Joint return issues-PLEASE HELP!

[randasmith]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Oklahoma

Hello! I'm having some problems with the tax preparation service (the one that advertises with people carrying around huge checks) my husband and I used this year and the 3 years prior. I'm going to try to keep this as short as I can, but please bear with me as I'm going to give all information on this incident.
My husband went while I was at work (with my permission) to file our taxes for this year a few days ago. The preparer performed the steps in our return and our end result in federal was 2,500.00 LESS than what last year's was. We have an additional dependent for this year as I had a baby in October. I went to find out why our return was so little with the extra dependent added, and she couldn't answer as to why. I NEVER SIGNED ANYTHING- but our return was already submitted to the IRS. She stated she would have the office manager go back over the return the following day and for me to call back.
The next day I called at the time I was told to, but the office manager was @ another office and I was referred there, after calling and leaving a message because she was with a client-I was called back 3 hours later. I told her of what had happened and she informed me that she was never given any of my paperwork nor told that she had to look over our return. She linked up to their system and totally redone our return while I wass on the phone with her. She informed me our return was a little over 4,000.00 higher than the previous preparer had quoted, but that since she submitted our return already she'd have to file an amendment.
I was unaware until the next day that it would take 8-12 weeks to get the difference in the amount back, and since my husband lost his job for a few months last year-the first amount was going straight to his back child support, therefore we wouldn't see a dime. We are about to be foreclosed on and our tax money was going to get into another home.
But enough of the sob story, I am wanting to know if it is possible to get a refund from the company/franchise in lieu of waiting the time period, since it was a company/preparer mistake? Also am I able to get my filing fees returned since we paid for a return in 8-10 DAYS not 8-12 WEEKS and the preparer illegally submitted our joint return with only one signature? I have a call in to the franchise owner and was told I should know/hear something from him tomorrow as we've had bad weather and he couldn't come into the office.
If they refuse me any of these things, what other options do I have to get something done?
I apologize for the lengthy post and all advice is greatly and humbly appreciated! =)

 

[Isis1]

i'm seriously doubting the tax preparer or the company she works for will be held responsible.

your husband authorized the return. he should have submitted all the corrct information, looked it over carefully, and THEN authorized the submittal. since he didn't do that, AND he has back child support, looks like he's the one that made the mistake.

 

[LdiJ]

i'm seriously doubting the tax preparer or the company she works for will be held responsible.

your husband authorized the return. he should have submitted all the corrct information, looked it over carefully, and THEN authorized the submittal. since he didn't do that, AND he has back child support, looks like he's the one that made the mistake.

I am going to disagree that its the husband's fault. Most people know next to nothing about taxes and wouldn't have any clue that there was anything wrong with the return.

The tax preparer had to make a monumental error for there to be a 4000.00 difference in the refund. Therefore they are perfectly within their rights to ask for their tax preparation fees back, and any reputable firm would refund their fees.

However, its not reasonable to ask them to pay out the refund. There would be no mechanism available for them to get the money back after the IRS releases the actual refund.

 

[randasmith]

Thank you poster #2

Put it this way-I know more about taxes than he does, he trusts the tax services to do their job correctly. He thought something was wrong, but he was under the impression that the return wouldn't be filed until I signed the authorization forms as well. It's never been submitted in the past few years until both signatures were on the authorization form. I'm getting copies of those forms and sending them into the IRS along with the Form 3949a Tax Fraud notification. I've been told by another employee (who was more helpful) that this preparer had made MANY errors since her employment there this year. I'm also going to the local television stations, since the office manager who re-done our taxes is now giving me the run around while I'm trying to just get my amendment signed and sent off. I've called corporate and still nothing from them, not even a call back.
Thank you poster #2 for reading completely what I had posted-I'm not a complete idiot and for that reason, I know that there are some MAJOR mistakes in the whole way things are being handled, and I'm glad you seen that instead. Maybe the consumer advocate from the tv station can get somewhere, or at least get me some numbers for the franchise owner's bosses.

 

[LdiJ]

Put it this way-I know more about taxes than he does, he trusts the tax services to do their job correctly. He thought something was wrong, but he was under the impression that the return wouldn't be filed until I signed the authorization forms as well. It's never been submitted in the past few years until both signatures were on the authorization form. I'm getting copies of those forms and sending them into the IRS along with the Form 3949a Tax Fraud notification. I've been told by another employee (who was more helpful) that this preparer had made MANY errors since her employment there this year. I'm also going to the local television stations, since the office manager who re-done our taxes is now giving me the run around while I'm trying to just get my amendment signed and sent off. I've called corporate and still nothing from them, not even a call back.
Thank you poster #2 for reading completely what I had posted-I'm not a complete idiot and for that reason, I know that there are some MAJOR mistakes in the whole way things are being handled, and I'm glad you seen that instead. Maybe the consumer advocate from the tv station can get somewhere, or at least get me some numbers for the franchise owner's bosses.

I think that you are considering taking this further than it needs to be taken.

Yes, it WAS a monumental error, but the company should refund your preparation fees without you needing to take it that far. There actually isn't anything else that they can do for you that they haven't already done. (the amended return).

Part of the reason why you may not be getting as prompt responses as you wish is that we are right in the middle of the two "he11" weeks of the tax preparation season.

Get the amended return from them and get it signed and mailed. Then wait a week or ten days and they will have much more time to deal with the problem. I think that you will find that they will refund your fees. Of course, that is assuming that your fees were paid up front. If your fees were to come out of your refund, and the entire initial refund is going to be seized for the past debt, then the firm will not get paid at all, therefore there will not be anything for them to refund.