ComplaintsforBrenTax

• Initial Complaint

  24/04/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We were looking for a company to do our taxes. We contacted Brentax and asked them for a quote. Brentax asked us to provide all of our tax documents and asked questions but did not give us a quote. We kept asking for a quote. Then we got an email from Brentax stating that our documents were ready to be filed and that we needed to pay their fee. We complained that we never authorized them to do our taxes. They have been threatening to send their bill to collections for $225.40 if we do not pay it. We do not think it is fair that they did not give us a quote as requested and that they required copies of all our tax documents before they gave us a quote. I am also concerned with the Business holding on to our tax information. We hired Brentax last year, but this year, we went to many businesses including Brentax and asked for quotes.

  

  Business response

  24/04/2024

  Mr. ******* and his partner retained our services in 2023, for the 2022 T1 filing year.  We have an authorization on file that they signed in 2023 (see attached). This authorization does not have an expiration, until the client calls CRA to cancel.  So, we did have permission to represent them, and it started in 2023.  We are not in the business of doing tax returns for non-clients.  We did not make up their information.  They provided it and assumed the service. 

  As you can see the client did indicate on February 7th that they had difficulties travelling and wanted to have a quote.  To which my preparer responded that it was difficult to quote and indicated that IF the return was similar to that of last years that the price is probably the same.

  The return was not similar to the 2022 T1.  My preparer went back and forth on several emails, confirming slips, asking for medical information, other worldly income (Airbnb Income). We asked if E-Transfer was acceptable, we asked for Direct Deposit information, email address, phone number, confirmed investment income.  At that point the client was exchanging information with my preparer and she did just that.  She prepared the return.

  My preparer corresponded back and forth for roughly 8 days.  They agreed that E-Transfer and E-Documents would be "Great!!" (not two exclamation points).  It wasn't until the bill was sent that this became an issue.

  "It's difficult to quote"

  "If your return is similar to last year the cost could be the same"

  If they were adamant on a quote, the correspondence would not have gone back and forth for 8 days if this was just a "quoting" scenario.

  If the client cannot pay in full, we would be more than happy to accept a payment plan.

  Kind regards, 

  ******* *********

  Customer response

  30/04/2024

   I am rejecting this response because:
  We are not going to pay for a service that we did not contract nor RECEIVE.
  
  Our annual taxes were processed by another entity (NOT brentax).
  Furthermore, the information provided by the company in the response is false. We want that debt to be completely canceled.

  We appreciate and ask for the company's collaboration to avoid future measures.

   

  Thank you,

  ******** *** *****

  
  

  

  Business response

  30/04/2024

  To Whom it May Concern

  One more time - In order to service our thousands of clients in an efficient and expedient manner we rely on the authorization they have signed giving us permission to act as their legal representative for tax matters. When our clients contact us year to year and send us documentation in multiple emails and/or drop offs we proceed with the tax preparation - such as was done with these clients again this year.

  Should a prior client choose not to remain with BrenTax they do not send tax information and they cancel our representation - this was not the case here.

  Only when the returns were finished, and the invoices were presented did these clients suddenly object and said they only wanted a quote. We are a 5* BBB firm and have been for 14 years. We do not do "practice" returns. Our time comes with a charge.

  The returns were both ready to be filed following payment. There are invoices that must be paid or unfortunately the bills and the client authorizations will be sent to a collection agency. This has rarely happened, and we do not take pleasure in this method of payment however we also are not willing to pay our employees to spend time on "practice" returns.

   

  Sincerely ******* ********* ************* ******* ************

  Customer response

  30/04/2024

   I am rejecting this response because:
  
  -The volume of work of your company is not relevant or justification for any abuse
  
  
  -NOBODY sent tax information spontaneously until Brentax requested it to be able to give a quote (it was clarified at the beginning of the attached conversation)
  
  
  -As the company stated, we do not accept the service upon receipt for the first time after being requested 3 times the cost of the service. which was 450% higher than last year. which denotes disproportionate abuse.
  
  
  -The papers they requested this year were never signed.
  
  
  -The company declares that it performed the service but this is not the case, it did not perform the given service or the service was performed by another agency.
  
  
  -The company declares that it wants to charge a bill for the time of its employees when offering a budget but this was never clarified at any time, these terms and conditions were never accepted or signed.
  
  
  -They expect clients to accept any budget that they abusively impose without objection. They do not accept consumer rights and want to impose their own standards for the benefit of the company.
  
  
  -Furthermore, they lie, they never ask us for nor do we talk about medical information or income on Airbnb (we do not have Airbnb nor do we provide medical information)
  
  
  -The email conversation uploaded by the company is incomplete, so it shows an intention to hide information.
  
  
  
  
  The billing needs of a company cannot override people's rights.
  This invoice invented by this entity is not accepted. will proceed accordingly.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  sincerely,
  ******** *** *****
  

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