Pete peeve question for 4/2/25 -

[IRonMaN]

If you have a mittful of 1099Rs, why do you feel the need every year to rip apart the three part page so I have to play 52 card pickup trying to make sure that all are present and accounted for?  They get to you in one piece, why can't you just leave them that way?  Ok, for the positive side of things, at least they weren't put back in the envelopes they came in.

[rbynaker]

Your clients open their own mail?

[IRonMaN]

About 1/3 open their mail

About 1/3 open their mail and then put it back in the envelopes it came in

About 1/3 never open their mail

About 1/3 of the last one third have trouble finding their mail.

[ElizabethLNC]

Those sound like my clients.  And I whole heartedly agree with your pet peeve of the day and any  envelopes that may be involved.

[IRonMaN]

This place is a little like the old Dragnet TV show.  We all have the same clients "only their names have been changed to protect the innocent". 🚔

[rbynaker]

Nowadays I get two of everything.  "They sent me an email so I downloaded the document and printed it for you.  Then this one came in the mail.  I figured you would want both."

[IRonMaN]

Been there done that ------------------ many times.

I just worked on a return this afternoon.  I print out client organizers on colored paper.  I was working on the return and had the organizer pulled apart putting copies of the relevant stuff behind the applicable pages.  Then I see another organizer with a few sheets of paper clipped together with it in the file wondering how in the world I got another clients information in with this file.  No reason to worry, it didn't belong to another client.  He didn't return the organizer last year so obviously felt that it was really need so he brought in the 2023 and 2024 organizers this year.

[PATAX]

 @IRonMaN 👍and then the perforated paper is not functional and we have to use scissors to separate.

[PATAX]

@rbynaker 👍always a good idea to check for duplicates and/or corrected copies.

[IRonMaN]

A few years back we had a client that issued W-2s on non-perforated paper.  They had an employee claiming that they broke like 629 federal laws by not providing the W-2 on perforated paper.  He was ready to call the IRS, FBI, CIA and 60 Minutes to report it.  Apparently, the employee missed out on how to use scissors day back in grade school.

[PATAX]

@IRonMaN I wonder if maybe that employee had a lot of time on his hands?

[IRonMaN]

Too much time on his hands and too few brain cells in his head.

[Just-Lisa-Now-]

20 years ago, we had new clients that came in, they each had over a dozen W2s (they worked in the movie industry) and they had ripped them all apart!!!

[IRonMaN]

They wanted to star in the latest drama production in your office. 🎥

[C Goodmon]

My client's know this pet peeve of mine thus why I have the sign " I don't do envelopes!"  

I also just make a copy of the full page 1099-R, 1099-SSA and/or W-2's I am not cutting and playing stack any more.  So much happier with the full pages and much easier to check as well.

[IRonMaN]

I make copies of all 1099s, W-2s, etc and I like full sheets so they can go through the copier with ease so don't staple or even paper clip things together.

[dascpa]

Totall agree. I'm adding two more pet peeves - (1) do you remember last year I told you, or do you remember what my refund will be - - uh no, I don't remember what I had for lunch let alone a zillion tax returns ago, or last year. (2) every receipt, every prescription - why do I need to know that 81 year old lady is using a vaginal e-ring, or you're on anti-depressants. Give me friggin totals, not all the detail.

[IRonMaN]

Yup.  $340 in medical bills, two dollars at a time with alll of the slips to prove it, but you have to add up the slips to find out there is $340 actually there.

[IRonMaN]

As a side note, I'm surprised I haven't taken any grief over the title of this string.  I realized after I posted, that I snuck an "e" in there on the end of pet. I was going to correct it, but then I thought my peeves are special to me so I am going to officially name my pet peeves "Pete".  They are more personal if they have a name. 😀

[TaxGuyBill]

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@IRonMaN wrote:

As a side note, I'm surprised I haven't taken any grief over the title of this string.  I realized after I posted, that I snuck an "e" in there on the end of pet. . 😀

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I was going to make a comment to others who were mentioning "pet peeves" and ask them why they were talking about "pet peeves" when you are talking about something completely different ("pete peeves").  🤣

[IRonMaN]

Nobody wanted to talk about Pete 😁

[ElizabethLNC]

Maybe I need to add the "I don't do envelopes" to my signage for next year.

