TaxAssist Accountants

KeepItLight

Hi folks,

In October I reached out to this crowd to help me pay Capital Gains Tax for some stocks I sold. Being totally new to this (the stocks were granted by the company I work for) I preferred to just pay someone to take care of the paperwork for me as I couldn't wrap my head around it.

Long story short, the accountant assigned to me told me to send a check to the collector general and he would follow up with the paperwork and be in touch early in Jan.

I followed up with him myself and it turns out he no longer works for the company.

I reached out to TaxAssist directly, and they advised that its my problem, and I should try and follow up with him and whatever company he works for now, which I think it totally unacceptable, considering the Collector General has already cashed the cheque I sent them on his advice last year.

Can anyone offer some advice on how I should pursue this? I'm thinking reaching out the CCPC or Financial Services Obudsmann might be the right move?

Buddy Bubs

Did you pay tax assist? If so, you're their customer not a customer of the moved on employee. He was acting on their behalf

KeepItLight

This is the tricky part, they haven't actually charged me for their service fee, because the job was never finished.

However, they did tell me to send a cheque on the collector general which has been cashed but no paperwork as been filled or followed up on - so I am still out of pocket.

Jim_Hodge

There has to be some paperwork completed. The Collector General doesn't just cash cheques without an accounting process.

What out of pocket are you if you wee paying the CG Tax anyway?

KeepItLight

Jim_Hodge wrote: »

There has to be some paperwork completed. The Collector General doesn't just cash cheques without an accounting process.

What out of pocket are you if you wee paying the CG Tax anyway?

855 euro paid to the collector general

IAMAMORON

KeepItLight wrote: »

855 euro paid to the collector general

Did you provide a cover letter when sending in the cheque?

Did you advise the rev of your PPS number?

KeepItLight

IAMAMORON wrote: »

Did you provide a cover letter when sending in the cheque?

Did you advise the rev of your PPS number?

Nope, the accountant just said to send a cheque to collector general in that amount, and return the tax forms he sent me back to him and he would take care of all the paperwork. I had no reason to doubt him at the time.

IAMAMORON

KeepItLight wrote: »

Nope, the accountant just said to send a cheque to collector general in that amount, and return the tax forms he sent me back to him and he would take care of all the paperwork. I had no reason to doubt him at the time.

So you just sent the rev a cheque in, with no reference at all?

KeepItLight

IAMAMORON wrote: »

So you just sent the rev a cheque in, with no reference at all?

Like I said, I followed his instructions at the time. I had never done this before hence the reason I hired him in the first place.

In hindsight, I wouldn't take the same steps again but we're here now.

Happy4all

KeepItLight wrote: »

855 euro paid to the collector general

If that was your cgt liability, how the hell are you out of pocket?

Submit a form cgt1. Ring revenue if you have any queries completing same.

KeepItLight

Happy4all wrote: »

If that was your cgt liability, how the hell are you out of pocket?

Submit a form cgt1. Ring revenue if you have any queries completing same.

Because I have no paperwork filed, zero. No evidence on whether this was the right amount or not or how it was calculated.

IAMAMORON

KeepItLight wrote: »

Like I said, I followed his instructions at the time. I had never done this before hence the reason I hired him in the first place.

In hindsight, I wouldn't take the same steps again but we're here now.

I am not fully understanding how the rev cashed your cheque without knowing where to assign the payment to?

Ring the rev tomorrow, tell them what happened. Explain that the cheque you gave them was for a CGT liability. If you have not previously advised them what the cheque was for I am astonished that they cashed it.

Get a new accountant to re-submit your assessment.

Who did you make the cheque payable to?

KeepItLight

IAMAMORON wrote: »

I am not fully understanding how the rev cashed your cheque without knowing where to assign the payment to?

Ring the rev tomorrow, tell them what happened. Explain that the cheque you gave them was for a CGT liability. If you have not previously advised them what the cheque was for I am astonished that they cashed it.

Get a new accountant to re-submit your assessment.

Who did you make the cheque payable to?

Thanks for the advice, I was genuinely too trustful at the time and starting to feel pretty stupid in hindsight - lesson learned.

