Advisor Tax Mistake #7 – Client’s refuse to provide tax documents
When I come off stage after speaking about taxes at industry conferences, one of the first questions I get (after trying to get past advisors who just want to show off their tax knowledge) is “I get the importance of tax planning and I think I’m pretty good at it, but many of my clients and especially my prospects, never provide me with their tax documents.” In this article, I want to show you how to establish a system for getting client tax returns each year.
As a CPA and tax preparer, the idea of clients NOT providing tax documents is a bit foreign to me as my clients often hand me their tax documents before we even exchange pleasantries. However, in working with hundreds of financial advisors around the country, I’ve learned that for even the best, and most tax-focused advisors, getting clients to consistently provide their tax information is a real struggle. In my experience, there are TWO reasons clients and prospects fail to provide tax information:
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