I think my most difficult client this season is thinking about not paying me or idk.. yeah that's it... I think he's not gonna pay

[samsed]

It ended up going from a one member LLC to a parntership with two foreign partners... I had to pull teeth at every stop of this return to get info out of him... then he eventually introduced me to his partners... Then he tried to tell me they have no ECTI... they do though! so I told him at around 2 weeks in this return will be costing almost double as much as I had quoted him because of the amount of time I'm spending on it. They were fine with it, we kept going on. and on and things kept getting more complicated and I would figure them out. I mean things like they had wires marked as income that were just rejects and they were asking me tax questions about one of the countries I had no idea about.. but my idiot self figured it out for them.. all of it... laid it out. nicely. Sent them a draft of their return because they were pressing me. And during this time I told them I wanted someone who is actually proficient in foreign tax to review the return. They were fine with it. I quoted them the new quote , they were fine with it.... up until today. We had a phone call and after they asked their questions, they all of a sudden said something like we need to look at your quote cuz your oginal quote was different and of course I said it's different it says it right thre in my engagemnet letter. that if it becomes more complicated, if I spend more time which I have, I will charge you more but more importantly you agreed via email at every stage.... but never the less they finished the call by saying they need to talk as a team and about my fees and get back to me... 

it's been 3 hours.. nothing. So I sent my invoice and said it's best if you paid me before I do any additional work for you which is very much needed. 

I think they're not gonna pay... they're just gonna get away with it. because what am I gonna do? take them to court? like I have that time or energy. I'm seriously done. this tax season was the worst. I'm done with these ungrateful people. 

[IRonMaN]

"take them to court?"

And then they sue you for something unprofessional that you did like not wearing a tux when they met with you.  We all have difficult clients and we all have stories about dealing with jerks like that.  Some of us won't even disclose where they buried the bodies when they reached the breaking point of dealing with these people.  Ok, nobody has ever killed someone over a tax return............ well, at least I don't think they have.  It's just another learning experience for next time you go down this path so that you don't make the same mistakes, like trust someone that shouldn't be trusted.

[sjrcpa]

And in the long run you will be glad to be rid of them.

Been there, too.

[BobKamman]

The return isn't finished and delivered yet?  That gives you more leverage than most of us have with deadbeats.  Not that I have much problem with no-pays.  It's the slow-pays who annoy me.  

I'm thinking of sending a letter with the second notice.  "Next year we plan to reduce our clientele, by dropping the last five clients to pay this year.  Right now there are six of you left."

[Seq]

We don't file a return until the fee is paid. It says right on the tax return next to the preparer signature "Paid Preparer Use Only". No pay, no signature, no e-file button pushed. We explain that in our engagement letter in large bold font so they can't miss it.

[BobKamman]

IRS has instructions in large bold fonts, too.  If people could read, they could do their own returns. 

I have the opposite problem.  I keep hoping certain clients won't pay so we'll have an excuse not to let them back next year.  But still they persist.  

[rcooley25]

If no one has ever killed someone over a tax return remember there is a first time for everything.

[sjrcpa]

Does this mean they didn't pay?