Tax Preparer Client Questionnaire

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Tax Preparer Client Questionnaire

Fully editable with custom branding. Send, print or embed online.

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First Name
Last Name
Acme LLC.
Client
First Name
Last Name
Corporation Corp.
First Name
Last Name
Acme LLC.
Client
First Name
Last Name
Corporation Corp.

Tax Preparer Client Questionnaire

Fully editable with custom branding. Send, print or embed online.

Tax Preparer Client Questionnaire

Fully editable with custom branding. Send, print or embed online.

Bonsai has helped create 1,023,928 documents and counting.

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business owners

Date: March 8th 2023


Between:

Coach:

First_name
Last_name
Acme LLC.
Client:

First_name
Last_name
Corporation Corp.

This Contract is between Client (the "Client") and Acme LLC, a California limited liability company (the "Coach").

The Contract is dated January 23, 2023.

1. WORK AND PAYMENT.

1.1 Project. The Client is hiring the Coach to develop a coaching relationship between the Client and Coach in order to cultivate the Client's personal, professional, or business goals and create a plan to achieve those goals through stimulating and creative interactions with the ultimate result of maximizing the Client's personal or professional potential.

1.2 Schedule. The Coach will begin work on February 1, 2023 and will continue until the work is completed. This Contract can be ended by either Client or Coach at any time, pursuant to the terms of Section 4, Term and Termination.

The Coach and Client will meet by video conference, 4 days per month for 2 hours.

1.3 Payment. The Client will pay the Coach an hourly rate of $150. Of this, the Client will pay the Coach $500.00 (USD) before work begins.

1.4 Expenses. The Client will reimburse the Coach's expenses. Expenses do not need to be pre-approved by the Client.

1.5 Invoices. The Coach will invoice the Client in accordance with the milestones in Section 1.3. The Client agrees to pay the amount owed within 15 days of receiving the invoice. Payment after that date will incur a late fee of 1.0% per month on the outstanding amount.

1.6 Support. The Coach will not be available by telephone, or email in between scheduled sessions.

2.DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.

- A coaching relationship is a partnership between two or more individuals or entities, like a teacher-student or coach-athlete relationship. Both the Client and Coach must uphold their obligations for the relationship to be successful.

- The Coach agrees to maintain the ethics and standards of behavior established by the International Coaching Federation (ICF).

- The Client acknowledges and agrees that coaching is a comprehensive process that may explore different areas of the Client's life, including work, finances, health, and relationships.

- The Client is responsible for implementing the insights and techniques learned from the Coach.

3. REPRESENTATIONS.

3.1 Overview. This section contains important promises between the parties.

3.2 Authority To Sign. Each party promises to the other party that it has the authority to enter into this Contract and to perform all of its obligations under this Contract.

3.3 Coach Has Right To Give Client Work Product. The Coach promises that it owns the work product, that the Coach is able to give the work product to the Client, and that no other party will claim that it owns the work product. If the Coach uses employees or subcontractors, the Coach also promises that these employees and subcontractors have signed contracts with the Coach giving the Coach any rights that the employees or subcontractors have related to the Coach's background IP and work product.

3.4 Coach Will Comply With Laws. The Coach promises that the manner it does this job, its work product, and any background IP it uses comply with applicable U.S. and foreign laws and regulations.

3.5 Work Product Does Not Infringe. The Coach promises that its work product does not and will not infringe on someone else's intellectual property rights, that the Coach has the right to let the Client use the background IP, and that this Contract does not and will not violate any contract that the Coach has entered into or will enter into with someone else.

3.7 Client-Supplied Material Does Not Infringe. If the Client provides the Coach with material to incorporate into the work product, the Client promises that this material does not infringe on someone else's intellectual property rights.

4. TERM AND TERMINATION

This Contract is ongoing until it expires or the work is completed. Either party may end this Contract for any reason by sending an email or letter to the other party, informing the recipient that the sender is ending the Contract and that the Contract will end in 7 days. The Contract officially ends once that time has passed. The party that is ending the Contract must provide notice by taking the steps explained in Section 9.4. The Coach must immediately stop working as soon as it receives this notice unless the notice says otherwise.

