Tax accountant not returning calls, Oct 15th filling date,?

Question

My Tax accountant have all my tax papers, He filled for extension in April since he was too busy to file my returns then, a month ago he told me that he will get them done in the next two weeks, and now he is not returning my calls and his office is closed.

Isn't Monday Oct 15th by midnight is the next deadline for filing the taxes?

Since he is not returning my calls, what are my options before the deadline?

Once the deadline passes and since he has all my statements, what should I do as next step to avoid further losses of time, efforts and money??

Should I contact the Better Business Bureau California? should I take him to small claim court? or would I need higher court for more than $5K?

so what can i do before the deadline passes (Monday Midnight??)

Answer 1

His office being closed is a real bad sign. Sounds like he got in over his head, and has bailed out on his customers.

Yes, the deadline is 10/15 for filing your return with the extension. You'll have a real hard time making that now. You might have to go back and get other copies of the documents and start from scratch with another accountant.

BBB isn't going to do much of anything other than take your complaint and have it on file for anyone who checks with them for this accountant's history. And taking him to court will be pretty tricky if you can't find him.

You mention amounts over $5K - is that really your loss (penalties and interest) due to his negligence, or the total you might owe? The tax part is your nickel - he's not responsible for that. And since an extension just adds time to file, not to pay, you were required to pay whatever you would owe by April anyway. If you did that, and have a bit of a refund coming, you won't be penalized for late filing if you miss the October 15 deadline.

I'd do a few things - send a certified letter to his address, return receipt requested, asking for your tax papers back - and in the meantime, contact whoever they came from to get duplicates. If he's a CPA, contact the CA licensing board with your complaint.

Good luck.

Answer 2

10/15/07 is the final filing deadline for 2006 individual returns. In my experience with the BBB, they can't do much. I think your best course of action would be to contact the police to have them help you get your documents back. If he is a CPA, he has to licensed with the state accountancy board. You can file a complaint against him and if he gets enough complaints, they can revoke his license.