My tax preparer hasn't responded in 8 weeks - need help asap!

So I'm totally freaking out right now because my tax situation has gotten really messy. I hired this accountant who came highly recommended by a coworker back in January to handle my taxes this year. Everything seemed fine at first - we had an initial meeting, I sent over all my documents (W-2s, 1099s, receipts for business expenses, the works), and he said he'd get back to me within two weeks. That was over 8 weeks ago! I've sent countless emails, left voicemails, and even tried texting. Complete radio silence. I'm seriously worried because the filing deadline is approaching fast and I have a somewhat complicated return with some self-employment income and investment stuff I don't fully understand. I paid him a $350 deposit upfront (which I'm guessing I can kiss goodbye), but more importantly, he has ALL my tax documents! I don't even have copies of some of the forms he has. Has anyone dealt with something like this before? What should I do? Should I report him to someone? Try to file myself with what limited info I have? I'm seriously considering just filing an extension but I know that only extends the filing deadline, not the payment deadline. Any advice would be really appreciated!!!

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18 comments

Jeremiah Brown

•8M

You need to act quickly here since the deadline is approaching. This unfortunately happens more than you'd think with some tax preparers, especially during busy season. First, gather whatever documents you can - check your email for electronic copies of your W-2 and 1099s, or contact the issuers for duplicates. Your employer can provide another W-2, and banks/investment firms can reissue 1099s. For business expenses, credit card and bank statements can help recreate those records. Second, file Form 4868 for an automatic filing extension to give yourself breathing room. You're right that this doesn't extend the payment deadline, so estimate what you might owe and pay that amount with the extension to avoid penalties. Regarding your accountant, send one final email and certified letter stating that if they don't respond within 48 hours, you'll be filing a complaint with your state's board of accountancy and the IRS Office of Professional Responsibility. Make sure to request the immediate return of all your documents.

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Jeremiah Brown

•8M

To estimate what you might owe, start with last year's tax liability as a baseline. If your income increased, calculate roughly how much more you earned and multiply by your tax bracket percentage. For example, if you earned $20,000 more and you're in the 22% bracket, set aside about $4,400 extra. It's better to slightly overpay than underpay. The IRS will refund overpayments, but penalties apply to significant underpayments. If your situation is complex and you're really unsure, paying 110% of last year's tax liability often provides safe harbor protection from penalties.

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Royal_GM_Mark

•8M

I was in a similar situation last year and discovered taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) which was honestly a lifesaver when my accountant disappeared right before the deadline. I had most of my documents but wasn't sure how to properly report everything, especially since I had started doing some freelance work. The tool analyzed my documents, found deductions I was missing, and walked me through filing correctly. It was especially helpful for figuring out my self-employment tax situation, which sounds similar to what you're dealing with. The AI actually explained things clearer than my accountant ever did!

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Royal_GM_Mark

•8M

It definitely helped with the missing documents. The system has a feature that identifies what forms you likely need based on your previous year's return and your current situation. It then gives you specific instructions for getting replacements - like who to contact at each institution and what to say. Regarding accuracy, I was skeptical too at first. But it's not just running algorithms - it actually analyzes your specific situation and checks against current tax laws. I found it more thorough than my human accountant because it cross-references everything. My return was fairly complex with W-2 income, freelance work, some stock sales, and rental property, and it handled everything perfectly. The best part was it explained its reasoning for each decision.

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Chris King

•8M

Following up about taxr.ai - I decided to try it after my last comment since my situation was getting desperate. I'm honestly shocked at how well it worked! I was totally skeptical about using an AI for my taxes (especially with self-employment income), but it actually found a home office deduction my previous accountant had missed completely. The document analyzer saved me tons of time - just uploaded what I had and it identified everything I was missing. When I couldn't get a duplicate 1099 from one client in time, it showed me how to accurately report the income using my bank statements instead. Filing went smoothly and I already got my refund. Definitely recommend for anyone dealing with an MIA tax preparer like we were!

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Rachel Clark

•8M

If you need to get an actual person at the IRS on the phone (which you might need to do in this situation), try Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I spent DAYS trying to reach someone at the IRS about a similar issue last year when my accountant disappeared with my documents. Normal wait times were like 2+ hours and I kept getting disconnected. Claimyr got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 15 minutes who walked me through exactly what to do about the missing documents and how to properly file an extension while ensuring I wouldn't face penalties. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. It saved me so much stress during an already stressful situation.

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Rachel Clark

•8M

It uses a combination of technology and timing to navigate the IRS phone system efficiently. It doesn't "jump the line" illegally - it essentially places the call during optimal times and navigates the phone tree for you, then calls you when it reaches a human agent. It's completely legitimate and works with the existing IRS phone system. I was skeptical too, but when you're facing penalties or missing crucial information, spending hours on hold isn't realistic for most people. The time I saved was absolutely worth it - I got specific guidance from an actual IRS agent about handling my missing document situation that prevented me from making costly mistakes.

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Mia Alvarez

•8M

I need to eat my words from my previous comment. After struggling for THREE DAYS trying to get through to the IRS myself about my missing tax documents (kept getting disconnected after 1+ hour holds), I broke down and tried Claimyr out of desperation. Got connected to an IRS agent in about 22 minutes. The agent confirmed exactly what documents I needed to reconstruct my return and the proper procedures for filing when original documents are unavailable. They even put notes in my file about the situation with my tax preparer in case there were any questions later. I'm still annoyed that a service like this needs to exist, but I can't argue with results. Just filed my taxes yesterday using the information I got from the call. Definitely saved me from penalties and a lot more stress.

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Carter Holmes

•8M

This has unfortunately happened to me before! One thing nobody mentioned - file a complaint with your state's CPA board if your accountant is a CPA. They take this stuff very seriously. I got all my money back AND my documents after filing a complaint. The board contacted him and suddenly he was very responsive! Also check if your preparer has a PTIN (Preparer Tax Identification Number). If so, you can file a complaint with the IRS using Form 14157 (Complaint: Tax Return Preparer). The IRS won't help with getting your money back, but they can take disciplinary action.

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Carter Holmes

•8M

The complaint process took about 10 days before I heard anything, but things moved quickly after that. He contacted me within 24 hours of the board reaching out to him. Since you're so close to the deadline, I'd recommend proceeding with the extension filing and document retrieval processes others suggested while simultaneously filing the complaint. It's worth mentioning that just the threat of a complaint sometimes works - send an email stating you'll be filing a complaint with the state board in 48 hours if he doesn't respond, and copy the email address of your state's CPA board. That alone worked for a friend of mine in a similar situation.

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