For the past four years, my spouse and I have used Sue's tax services and have been very…read morepleased--up until this year. For the past two years, we've worked with her remotely after moving a few hours away.
Unfortunately, this year was a completely different experience. Despite reaching out over a month before the tax deadline and providing all requested documents, nothing on our file was completed or even reviewed. Given that our returns are very similar year to year, this should have been a straightforward, turn-key process of updating numbers. Instead, we were repeatedly told our file was being worked on when it clearly was not.
Her office also does not provide a secure portal or method for sending documents, so we created our own secure Google Drive to share everything. Based on activity, it appeared the documents were never even accessed, which prompted our patient but repeated check-ins, along with periodic emails that were ignored and never replied to. If email communication is not a strong suit, a phone call would have been appreciated--but we never received one and always had to initiate contact ourselves. During one of those calls, we even asked if we should come in person, and were assured it was not necessary and that she regularly handles remote clients.
As the deadline approached, we were told an extension would be filed due to timing and the lack of completion due to how overwhelmed they were, however no one reached out to tell us this, we assumed ours would be completed on time. On April 14th, after being on hold for over 30 minutes, Sue finally told us the day before deadline that she was filing the extension while on the phone, collected our personal and banking information, and said she would confirm once it was submitted. That confirmation never came. The following morning (tax deadline), we called to follow up since we had not heard from her as promised.
During that call, her admin staff placed my spouse on hold to check with Sue on the status of the extension. While on hold, the line was not muted and we overheard Sue say, "those effing people are a pain in my a**," clearly referring to us. When she came on the phone moments later, her tone was completely different. We were honestly shocked and confused--especially since we had simply been trying to confirm whether our extension had actually been filed after not receiving the promised confirmation the day before tax deadline.
She then acted as if she didn't even know we had spoken the day before and told us we were simply on her "extension list." No extension had been filed, and no payment had been processed. On tax deadline, my spouse and I had to take it in our own hands and call the IRS to request the extension and give a best guess payment.
Communication throughout this process with Best Team Tax was extremely poor. Emails went unanswered, calls were not returned, and we had to repeatedly follow up just to get vague or inconsistent updates. Staff were polite but unable to provide clear or accurate information.
We are genuinely surprised by this experience, given how positive prior years have been. However, due to the lack of communication, follow-through with completing what we were told was being done, and lack of professionalism (cussing in the background, etc) we will no longer be using or recommending these services.
Respectfully, we were once happy clients but after this year we are done and now are left to find someone else to do them for us at the last minute. We would have preferred transparency up front, if you didn't have the time or ability to complete.
