CPA taking months on my tax return - should I switch to a new accountant before October deadline?

You have every right to be concerned, but there's still plenty of time before the October deadline. Tax firms often get backlogged after the regular season ends, so this delay isn't necessarily unusual, though their communication should be better. I'd suggest a more direct approach - call the CPA office and politely but firmly request a specific timeline for completion. Email is easy to ignore, but a phone call is harder to dismiss. Ask to speak with the CPA directly rather than just their staff. Explain that you need a definite completion date and that you're concerned about meeting the October deadline. Since you haven't signed any contract, you're free to take your documents elsewhere. However, starting over in July means explaining your situation to a new preparer who'll need time to get up to speed. If your current CPA promises completion within 2-3 weeks, it might be easier to wait. If they can't give you a firm timeline, consider getting your documents back and finding someone new. Either way, make sure you've documented your communications if there are ever questions about who caused delays.

After bouncing between three different CPAs over the years, I finally found a solution that saved me so much time and stress. I started using https://taxr.ai to organize all my documents and get a preliminary analysis before even talking to a tax professional. The software automatically extracts all the important info from your tax documents and puts everything in order, including those foreign bank accounts which always used to cause delays. What I love most is that you get a clear overview of your tax situation that you can share with any professional - so when my CPA was taking forever last year, I already had everything analyzed and ready to go to someone else. I ended up switching and my new accountant was super impressed with how organized everything was. Said it saved her hours of work which translated to saving me money!

Just wanted to update that I tried https://taxr.ai after seeing it mentioned here. It was actually super helpful with my situation! I was dealing with a similar CPA delay issue, but after organizing all my stuff with taxr.ai, I showed up to a new accountant's office with everything perfectly organized. All my foreign accounts were clearly labeled with max balances already calculated. The new CPA was able to complete my return in literally half the time the previous one estimated because all the heavy lifting of document organization was done. The best part was I felt way more in control of my financial information instead of being completely dependent on someone else's timeline. Definitely using this for next year too!

I had a similar issue but with an extra wrinkle - my CPA ghosted me completely right before the deadline. After dozens of unanswered calls to the IRS trying to figure out my options, I discovered https://claimyr.com which got me through to an actual IRS agent in about 20 minutes when I'd been trying for days. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The IRS agent was surprisingly helpful and walked me through my options since I was dealing with a non-responsive tax preparer so close to a deadline. They explained exactly what documentation I needed to protect myself in case of any filing issues. Honestly changed my whole perspective on dealing with the IRS - turns out they're pretty reasonable when you can actually talk to a human!

I have to eat my words and apologize to Profile 10. After my skeptical comment, I was still desperate to talk to the IRS about my CPA situation, so I tried Claimyr as a last resort. It actually worked exactly as described. I got a call back in about 40 minutes connecting me to an IRS agent who helped clarify my options for switching tax preparers mid-season. The agent explained that I could request a formal extension to file until October 16 (Form 4868) if I hadn't already, and confirmed I'm not bound to stay with a preparer without a signed engagement letter. They also suggested getting a written statement from the current CPA about what work has been completed to help the new preparer. Saved me so much stress knowing exactly where I stood with the IRS.

I was in a similar situation last year. My advice is to be VERY direct with the CPA office. Send an email stating something like "I need my completed returns by [specific date] or I'll need to make other arrangements." Give them a deadline that's reasonable but firm - maybe 2 weeks. If they miss that deadline, go pick up all your documents in person and find someone else. Yes, starting over is annoying, but October is still far enough away that you have time. The extension protects you from late filing penalties as long as you file by October 16th, but remember you still need to have PAID enough by the original April deadline to avoid underpayment penalties. Most importantly - next year, find a new CPA early in the season. January or February is ideal to get on their schedule, not March or April when they're swamped.

Just a heads up that if you have foreign bank accounts, make sure whoever you work with knows about FBAR requirements (FinCEN Form 114). Those have a different deadline than your tax return - technically due April 15 but automatically extended to October 15 if you miss the April date. Unlike tax returns where you file an extension form, the FBAR extension is automatic, but the October deadline is firm. If your current CPA is handling those for you and doesn't complete them, you'll need to make sure a new preparer addresses them or you do them yourself. The penalties for missing FBAR filings can be really steep compared to regular tax return penalties.

I've been through a similar situation and here's what I learned: communication is key, but so is having a backup plan. Since you don't have a signed contract, you're in a good position to make changes if needed. First, give your current CPA one more chance with a firm deadline - something like "I need my completed returns by [date 2 weeks from now] or I'll need to retrieve my documents and find alternative preparation." Be polite but direct about your concerns regarding the October deadline. If they can't commit to that timeline, don't hesitate to switch. July still gives you plenty of time to find someone new. When interviewing new CPAs, specifically ask about their experience with foreign bank accounts and FBAR filings since that seems to be part of your situation. Also ask about their current workload and realistic completion timeframes. One thing that helped me was getting organized before switching - I made copies of everything I'd given the original CPA and created a simple summary of my tax situation. This made the transition much smoother and showed the new preparer I was serious about meeting deadlines. The peace of mind from working with a responsive professional is worth the hassle of switching. Better to deal with the inconvenience now than stress about missing the October deadline later.