If either party ends this Contract before the Contract automatically ends, the Client will pay the Contractor for the work done up until when the Contract ends. The following sections don't end even after the Contract ends: 3 (Representations); 6 (Confidential Information); 7 (Limitation of Liability); 8 (Indemnity); and 9 (General).

3. INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR.

The Client is hiring the Coach as an independent contractor. The following statements accurately reflect their relationship:

- The Coach will use its own equipment, tools, and material to do the work.

- The Client will not control how the job is performed on a day-to-day basis. Rather, the Coach is responsible for determining when, where, and how it will carry out the work.

- The Client will not provide the Coach with any training.

- The Client and the Coach do not have a partnership or employer-employee relationship.

- The Coach cannot enter into contracts, make promises, or act on behalf of the Client.

- The Coach is not entitled to the Client's benefits (e.g., group insurance, retirement benefits, retirement plans, vacation days).

- The Coach is responsible for its own taxes.

- The Client will not withhold social security and Medicare taxes or make payments for disability insurance, unemployment insurance, or workers compensation for the Coach or any of the Coach's employees or subcontractors.

6. CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION.

6.1 Overview. This Contract imposes special restrictions on how the Client and the Coach must handle confidential information. These obligations are explained in this section.

6.2 The Client's Confidential Information. While working for the Client, the Coach may come across, or be given, Client information that is confidential. This is information like customer lists, business strategies, research & development notes, statistics about a website, and other information that is private. The Coach promises to treat this information as if it is the Coach's own confidential information. The Coach may use this information to do its job under this Contract, but not for anything else. For example, if the Client lets the Coach use a customer list to send out a newsletter, the Coach cannot use those email addresses for any other purpose. The one exception to this is if the Client gives the Coach written permission to use the information for another purpose, the Coach may use the information for that purpose, as well. When this Contract ends, the Coach must give back or destroy all confidential information, and confirm that it has done so. The Coach promises that it will not share confidential information with a third party, unless the Client gives the Coach written permission first. The Coach must continue to follow these obligations, even after the Contract ends. The Coach's responsibilities only stop if the Coach can show any of the following: (i) that the information was already public when the Coach came across it; (ii) the information became public after the Coach came across it, but not because of anything the Coach did or didn't do; (iii) the Coach already knew the information when the Coach came across it and the Coach didn't have any obligation to keep it secret; (iv) a third party provided the Coach with the information without requiring that the Coach keep it a secret; or (v) the Coach created the information on its own, without using anything belonging to the Client.

6.3 Third-Party Confidential Information. It's possible the Client and the Coach each have access to confidential information that belongs to third parties. The Client and the Coach each promise that it will not share with the other party confidential information that belongs to third parties, unless it is allowed to do so. If the Client or the Coach is allowed to share confidential information with the other party and does so, the sharing party promises to tell the other party in writing of any special restrictions regarding that information.

7. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY.

Neither party is liable for breach-of-contract damages that the breaching party could not reasonably have foreseen when it entered this Contract.

8. INDEMNITY.

8.1 Overview. This section transfers certain risks between the parties if a third party sues or goes after the Client or the Coach or both. For example, if the Client gets sued for something that the Coach did, then the Coach may promise to come to the Client's defense or to reimburse the Client for any losses.

8.2 Client Indemnity. In this Contract, the Coach agrees to indemnify the Client (and its affiliates and their directors, officers, employees, and agents) from and against all liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) related to a third-party claim or proceeding arising out of: (i) the work the Coach has done under this Contract; (ii) a breach by the Coach of its obligations under this Contract; or (iii) a breach by the Coach of the promises it is making in Section 3 (Representations).

8.3 Coach Indemnity. In this Contract, the Client agrees to indemnify the Coach (and its affiliates and their directors, officers, employees, and agents) from and against liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) related to a third-party claim or proceeding arising out of a breach by the Client of its obligations under this Contract.

