New Client Letter from accountant moving out of town

[rpscranton]

Hi.  A good friend and tax preparer is retiring and moving to FL.  She has given me her client listing  (Name and address) and will instruct her clients to contact me when they call her next year.  Of course where the client goes is completely up to them.

To that end I'd like to mail a letter NOW to those clients welcoming them to my practice as previous clients of hers.

Does anyone have a sample letter / template that I can use and tweak for my specific situation?  Do you know of any website that could help?

I'd really appreciate the help, writing letters is NOT close to my strong point

Roger Perry, Scranton, PA

[email address removed]

[sjrcpa]

She probably should not have given you her client files without the clients' permission.

Sounds like she violated a few disclosure rules.

[rpscranton]

oops, not the actual files.  A client listing.  My mistake calling it 'files'.  I have name and address listing.  I should have worded that differently.

[abctax55]

You are WAY more likely to have a high retention rate of those clients if your friend is willing to send them a letter (at maybe your cost...?) introducing you.

[rpscranton]

Thanks, ABCTAX55

I really like that. Haven't thought of that.  I'd need the community help here for that letter, then I'll send it to her (all the letters) for her signature and she can ship back for me to mail out.  Any ideas from anyone on the wording of that letter she can sign?  I'd really appreciate any help.

[abctax55]

Too slammed to help right now, sorry 😞

The gist of MY letter to clients I've fired:

This is a tough decision but for professional & personal reasons ...  YOU ARE FIRED (I'm kidding about that part).

Here's the name of a colleague I recommend that'll be a good fit ...  rpscranton.  

[Skylane]

@abctax55 has the best solution,  a cover and referral letter from your friend with an authorization form and SASE to release the tax files to you…

if she’s kept paper files, she might also tell them when and how they can retrieve their tax files (before she leaves town)  if they want to go elsewhere… 

Hopefully she uses the same software as you. If not, intuit should be able to convert whatever electronic files to your platform… good luck

[PATAX]

Just be humble and do not assume that any of those clients are going to come to you... Just my opinion...

[rpscranton]

Of course!  Just trying to keep my name in front of them