I think we have already had this discussion a time or two or three

Wow, you have really good clients.  They actually OPEN the envelopes?  🤣

The envelopes are the bottles.  The letters are the genies that you have to put back in the bottles after talking to the genies.  Without the bottles, folks don't know where the genies came from.  They get confused or scared just looking at the genies.

All the fault of how we got scared as kids by those dark, dark stories...

I'm much more tolerant than you are.  (You've probably noticed.)  I don't mind removing items from envelopes, and I manage to toss out the empty envelope even when the client is in the office, by diverting their attention for a moment.  The only ones who enrage me are the end-openers.  Envelopes are meant to be opened along the long, top edge.  Research has shown that most heroin addicts and mass murderers, started out opening envelopes on the short, side edge.  

I think we have all pretty seen everything when it comes to client transfer of tax information ----------------- except a garbage can.  I think you win the award with that one.

I think my heroin users and mass murderers open their stuff at home and leave the envelope there ----------- just so they don't tip me off.

I had one guy that would start putting envelopes that "might be" tax stuff in a paper grocery after the first of the year.  I would spend my time opening envelope after envelope until we got through the pile.  Every year I would easily cover my tax prep bill because he would always have two or three dividend checks tucked into the tax pile.

I guess I wasn't following proper protocol.  The garbage can was the best answer so I guess we have to mark it as the winner. 🏆

Why oh why do these people feel the need to open envelopes and then put the information back in the envelope before they give it to us? 

No clue, but I'll ask my husband.  Drives me NUTS.

MY best story of tax info delivery from a client - she tossed all her important (and not so important...) tax mail into a dresser drawer.  She walked in the office with the dresser drawer.

My client letter that goes with the organizer states "please open & remove from envelopes all tax docs".  Those that don't have them handed right back to them & I comment "do you really want to pay me $ 250/hour to open your mail".  Repeat offenders have a line item added to the invoice.  Double repeat offenders become ex-clients.  (except for my hubby - even after 38 years, can't re-train him)

Many years ago, I worked per diem for a firm. One if their clients would not open any envelopes. IT TOOK ME THIRTY HOURS JUST TO OPEN AND SORT DOCUMENTS.

And then I could prepare the returns.