How it works getting your taxes done with Jen!
1. New clients, email Jen for a TaxDome account. Returning Clients, you will be getting an Engagement Letter to sign in early Jan, email if you don't get it by Jan 10!
2. Sign the Engagement Letter (sent via TaxDome) and you will then be sent the Client Organizer. Reminder, you can access the TaxDome portal at jentaxprep.taxdome.com. If you think you have signed yourEngagement Letter and haven't gotten the Organizer, please email Jen!
3. Gather all of your tax documents - W2s, 1099s, mortgage or student loan forms etc. See a list of everything I need here! (If you are missing anything, check the Readiness Questionnaire to see if we are good to proceed without it for now)
4. Fill out any applicable spreadsheets. Be sure to send them as file type XLS or ODS or share as a Google Sheet. Please do not send file type Numbers or PDFs. There is no need to send me receipts for anything except large (over $500) charitable donations of physical items. If you have questions about spreadsheets, set up a free 15 min consult or email me or for detalied help, set up a Concierge Spreadsheet Appt!
5. Fill out the Client Organizer - this will prompt you to answer questions and upload all tax documents, IDs and spreadsheets. Please do not email any attachments to me, upload all your stuff to TaxDome.
6. Once you have everything uploaded and the Organizer is complete, submit the Organizer. Please do NOT submit the Organizer if anything is missing unless noted that it's ok (such as small 1099DIVs or K1s). Jen will then email you about your spot in the queue and when you should expect to hear from her about your taxes. The date you submit the Organizer is the date for your Early Bird Discount!
7. When your turn comes up in the queue, Jen will work on a draft of your return.
a. If you have requested an Apppointment: If you are missing any documents or spreadsheets, she will email you to request them. Once the draft is complete, Jen will send you a link to set up an appt to discuss any outstanding issues, and catch up! Appts will be 15, 30, 45 or 60 minutes depending on how much stuff I think we need to talk about. If you think you need a longer appt than I am suggesting, let me know!
b. If you have requested an Email Return: Jen will email back and forth with you to complete your return, asking questions and making sure everything is clear and nothing is missing.
Once the return is complete!
8. Pay Jen via Zelle or by credit/debit/echeck through CPACharge. Jen will then send you the full copy of your return to look over and the efile docs to sign via TaxDome. Sign, and be sure to download a copy of your return! (If we did email and not an appt, at this point you can schedule a 15 minute followup if you have questions once you see the return)
9. Treat yourself to a brownie and/or margarita, you completed your 2024 taxes!
EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT - your date for the discount is when you complete Step 6. If you are missing major documents or take longer than 2 weeks to schedule your appt, your discount may be downgraded.
IMPORTANT NOTES: To ensure your return is finished before the April deadline, send your stuff in as quickly as possible. I have space to do 250 returns during the regular season, then 50 more for extensions with an estimate, and after that you will have to do a regular extension. Details HERE. Last year, regular season slots were full by March 12 and Estimate Extension Slots were full by March 24. Anyone submitting their organizer after March 2 (Feb 2 for new clients) may need an extension.
FAQ
Q: What is the deadline for sending in my Organizer?
A: There is no specific deadline, I will have 250 spots available and when they are full, they are full, and I will have to file extensions for everyone else after that (the next 50 spots will get a personalized extension estimate). Spots might fill up by Mar 3, or there still might be spots available Mar 20, I have no way of knowing, so just plan to get your stuff in as early as possible. I will have a page on the website that I will update every day or so with how many spots are remaining. Anyone submitting their organizer after Mar 2 (Feb 2 for new clients) may need an extension depending on how many slots are left. If you absolutely do not want to do an extension, please get your stuff in by Mar 2.
Q: How do I schedule my appt?
A: Like last year, you can no longer self-schedule your appt on my website. To get an appointment, you need to complete the Organizer and get in the queue. Then when you come up, I will send you a link to schedule. This ensures getting an appt is not like The Hunger Games and ensures you have everything ready before schedule for maximum time efficiency!
Q: What if I have questions about the spreadsheets?
A: You can set up a free 15 min consultation with me before Feb 15 or after Apr 15, or email and I will give you guidance. For your appt, fill out the spreadsheets to the best of your ability, we can make any necessary changes during your appt, but we need to have at least a base to work with! If you feel like you need a lot of help on your Spreadsheet, set up a Concierge Spreadsheet Appt and I can work on it with you. Appts are at the rate of $80/hour.
Q: How do I get all this stuff to you?
A: However you can! Ideally, PDF's are the best if its something you can download. If you have a physical copy and can scan to a pdf, that's also awesome. If you don't have that though, a good picture with your phone is fine! Just make sure its a jpg or png, it's hard to work with Apple HEIC files. Worse comes to worse, you can also physically mail me copies, email me for my address. You can get TaxDome as an app on your phone, just find it in the Apple or Google Play stores.
Q: Anything else I need to know about uploading?
A: If you can, please name your files something helpful to me, like "W2 Job 1" or "Student Loan info". When the filename is just a series of numbers, I have to go through everything and re-label. Here are videos about how to upload! Also make sure your pics or PDFs are legible. If you can't read them, neither can I!
Q: How secure is this?
A: As good as we can with current tech. I am the only one with access to my TaxDome account, and I do my best to keep that secure by keeping my password secure and using 2FA. Beware anyone asking for you to tell them or to reset your TaxDome password, I would never do that and I'm pretty sure TaxDome wouldn't either. Always access your TaxDome account at jentaxprep.taxdome.com if its not an email you were expecting.
Q: Are you a Mac or PC?