An envelope story I still shake my head over:

Several years ago, a client brings all her envelopes containing documents in for prep.  I'm taking the documents out and sorting by type.  I'm stacking the empty envelopes to the side.  Once I'm done, I pick the envelopes up and deposit them in my recycling bin.  She asks what I'm doing.  I tell her throwing the empty envelopes in the recycle bin.  She exclaims, "But I need those!"  So I had to remove her empty envelopes from the trash and return them to her.  I told her if she needed them, to keep them at home next time.  The next year, I still get the envelopes and documents. 

After that encounter, I stack the empty envelopes up and add them to the client file while they're still sitting with me.  Once they leave, I dispose of the trash.  I'm yet to receive a complaint with that procedure.

[IRonMaN]

Some people get emotionally attached to their envelopes 😀

[C Goodmon]

Folks are peculiar. To each their own madness.

If my clients are sitting with me and their information is in envelopes, I tell them, 'To make the best use of our time, I will take out the first tax document from envelope number one. If you could begin removing the necessary tax documents from the other envelopes, that would be great. This way, we can maximize our time today. While I work on my side of the desk, you can work on yours as well, so you can leave with your results faster.' I try to keep the focus on them, but I might also mention that envelopes feel like nails on a chalkboard to me, and I have a strong aversion to the thought of getting a paper cut from an envelope. LOL

When clients bring in their tax information, my assistant kindly checks in with them and playfully asks if they're trying to get her in trouble with me! She gently reminds them that I prefer not to work with tax documents in envelopes. With a friendly smile, she suggests that they take a moment to remove the tax information from the envelopes. She also offers a helpful tip for next year: it would be great if they could bring the tax information unfolded and outside of envelopes.

I even take it one step further with my annual letter the year before last I had this paragraph towards the end- "If you know of anyone looking for a qualified, spunky tax preparer who works hard for her clients, please send them my way. However, you will need to let them know what over the years you have learned about me- “I don’t do envelopes!”

Can you tell I left my "filter" at home. 

[IRonMaN]

The majority of my clients drop off or mail their stuff these days.  I still do appointments for those that need the hand holding.  But I think the one thing that is missing from this discussion is the card players.  They sit like they are playing poler, wanting to deal you one card at a time, announcing each item as they are dealt.  JUST GIVE ME YOUR PILE OF CRAP!

[Camp1040]

More than a few of my clients have signed up for e-delivery of 1099-R's and brokerage statements inadvertently, (so they claim) and then come to the tax appointment with there bank interest and social security 1099 and hand it over as proud as can be that they have all their tax documents.

One recent client argued that she did not receive a $158,000 distribution that was reported on her 1099-R, As she went on and on about how adamant she was that she did not receive it, she pulled out her checkbook, fingers flying through the check register and stated very comely, "oh their it is"!!!! 

[C Goodmon]

It's official. We would be friends @IRonMaN 

I too get annoyed with the one piece of paper at a time clients, especially when they feel the need to explain each document. For example, they'll say, "Here's my Social Security 1099 income, and here's my interest from Wells Fargo on my checking account," and it just goes on and on. Sometimes I want to respond with, "Wow, what is this? Where does it go? I've never seen this before!" Then I feel tempted to turn around and grab my bright yellow book, "Income Tax for Dummies," for a little help!

[dascpa]

Adding a 3rd pet peeve - totally useless K-3's and state K-1's. Typical - client is in half a dozen major partnerships/LLC's. Each one has a 21 pages K-3's that has either no info or no useful info. That's 126 wasted downloaded pages. Then these national entities give you 42 state K-1's that are blank. I've had a paperless office for over 25 years, except what I'm working on. How come I fill the 45 gallon shredder bin every other day?

[IRonMaN]

I'm sure the American paper industry is thankful for you!

[George4Tacks]

I am sure @IRonMaN and a few others remember the fold out road map that came with the k-1. It was wall size. I had each line with an arrow pointing over to which line of the Schedule it went to belonged to. A Lacerte user in my neck of the woods did a cut and paste of the various input pages to match up with those charts would go. It was later adopted as an input page and ultimately ended up as an onscreen such we now have. 

I guess they may still be around!! 

[IRonMaN]

But I don't remember walls being big enough to hold those wall size road maps 😁

[Accountant-Man]

Many moons ago, while I worked per diem for a few firms, I one spent 3 HOURS just opening envelopes and pulling the papers. They were very wealthy, so they didn't care.

I also found several hundred dollars worth of dividend checks for them. (Like I said, many moons ago).

[IRonMaN]

I had a client for many years that put a paper bag near his front door to collect all of his tax documents including a couple of mittfuls of dividend 1099s.  Every year I would easily cover my fee from the dividend checks that I would find mixed in with his tax documents.