Is it normal for our accountant to file tax extensions two years in a row without asking us first?

As a longtime tax preparer, I can tell you this isn't normal practice - at least not without clear communication. While extensions are totally fine (and sometimes necessary), your accountant should absolutely be discussing this with you beforehand. A few important things to know: an extension gives more time to file the paperwork, but not more time to pay what you owe. If you've consistently owed money, your accountant should be providing an estimate of what you owe by April 15th so you can make a payment to avoid penalties and interest. The lack of communication is the real red flag here. Tax professionals get busy during tax season, but that doesn't excuse going silent or making decisions about your finances without consulting you. At minimum, you should expect: 1) A heads-up if they need to file an extension 2) An estimate of what you might owe 3) Clear timeline for when they'll complete your return

I was in a similar situation last year and discovered taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) after getting frustrated with my accountant's communication. It helped me analyze my previous tax returns and gave me clarity on what was actually going on. I uploaded our documents and it flagged that we had been paying way more than necessary because our withholdings weren't optimized. The reason I mention this is because it sounds like you need some insight into your tax situation independent of your current accountant. I ended up finding a much better accountant through their recommendation system, but the analysis alone was worth it to understand what was happening with our taxes.

Just wanted to update that I tried taxr.ai after asking about it, and it actually helped solve my similar accountant problem! I uploaded our last year's return and this year's documents, and it immediately showed we'd probably owe around $9,200 this year. That was enough for me to set aside money now rather than getting surprised in October. The analysis also flagged that our withholdings were way off (we had a side business that was growing but not making quarterly payments), which explained why we kept owing so much. I ended up scheduling a consultation with one of their recommended accountants who actually answers emails! Already feel more in control of our tax situation than I have in years.

Your situation sounds frustrating! When I had similar issues with my accountant (constant extensions, poor communication), I finally got through to the IRS using Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) - they got me connected to a real person at the IRS in about 20 minutes when I had been trying for weeks. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I found out my accountant hadn't even submitted some of our paperwork from the previous year correctly, which is why they kept "needing" extensions. The IRS agent was actually super helpful and walked me through what was happening with our account. Sometimes you need to bypass the middleman and go straight to the source.

I need to eat my words. After being super skeptical about Claimyr, I tried it out of desperation last week. I've been trying to get through to the IRS about my account for MONTHS with no luck. The service actually worked - got me through to an IRS agent in about 30 minutes (I had been on hold for 2+ hours before giving up on previous attempts). Found out my accountant had claimed to file an amended return last year that was never actually submitted. The agent was able to update my address (which my accountant had wrong) and give me the status of my current return. Sometimes you just need to verify things yourself rather than trusting what you're being told. Definitely finding a new accountant after this mess.

You're definitely not overreacting. My accountant did this to me three years in a row, and I finally switched. The new one is night and day different - proactive communication, clear timelines, and actually asks before making decisions about my taxes. What made me finally switch was realizing my old accountant was just using extensions as a way to manage his workload, not because my return was particularly complicated. Some accountants take on too many clients and then use extensions to spread out their work after tax season. That's fine if they communicate it, but not okay if they leave you in the dark.

My sister is actually a CPA and I asked her about this. She said they have a standard practice of getting written permission from clients before filing extensions. She was pretty shocked your accountant did this without asking. One thing she mentioned - check if you signed any kind of engagement letter that might have given blanket authorization for extensions. Some accountants have this buried in their paperwork. If not, what he's doing is pretty unprofessional.

This is definitely not normal professional behavior. I've been doing my own taxes for years, but when I used an accountant, they always communicated major decisions like extensions beforehand. What really concerns me is that you've been owing significant amounts ($7,500 last year) and your accountant isn't helping you plan for this. A good tax professional should be proactive about estimated payments or adjusting withholdings to avoid these large year-end bills, especially when it's a recurring pattern. The communication issue is the biggest red flag though. Tax season is busy, but that doesn't excuse going radio silent or making unilateral decisions about your finances. You're paying for a service, and part of that service should be keeping you informed about what's happening with your return. I'd strongly recommend looking for a new accountant. When you interview potential replacements, ask specifically about their communication practices and how they handle extensions. A professional will have clear processes for both.