A: PC all the way baby! So no, I don't have Facetime, and I can't open pages or numbers, HEICs do not play well, so make sure what you send is PC compatible! Thanks!
2. Sign the Engagement Letter (sent via TaxDome) and you will then be sent the Client Organizer. Reminder, you can access the TaxDome portal at jentaxprep.taxdome.com. If you think you have signed yourEngagement Letter and haven't gotten the Organizer, please email Jen!
3. Gather all of your tax documents - W2s, 1099s, mortgage or student loan forms etc. See a list of everything I need here! (If you are missing anything, check the Readiness Questionnaire to see if we are good to proceed without it for now)
4. Fill out any applicable spreadsheets. Be sure to send them as file type XLS or ODS or share as a Google Sheet. Please do not send file type Numbers or PDFs. There is no need to send me receipts for anything except large (over $500) charitable donations of physical items. If you have questions about spreadsheets, set up a free 15 min consult or email me or for detalied help, set up a Concierge Spreadsheet Appt!
5. Fill out the Client Organizer - this will prompt you to answer questions and upload all tax documents, IDs and spreadsheets. Please do not email any attachments to me, upload all your stuff to TaxDome.
6. Once you have everything uploaded and the Organizer is complete, submit the Organizer. Please do NOT submit the Organizer if anything is missing unless noted that it's ok (such as small 1099DIVs or K1s). Jen will then email you about your spot in the queue and when you should expect to hear from her about your taxes. The date you submit the Organizer is the date for your Early Bird Discount!
7. When your turn comes up in the queue, Jen will work on a draft of your return.
a. If you have requested an Apppointment: If you are missing any documents or spreadsheets, she will email you to request them. Once the draft is complete, Jen will send you a link to set up an appt to discuss any outstanding issues, and catch up! Appts will be 15, 30, 45 or 60 minutes depending on how much stuff I think we need to talk about. If you think you need a longer appt than I am suggesting, let me know!
b. If you have requested an Email Return: Jen will email back and forth with you to complete your return, asking questions and making sure everything is clear and nothing is missing.
Once the return is complete!
8. Pay Jen via Zelle or by credit/debit/echeck through CPACharge. Jen will then send you the full copy of your return to look over and the efile docs to sign via TaxDome. Sign, and be sure to download a copy of your return! (If we did email and not an appt, at this point you can schedule a 15 minute followup if you have questions once you see the return)
9. Treat yourself to a brownie and/or margarita, you completed your 2024 taxes!
EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT - your date for the discount is when you complete Step 6. If you are missing major documents or take longer than 2 weeks to schedule your appt, your discount may be downgraded.
IMPORTANT NOTES: To ensure your return is finished before the April deadline, send your stuff in as quickly as possible. I have space to do 250 returns during the regular season, then 50 more for extensions with an estimate, and after that you will have to do a regular extension. Details HERE. Last year, regular season slots were full by March 12 and Estimate Extension Slots were full by March 24. Anyone submitting their organizer after March 2 (Feb 2 for new clients) may need an extension.
FAQ
Q: What is the deadline for sending in my Organizer?
A: There is no specific deadline, I will have 250 spots available and when they are full, they are full, and I will have to file extensions for everyone else after that (the next 50 spots will get a personalized extension estimate). Spots might fill up by Mar 3, or there still might be spots available Mar 20, I have no way of knowing, so just plan to get your stuff in as early as possible. I will have a page on the website that I will update every day or so with how many spots are remaining. Anyone submitting their organizer after Mar 2 (Feb 2 for new clients) may need an extension depending on how many slots are left. If you absolutely do not want to do an extension, please get your stuff in by Mar 2.
Q: How do I schedule my appt?
A: Like last year, you can no longer self-schedule your appt on my website. To get an appointment, you need to complete the Organizer and get in the queue. Then when you come up, I will send you a link to schedule. This ensures getting an appt is not like The Hunger Games and ensures you have everything ready before schedule for maximum time efficiency!
Q: What if I have questions about the spreadsheets?
A: You can set up a free 15 min consultation with me before Feb 15 or after Apr 15, or email and I will give you guidance. For your appt, fill out the spreadsheets to the best of your ability, we can make any necessary changes during your appt, but we need to have at least a base to work with! If you feel like you need a lot of help on your Spreadsheet, set up a Concierge Spreadsheet Appt and I can work on it with you. Appts are at the rate of $80/hour.
Q: How do I get all this stuff to you?
A: However you can! Ideally, PDF's are the best if its something you can download. If you have a physical copy and can scan to a pdf, that's also awesome. If you don't have that though, a good picture with your phone is fine! Just make sure its a jpg or png, it's hard to work with Apple HEIC files. Worse comes to worse, you can also physically mail me copies, email me for my address. You can get TaxDome as an app on your phone, just find it in the Apple or Google Play stores.
Q: Anything else I need to know about uploading?
A: If you can, please name your files something helpful to me, like "W2 Job 1" or "Student Loan info". When the filename is just a series of numbers, I have to go through everything and re-label. Here are videos about how to upload! Also make sure your pics or PDFs are legible. If you can't read them, neither can I!
Q: How secure is this?
A: As good as we can with current tech. I am the only one with access to my TaxDome account, and I do my best to keep that secure by keeping my password secure and using 2FA. Beware anyone asking for you to tell them or to reset your TaxDome password, I would never do that and I'm pretty sure TaxDome wouldn't either. Always access your TaxDome account at jentaxprep.taxdome.com if its not an email you were expecting.
Q: Are you a Mac or PC?
A: PC all the way baby! So no, I don't have Facetime, and I can't open pages or numbers, HEICs do not play well, so make sure what you send is PC compatible! Thanks!
