Client wishes to file her own tax return and remain on books

monkeypuzzle47

Silly question, but my client contacted me today to say she has filed her own tax return. So i replied to say this is fine and sent her a disengagement letter. She has since replied and asked to remain as a client as she wants me to file next year. Basically I know when i go to prepare next year it will be a mess and will probably have to correct. What is the right thing to do here. Disengage, re-engage next year. What do you do?

MarieNoelle

Hi @monkeypuzzle47
Did your client give any reason as to why she has filed her own return?

How much do you want to retain her? I know it's a pain but I would reissue another engagement letter and increase the fee for next year - and quote separately for resubmitting an amendment.
If she agrees you win. If she refuses it may not be a big loss after all?

I had agreed to do the SATR for a client for a small fee (director of a Ltd Co I do the accounts for) and she signed the engagement letter. I kept chasing her for her UTR so I could get her on my system, then she backtracked and said she would do it herself as it was only her P60 figures she needed to enter.Then I mentioned she shouldn't forget the dividends and allocate correctly between her spouse and children. She sent me her UTR the next day!

monkeypuzzle47

hello, thank you for your response. She said she filed it herself a few months back just to save money on the accounts fee this year. She's unlikely to agree to the amendment. I think i will just tell her that its highly likely i will need to amend next year as there were certain balances brought forward that she would not have considered when preparing the tax return so it will be wrong my end, so on that basis it is probably best to disengage.