What Is Up With This?
I’ve been waiting and waiting to get the forms I need to file my taxes. I only lack one (or maybe two, but they would be from divisions of the same company). So I decided to call around and find out where I could get them done inexpensively.
I thought maybe some small local service could give me a better deal than the big boys. So I looked some up online and started calling. Here’s how the conversation went with the first one I called:
Lady on phone: XYZ Tax Service. (No, that’s not the real name.)
Me: Hi, I was wondering how much you charge to do taxes.
Her: It’s $74 for federal and state.
Me: Well, I’m self-employed, and I usually get the Earned Income Credit. Does that make a difference?
Her: Yes. That would make it around $120.
Me: Okay. Where are you located?
Her: Umm… I’m not taking new clients. Bye. *click*
Not taking new clients. Then why did she quote me prices when I asked? She could have just said so then. Kind of makes me wonder if she knows what she’s doing. Maybe she heard how complicated my return was going to be and decided she didn’t want to fool with it, either due to incompetence or being too busy. I’m guessing it’s a very small operation, so that may have been the case. But I hate being lied to. And when a business does it, it makes me want to tell the whole entire world.
I’m thinking about getting someone else to call and see if she says she can do theirs. And if she does, calling back and asking why she lied to me. Probably won’t do it, but it did cross my mind.
Anyway, I’m thinking about going with Liberty. They quoted the same price, and they have done ours before and got us back the most we’ve ever gotten. There’s also another local place I called that will do them a little cheaper, so I’m considering them too. We qualify for free filing at the local library, but the people doing that do not have to be certified or anything. I think I’d be better off going with someone who’s in that type of business.
But that first place I called definitely won’t be getting my business, nor a recommendation from me. I’m good about spreading the word when I find a good product or service, so it’s their loss. But I’m betting I wouldn’t have been pleased if I went there anyway.
Maybe she’d just been laid off.
Comment by James Mangosteen Dean — February 13, 2009 @ 7:50 pm
I can’t believe that lady would say that to you!
Anyways, if you qualify for the EIC you can file for free from the irs website – and use their link to the free file Turbo Tax from there – I did our taxes in less than an hour and best of all it is free. It’s super easy to put in your self employed income & deductions too.
We should be getting our refund check next week
Comment by Chelle — February 13, 2009 @ 10:40 pm
James – Remote possibility I suppose, but from what I gather from the name of the business and the fact that the person who answered the phone is apparently the one who does taxes, it’s a one-person or family business.
Chelle – I’ve done that before, but I’ve been hearing that people have not gotten back as much as they could have that way. That’s why I want to have a human look over it, because our taxes are going to be more complicated this year than they’ve ever been.
I may end up going with TurboTax anyway, though, because funds are low and we can’t really afford to pay someone right now. If only we qualified for a refund anticipation loan. *sigh*
Comment by Kristy — February 15, 2009 @ 2:11 pm