They usually come back

[PATAX]

There are a few clients that usually come in very early in February, so I thought they weren't going to come back. But they did. I'm sure this has happened to all of us. I guess they like Heidi🐕☝

[IRonMaN · Accepted solution]

Locusts tend to come back too, so careful what you wish for 😀

[PATAX]

@IRonMaN 👍As long as they do not swarm my fig trees then I'll have to tolerate them. Part of our profession I guess.

[Just-Lisa-Now-]

I had one call yesterday, theyre usually one of my first clients in February, I didnt realize I hadnt seen them yet...she admitted they tried to use TurboTax and gave up, so theyre on the calendar now.

[Camp1040]

A client left me yesterday because my fee had increased "significantely", I explained I was charging the same as last year since her tax situation is similar. She said I mean over the last 5 years.....Well it has gone up $50 during that time period. I offered to charge  what she thought was a fair fee and she hung up on me.

I'm better off!!

[IRonMaN]

You are a greedy bugger - no wonder why she hung up.😜

[sjrcpa]

@PATAX Dan, what kind of figs are you growing? I have mostly brown turkey.

[PATAX]

@sjrcpa Sue I have four different kinds of fig trees. Brown turkey fig trees, Hardy Chicago fig trees, Tennessee Mountain fig trees, and Kadota fig trees. Last year they were great. One of my clients stopped over in the summertime and he couldn't believe how great they were, and he's from Italy. Dan

[IRonMaN]

Fig trees wouldn't survive a northern Minnesota winter.  At least they never used to be able to.  A few more winters like we had this year and you will be able to plant palm trees here.

[Jim-from-Ohio]

for the first time ever I told a client that maybe a fresh start with another accountant might be a good idea.. (nice way of saying your books are a mess and I want no part of it)

[Camp1040]

In upstate NY my grandfather had fig trees (two). He would tie a rope and pull the trees as close to the ground as he could and stake them and then cover them with straw, dirt, old carpet and any other insulating material he had laying around.

The trees survived a year longer than he did, I think the new owners pulled them out.

[BobKamman]

@Camp1040  I hope you and your former client are still on friendly terms.  She may develop health problems and need your help finding the cheapest brain surgeon in town.  

[PATAX]

@Camp1040 That's a great story about your Grandpa. It wasn't too long ago that many people around here had fig trees, and in the late fall they would either wrap them up like mummies, or bend them over and bury them like your grandpa did. Dan.

[Camp1040]

Mayby north MN has a shot at growing a fig tree!

[PATAX]

Talking about fig trees in the past, got me thinking of the song by Styx : "Suite Madame Blue". 

[IRonMaN]

When you mention Styx, the first song that pops into my head is "Too Much Time on My Hands" ------ which I really wish we had this time of year.  If we did, I could go shopping for fig trees to see if I can get one to grow here.

[PATAX]

@IRonMaN I think the hardy Tennessee Mountain figs will grow in Minnesota. I ordered two of them many years ago from a place down in Georgia that I found on the internet. They shipped them up in special Packaging. As long as you keep the roots from freezing in the winter the new Sprouts will come up from the ground Every Spring and they grow fast and you will have figs every year. After planting them just put down a thick layer of white marble Stones around the base of the tree, and after the leaves fall in the autumn let them lay around the base, and this will keep the roots from freezing.

[IRonMaN]

Out of curiosity, I just looked them up - zones 5-11.  Before this winter, we were in zone 3.  When you have frost that goes down 6 feet in the winter, I think you would need a pretty big pile of rocks to keep those roots from freezing.

[PATAX]

If you plant them close to house or a garage or an out building then the frost line and the freeze line don't go down as far. I do not cover my fig trees anymore, and I do not bury them, and people can't believe how big my fig trees are every year filled with figs. The deer come from far away to eat the figs. A College in area wanted to grant me a PhD in fig growing, but I refused, as Pride cometh before the fall.

[BobKamman]

I was visiting Holland, Michigan, a few years ago and saw how they install heated sidewalks.  I didn't notice if there were any fig trees providing shade, though.  

[Cjhiker58]

You're right.  You're better off without clients like that.  Good luck to her finding another tax preparer as reasonable as you!

[dkh]

---

@Jim-from-Ohio wrote:

for the first time ever I told a client that maybe a fresh start with another accountant might be a good idea.. (nice way of saying your books are a mess and I want no part of it)

---

I like how you worded that.  I'm going to have to remember that for future use (if you don't mind)

[dkh]

@Just-Lisa-Now-      Curious, will you charge the Failed-at-TurboTax clients  the same or give them a little increase since they now know you are worth whatever you charge

[Just-Lisa-Now-]

Theyve been clients for  over 15 years, they've only got 1 W2 and SS,  I cant charge them much more than I already do. 

Im actually really surprised they couldn't do it on TT, or maybe they ended up owing and arent sure they did it right  LOL

[PATAX]

@Just-Lisa-Now- Lisa since they admitted going to TurrrdoTax, I would charge them the same thing as last year plus 12 Mega rolls of Charmin.

[linda2]

Those are the ones I dislike the most!