Client tax notices a time drain? Superior Tax Prep benefits from Protection Plus

As a tax professional, you understand the immense value of your time and expertise. You’re dedicated to helping clients navigate the complexities of tax season, but what happens when the dust settles, and a penalty notice or audit arrives? For many firms, it can lead to a significant drain on resources.

Protection Plus helps tax pros with a solution with a team of experts who do the work for you by dealing with the IRS to resolve issues related to tax notices and audits. Firm-Level Protection Plus is a higher-value solution that covers individual and business returns.

Meet Ken Greenberg, a tax preparer and QuickBooks Elite ProAdvisor who owns Superior Tax Prep in Mount Sinai, New York. Ken has been using Protection Plus since 2016. He has been in business for more than 35 years, and was a sole proprietor until 2022, when, due to an influx of clients, his son, daughter, and two other staff came to work with him in the firm that has as many as 500 clients in a tax year.

From optional add-on to essential service

Ken moved from Intuit® ProSeries® Tax to Intuit ProConnect™ Tax in 2022, primarily for its W-2 and tax document importing, which saves him time on data entry.

“Initially, our firm offered Protection Plus as an optional add-on in the Intuit Link organizer,” said Ken. “While about 10% of my clients opted in, a significant shift occurred after the 2018 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, and as a result, Intuit recognized the potential for fewer individual sign-ups. Fortunately, they introduced a firm-level product that had an accessible price point.”

This move prompted Ken to ask his clients for feedback, and they overwhelmingly agreed on the value of the new offering. Now, Protection Plus is integrated into all of his client communications, ensuring everyone is aware of the safety net in place.

Bundling for peace of mind—and efficiency

The firm’s approach to charging for Protection Plus has also evolved. What started as a direct pass-through of the $10 per personal return and $75 per business return fee has shifted. Recognizing that clients still seek their guidance when interacting with Protection Plus, the firm now charges $18 for personal returns, with the additional $8 acting as a form of what Ken refers to as “insurance.”

“This allows us to allocate our time to assist clients with the resolution process when needed,” he said. “By making Protection Plus an integral part of our service, clients gain greater peace of mind, and our firm avoids the significant time drain of directly resolving audit and penalty letters.”

Peace of mind and saving time is at the top of Ken’s list of benefits for Protection Plus.

“With an already demanding workload, the ability to offload the burden of dealing with taxing authorities is invaluable,” he said. “Protection Plus handles issues like late payment penalties, denied credits, and various other notices, freeing us up to focus on core services, including bookkeeping, tax preparation, and LLC formation.

“My expertise is bookkeeping and tax prep; I don’t deal with taxing authorities directly since I’ve had Protection Plus aboard,” continued Ken. “This specialization allows us to stay in our lane, and leave the often slow and bureaucratic processes to experts who have the experience and connections to navigate these challenges more effectively.”

Case studies: real-life relief

Ken offers two examples of how Protection Plus came to the rescue for his firm.

Upstate salon: Ken transitioned a new client, a successful upstate salon, from an LLC filing as a disregarded entity on Schedule C to S-Corporation tax filing status. The IRS and New York State didn’t approve the S-Corp status until August. The firm filed the S-Corp returns immediately after receiving IRS approval. Despite proper and timely filings, the client received a $1,175 penalty from the IRS and a $375 penalty from New York for not filing by the March 15 S-Corp deadline.

“This was a clear travesty of the tax code, because S-Corp status was retroactive and not approved until five months after the usual due date,” said Ken. “We handed the case to Protection Plus, and both the IRS and New York penalties were swiftly abated. This single case saved us double the time because of the two taxing authorities.”

Long Island dietician: A dietician client with a successful consulting practice experienced a year with reduced income due to medical issues. Depreciation on a new car led to a tax loss, which, while acceptable to the IRS, triggered a New York State audit that took issue with the depreciation.

“Again, Protection Plus stepped in, working directly with the client to collect necessary documentation,” said Ken. “Through their expertise, Protection Plus successfully negotiated with the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, leading to the closure of the case with a significant reduction in additional tax and penalties.”

Reinforcing confidence with every return

The firm doesn’t just rely on verbal communication about Protection Plus. Instead, they actively incorporate Protection Plus into their client delivery process. When returns are delivered, both through Intuit Link shared documents and eSiguature, a Protection Plus flyer is included, and the cover note to the returns mentions that the fee includes Protection Plus.

Ken believes this simple, yet effective step serves as a reminder that Protection Plus stands behind their work and is readily available to assist when needed.

“It reinforces the peace of mind Protection Plus offers and contributes to greater client confidence in our firm’s services,” he said. “By integrating Protection Plus, this firm has not only enhanced our client offerings, but also significantly streamlined our operations, allowing us to focus on what we do best: providing expert tax and financial guidance.

Protection Plus: Provide your clients an outstanding tax experience

Protection Plus is simple. The CPAs and enrolled agents who represent Protection Plus will stay with an open case for as long as it takes to resolve, no matter how many calls they are put on hold for or how long it takes to resolve an issue. Protection Plus offers peace of mind on returns for clients, while giving your firm valuable time to focus on impactful work. Learn more about adding Protection Plus and and Firm-Level Protection Plus for individual and business returns.