Tax Preparation Engagement Letter & Consent Agreement
Thank you for choosing Myconnectz to assist you with filing your taxes. This letter confirms the terms of our engagement and outlines the nature and extent of the services we will provide.
Scope of Services
We will prepare your federal and state income tax returns (where applicable). We will depend on you to provide the information we need to prepare complete and accurate returns. We may ask you to clarify some items but will not audit or otherwise verify the data you submit. The enclosed Questionnaire/Organizer is designed to help you collect the data required for your return and avoid overlooking important information. By using it, you contribute to the efficient preparation of your returns and help minimize the cost of our services.
We will perform accounting services only as needed to prepare your tax returns. Our work will not include procedures to find defalcations or other irregularities. Accordingly, this engagement should not be relied upon to disclose errors, fraud, or other illegal acts, though it may be necessary for you to clarify some of the information you submit. We will inform you of any material errors, fraud, or other illegal acts we discover.
Tax Liability and Interpretations
The law imposes penalties when taxpayers underestimate their tax liability. Please call us if you have concerns about such penalties.
Should we encounter instances of unclear tax law, or of potential conflicts in the interpretation of the law, we will outline the reasonable courses of action and the risks and consequences of each. We will ultimately adopt, on your behalf, the alternative you select. Moreover, we cannot be responsible for issues arising from any income, expenses, or other information not provided to us at the time of tax preparation or prior to the filing of your returns.
Fees, Billing, and Collection Policies
The charges for our services are on a "per-form" basis with references to time spent by our professional staff to perform the work, as well as costs incurred for related supplies and expenses (including copy charges, long-distance phone charges, and computer processing charges). You will be given a full breakdown with the total of Tax Preparation charges and Refund Advance Fees (if applied and approved) before the return is submitted.
Important Notice: If you change your mind and choose not to allow us to file your return after we have fully completed it, a processing charge of $75.00 will be due immediately.
- Late Season Fee: An additional fee of $150.00 may be applied to accounts that begin the preparation process after September 25th each year. This fee covers the additional labor and administrative costs that arise when beginning a tax return close to a terminal filing deadline. This fee may be waived upon request if written arrangements were made with Myconnectz prior to September 25th or at any other time.
- Other Tax Situations: Fees for other tax situations are billed at standard billing rates plus out-of-pocket expenses.
- Payment Terms: Invoices are due and payable upon presentation unless you have opted to have your preparation fee taken directly from your Tax Refund.
- Unfunded Refund Fees: If you opt to have preparation fees deducted from your refund and the refund does not fund within thirty (30) days (due to audit, offset, receiving a mailed check from the IRS, or any other reason), all outstanding fees are subject to interest charges to the extent permitted by state law.
- Legal Costs: Should a situation arise where services have been rendered but payment is not received, and our firm elects or is forced to seek legal assistance to collect fees, you may be required to reimburse our firm for all legal costs incurred to collect the outstanding balance.
- Collections: If no payment or arrangement is made within three (3) months from the date your refund was scheduled to arrive, the account will be placed into collections.
Excluded Services
This engagement and our firm's services include, but are not limited to, general and annual income tax-related services. Unless specifically requested by you and agreed upon in writing, we do not provide any services related to payroll tax, sales tax, excise tax, and personal or real property tax. Nor can we be relied upon to determine or report your compliance, or lack thereof, with any federal, state, or local business-related laws, health care or human resources regulations, retirement plan compliance, or any business, property, or professional permitting/licensing.
Document Retention and Review
We will return your original records to you at the end of this engagement if you have provided physical records to us (rather than copies, scans, or pictures).
You should retain all documents, canceled checks, and other data that form the basis of income and deductions. This includes, but is not limited to, proper records to support deductions claimed for meals, entertainment, travel, business gifts, charitable contributions, and vehicle use (if applicable), as well as bank and credit card statements. These records are necessary to prove the accuracy and completeness of the returns to taxing authorities should your returns be selected for examination. We recommend keeping all documents and copies of your returns for a minimum of five years after you file your tax returns or after their due date, whichever is later.
Upon completion of your returns and after payment is secured (or agreed to be deducted from your refund), we will provide you with a copy of your returns, e-file signature authorizations, and any applicable payment vouchers. You should review the completed returns carefully. Bring any necessary changes to our attention immediately so we can explain or correct them. If you are satisfied, please sign and return the e-file signature authorizations immediately. Taxing authorities strictly prohibit us from transmitting your tax returns without signed authorization. If your returns cannot be e-filed, we will provide paper copies for you to sign and mail directly to the taxing authorities.
