John Costello has been preparing my tax returns for too many years to mention …read more
Around June 20, 2021, I received a letter from the IRS stating that they needed more information to process the return. The listed what they needed: a copy of pages 1 and 2 of my return, amounts and dates of all estimated tax payments made for 2020, any documents verifying income and withholding. John faxed the information to them.
He said the problem was "identity". The IRS wanted to make certain I am really me!
I thought it was strange why they requested estimated tax payment and income and withholding information if they thought it was an "Identity" problem. However, I didn't question John. He said I would just have go wait until they mailed me my refund.
As the months went on I kept thinking why did the IRS want estimated tax payment information.
On January 13, 2022, I called John and said I was still waiting for my check and that I haven't heard from the IRS since June. I asked him if he could do anything to help me. He shouted, "no, I won't do anything to help you."
His shouting upset me more than what he said. So, I made an appointment with another tax preparer for January 18, 2022. The new tax preparer looked over my 2020 tax return and the letter I received from the IRS, and he stated and should me the mistake that john Costello made.
I left the office of the new tax preparer, and went to John Costello's office. I pointed out the mistake that he made. He entered my Federal tax payments on the wrong line, and he omitted my estimated tax amount. He tried to say that I did not give him the estimated tax payment information, which is a blatant lie, and i told him so.
In June 2021, when I showed John the letter from the IRS, he knew that he made a mistake, and, if he didn't know, he should have examined the return that he prepared.
John Costello didn't have the ethics or courage to admit to me that he made a mistake.
Tax preparers are each given a phone number from the IRS, so the tax preparer can reach them. John denied this!
If he had admitted to me, in June 2021 when I should him the letter, that he had made a mistake, I would not be typing this letter!