Do I have the right to say no to a client?

[athaureaux6]

Good morning online community, 

I need advice on this. Single new client, no children

When I saw the w2, I knew right away she will not get a refund o maybe a very small refund. I said, just by looking at it, I can tell you they did not withheld enough taxes. She said, ok do it. To make the story short she got 5 dollars, and she refused to do it. She went to another preparer and 4 days later, she came back to finish it with me. I said to her: I really prefer you try to do it somewhere else. 

My question:  Do I have the right to refuse doing the return for her? 

Note: I did not charge anything the first time.  

[juliehissong]

I reserve the right to refuse a client at anytime.  Always have, always will.

[GodFather]

What makes you feel as though you can't refuse?  Your service is not guaranteed for anyone.  If you choose to complete the return, complete it.  If you choose not to complete the return, don't.  I have never had an issue with telling a client I am unable to assist them...and I don't feel I need to provide them with a reason for that choice. 

[itonewbie]

Was any engagement letter signed by both you and her, however simple that may be?  If so, there should be terms for disengagement, failing which, you probably won't have grounds to fire the client.

If no engagement letter was signed, there is no engagement to begin with.  Accountants screen clients all the time for various reasons (e.g. conflict of interest, risk profile, etc.).  Depending on the situation, especially for risk profile and PITA, the way employed to turn them down may be more subtle (and domestic) than saying no right out.

Bottom line is, you don't have to accept every single client who walks in.

[itonewbie]

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@GodFather wrote:

What makes you feel as though you can't refuse?  Your service is not guaranteed for anyone.  If you choose to complete the return, complete it.  If you choose not to complete the return, don't.  I have never had an issue with telling a client I am unable to assist them...and I don't feel I need to provide them with a reason for that choice. 

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If the Godfaather says no, who dares to object? 🤣

[ljr]

Yes always 

especially if it doesn't pass the smell test, gut feeling, whatever 

[Just-Lisa-Now-]

Your business, your rules.   

An engagement letter was mentioned, doesnt sound like you had one of those, or there would have been a fee involved already.

People are goofy, she could have taken care of this on one of the free file sites already rather than bouncing from preparer to preparer.

[jeffmcpa2010]

If you do continue you may want to consider "payment in advance".

[IRonMaN]

Just put a note on your front door:

WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO REFUSE SERVICE TO PITAS

I always remember the story of the founding father of the firm I started out with.  He was a crusty old CPA that originally started out with the IRS and then went into private practice.  He overheard a client complaining to the secretary after the client picked up his tax return.  Crusty went out to take care of the situation.  He politely told the client, "let me see that return for a second".  The client handed it to him and he took the return, ripped it in half and then once again politely told the client "don't let the door hit you in the a$$ on the way out".  I have never had to go that extreme with a client but I always keep that story in reserve in case I ever feel the need to use that procedure.

[qbteachmt]

No one has made this point, yet:

"I knew right away she will not get a refund o maybe a very small refund. I said, just by looking at it, I can tell you they did not withheld enough taxes."

Yes, they did. It was nearly exactly correct, in fact.

"She said, ok do it. To make the story short she got 5 dollars, and she refused to do it."

This is where you teach the taxpayer about withholding. The point of withholding is not to treat it as a savings account. The amounts paid in are prepayments of the taxes likely to be owed.

You want to end with almost no refund. Why would anyone want to give the government their money to hold all year, then have to file to ask for your own money to be returned to you?

You missed an opportunity.

What you didn't do here is explain why you wouldn't want this client, other than you seem to have mishandled the preparation interview. It's a learning process, to know how to introduce this to your taxpayer so they understand their payroll was great and you have proven that, and there are no complications, so you can be affordable to them.