how could that possible be when I already paid $1600 when I picked up our taxes. They said we owed it. I would also like to add that we have never paid over $700 for our taxes to be prepared. I've been making monthy payments and just found out that our taxes were rejected over a year ago and we were never told. We called, nd the the accountanat said he messed up! I would like a full refund for everything that I have paid because they did not do what they said they did and what they did do, they did incorrectly. They also way overcharghed!

  Business response

  07/19/2022

  *** Circular 230 sets forth the responsibilities that paid tax return preparers must accept when 
  preparing income tax returns. We must follow the rules and regulations promulgated by Congress and the *** if preparing tax returns for payment. When taxpayers sign the income tax returns under penalty of perjury, they accept responsibility for the data and information used by preparers as a basis for the returns filed with ***. 
  For Subchapter "S" corporations the ************************ requires preparers to report balance 
  sheet and income statement amounts on those tax returns. To comply, we rely on the taxpayer to 
  provide the year end information from a complete set of books. This taxpayer provided us with bank 
  statements and other miscellaneous documents that *** or *** not have had a bearing on the return preparation. This data was below the minimum requirements to prepare and file a tax return consistent with *** established guidelines. That was brought to the taxpayer's attention and with the client's 
  agreement we prepared a full year's bookkeeping to produce the financial statements, for which we 
  charged the client accordingly. We believe a reputable accounting firm would agree that the fees were reasonable for the work performed in a timely manner given the circumstances 
  We acknowledge that one billing description for the bookkeeping services was entered incorrectly. The description referred to tax year 2021 which is the year within which the bookkeeping took place instead of the year (2020) that the bookkeeping services covered. Clearly the work was performed for 2020 as we did no work for the client for the 2021 tax year. 
  The *** did not accept several attempts to E-File ***** Transportation's ***** tax return because the business entity type and the company's Federal Identification Number did not match *** internal 
  records. When we contacted **************, she insisted that the entity type and number were correct. 
  Since we had no other information, we provided the company with a signed copy of the tax return to 
  paper-file. We were never informed by the client whether or not *** accepted the paper-filed 2020 
  returns. In our view, any problems with the filing of these returns are of the client's own making. 

  We explained our time and billing in a December 15, 2021 letter (copy attached) as requested by the 
  client last December. Not reflected in the billing are the administrative costs of processing the return as our administrative personnel do not track their time spent copying, filing and discussing the returns. 
  I have been a member of the ***** since ********************************************************************************************************************************************************** circular 230.

   

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