Custom Professional Accounting

Barbara provided book keeping and tax preparation service for my business.
Barbara is a bit of an odd duck. I am not sure that I have heard someone use more words to say so very little on such a regular basis. I think it is in part of a sub conscience strategy to deflect your attention away from her frequent uncertainty about how to answer what I would consider typical questions. I tolerated her since she was the devil I knew and figured I would be okay in the end.
Turns out there were three issues that came up that are a direction result of acts or omission on her part. Accordingly, I would avoid the use of her service unless you are feeling lucky.
1. We discussed and she confirmed that since my business is taxed as an SCorp and the taxes would be filed by me as an individual and I had no quarterly tax liability. She asserted that she told me that I did have a quarterly tax liability. If that was the case I would asked her to calculate my quarterly tax liability for the year in October 2015 when we first started doing business. I found out about my liability from the IRS via a letter indicating I owed penalties on unpaid quarterly taxes from 2015. I was quite surprised by this letter. I emailed Barbara to ask about the letter and she said:
«Issam,
I am sorry if you misunderstood the quarterly payments and associated penalties. Looking back at my records, I see that you did not start using my services until the last quarter of 2015. You had already missed your estimates for 2015. I do not calculate penalties and interest. That is up to the IRS.
I know that we discussed your quarterly payment obligations. It is up to you to make those payments.
Barbara»
I understand that paying my taxes with my money is my obligation. Had we ever had any conversation about my missed quarterly tax liability I would have asked her to calculate them for my Year-​to-​Date. I even asked her for a tax estimate and the estimate made no mention of quarterly tax liabilities. Who files taxes for a client and doesn’t calculate quarterly penalties? Even the H&R Block people can calculate penalties and interest. Even worse, who files taxes for a client and say absolutely nothing about penalties and interest during the tax preparation process. Barbara Joyce did that. Why I would I go to the trouble hiring a book keeper to help me get QBO in order and to file my taxes and then completely ignore the need to calculate quarterly taxes? Her assertion in her email is not in keeping with the facts as they exist and makes no sense.
2. I received my Arizona return. I had been expecting about $ 2800 refund and instead they found an error and now I owe them $ 2700. That is about a $ 5500 error. I didn’t even bother raising this issue with her given the way she responded when I told her that I no longer require her services.
I said this after her previous email, «Very well then. That is too large of a misunderstanding for my liking. Thank you for your services. I’ll be moving to find another accountant.»
Barbara’s response to losing a client was,” That works for me.“
3. She is very unprofessional. I had her to my home on 2 occasions to discuss my finances and she brought along with her «baggage» about other clients. She spent at least 30 minutes on each occasion telling me about how terrible some of her clients are and what she thinks of how they do business. Very unprofessional and I am sure once this review is seen I will end up in her rotation of bad mouthing clients.
Consider yourselves warned she isn’t very good at her job and her demeanor moves directly to a defensive posture when you question her about what she says and what she does. At the end of the day if you are a small business you need a competent partner that you can trust. Barbara turned out to be neither competent nor trust worthy.