I've been working admin for a tax firm since high school, and now that I'm a soon-to-be accounting graduate, my employer is eager to get me working with "easy" clients. I've taken one tax class in my sophomore year, but not a lot of it stuck, and I tried to make that clear to my boss, but she didn't seem to care very much — she'd rather I just get hands-on experience so that she can take me on full-time once I get my degree.
She said she'd like to sit me down and do "practice meetings" with her where she pretends to be the client, and I act as the preparer. The problem is, I have no idea where I'd even begin — I'm really such a beginner that once the hellos and handshakes are done, I wouldn't even know the first question to ask. I'm sure she'll give me some talking points, but I'd like to not come off as a complete idiot when one of these "practice meetings" happens.
Are there some things I should be absolutely sure I get down beforehand? What do you usually go over with clients that have simple W2 income?
I hope my question was clear, and thank you for reading and any tips you might have!
Tax professional just starting out… what to go over during client meetings?
byu/throwaway0460466 intax
Posted by throwaway0460466
2 Comments
Have you considered volunteering for the VITA program? You’ll get trained on Basic (and some Advanced) topics, certified by the IRS, and be able to work with lower-income clients to move them along through this process.
And you’ll learn about tax preparation. Win-Win.
It really is rewarding work.
[https://www.irs.gov/individuals/irs-tax-volunteers](https://www.irs.gov/individuals/irs-tax-volunteers)
First off, she sounds like a great boss.
In your practice meeting, the questions you ask should be aimed at the overall goal of determining what sources of income someone has and then what deductions and credits they receive.
Example: do you own a business or have a side hustle? Did you sell any investments this year? Do you have any kids?
Just those will get you far