Tax Service Agreement
Thank you for choosing me to help you with your taxes. My goal is to give a stress-free tax filing experience. Clear communication plays an important part in this process. This letter confirms the terms of my engagement with you and outlines the nature and extent of the services I will provide.
“I” and “me” used throughout this agreement refer to Savvy Tax Services, my supervised staff, service providers, and contractors. “You” refers to you and your spouse, if applicable, and any dependent on the tax return or other person who provides tax information. “Writing” includes text messages and email communications.
A) COMMUNICATIONS
NON-SECURE COMMUNICATIONS: Non-secure communications about this service can be made through any of the following: Email and contact information, including social media if applicable I will provide informal updates on a more or less weekly basis throughout the engagement. If you do not receive these communications, then it is your responsibility to ask about the status of the engagement.
SECURE COMMUNICATIONS: Secure communications through a document portal are described separately in this agreement. The secure document portal is private, and password protected. and under your control.
B) WORK PROCESS
WORK TO BE COMPLETED: Unless otherwise stated as described under the “Special Circumstances” section below, I will complete the following work as part of this engagement.
1. Prepare your federal, residential state tax return, and any additional state return where filing is required due to withholdings; for the tax year. Returns are prepared based on data that you provide or on estimates where actual documentation is not available. No additional tax return preparation, bookkeeping or accounting procedures will be performed.
2. Electronically file the tax return and provide you with evidence of acceptance of the electronic filing, unless paper filing or other arrangements are agreed.
3. Provide an electronic copy of all filings via secure private online document portal. A paper copy of the tax return is available on request at a standard fee.
4. Communicate with you directly in person, by telephone and email during the engagement.
5. Provide information to allow you to file local income taxes directly online or by mail, if applicable, in the most efficient manner. Unless otherwise stated, this engagement does not include the filing of a local income tax return.
LIMITATIONS OF WORK: My work in connection with the preparation of your income tax returns does not include any procedures or work on any tax return not listed above. If you have tax filing obligations for other periods of time, in other countries, in other states or tax returns for local governments that are not listed above then we agree that I am not engaged to work on those filings or prepare those tax returns. I will perform preparation services only as needed to prepare your tax returns. My work is not designed to discover defalcations or other irregularities, should any exist. I will use my judgment in resolving questions where the tax law is unclear, or where there may be conflicts between the taxing authorities’ interpretations of the law and other supportable positions. Unless otherwise instructed by you, I will resolve such questions in your favor whenever possible.
YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES: You are responsible for providing required tax documents and other information that may be requested. We will depend on you to provide the information needed to prepare complete and accurate returns. I may ask you to clarify some items but will not audit or otherwise verify the data you submit. Review all tax-return documents carefully before signing them.
PRIVACY AND SECURITY: I follow a privacy and security policy that meets or exceeds industry standards. The policy is available online at insert location. If you want an electronic or paper copy of the policy, please let me know. You are not required to adhere to any specified privacy and security standard. You may take the lead in modifying the standard and I may follow your lead. For example, if you ask a question about your taxes in a public area and I answer, then that changes the level of privacy. You may submit documents via text message and I may respond to the same text message number with personal tax information.
PASSWORD-PROTECTED DOCUMENTS: Documents that I send may be protected by a password. If applicable, the password will be sent separately.
ONLINE DOCUMENT HANDLING: I will provide a private, secure online portal as the safest and most reliable way to deliver electronic documents. The preferred and most common electronic document format is PDF. Other communication methods are accepted (fax, mail, email, text, etc.); however, you assume the additional security risk if you elect to use those less secure methods. I will retain electronic copies of your records and our work papers for your engagement for seven years. Paper copies of documents are available at an additional fee. There is no extra charge for electronic copies of documents.
PAPER DOCUMENT HANDLING: If we accept any original paper records from you, they will be returned to you as soon as possible. You should store original paper records, along with all supporting documents, canceled checks, etc., as these items may later be needed to prove the accuracy and completeness of a tax return. I recommend that you scan and save electronic copies of all original paper documents and I offer this service at a standard. Otherwise, I do not keep copies of original paper documents. If you require paper copies of documents, then you authorize my use of a third party document printer, like a print shop, and accept the security risks that may be associated with paper documents. There is a charge for handing, copying, scanning, and mailing paper copies of documents. If you have not selected to e-file your returns with our office, you will be solely responsible to mail the tax returns with the appropriate taxing authorities unless we make other written recommendations.
TIMING OF WORK: Timing of this engagement is critical. Unless otherwise stated as described under the “Special Circumstances” section below, completion of this work is expected on or before the filing due date. The work under this engagement starts when the agreement is signed and delivered and payment of the online invoice is received. The timing of completion of work is largely dependent on the date of delivery of requested information. I will communicate in writing of the expected completion of work date, review date and the filing date. I will also communicate any change in the expected dates in writing within 48 hours of any such change.