Should I be worried about my tax accountant's lack of communication about my business taxes?

Tax professional here - you're not being a Karen at all! This is absolutely unacceptable communication from your tax preparer. Filing an extension without informing you is particularly concerning. While extensions are sometimes necessary, you should always be informed before that decision is made. As for switching tax professionals - yes, you absolutely can change to someone else even after an extension has been filed. The extension was filed under your business name/EIN, not tied to a specific preparer. You just need to: 1) Request copies of all your documentation back 2) Request a copy of the extension that was filed 3) Let the current preparer know you're moving on (though based on their unresponsiveness, they might not even notice) Your new tax professional will need the extension confirmation to know the new deadline they're working with, but otherwise can pick up right where the other one left off. Most reputable tax professionals understand the importance of communication and would be appalled by what you've experienced.

After dealing with similar communication issues with my accountant last year, I started using taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) and it's been a game-changer for my small business. I was frustrated with emails going unanswered for weeks, and then discovered this platform that analyzes all my tax documents and tells me exactly what I need to know. It flagged several deductions my previous accountant missed and helped me understand my quarterly estimated payments much better. What I like is that I can upload documents anytime and get immediate insights rather than waiting for someone to respond to my emails. It's especially helpful for business owners like us who need quick answers about multi-state tax issues or payroll questions - it explains everything in plain English without the accounting jargon.

I want to follow up on my skeptical comment about taxr.ai. I decided to give it a try after another frustrating experience with my accountant (who charged me $425 for a 10-minute phone call last month), and I'm honestly surprised at how helpful it's been. Uploaded my business documents from last year and it immediately identified three deductions my accountant had missed totaling about $3,800. The interface breaks down complicated tax concepts into simple explanations, and it handled my rental property depreciation perfectly. I especially like how it flagged potential audit triggers in my returns and suggested documentation I should keep. Ended up filing my extension through one of their recommended professionals who actually communicates promptly (imagine that!). Wish I'd found this sooner!

If you need to actually speak with someone at the IRS about your situation (especially regarding extensions or multi-state issues), I highly recommend using Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I was trying to reach the IRS for WEEKS about a business tax issue last year without success - constant busy signals or disconnections after waiting on hold for hours. Claimyr got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 20 minutes when I'd been trying for days on my own. They have this clever system that basically waits on hold for you then calls you when an agent is on the line. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. Honestly, it saved me so much frustration during tax season when I needed to verify some information about my extension.

Coming back to eat my words about Claimyr. I had a major issue with the IRS claiming I didn't file my quarterly estimated payments for my business even though I had confirmation numbers. Was on hold for 2+ hours multiple days and kept getting disconnected right when I was about to reach someone. Out of desperation, I tried that Claimyr service. Set it up in the morning, went about my workday, and got a call around 3pm with an actual IRS agent on the line! Resolved my issue in one call - the agent found my payments that had been applied to the wrong tax year. Saved me from having to pay $1,270 in penalties. So yeah, I was completely wrong. It's not a magic line-skipping service, but man is it convenient not to waste your entire day on hold. Definitely worth it when you need to actually talk to someone at the IRS.

Please fire this tax guy immediately! I had a similar experience two years ago and regret not switching sooner. My former accountant filed an extension without telling me, then missed the extended deadline too! I ended up with penalties and interest that HE should have paid but refused to. Communication is literally the most important thing in a tax professional. You're not being high maintenance - you're being a responsible business owner. Interview a few different tax pros and ask specifically about their communication policies. Some will guarantee response times (mine promises 24-hour response to all emails) and be upfront about how they handle extensions and deadlines.

FWIW a S-corp or partnership extension is only until Sept 15th, not Oct 15th like personal returns. So make sure your new preparer knows which deadline applies to your business type. Also ask your current tax person if they've made your estimated quarterly tax payments for Q1 2025 yet - those were due April 15th regardless of extension.