Termination of Engagement
By signing this engagement, you are agreeing to compensate Myconnectz for services you have requested. In the event you terminate the engagement prior to the completion of your tax accounting work, Myconnectz reserves the right to invoice you for any out-of-pocket expenses, time spent at our hourly rate, or other expenses incurred. If you sought in-person consultation services, received advisory services by phone or email, sought representation work, or received any tax accounting services, your signature confirms your agreement to compensate Myconnectz for these services, even if the engagement is terminated prior to the completion of the requested work.
Taxing Authority Correspondence & Audits
If you receive any correspondence from a taxing authority pertaining to a return prepared by this firm, we will be happy to address the matter on your behalf.
- Included Correspondence Service: Your tax preparation fee includes 30 minutes of correspondence work per tax year at no additional charge. During this time, we will assess your situation, apprise you of the best course of action, and compose/send a reply if feasible within that timeframe.
- Additional Hourly Rates: Work extending beyond 30 minutes will be billed at a standard hourly rate of $150.00 per hour (or fraction thereof). We will make every effort to notify you in advance if your issue requires additional time, but the hourly rate applies regardless of prior notification and is payable upon completion. You may request in writing at any time for us to cease correspondence work.
- Handling Fee: Except in cases where our office is deemed at fault for an error or omission, a flat $50.00 handling charge will be assessed for all matters where our assistance is requested in handling taxing authority correspondence. This fee is separate from annual tax preparation fees and is payable upon completion of the work.
- Audit Representation: Audit and examination representation work is not included in your standard tax preparation fee and constitutes a separate engagement with a distinct fee structure. You may explicitly opt-in to receive Audit Protection for an additional fee of $49.95.
Privacy, Identity Verification, and Internal Communications
Myconnectz takes your privacy and personal information very seriously. We will take all necessary steps to safeguard your information and will never sell or disclose it to anyone outside the firm for any reason.
To protect your confidential information, our firm may occasionally utilize your data for internal, non-tax-preparation purposes (such as mailing a newsletter, sending a holiday card, or making a personal phone call to extend holiday or birthday greetings). By signing this letter, you agree to allow our staff limited access to your information for these informal, non-tax-preparation situations.
Additionally, to combat identity theft and ensure return accuracy, Myconnectz reserves the right to request identity verification documents as a condition of providing services. These may include government-issued photo identification, Social Security Cards, birth certificates, or visa/immigration documents. These materials will be strictly safeguarded in accordance with our document protection procedures.
Federal Disclosure & Consent Form
Federal law requires this consent form be provided to you. Unless authorized by law, we cannot use your tax return information for purposes other than the preparation and filing of your tax return without your consent. Federal law also prohibits us from revealing any personal or financial information to any third party. We will never reveal your financial or personal information to anyone unless you specifically request it and provide a separate, written third-party disclosure consent form.
For the purposes of this consent, we are seeking permission solely to satisfy federal law requirements so that we may communicate with you via phone, email, and postal mail regarding:
- Direct questions, inquiries, or requests you make regarding your tax returns, situations, or issues.
- Requests you make for copies of your documents, figures, numbers, or information.
- Connecting you with another professional in a separate field upon your direct request.
- Notifications regarding important tax law changes.
- Notifications regarding firm updates (such as changes to our website, email address, physical location, or contact details).
- Reasonable business purposes including appointment reminders, holiday mailings, birthday greetings, and informational updates.
You are not required to complete this form. If we obtain your signature on this form by conditioning our service on your consent, your consent will not be valid. Your consent is valid for a period of three years from the date of your signature. The tax information may not be disclosed or used by Myconnectz, its owner, employees, or staff for any purpose other than what is permitted by this consent document.
If you believe your tax return information has been disclosed or used improperly in a manner unauthorized by law or without your permission, you may contact the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) by telephone at 1-800-366-4484 or by email at complaints@tigta.treas.gov.
Electronic Signature Authorization for Return Transmission
We are in the process of completing your tax return and preparing it for transmission to the IRS. Because we are virtually preparing your tax return, we require your explicit permission to electronically sign your tax return before it can be transmitted.
Once we receive your authorization via the signature below, we will finalize your tax return transmission and provide you with completed copies.
We appreciate your business and strive to provide the absolute best service possible. Please remember that we are providing a professional service, not a guaranteed refund amount. You may pay your tax preparation fees via cash, check, money order, credit card, or deduction from your refund (where applicable). If you choose to have fees deducted from your refund and your refund is intercepted, delayed, or adjusted by a taxing authority, you remain fully responsible for the tax preparation fees.
By signing below and providing your income tax information, you expressly agree to all terms, billing rules, payment responsibilities, and disclosure consents outlined in this engagement agreement.
Acknowledgment and Signature
By signing below, I acknowledge that I have read, understood, and agree to be bound by all the terms, conditions, fee structures, and federal disclosure consents outlined in this entire document.
