ComplaintsforRunyan & Associates PC

• Initial Complaint

  02/20/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Unresolved

  More info

  November 13th, 2023, I received an email from ***************************** <*************************************> stating that she is able to provide tax advisory (email screenshot attached). The email included information regarding tax strategy but no cost associated. I engaged with ******** and asked to schedule a meeting to review *********************** (my new husband as of June 11th, 2023) tax amendment. We ended up meeting with her twice over zoom for 2 hours total to review his tax strategy before proceeding with 2023 married filing jointly taxes. We were then billed $790 and sent a engagement letter by the firm (that we have not signed). I paid the bill and then was curious as to the additional costs for taxes. ***************************** (their customer relations manager) indicated that the $790 was for tax advisory services and that their would be additional cost for ********************* 2022 amended return as well as our 2023 married filing jointly return. I was surprised to find this out for the first time given that my taxes last year cost $500. I emailed ***** asking for an explanation and she said that ******** charges $200 an hour for her services. I let ***** know that we only met with her twice and that ******** indicated that our "tax return would be easy" and that she couldn't proceed with the 2022 amended return without exact numbers. My concern here is that we were mislead in regards to their prices and that we were charged 2 additional hours of tax planning without evidence or proof. ***** also indicated that they have worked additional hours on the tax return without my knowledge and that they will be charging us an anticipated $200 an hour rate for ***'s time. ********************* and myself (***************************) have not agreed to the pricing, have not signed the engagement letter and have been put in a difficult position due to their lack of transparency and what I believe is an overcharge of their services. The current amount in question is $390 for tax preparation and what work has been done for the return.

  Business response

  02/27/2024

  Thank you for sharing your feedback. Were sorry your experience did not match your expectations. We've discussed this with you several times and, unfortunately, were still unable to provide our services for free. The concerns you note here were not enough to prevent you from working with our team for an additional month before deciding you were unhappy with a service already provided and paid for. 

  As part of our billing transparency, we dedicate space in every tax engagement agreement (that all clients sign) to outlining our billing practices. Here is the paragraph regarding billing, pulled directly from the 2022 Amended Return Engagement Letter signed by your husband on January 16th, 2024. A signature on an agreement of this sort would indicate that you not only understand but agree to the terms laid out. Further, it gives us permission to start on the project.   

  Our fees for this engagement will be based on our standard hourly rates in addition to any related reimbursement expenses and/or service packages. Depending on the engagement, we may require an upfront retainer and/or invoice you monthly for services performed. Payment is due upon receipt. Invoices unpaid 30 days past the billing date may be deemed delinquent and are subject to a late fee of 1% per month. We reserve the right to suspend our services or to withdraw from this engagement in the event that any of our invoices are deemed delinquent. If any collection action is required to collect unpaid balances due us, you are responsible for, but not limited to, the principal amount, collection agency fees, attorney fees, and all court costs plus any other reasonable costs of collection.

  In this particular case, the paid invoice was clearly marked as to which project you were paying for, and our team also spent hours of additional (unpaid time) reviewing your invoice with you for more clarity. We do try to be understanding of our clients needs, but we cannot be expected to deliver hours of professional services free of charge. We are a business, so naturally our services do come at a cost. In the end, we recognize that our services did not align with your budget and that not all expectations can be met. We also recognize that sometimes it's just not the right fit between a firm and a client. Please reach out to our team directly should you need anything else. 
  

  
  

  Customer response

  03/12/2024

  Thank you for your message. We are rejecting the business's response. 
  
  I can confirm that I have had quite a bit of back and forth with the business regarding their failed transparency in regards to their charges and what next steps are as well as what has been completed. 
  
  I was billed $790 on January 4th, 2024 and I paid the $790 on January 5th, 2024. I emailed them (email cc'd) on January 5th letting them know that it would be helpful to know that I was being billed an additional $290 from the prior year. I did not continue a month worth of their services after this was brought to my attention as they did not respond to my query until much later. 
  
  What they have provided me is that *****************************, their CPA, charges $200 an hour. We met with her twice over zoom for an hour each. The additional $390 is not accounted for and they have not provided proof or evidence that they have done any additional work to the amended 2022 tax return for my husband. 
  
  What I have made clear to them that does not seem to resonate is that they have increased their charges by over 400% (they anticipated the total return to cost over $2,000 comparatively to the $500 last year) and have failed to indicate to me that it would cost that much, and they have provided no justification for the increase. In fact, ******** has stated that our tax return was "easy". 
  
  For what it's worth, I completed our tax return in 1 hour and 37 minutes (according to TurboTax) this past weekend and I am not a seasoned professional such as ********. 
  
  I greatly appreciate your help in settling this matter. 
  
  Best, 
  ******

*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. ↩