Cheque was literally made payable to "Collector General” and was sent to their address in Limerick

IAMAMORON

KeepItLight wrote: »

Thanks for the advice, I was genuinely too trustful at the time and starting to feel pretty stupid in hindsight - lesson learned.

Cheque was literally made payable to "Collector General” and was sent to their address in Limerick

If they cashed the cheque it is now sitting in suspense somewhere waiting to be claimed.

You will now have to prove to them that the cheque was for your benefit. That should not be tooooooo difficult as I assume your name and bank account deets are on the cheque.

Get in touch with them tomorrow and let them know that it was you that sent in the cheque and what it was for. Get a new accountant to assess the amount of your CGT liability. Forget Tax Assist, it sounds like they don't want your business.

Good luck.

relax carry on

What did you provide to the accountant to workout the CGT liability on the shares you sold? Did you pay for this service?

AndrewJRenko

KeepItLight wrote: »

Like I said, I followed his instructions at the time. I had never done this before hence the reason I hired him in the first place.

In hindsight, I wouldn't take the same steps again but we're here now.

Are his instructions in writing? From a Tax Assist email address?

Has the cheque been cashed?

KeepItLight

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

Are his instructions in writing? From a Tax Assist email address?

Has the cheque been cashed?

Yeah, all communicated via email from a TaxAssist email address, and yes the cheque has been cashed.

AndrewJRenko

KeepItLight wrote: »

Yeah, all communicated via email from a TaxAssist email address, and yes the cheque has been cashed.

I wouldn't be letting TaxAssist off the hook so.

IAMAMORON

KeepItLight wrote: »

Yeah, all communicated via email from a TaxAssist email address, and yes the cheque has been cashed.

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

I wouldn't be letting TaxAssist off the hook so.

I honestly would not be creaming yourself over this one. All Tax Assist are going to do is file your CGT return for you, if, you kick and scream. Don't be surprised if they still bill you for this.

Every accounting practice in Ireland is under no obligation to complete their engagement, you haven't even got an engagement letter yet? They can drop you for a multitude of reasons. So thinking that just because of one misunderstood phonecall and a few e-mails you are in line for some sort of negligence claim... please don't bother wasting your time. You don't even report accountants to the ombudsman for starters....

Did you ring the rev yet? What did they say?

AndrewJRenko

IAMAMORON wrote: »

I honestly would not be creaming yourself over this one. All Tax Assist are going to do is file your CGT return for you, if, you kick and scream. Don't be surprised if they still bill you for this.

Every accounting practice in Ireland is under no obligation to complete their engagement, you haven't even got an engagement letter yet? They can drop you for a multitude of reasons. So thinking that just because of one misunderstood phonecall and a few e-mails you are in line for some sort of negligence claim... please don't bother wasting your time. You don't even report accountants to the ombudsman for starters....

Did you ring the rev yet? What did they say?

Don't think anyone mentioned negligence claims or reporting to the Ombudsman. He just wants to get his tax sorted.

Skid X

IAMAMORON wrote: »

I honestly would not be creaming yourself over this one. All Tax Assist are going to do is file your CGT return for you, if, you kick and scream. Don't be surprised if they still bill you for this.

Every accounting practice in Ireland is under no obligation to complete their engagement, you haven't even got an engagement letter yet? They can drop you for a multitude of reasons. So thinking that just because of one misunderstood phonecall and a few e-mails you are in line for some sort of negligence claim... please don't bother wasting your time. You don't even report accountants to the ombudsman for starters....

Did you ring the rev yet? What did they say?

Any bill fromTaxAssist related to this should be going straight into the shredder

IAMAMORON

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

Don't think anyone mentioned negligence claims or reporting to the Ombudsman. He just wants to get his tax sorted.

ehhhhh.... you did infer something?

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

I wouldn't be letting TaxAssist off the hook so.

The Op also stated it quite clearly.

KeepItLight wrote: »

Can anyone offer some advice on how I should pursue this? I'm thinking reaching out the CCPC or Financial Services Obudsmann might be the right move?

Darc19

I presume you added some form of letter with your name and address?

Or did you simply put a cheque in an envelope with no information?