9. GENERAL.

9.1 Assignment​. This Contract applies only to the Client and the Coach. Neither the Client nor the Coach can assign its rights or delegate its obligations under this Contract to a third-party (other than by will or intestate), without first receiving the other's written permission.

9.2 Arbitration. As the exclusive means of initiating adversarial proceedings to resolve any dispute arising under this Contract, a party may demand that the dispute be resolved by arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association in accordance with its commercial arbitration rules.

9.3 Modification; Waiver. To change anything in this Contract, the Client and the Coach must agree to that change in writing and sign a document showing their contract. Neither party can waive its rights under this Contract or release the other party from its obligations under this Contract, unless the waiving party acknowledges it is doing so in writing and signs a document that says so.

9.4. Noticies.

(a) Over the course of this Contract, one party may need to send a notice to the other party. For the notice to be valid, it must be in writing and delivered in one of the following ways: personal delivery, email, or certified or registered mail (postage prepaid, return receipt requested). The notice must be delivered to the party's address listed at the end of this Contract or to another address that the party has provided in writing as an appropriate address to receive notice.

(b) The timing of when a notice is received can be very important. To avoid confusion, a valid notice is considered received as follows: (i) if delivered personally, it is considered received immediately; (ii) if delivered by email, it is considered received upon acknowledgement of receipt; (iii) if delivered by registered or certified mail (postage prepaid, return receipt requested), it is considered received upon receipt as indicated by the date on the signed receipt. If a party refuses to accept notice or if notice cannot be delivered because of a change in address for which no notice was given, then it is considered received when the notice is rejected or unable to be delivered. If the notice is received after 5:00pm on a business day at the location specified in the address for that party, or on a day that is not a business day, then the notice is considered received at 9:00am on the next business day.

9.5 Severability. This section deals with what happens if a portion of the Contract is found to be unenforceable. If that's the case, the unenforceable portion will be changed to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable, unless that change is not permitted by law, in which case the portion will be disregarded. If any portion of the Contract is changed or disregarded because it is unenforceable, the rest of the Contract is still enforceable.

9.6 Signatures. The Client and the Coach must sign this document using Bonsai's e-signing system. These electronic signatures count as originals for all purposes.

9.7 Governing Law. The validity, interpretation, construction and performance of this document shall be governed by the laws of the United States of America.

9.8 Entire Contract. This Contract represents the parties' final and complete understanding of this job and the subject matter discussed in this Contract. This Contract supersedes all other contracts (both written and oral) between the parties.

THE PARTIES HERETO AGREE TO THE FOREGOING AS EVIDENCED BY THEIR SIGNATURES BELOW.

Coach

First_name
Last_name
Acme LLC.
Client

First_name
Last_name
Corporation Corp.
Table of contents

If you're offering tax preparation services independently, you're likely looking for an efficient way to gather all the information you need from your prospective clients (and existing ones) while minimizing your time in the office. At the same time, you want to increase customer satisfaction and retention rates, which requires giving your clients a straightforward and seamless experience from the get go. This is where a tax preparer client questionnaire comes in.

With so many documents and information to gather, you may overlook some of the basic but important elements you must know in order to successfully prepare your client's income tax return. But with the help of a well-designed, standardized questionnaire you can collect and organize your client's data which will help you filter out prospects and keep vital information at hand.

Let's take a look at how this client questionnaire will help your business and what essential elements you should be covering when preparing your own form.

Note: Looking for ways to streamline your administrative processes end-to-end? Bonsai is your best bet! From client onboarding to invoicing, payments, accounting, and tax intake form templates, we have everything you need to save time and grow your business. Claim your 14-day free trial today.

Why You Need a Client Tax Questionnaire

Implementing a client questionnaire as part of your onboarding process will help you gather priceless information about the real needs of the prospect, allowing you to determine how you can best assist them. For instance, say a current client recommends you to a friend, who might believe you provide any type of tax preparation services. However, they might need services for a large corporation, while you specialize in small businesses.

