A CLEAR START
How to Get Started
Begin with a consultation inquiry and the type of help you need. Before work starts, confirm the service, fees, document requirements, and responsibilities. Tax return preparation, tax advisory, and business consulting are separate tasks that can be combined when the engagement clearly defines them.
First, choose the conversation.
You do not need to diagnose your entire tax situation before making contact. Start with the closest service: an individual or business return, help with an extension, a tax advisory question, or a business planning decision.
The inquiry form asks for basic contact information. It is not a place to submit tax documents or instructions to file a return.
Know what happens before work begins.
Describe the need
Identify the service, the tax year or decision involved, and any timing issue in the initial conversation. Mention specialized circumstances so the fit can be reviewed.
Agree on the engagement
Confirm the work to be performed, fees, document requirements, and who is responsible for each next step. Do not assume an inquiry has been accepted as an engagement.
Provide the requested information
Use the document-delivery instructions agreed with the practice. Keep a separate list of items that are still outstanding or questions that need an answer.
Review and confirm the next steps
For a return, address remaining questions and required authorizations before filing. For advisory, clarify the assumptions, the conclusion, and any follow-up responsibility.
Prepare records without exposing them in the inquiry.
It helps to know what is available, even when the documents are not ready to send. Use the individual preparation checklist or the self-employed records checklist to organize.
Do not send Social Security numbers, returns, identification documents, bank details, payment information, or account passwords through the website form.
Make deadlines explicit.
Raise an approaching filing date at the start of the conversation. Ask whether the proposed work can be accepted and what information must be provided by when.
A submitted form does not reserve an appointment, authorize an extension, or confirm a filing commitment. Read the extension page when extra filing time may be needed.
Ask how preparation and advisory fit together.
An annual return can identify a question worth discussing later, but that does not automatically turn preparation into ongoing planning. Agree on any additional work separately.
Likewise, an advisory conversation does not automatically include preparing the return. Clear scope is useful in both directions.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Questions you may have.
Is a consultation inquiry the same as becoming a client?
No. An inquiry starts a conversation. An engagement is established only after the work has been accepted and the terms have been agreed.
Where do I send my tax records?
Use the document-delivery instructions provided for your engagement. The website inquiry form is not intended for tax documents.
Can I assume a deadline is being handled after submitting the form?
No. Confirm directly who has accepted responsibility for the filing and what information or authorization is still required.
When are fees discussed?
Fees and scope should be agreed before work begins. Ask how additional work or a change in the original scope will be handled.