Hypothetical for my fellow pros
Would you work for a company that has an offshore team that prepares the returns but they intentionally avoid disclosing this to clients? The CEO is the one that signs the returns. Your job is more review and client interaction.
Follow up, would you report this?
(Yes, I know that signed disclosure is mandatory. This is the second company I’ve been involved with that doesn’t disclose.)
Client filed 2024 return using the W-2 they received from their previous employer. They get a letter saying "hey we need to verify some stuff". So they sent in everything they had. Client isn't the best record keeper. The last paystub they had didn't match the W-2 they received.
The IRS continued to send "We need 60 more days" notices until they sent one in November 25 asking for more information again. That was when they called me. I submitted all of the information they had. I waited 60 days. Called to follow up.
Nobody could tell me anything other than it's being worked on and they need more time. I called 30 days later. Same response. I reached out to TAS since it was creating a hardship. TAS sent a letter saying it was being worked on and there was nothing they could do to help. Called again and was told they needed more time.
A notice final goes out disallowing all of the withholding. Now instead of a $23k refund, they owe $11k. The client has done everything to reach out to the employer. The guy has basically disappeared from town. There are multiple employees going through this. There is absolutely nothing on the W&I transcript.
At this point, I'm not sure where to go with it. What would you do? File an amendment with a form 4852 using the last paystub the client has? Argue the disallowance? Hire Liam Neeson to track down the employer and get their money back? I'm at a loss as to how to help the client.
As the title says, I have an appeal hearing scheduled for early June. I'm trying to prepare as best I can. I don't really have any "evidence" per se. I have a print out of DMs but that's about it. I don't know what more to provide. My unemployment claim was denied due to: "you have not shown that you attempted to adjust your grievance with your employer before you quit or that you quit for compelling personal reasons. You voluntarily left work without good cause in connection with your employment." Please help.
tldr: Incredibly toxic work environment involving yelling and targeted behaviors to set me up to fail. I reached out to my manager multiple times to ask for assistance with the situation and the situation got worse.
Backstory: I've worked for this tax company since February 2025. On April 16th, they fired a few people. I was saved because I have a credential. On October 16th, they fired my manager and a few additional people. None of the people fired were fired for cause other than the company was downsizing due to lack of work. Again, I'm guessing I was saved because I have a credential and it's useful to them.
I went on short term disability in early November and returned in early January. When I returned, there were 2 new managers in addition to the one I'd been moved to when my manager was fired. Out of the 2 new managers, one was completely incompetent and the other was incompetent, aggressive, and one of the owners relatives (we'll call him john). As far as I was aware, I was still reporting to same manager from before my leave.
From my first day back, John was on me. No matter what I did, it was incorrect. He started sending dms asking to call me so he could yell at me for things he said I was doing wrong. One thing was billable hours. He changed the policy without letting anyone know so I didn't meet the new policy, as I was unaware of the change. Another situation had to do with too many billable hours for one client and how I needed to ask for help. Every time I'd ask him or the other managers for help, I'd be told I had everything I needed.
I met with my direct manager multiple times asking to be moved to another department or for help with how John was treating me. I was met with "Oh John is stressed because the principals are breathing down his neck." I reached out to multiple coworkers and none were having the same issues. I was told by John that I needed to work more hours but wouldn't be given work to do to meet the hours. Finally, in mid-March out of nowhere, John has a meeting with me, my manager, and a project manager a springs a PIP on me. Every item on the PIP were one off situations that were resolved in late January/early February. When I brought this up, he yelled at me again. (I have this recorded, as does the company) One of the requirements of the PIP was that I needed to meet with an admin that lives in another country early every morning to go over all of my work and have her assign more work to me. This part is not allowed by the IRS as she lives in another country and the clients are not aware of that.
I reached out to HR to ask about severance in lieu of PIP and was terminated 2 days later.
ETA: my separation agreement states that the company has made the decision to terminate my employment.