A client questionnaire will make it simpler to evaluate leads and determine whether a potential customer is a suitable fit for your company. Additionally, this intake document allows clients to concentrate more readily on their primary objective for utilizing your services during tax season.

You can create your own client tax questionnaire in the form of a template, which will save you both time and money, as well as provide consistency in your client intake process. Use them either to obtain new client's information, or to request updated information from existing and recurring clients. Let's take a look at the most important elements you should include when creating your own questionnaire.

Essential Elements to Cover in Your Client Tax Questionnaire

The specific questions you ask on your tax preparation questionnaire might vary depending on your company and its offerings. Nonetheless, there are some basic aspects you must include in order to provide better services for your clients. Here's what your questionnaire should focus on.

Personal Information

Your tax preparation questionnaire should gather all of your potential client's personal information as well as their spouse and dependents. Make sure to ask for the client's and spouse's full name, Social Security Number, date of birth, occupation, employment status, email address, physical address and filing status (single, married filing jointly or separately, head of household or widow).

Additionally, get their dependents information such as full name, social security number, date of birth, relationship to the taxpayer and how long they have lived with them.

Business Information

If your client is a business owner, you may need additional information before you get started. This may include the date when the business started, prior year's corporate tax return, partnership agreements, or EIN (Employer Identification Number). You can also include questions to find out more about their operations and business expenses you might be able to deduct on their tax return.

For example, you may ask if the prospective client makes use of their vehicle for business purposes, if they run their business from home (free home office worksheet), or if they have purchased any capital assets during the year.

Income and Expenses

It's important to gather some details about the client's income streams and expenses as well as charity contributions. Inquire about whether or not the client received any income from employment as employee or independent contractor, any unemployment compensations, social security benefits, interest income from a savings account or if there was any federal income tax withheld by their employer. You can also gather information regarding investments, gambling winnings/losses, and the sale or exchange of virtual currencies.

Additionally, gather basic information about the client's expenses for the current year. These may include medical expenses, insurance premiums, cash contributions, prescription medications, home mortgage, or unreimbursed business expenses.

Retirement Information

Include questions to collect basic information about the client's and their spouse's retirement plan. It's important to know if they received distributions/payments from any retirement plan such as IRA or 401, as well as if they made any contributions to it. You should also find out if they took the 2020 COVID distribution and whether it was deferred over a 3-year period as well as if they have put any of that money back.

Education

Last but not least, you can inquire about any education related expenses, loans and contributions. These include tuition, fees, or books that were required to attend university, college or vocational school, scholarships and grants, distributions from an Education Savings Plan (or other applicable plans) as well as any contributions made to such plans and payments for Student Loan Plans.

Create the Perfect Client Tax Questionnaire With Bonsai

With so much on your plate, you need a quick and easy way to create a professional client tax questionnaire. Bonsai's lightweight form builder is the answer! Our flexible forms allow you to customize fields to your liking, including as many questions as you need and easily selecting your preferred answer format (multiple choice, single choice or text). Once the form is ready to go, you can choose to either send a URL link to your clients, email it, or have it embedded to your business website for added convenience.

This is the easiest way to implement online questionnaires to your onboarding process, increase customer satisfaction and make a great first impression. Check out these and many more features Bonsai has to offer with your 7-day free trial!

Frequently Asked Questions
Questions about this template.

Are tax preparers liable for mistakes?

Yes, the IRS penalizes tax preparers who make mistakes. If the tax preparer made mistakes and you paid fees or penalties, the IRS will help you by mitigating them.

Who qualifies as a preparer?

A CTEC registered tax preparer must: within the last 18 months, enrol in a 60-hour qualifying education course from a CTEC certified provider. Get a $5,000 tax preparer bond from a surety or insurance agent. Obtain an IRS Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN).

How many tax returns does a tax preparer do in a day?

Depending on your individual unique situation, a fair average of tax returns filed per day would be roughly ten.