David is a one person show who feels that existing and potential clients are expendable and who will judge you for running questions and ideas by him.
David prepared 10+ returns per year on my behalf for about 7 years. I will be taking my business elsewhere with my subsequent returns, largely owing to his unprofessional attitude, which other reviewers had mentioned. I'd actually wanted to go elsewhere earlier but I allowed my book keeper to talk me out of it.
I wanted a CPA who is part of team, with whom I can communicate my concerns and wants, and receive advice on what can be done, what can't, and how to go about doing what can be done. I understand that this involves running scenarios and drafts of returns to review and comment. I even told him that's what I wanted both in person and email. This would have taken time and cost more, but I never asked him to work for free.
Instead, I got paternalistic decision making in which returns were filed without my knowledge, and I only learned of the filing status when I received his bills.
I can't even get him to send me returns electronically despite repeated requests. Less postage, less paper waste, less paper clutter, less time for me to retrieve returns from the post office. I can easily drive to either his office or home to pick up the returns and save myself upwards of $65+ per year on 'shipping and handling'. I even explained to him that I don't have a scanner and I need to send copies to lenders for loan applications. Instead he continued to charge per return for 'shipping and handling' on hard copy returns. I've been paying them, albeit with increasing resentment. He doesn't seem to care.
It was actually over the electronic records that the relationship finally fell apart. What professional would break a relationship over providing electronic copies after charging their client (and getting paid) hundreds for 'shipping and handling'?
I've referred several people to him in the past, and none have given him their business owing to his personality from the outset. I didn't want to believe them. I've hit my limit as I now need a team player who would break a year's long relationship (and being paid tens of thousands) over electronic return copies.
As further evidence of his maturity, David said in his response to this post that I was 'terminated'. Well, duh, I made it obvious to him that I was taking my business elsewhere. He just wanted the public to know that he 'dumped' me. What are we in, high school? Whoever gets to tell everyone first that he did the 'dumping' is somehow 'better'? Ok, dude.
Also, David likes to deliberately mischaracterize me as someone willing to commit fraud. As stated, I was asking as a layperson if something is possible to do. David said no. I backed off. Yet he puts himself on some "moral high ground" (his words, in writing) in a dispute just because I had put forth the suggestion. It would be fraud if I insisted that he follow through on my thoughts after being counseled otherwise. I backed off and even thanked him for enlightening me.
This is the kind of immaturity you have to deal with. It's all nice when it's nice. When there's conflict, he will hold against you for not knowing finance law as well as he does. When he declared himself to be on a moral high ground, I asked him if he were still in high school. Our conflict began over his stubborn refusal to release tax returns to me electronically, and instead of seeing how immature he was being, he then latches onto the first thing that makes him appear on a moral high ground, which is that I had put forth suggestions he said were not doable. How dare a layperson not be familiar with finance law.
In retaliation to me pointing out how immature he was being, he threatened to not be cooperative with the succeeding CPA. Do you really want to deal with a 'professional' who hasn't graduated emotionally from adolescence?
As for not wanting to divulge my private residence (as he states in his response) -- it's because the guy is just creepy (see review from someone who caught him with porn on his computer screen).
David's attachment to pride pretty much ensures he'll stay a one person show. read more
