Steps for the 2020 Tax Season

By: Stacey Nickens

Business returns were due on March 15, and most individual returns are now due on May 17. With the individual deadline approaching, I want to remind Elm3 clients of a few important tips to ensure that your returns are processed correctly and that your potential refund is received in a timely manner.

Getting Us Documents 

1. Go to the homepage of our website and click the tab titled “Client Login”.
2. A new window will open. If you have forgotten your login information, click the link titled, “Can’t Sign in?”. You will then receive an email, allowing you to reset your password.
3. Navigate to the folder titled, “TY 2020,” and then navigate to the folder titled, “Client Source Documents”. Once you are inside the “Client Source Documents” folder, you can upload your 2020 tax return documents.

Tax Preparation

1. Once you have uploaded your documents, you will receive an email via DocuSign, prompting you to sign Elm3’s Engagement Agreement. You should expect this email 24-48 hours after uploading your documents.
2. After you have signed the Engagement Agreement, the Elm3 team will review your documents and prepare your return. We will reach out to you if we have any questions or need additional information. You can expect this step to take our team about one week.
3. Once your return is complete, the Elm3 team will reach out to schedule a tax pickup appointment via Zoom or over the phone.
4. If you choose to conduct your pickup appointment over Zoom, you will receive an email with your Zoom meeting code and password one day prior to your appointment. This email will also contain a link that allows you to join the Zoom meeting.

A Few Reminders

1. Please inform us if you moved, changed your email addresses, changed your phone numbers, or added/lost family members.
2. Please inform us of the amount of your stimulus payments.
3. Please inform us of the amount of non-cash charitable donations that you made over the course of the 2020 tax year.
4. If you or any of your family members renewed their driver’s licenses during the past year, please upload an accurate copy of the new license by following the above steps.
5. Please inform us if you closed or changed bank accounts during the past year.

Thank you for following these steps to ensure your tax season is smooth and seamless!