So say you send a letter/email saying 'I have started your tax return but I'm missing your P60 and 2 bank accounts of interest'. A month later, no reply.
How do you phrase your next letter/email?
"Further to my earlier letter/email (attached) I note I do not appear to have received a response as yet. Any particular reason you are ignoring my letters? Do you WANT your tax return doing?"
That's my standard format but can anyone suggest a better one?
Replies (6)
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Dont wait that long
I dont think its the wording which matters its the time you take to chase which is the problem. I really have very few clients who dont respond to an email within 24 hours (I dont use letters now) but if they dont I am very quick with reminders. Always polite and courteous but I remind them their tax affairs/tax return/accounts etc are important and I want to deal with it for them it does the trick.
7 days
Simply point out that if they dont respond in 7 days you will not be able to meet the neccesary deadlines and they will face £100 penalties from HMRC - and an increased liklihood of being investigated.
2weeks
If I'm chasing info, I'm reminded to chase them 2 weeks after the last one. If it drags on, the wording becomes stronger.
I'm waiting a signed tax return at the moment which has a nice refund attached to it. I've been waiting 2 months or so, and no reply!
Pick up the phone
I despair of people these days in their contact-avoidance. Why not just ring them up? If there's a reason you get to find out and if there isn't you get to remind them in a way that's appropriate to their likely response.
In truth if it were just a couple of bank interest figures, I'd have rung them up in the first place.
Clients with whom I have the right relationship who I can't contact, will occasionally get letters or emails with the message 'Pull Your F***ing Finger Out' in 36 point and without the asterisks.
Same problem
We have a new ltd co client for whom we are now preparing accounts & CT, but information is missing. Home phone isn't answered, mobile permanently on voice mail, our letters ignored.
As we have a substantial deposit I am truly tempted to send a disengagement letter and refund any overpayment. These types of client are just too frustrating to deal with.
EDIT:
The previous years accounts/CT were submitted late but the client blamed the previous accountant!!!!!!!!!